Onalaska reverses course on regional sewer district

The Onalaska city council unanimously pulled the plug on a possible La Crosse Area Metropolitan Sewerage District. 

The reasoning for the move is over La Crosse’s desire for a regional services fee.

Onalaska city administrator Eric Rindfleisch said it’s irrelevant to the sanitary sewer concerns.

What’s more, it could just be a strategic maneuver.

“We continue to negotiate for a long-term contract and this is a sticking point,” Rindfleisch said. “The city of La Crosse has made it clear, they don’t wish to participate.”

The council had previously proposed such a district for the communities that are served by the plant in Isle La Plume. 

“The resolutions passed by La Crosse,” Rindfleisch said. “Including the unrelated regional services fee for any contract signed, denies the purpose of the district.” 

A resolution signed by the council indicated that the district could not legally make its citizens pay for a fee that’s unrelated to the issue at hand.

Onalaska city officials have said the purpose of the district would be to, among other things, be an entity that examines costs for all ratepayers in the communities.