Ill provide leadership with candor and welcome and expect it from city employees and citizens looking to make positive, responsible change for our city. District 34:Jason Wilhelmdefeatedincumbent Gary Beastrom with 54% of the vote. In a separate ruling, a federal judge prohibited local election officials from reporting results before 4 p.m. April 13, making it one of the strangest elections in state history. Dist. View Aldermanic Districts and Wards Map . I feel seen.. All rights reserved. Depending on who you ask, Wausau either has plenty of affordable housing or is lacking affordable housing. Its not just money falling from the sky; its a short-term boost to our revenue stream, so we must spend it within the law and not leverage against our future ability to maintain spending. For republication information email editor@wausaupilotandreview.com.. which discussed the proposal and voted to move it forward, Ethics Board condemns Wausau alder, but dismisses complaint, Wausau Ethics Board to discuss complaint by county supervisor against city alderwoman, Hmong finance executive files discrimination complaint against local credit union, Mixed reaction in Wausau on plans to welcome refugees, Afghans among them, Threats against elected officials marked heated debate on Community for All resolution, Marathon County rejects Community for All resolution, Privacy and Conflict of Interest Policies, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Budgets get executed by department heads, they have far more flexibility than the mayor or council in finding savings. Strategic, responsible planning for thefuture landscape is the foremost challenge facing Wausau. District 30:Andrew Venzkedefeatedincumbent Richard Gumz with 57% of the vote. 2023 www.wausaudailyherald.com. The previous bid was out of date and to consider moving this forward in 2023 we needed to rebid the project, he said. I am hoping that this future Committee of the Whole meeting, if approved by the majority of my colleagues tomorrow, provides a formal opportunity for discussion on the variety of issues described above, and serves as a foundation for future productive deliberations and actions to address these evident, longstanding municipal voids and deficits, Kilian said. Copyright (c) 2023 Wausau Wisconsin Fax: (715) 261-6808 Gain sharing pools can be shared with departments that create a surplus. Wausau City Council meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of Wausau City Hall, 407 Grant Street. Also in September, Wausau Police Chief Ben Bliven said the bridge effort was never conceived to solve the homeless issue but a safety measure to keep residents from falling into the river. Henry Coutinho-Mason, Lydia Caldana, Kelly Vaught, Max Lenderman, Emma Chiu, Clem Garritty, Ollie Jones, Richard Mathews #future Simon Pulman Entertainment Lawyer Focused on Complex Rights Deals. He is also a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of GroundTruth Project that places journalists into local newsrooms. The Wausau City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 407 Grant St., Wausau. Going forward, we need to ensure qualified people serve on the task force and communicate with private enterprises that could lend assistance. The 11-member Common Council adopted the renamed 'We Are Wausau' resolution by a 9-2 vote. If you are unable to attend, but would like to comment on a specific agenda item you may complete an Agenda Item Comment Form. District 16:Tony Sherfinski defeated incumbent Bill Conway with 65% of the vote. Copyright (c) 2023 Wausau Wisconsin Published content is property of Wausau Pilot and Review. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Board of Public Works opened bids for the project, which received one response to a request for proposals issued in January. Marquette University Law School. Tagged: afternoon update , city of Wausau , public safety Advocates are asking Wausau to create a new department of social development and action to ensure the needs posed by the unhoused members of the community are addressed at both the city and county level. A schedule for regular monthly meetings of boards, committees and commissions is available, however the best place to check for a meeting is the online calendar. Short term, temporary measures must lead to solutions that promote long-term success. 4 candidates had to say about their experience and the way they will address Wausaus challenges if they are elected. Some council members appeared to balk at the idea of forming a new city department, though Wausau did have a city health officer in the past. But even that assertion was met with some skepticism. MORE:Aldi to open new grocery store in village of Weston, MORE:Nearly 3 years after Shopko closed, the Wausau VA Clinic is breathing new life into the vacant building in Rothschild. While making the community attractive to talented, industrious, and creative individuals, as well as new industries and employers vital to the prosperity of this citys future, we must engage and encourage those members of the community that are already invested and involved residents. . In my hometown of Green Bay, the debate over how to spend ARPA money has gotten ugly. Using this analytical approach, we can elevate discourse on the matter at the local level to come up with creative solutions customized to our community. According to an agenda for Tuesdays meeting, advocates who provide services to homeless residents will also speak and ask leaders to create a new department of social development and action. 61-4074 1(part), 1967; prior code 2.03(7)). Two incumbents and a challenger won the three Wausau School Board seats. City leaders in Wausau are renewing efforts to erect a fence beneath the Scott Street Bridge, despite the councils rejection of a prior budget amendment to fund the project. All Rights Reserved. Though the election results will be posted Tuesday night, they won't be official until the local board of canvassers verify them at meetings later in the week. Thats just cherry-picking to the extreme and does little or nothing to illuminate the discussion.. I trust citizens judgement: I support letting people choose. Neither Mayor Katie Rosenberg nor City Council President Becky McElhaney responded to an email sent Wednesday requesting information for this story. City Council Alderpersons. Comments are limited to 3 minutes or less. Kilian and Giselman are well aware that an emergency preparedness plan wont address homelessness long-term. District 23:David Baker defeated incumbent Chris Voll with 56% of the vote. WAUSAU - The Wausau City Council has five new members after the vote totals from the spring election were released. Gary Gisselman, who represents Wausaus Dist. In parallel, the city has approved and funded 24 hour shelter options, including a day center that is in