The Prairie du Chien Common Council approved an ordinance for truck routes within the city limits and payment arrangements for new police cruisers during their Nov. 4 meeting.
The city reviewed the original truck route ordinance after receiving complaints about truck traffic in a residential area on North Main Street.
“We looked at the ordinance, and we saw that one portion of it stuck out as really hard to enforce,” said City Administrator Chad Abram.
The original ordinance defines local deliveries as being within five miles of the city limits, which Abram said was impractical for law enforcement to monitor.
“I know the taxpayers don’t want to have a police officer follow somebody from the intersection of Kwik Trip and Walmart five miles [and] into Grant County to see if he’s making a local delivery. It doesn’t make any sense.”
The five-mile stipulation was removed from the ordinance and a truck route was designated through the city.
According to a transportation map provided by the city, the designated truck routes allow traffic on Wisconsin 35, the east side of Blackhawk Avenue toward Eastman, the bypass to Highway 18 until Wisconsin Street and the use of Wisconsin and Iowa Streets west of WI-35 to access and exit the Marquette-Joliet Bridge. North Main Street was previously listed as a temporary route but is no longer included on any of the routes for local or through traffic.
In the ordinance, trucks are defined as motorized vehicles other than motor buses with a gross weight of more than 15,000 pounds.
Routes exclusive to local trucks include an access way to St. Feriole Island from Blackhawk Avenue, an exit from the island on Washington Street and other short routes within the city boundaries.
“Local trucks” are classified as any truck traffic that originates within the boundaries of the city of Prairie du Chien.
Certain types of truck traffic are exempt from the ordinance, including moving vans, garbage trucks, repair trucks and delivery trucks “if they are actively engaged in the delivery of goods, services or materials to a location or locations within the boundaries of the city.”
City-owned trucks are also exempt for the same purpose as well as for snow removal or the application of sand and salt.
Abram said Police Chief Kyle Teynor and Street Superintendent Nick Gilberts still have the authority to make emergency truck routes when needed.
Police cruisers
The council also unanimously approved financing the purchase of four new police department squad cars.
Two of the vehicles will be bought from Fillback in Prairie du Chien, while the other two will be obtained from Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny, Iowa.
According to Teynor, the department was due to replace their patrol cruisers next year.
“Essentially, what we do is rotate our cars out every five years. In 2026, that rotation is due,” he said. “So, you’ll see the patrol fleet that we have now slowly dwindle, and they’ll be replaced by new cars in 2026.”
Earlier this year, the police department received an insurance payment for a wrecked squad car. The new cruiser was purchased from Karl Chevrolet, and the dealer offered the department a money-saving deal.
“He said, ‘Well, we can save you $4,000 to $6,000 per car if you buy them now versus in 2026,’” said Teynor. “Versus waiting until Jan. 1, when the 2026 models go up four to six thousand dollars, we saved about $12,000 doing it now.”
The city will purchase four 2026 police squad cars using a short-term loan through Peoples State Bank. The loan is for $167,777, and repayment will take place over five years, ending in January 2030.
Teynor said the department has utilized financing for more than 15 years.
Abram noted that Peoples offered the lowest interest rate to the city (4.2 percent).
Over the life of the loan, the city expects to pay approximately $15,000 in interest.
Two of the department’s current cruisers will be traded to Fillback, and the others will be taken to Wisconsin Surplus Auction in Mount Horeb.
County jail
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department announced the fencing around the jail expansion project has been removed, which has opened up both lanes of traffic on Beaumont Road and East Haydn Street.
Access to the courthouse and sheriff’s department is still restricted to the back parking lot entrance from Wacouta Avenue. The main entrances off Beaumont are still closed to public use.
In attendance were alderpersons Nick Crary, Vicki Waller, Bob Granzow, Nate Bremmer, Jaaren Riebe, Mark Bowar, Kayla Ingham and Andy Ringgold. Mayor David Hemmer, Abram and Teynor were also present.
The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18.
Other business
• The fire association will begin selling Christmas trees on Nov. 22 at Nelson’s Ace Hardware.
