Ethan Reed - Eau Claire City Councilmember

08/10/2026

Council meets tonight, Monday Aug. 10 at 6:00 PM, and Tuesday Aug. 11 at 4:00 PM. Three items I think are especially worth watching:

Composting: The proposal before Council does not require garbage haulers to provide curbside compost pickup. That provision was removed. The ordinance instead creates different rules for residential, community, and larger-scale composting. Before voting, I want clearer answers about implementation costs, possible City drop-off sites, and how this fits with the broader review of our waste-hauling system.

City-owned land: Council is considering whether four parcels should be declared “excess,” potentially making them available for future housing. But the four parcels do not have the same recommendation. Plan Commission recommended moving forward with Park Ridge Drive and Vine Court, while recommending more review before acting on Lawrence Street and E. Riverview Drive in the Well Fields area.
Declaring land excess is also not approval of a housing development. For Lawrence and E. Riverview, I want the additional Parks/Waterways review and better site-specific information before making that decision.

Healthcare petition: Residents gathered enough signatures for direct legislation creating a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee. Tuesday, Council has two choices: adopt the proposed ordinance or send it to voters on Nov. 3. I’m looking closely at what the committee would add, where its work overlaps with existing City-County public-health functions, and what staffing and coordination it would require.

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJx1bStusms
Agenda packet: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-packet
Comment to Council: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-members/city-council-contact

08/03/2026

Plan Commission meets Monday, August 3 at 6:00 PM.

One item worth watching is Item 4D, a proposal to declare four City-owned parcels “excess,” including land near Lawrence Street and East Riverview Drive by the Well Fields. That could move the land toward a possible future sale for housing.

I support using public resources to create genuinely affordable housing. But before this moves forward, I want clearer answers about the legal effect of this vote, the final parcel boundaries, and what protections would be in place for groundwater, utility access, conservation, and long-term affordability.

I plan to ask that Item 4D be pulled from the consent agenda so it can be discussed in public. This is not approval of a specific development, but it is an important step in deciding what happens to public land.

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyAVGHD-8Fg

Agenda and packet:
https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/boards-commissions-committees/plan-commission/plan-commission-agendas-and-minutes

Meeting details:
https://www.eauclairewi.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/15318/17

Planning contact:
[email protected]

07/26/2026

Council meets Monday, July 27 at 6 PM for public discussion and Tuesday, July 28 at 4 PM for votes.

The biggest items I am watching:

Redevelopment plans: Council will vote on the Riverbend and Core redevelopment plans. I support adding the proposed equitable-development principles, but principles alone do not guarantee affordability, prevent displacement, or create accountability. Before voting, I want clarity about which future decisions return to Council and how these goals will shape property acquisition, public subsidies, relocation protections, and reporting.

YMCA area and city fees: In work sessions, Council will discuss whether to develop a more focused redevelopment concept around the YMCA property and how much city services should rely on user fees. Public goals and financial limits should be established before property negotiations create momentum. On fees, I do not think one cost-recovery percentage makes sense for every service; we need to consider public benefit, affordability, and who may lose access.

Organics ordinance: Tuesday is the first reading. The current proposal does not require curbside organics collection, and much of the waste-hauler correspondence addresses an earlier version that did. Before final action, I want clear information about staffing, inspections, enforcement, costs, appeals, and which industry concerns still apply to the ordinance now before Council.

Agenda packet:
https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-packet

Comment to Council:
https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-members/city-council-contact

Watch the meetings:
https://www.youtube.com//streams

07/12/2026

Council meets Monday, July 13 at 6:00 PM and Tuesday, July 14 at 4:00 PM. Three items are especially worth watching:

Affordable housing: We will discuss new scoring rules for the Flexible Housing Fund and vote on the five-year capital plan. The proposed criteria prioritize deeper and longer-term affordability, housing for vulnerable residents, low-barrier access, preventing displacement, accessibility, and proximity to services. Two proposed amendments would also add a combined $500,000 for housing in 2027 by shifting money from road lighting, bridge maintenance, and city-building upgrades.

County EE land purchase: The city may spend $1.75 million to acquire eight parcels totaling approximately 220 acres. The packet identifies about 111 acres as potentially developable for future industrial use, with wetlands and timberland that could have conservation or public uses. A purchase would not approve a particular development, but it would shape what becomes possible. I am looking closely at the full infrastructure cost, environmental protections, potential future uses, and opportunities for public review.

Redevelopment districts: Monday’s discussion and Tuesday’s work session cover two proposed districts. The Core Reinvestment District could support rehabilitation, affordable housing, small businesses, and river access in central neighborhoods. Riverbend includes industrial land, riverfront property, the former HSHS site, and the former Shopko site. My questions are how public benefits will be enforced, how displacement will be prevented, and how residents will remain involved as individual projects emerge.

I have received thoughtful comments about the amount and structure of the housing funding, the role of the Housing Opportunities Commission, farmland and wetlands along County EE, possible industrial uses, and the long-term cost to taxpayers. Please keep them coming.

Agenda packets: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-packet
Comment to Council: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-members/city-council-contact
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com//streams

06/17/2025

Had a blast at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce meet & greet yesterday. Good convos, good people, and a lot of energy in the room.

I talked budgets, capital projects, and how we handle the big stuff like downtown parking and wastewater.
Nate's fired up about investing further in our trails, parks, and rivers— some of the best things Eau Claire has to offer.

We’ve been in the thick of it since Day 1 so I appreciate moments like this to reconnect with the why.

We spoke with Ethan Reed and Nate Otto, the two newly elected city council members on what they are most enthusiastic about tackling while in office.