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\n The Brief<\/p>\n
\u2022 Water fountains in La Crosse remain shut down because they don’t meet ADA compliance standards during a period of extreme heat<\/p>\n
\u2022 Two city council resolutions will address the issue in coming weeks – one to install new ADA-compliant fountains, another to delay removal of historic bubblers<\/p>\n
\u2022 The city’s engineering department says the fountains will stay off indefinitely as the only way to maintain ADA compliance<\/p>\n
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — Western Wisconsin is seeing a stretch of high heat and a lack of operational water fountains in La Crosse is causing concern.<\/p>\n
“When we have this extreme heat, whether it is someone walking the dog or somebody jogging or whatever, it’s just nice to have,” said Common Councilmember Gary Padesky (District 7).<\/p>\n
He added that the bubblers are extra helpful to the city’s unhoused community, who otherwise might not have easy access to clean drinking water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bubblers have been turned off this year because they aren’t ADA-compliant.<\/p>\n
Two resolutions addressing the problem will be considered in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n
The first would install ADA-compliant drinking fountains across the city. La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey sponsored that legislation.<\/p>\n
The second would\u00a0delay any\u00a0removal of the historic green bubblers. Council members Chris Kahlow (District 6) and Padesky are behind the resolution.<\/p>\n
“We just want to make sure that we have a year to talk about this,” Padesky said. “Long-term I would like to see, even if we put in new bubblers\u00a0next to them that are ADA compliant, leave the old ones with a plaque in the ground explaining the history of bubblers in the state of Wisconsin and the city.”<\/p>\n
Padesky and Kahlow are brainstorming ideas for the historic bubblers. He’s interested in having local artists or school districts paint them.<\/p>\n
In a statement,\u00a0the city’s engineering department said there’s no plan to remove the bubblers.<\/p>\n
However, they also wrote that the bubblers “will just remain off indefinitely, as that is the only way to have ADA compliance.”<\/p>\n
Padesky\u00a0thinks it’s better to risk it though, and turn the bubblers back on.<\/p>\n
“Unless somebody threatens to sue us, my opinion, let’s get them up and running and cool people off.”<\/p>\n
The two resolutions will be\u00a0considered next Tuesday, August 5\u00a0at the city’s Judiciary & Administration committee.<\/p>\n
Should La Crosse’s ‘green bubblers’ stay on even though they are not ADA compliant?<\/p>\n
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