THE PUBLIC'S PICKS. Projects selected for funding as part of the Empower Eau Claire program include (clockwise from top left), wheelchair-accessible playground equipment at Boyd Park, LED lighting at Phoenix Park, invasive plant-fighting equipment, and a solar array for Sojourner House. (Submitted photos)

The voters have spoken, and now five public projects – including wheelchair-accessible playground equipment and LED lighting at Phoenix Park — are slated to get a total of $300,000 in city funding thanks to a first-of-its-kind program in Wisconsin.

The City of Eau Claire recently announced the winning projects of the first-ever Empower Eau Claire participatory budgeting program. The exercise in direct democracy involved city residents suggesting and ultimately voting on public projects. Nearly 2,000 votes were cast between April 26 and May 13, and five projects made the cut:

1. Pour and Play Playground Foundation and Wheel Chair Accessible Equipment (Boyd Park). $55,200.
2. Feed My People: Hunger Action-Emergency Response Center Equipment (Feed My People, 2610 Alpine Road). $50,000.
3. LED Lighting at Phoenix Park and Farmer's Market Pavilion. $126,615.
4. Sojourner House Solar Array (Sojourner House, 618 S. Barstow St.) $30,930.
5. Invasive Species Management (various parks, trails, and other public spaces). $41,400.

Next, the Eau Claire City Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, May 24, to accept the winning projects and directs city staffers to begin seeking contracts to implement them. 

Learn more about the Empower Eau Claire program on the city website, and read more specifics about each project in the PDFs below.