the process of gathering itself to open soon, with low barriers to entry for those who need it, Rasmussen said. Laura Schulte can be reached atleschulte@gannett.com and twitter.com/SchulteLaura. After a contentious discussion on Tuesday, the Wausau City Council approved a request by two alders to hold a meeting on the way the city responds to homelessness. Im very tired of it.. Occupation: Inside Sales Representative, Heartland Business Systems (HBS). No person may be appointed to more than two consecutive regular terms as a member of any city board, committee or commission, unless the reappointment is specifically approved by the common council. The loss of those units amounts to a nearly 11% drop in the number of affordable housing units (at least those that are affordable because of the HUD program.). Few TIF districts meet or beat what we were originally told they would, and those that do, we have fallen on a bad habit of using them as TID DONORS, meaning the city siphons off tax increment from successful projects and donates it to failing project areas. This process should not pit competing groups against each other; rather, ARPA is a straightforward budget priority process. :showVizHome=no, Privacy and Conflict of Interest Policies, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 715-261-6831. Kham T. Yang, a, Mayor and Chamber insist Wausau will welcome and help new arrivals Damakant Jayshi Some elected and business leaders in Wausau believe the community is eager to welcome new refugees, including Afghans, as part of a, Damakant Jayshi The debate over diversity resolutions in Marathon County and Wausau exposed rifts not only between elected officials but also among members of the community, mirroring a divide that, polls show, is only getting, Damakant Jayshi After more than a year of discussion and undergoing multiple revisions, a diversity resolution on Tuesday failed to pass when the Marathon County Board of Supervisors deadlocked on the proposal. All rights reserved. Occupation: Policy executive and small business owner, Other public service:Retired from Active Duty (15 years US Army, 12 years USPHS), Education: BS-University of Maryland, MS-Johns Hopkins University, MSc, Doctoral Studies-University of Southern California, Election website or Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/district4wausau. During last months ferocious snowstorm and bitter cold, Marathon County health officials were forced to scramble to coordinate shelter, working with area nonprofit agencies and advocates to ensure safety. But while a plan for high-end housing in downtown Wausau that relies on millions in taxpayer funding drew dozens of supporters from area hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, businesses, Wausau School District administrators and the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, discussions on housing proposals for lower-income residents have seen little, if any, public advocacy from those same entities. Ka Lo, who is a Marathon County Supervisor and Wausau School District Board member thanked Neal for his support of the resolution. The city has a severe affordable housing shortage and advocates have called for building more units for low income people. Neal, who was sharply criticized by Alders Rasmussen and Deb Ryan for his past remarks at the ED committee meetings, told Wausau Pilot & Review that he regretted some of his remarks he made previously. A proposed Milwaukee replacement for the troubled Lincoln Hills youth prison in central Wisconsin is substantially more expensive than planned. Meeting Agenda & Packet Link: https://www.ci.wausau.wi.us/Portals//Departments/Council/Archives/Council/Council/2023/COUN_20230110_Packet.pdf For City Council polling places and maps, clickhere. Being scientifically literate is something that every person should have an opportunity to become. Privacy and Conflict of Interest Policies, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Thursday's Committee of the Whole meeting on the issue of homelessness has been wiped off the calendar for Thursday, with no make-up date announced. District 33:Ron Covelli defeatedincumbent Tim Buttke with 52% of the vote. Im not sure what will happen but at least well heave the opportunity to hear from providers and hear the state of homelessness in the community, he said. This particular skill of active listening is vital for anyone who wishes to serve the public in a formal capacity, especially where minority or disenfranchised populations are concerned. Were stewards of this gem called Wausau; our unique and positive blend of cultures, industry, and natural resources will sustain us if we are wise. For republication information email editor@wausaupilotandreview.com.. 2 Wausau alders issue call for action on homelessness as anger rises, challenges continue, Privacy and Conflict of Interest Policies, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Rasmussen questioned the need for a Committee of the Whole meeting or a new city department, which she said is likely redundant with the work the county social services already does. She appeared to brush off recent negative publicity about the citys processes, characterizing critics as being woefully misinformed.. We must prioritizeindependent economic sustainability and limit dependencies on freefundsfrom federal/state sources because there is no such thing; if we cant afford it, then we cant afford it. To add revenue, we build tax base. As for a housing needs focus, I will insist future city developer deals with affordable housing be negotiated to the city and residents best long-term interest. Im not sure if the council will agree to it, but I think we need to have an opportunity to engage in the conversation. Election website or Facebook page: Doug Diny for Wausau City Council https://www.facebook.com/wausaudistrict4/. Rick Cveykus handily defeated William Harris, with 68% of the vote, to win the seat held by retiring judge Greg Huber. And the topic of how the County and City can work together jointly and more effectively on this important issue rarely, if ever, comes up in city council meetings to date, Kilian said. (page 33 from PDF) In the same letter to the economic development committee, Patterson illustrates why this approach is not meant to address the affordable aspect of the housing in his next paragraph by saying, I point out the timing for development of this property because we dont want to deliver the riverfront development and the mall redevelopment at the same as we dont want to risk the properties competing against each other (page 33 of PDF) Essentially this illustrates the reality that Wausau is not facing a lack of housing in a general sense, but rather it is lacking affordable housing for middle to low income families. 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