Board of Public Works approves amended 2027–2031 capital equipment budget after IT borrowing shift

The La Crosse Board of Public Works approved the city’s 2027–2031 capital equipment budget on March 23 after adopting an amendment that shifts borrowing for one information-technology purchase.

The board’s presiding official proposed an amendment to line item E26105 to change the 2027 borrowing to $380,000 and reduce 2028 borrowing to $660,000. Jackie, a director in IT, told the board the swap is driven by equipment lifecycle timing: “we’re gonna replace our storage units next year and then the backup units we’re gonna push out to 2028,” she said, explaining the move would better align replacements with vendor support and procurement timelines.

Why it matters: the amendment lets the city prioritize replacing storage hardware next year — where vendor support and immediate operational need are strongest — while deferring backup-unit replacement to 2028. The amendment was moved by Director Gallagher and seconded by Council President Dickinson and passed unanimously; the final motion to adopt the full capital equipment budget passed 3–1.

Key departmental requests summarized at the meeting included airport, IT and fire equipment items. Airport leadership reviewed multiple line items: $300,000 for terminal IT upgrades; $85,000 for a utility mower used on the airfield land side; $60,000 for a security access control system (part of a multi-year door-hardware replacement); $50,000 requested for two airfield line-striping machines to meet FAA outlining requirements; a $20,000 scissor lift to replace an aging boom lift; and an $85,000 maintenance pickup. Director Koss said the city “generally paint[s] at least a quarter of the airfield every single year” and that two machines shorten closures needed to complete markings.

IT staff described citywide radio-site upgrades (E26442) and related lifecycle replacements. IT told the board that the radio upgrades cover three city radio sites and that handheld radios originally bought in 2014 have reached end of life. The board heard the radio-site upgrade line was $978,000 as the first year of a five-year agreement with the vendor.

Fire department representatives described roughly $40,000 in specialty-team replacements — water-rescue dry suits, boat equipment, USAR harnesses and ropes, and HAZMAT air-monitoring and calibration gear for frontline apparatus — characterized as periodic capital replacements rather than routine operating expenses.

Votes at a glance: the amendment to E26105 passed unanimously; the subsequent vote to approve the full capital equipment budget passed 3–1. Several related motions recorded during the meeting (contract change orders, permit approvals, and final payments) were approved separately; see the board’s minutes for the full roll call.

Procedural note: board members debated whether some recurring items (for example, line-striping equipment) should be moved from capital borrowing to operating budgets in future cycles, with staff and directors noting airport cash and passenger facility charge funds may cover some items.

The board took the budget vote and then moved on to separate agenda items including permits, contract change orders and assessments. The board adjourned at the end of the scheduled meeting.