The Viroqua Public Record: October 5, 2026
Breaking down the school referendum countdown, a possible Emplify Health land deal in the business park, and a softball backstop that earned its own agenda line.
Your neighbor's guide to what's happening at City Hall — October 5, 2026
The Big Takeaway
Two things worth your attention this week. First, the Common Council met Tuesday, September 29, and the agenda opened with a presentation from Viroqua Area Schools about the November 3 school referendum — the ballot question that could affect your property tax bill. If you've been meaning to get up to speed before you vote, that's the clock ticking. [1] Second, the council's agenda also included a possible closed-door discussion about a memorandum of understanding with Emplify Health to purchase property in the Viroqua Business Park — potentially a significant new tenant on city-owned land. [1] One important caveat throughout this issue: we have the council's agenda, not its minutes, so we can tell you what was scheduled for discussion but not how any vote came out. [1]
Money Watch
• The September 29 council agenda was unusually heavy on spending items, and — this matters — none of them listed a dollar figure on the agenda itself. So we can tell you what the council was asked to consider, but not the price tag. [1]
• Street construction payments. Pay request #10 for the Center Avenue project and pay request #11 for the Hanson Farm project were both up for approval. These are the periodic installments the city pays contractors as work gets done. [1] - Hanson Farm street extension. A contract with engineering firm Vierbicher, plus a change order (an adjustment to work already under contract, which usually means a cost change), were both on the list. [1] - Highway 14 & Main Street safety project. A revision to the state/municipal financial agreement was scheduled for review — that's the document spelling out how the state and the city split the bill. [1] - Two generator items. A possible generator replacement for Well #5 (one of the city's drinking water wells) and a generator contract with Total Energy Systems covering utilities and the fire department. Backup power at a well house is the kind of unglamorous spending that only gets noticed when it's missing. [1] - Elevate Vernon. The council was asked to consider a city contribution to a grant program run with Vernon County. No amount was named on the agenda. [1] - EMS funds. A resolution requesting a "non-lapsing fund" for EMS money — meaning dollars that don't disappear back into the general pot at year's end, so they can be saved toward bigger purchases. [1]
• Meanwhile, the Parks and Recreation Committee takes up the 2027 Parks & Rec draft budget at its next meeting. That's the early stage where ballfields, mowing, pool hours and program fees get shaped — the easiest point for a resident to speak up. [2]
Coming Up
📍 CITY HALL LOWER-LEVEL COMMUNITY ROOM
💻 Join by Zoom (Meeting ID: 842 1840 3176)
📄 Full agenda
Meetings are open to the public — most have a public comment period near the top of the agenda. See the city's full meeting calendar for dates beyond the next two weeks.
The Quick Rundown
• Two appointments. Rebecca Ottoson was up for appointment to the Plan Commission, replacing Mitch Wilson on a term running to 5/1/2028, and Rodney Cain for a six-year Airport Commission term replacing Travis Geary, expiring 9/1/2031. [1]
• Four property maps. The council was scheduled to review certified survey maps (the official documents that redraw or split property lines) for Ben Hansen, Shawn & Phoebe Engh, Popp Funeral & Cremation Service LLC, and an extraterritorial map — one just outside city limits but still within the city's review area — for Vikemyr/Wangen Properties LLC. If you live near any of these, a lot line may be moving. [1]
• Mutual aid ambulance. Discussion with possible action on mutual aid for ambulance service — the arrangements neighboring departments use to back each other up when calls stack up. [1]
• A new kind of permit. First reading of an ordinance on temporary emergency residential relief permits. A first reading is just the introduction; ordinances typically come back for further action before taking effect, so there's still time to weigh in. [1]
• Operator licenses. The routine bartender/server license approvals came through Public Safety. [1]
One More Thing
Tucked into the Parks and Recreation agenda, right after the 2027 budget, is a single line: "Discussion with possible action on softball backstop." [2] No further detail. Somewhere in Viroqua there is a chain-link backstop that has taken enough foul tips over the years to earn its own agenda item — and five committee members, chaired by Steve Willis, will sit down and talk about it. If you've ever watched a ball squirt through a gap and go rolling toward the parking lot, this one's for you.
Sources
[1] Common Council Agenda (Amended), September 29, 2026 — View Document
[2] Parks and Recreation Committee Agenda, October 6, 2026 — View Document
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The Viroqua Public Record is an independent community summary of public meetings. It is not affiliated with the City of Viroqua.