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Boettcher focuses on downtown, outward growth

Beverly Boettcher

Beverly Boettcher was born in Eau Claire by chance, but came back to live in Eau Claire by choice. And by choice, Boettcher is running for a fourth Eau Claire City Council term as the District 3 representative.

After living in Minnesota and Indiana for several years, Boettcher returned to Eau Claire with her husband in the 1950s to raise a family of five. In 1995, she won her first seat on the City Council.

Being on council has been very interesting and energizing, Boettcher said. She sees staying on the council for another two years as very critical because of several continuing issues.

How They Stand How do you envision Eau Claire's outward growth? Boettcher: There needs to be boundary agreements with neighboring communities. The possibility of sharing services for people on the borders needs to be examined. Pettis: Eau Claire's outward growth needs to be curtailed. The city has expanded beyond its tax base, and further expansion will risk a loss of municipal services. How should the city deal with the downtown area?  Boettcher: It needs to be revitalized. The HyettPalma strategy is part of this.  Pettis: Use federal and state funds to offer low interest or no down payment loans to young families and fixed income families to encourage them to live in the downtown area. Also open up the river front to encourage more businesses to move in. How should the city deal with flood mitigation? Boettcher: Wants to keep the amount taxpayers have to pay as low as possible. Pettis: Fix the problem of the storm sewers, which is a result of urban sprawl, to avoid future problems. Keep taxpayers' share at a minimum. What is your stance on the police and fire contract negotiations? Boettcher: The negotiation process needs to be examined. She would like to see a time limit on how long it can take to resolve differences. Pettis: Allow a council member or two to sit in on the negotiations to allow the council to get a balanced story and find out what the hang-ups are. How do you see the city government working with young adults? Boettcher: It's important to involve youths in getting things done. She would like to see a youth advisory council and a teen recreation center. Pettis: Keep a closer eye on landlords and the upkeep of the rental properties. Offer the low interest and no down payment loans to encourage young families to move into the Randall Park neighborhood.

One of these issues is downtown revitalization. A nationally known firm, HyettPalma, is researching the area to find how it can be renewed in a strategy called the Downtown Action Agenda. Boettcher is on the 23-member committee that is overseeing the study.

The city needs to look at restoring what it already has, Boettcher said. A river walk is one of the things she eventually would like to see in downtown.

At the same time, preserving the historical buildings in Eau Claire and not destroying them is also important, Boettcher said.

"We're ripping our roots out," she said, when historical places are ruined. 

While the downtown of the city matters to Boettcher, so does expansion at the city’s boundaries.

With the city's growth, the council has to be careful to look at conservation, Boettcher said. 

"This takes some guts to speak up," she said. 

Eau Claire and surrounding areas need to work together on a regular basis to look at the possibility of sharing services to people on the boundaries of communities and at the same time to respect those boundaries, Boettcher said.

The cost of living in Eau Claire is also a concern for Boettcher.

Boettcher said she has taken a list of brand name items to a store outside Eau Claire and paid 1/3 less than she did in Eau Claire. The cost of living is higher in this city than it is in surrounding communities, she said.

There needs to be a reason for this higher cost, Boettcher said, and that she is looking out as best she can for people on fixed income.

Boettcher has worked with young people in the community on several issues. It’s important to teach them that there’s such value and such satisfaction when they work for something, she said.

In 1995, Boettcher suggested having a student senator from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire be a liaison to City Council and neighborhood associations. In February’s City Council primaries, two students from the university who Boettcher had talked to about being involved ran for election.

Boettcher said it was kind of a thrill to see the students take her advice to heart.

Boettcher originally got involved with City Council because she was interested in government and the political process, she said. She also had the time available to commit to the council.

In addition to the issues, one of the reasons Boettcher is running for a fourth term is because there are so many people on council who are not running again, she said.

"It would’ve been such a drastic change," she said.

With her six years on the council, Boettcher said she's gained knowledge and experience through working with the council. She knows the people in the city and she knows the names, she said, and likes to look at the problem, then sit down with the people involved and help them as much as possible.

But being on City Council takes much more than common sense, she said. It takes visiting people, studying the issues and hours long work sessions, Boettcher said.

It's difficult working with 11 people making decisions for a city, Boettcher said. They have to look at the effects, she said, and make sure the community as a whole is benefiting.

"You have to remember your opinion isn't the only one."