City Hall  
City of La Crosse, Wisconsin  
400 La Crosse Street  
La Crosse, WI 54601  
Meeting Minutes  
Climate Action Plan Steering Committee  
Monday, September 8, 2025  
4:00 PM  
Eagle Room  
This meeting will also be conducted through video conferencing.  
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Meeting ID: 895 5626 2687 Passcode: 102161  
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Call to Order  
Mindel called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM.  
Roll Call  
4 - Andrew Ericson, Casey Meehan, Dorothy Lenard,Mackenzie Mindel  
2 - Stephanie Hanna,Natalie Heneghan  
1 - Adam Jacobson  
Present:  
Excused:  
Absent:  
Approval of Minutes  
A motion was made by Ericson, seconded by Meehan, the minutes be  
APPROVED . The motion carried on voice vote.  
Notices and Discussion  
Sami Meyer was unable to attend but will provide an update on Parks' seasonal  
sustainability programs and will follow up with a formal request for funding.  
There will be a press conference on 9/11 on expanding the City's grant-funded home  
energy assessment program to moderate-income households. The grant must be  
spent by the end of the year. However, Green Homeowners United has run this  
program for Milwaukee and have gotten an extension with them. La Crosse should be  
able to do the same.  
Staff attended the Urban Sustainability Directors Network's Central Regional Meeting  
and will share the slides from that.  
Staff shared that NEVI program funding is going to move ahead and the Kwik Trip on  
George St. now has EV chargers.  
La Crosse is hosting the Wisconsin Planning Conference on September 11-12. There  
will be a session on Transit-Oriented Development that staff will be attending.  
Agenda Items:  
Bright Action Engagement Recognition: Tri-College Green Exchange & FSPA  
Go Green Program  
25-1090  
1
Attachments:  
La Crosse Carbon Free Challenge Presentation  
Staff wanted to recognize Cameron Kiersch for his work spearheading student  
participation in the Carbon Free La Crosse, first with Viterbo University in 2024 and  
adding the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College in 2025  
with their Tri-College Green Exchange. On the attached slides, one shows that Viterbo  
had 115 students participating, saving $29,770 and 53 tons of CO2.  
Staff also wanted to recognize Cassie Creason, the AmeriCorps member serving  
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. This summer, she led the sisters through  
a 4-month education program, 'FSPA Go Green' using the Bright Action platform.  
Many of the sisters do not use smart phones, so she worked with Bright Action to  
create lesson plans, covering one action category each month. These lessons led to  
lively discussions about how to act on climate change. AmeriCorps had their funding  
cut and Cassi's future was uncertain, but WisCorps and FSPA pulled together to help  
her complete her term.  
Mindel mentioned the shock that the funding cuts had to the Nature Place as well. A  
lot of climate work leverages AmeriCorps members.  
Recognizing the Information Technology Department for earning the City a  
2025 EPEAT Purchaser Award Winner  
25-0843  
2
Attachments:  
Infographic  
Announcement webpage  
The City of La Crosse is a repeat award winner, and they are on display outside the IT  
office. The Global Electronics Council, who runs the awards, is a resource for  
identifying and purchasing sustainable IT products. Many of the award winners are  
corporations and larger municipalities, so it's nice to see La Crosse on the same  
stage.  
Request to Cosponsor La Crosse's Week Without Driving, 9/29-10/5  
25-0841  
3
Attachments:  
Hyperlink  
The CAPSC has been a sponsor in years past, and the responsibility of the sponsor is  
more about spreading the word and showing up to events rather than monetary  
contribution. Staff recognized the leadership of former CAPSC member, Cathy Van  
Maren, and her leadership on this event.  
A motion was made by Lenard, seconded by Ericson, that this Request be  
APPROVED . The motion carried by voice vote.  
Participation in Great Plains Institute's Charging Smart Program.  
25-1088  
4
Attachments:  
Website  
Draft Letter of Commitment  
This is similar to the SolSmart program, and in this case, a community is required to  
reach a series of benchmarks to show their EV-friendliness at a bronze, silver, or gold  
level. Staff drafted a letter of commitment for the mayor to sign. Staff would likely  
connect with Great Plains Institute on a monthly basis but is unsure of the time  
commitment. Participation is free.  
A motion was made by Meehan, seconded by Ericson, that this Request be  
APPROVED . The motion carried by voice vote.  
Next Meeting / Agenda Items  
Adjournment  
Mindel adjourned the meeting at 4:28 PM.  
Notice is further given that members of other governmental bodies may be present at the  
above scheduled meeting to gather information about a subject over which they have  
decision-making responsibility.  
NOTICE TO PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY  
Requests from persons with a disability who need assistance to participate in this meeting  
should call the City Clerk's office at (608) 789-7510 or send an email to  
ADAcityclerk@cityoflacrosse.org, with as much advance notice as possible.