The River Falls Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Tattersall turned out to feel like a Rotary meeting with a very large number of guests. In addition to Scot Simpson, who presented the state of the city and who will be our speaker again on March 22nd, Rotary was well represented in the audience. Read more for the list of those I spotted (and let me know if I missed your name):
Jason Fredrickson, Rick Heuertz, Elaine Baumann, Dale Jorgenson, Scott Morrissette, Tony Jilek, Randy Cudd, Cheryl Maplethorpe, Greg Miller, Sam Hosszu, Gordie Young, Tony Pedriana, Chris Blasius, Judie Babcock, Jamie Benson, Steve Leitch, Bill Montgomery, , Kendra Morgan, Amy Peterson, Alison Page, Terry McKay, and Roxie Gavin. If I missed anyone, please email me at rkerfwilson@gmail.com.
Here’s a link to the city's report: https://www.rfcity.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1042
Here are a few highlights thanks to Cheryl:
--River Falls population is 16,182 according to the 2020 census.
--River Falls grew faster than any city in Wisconsin.
-- The residential vacancy rate in River Falls is only 1%.
--Spending per resident is about $450 vs a state average of $629.
--River Falls has a low debt per resident compared to comparable cities.
--Dealing with the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer will be costly and will change the look of River Falls as many ash trees are removed in a program underway.
--Infrastructure upgrades will be needed as growth continues in River Falls. A new branch of the sewer system will be installed at the north end of the city.
--River Falls has many “Quality of Life” designations: Bicycle Friendly, Bird City, Tree City USA, APPA Reliable Public Power Provider, EPA Green Power Partner, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
--Scot encouraged all to get involved in the city’s comprehensive planning process: https://engagerf.org/