Federal funds, a fire station, and cats found on January city council agenda

Plans for stray cats have been getting attention from La Crosse city leaders in the last two weeks, and a new ordinance on cat control could be adopted by the city council at its monthly meeting Thursday night. 

The council also is being asked to extend its animal control agreement with the humane society for three extra months. 

In other business on the council agenda, there may be votes on several construction contracts for a new fire station near UW-La Crosse, to replace existing Station 2 on Monitor Street. 

And the council is being asked to rezone the new Farnam Flats apartment building, to allow apartments to be built in first-floor space that had been set aside for commercial business. 

The city council also could designate some high-priority projects for federal funding at its meeting.  Mayor Mitch Reynolds has urged the council not to wait too long before allocating $22 million in ARPA funds, headed to the city for economic relief from the pandemic. 

It’s the first monthly council meeting of 2022, and Mayor Reynolds will mark the occasion by giving his first state of the city address early in the 6 o’clock meeting at the southside neighborhood center.