Current: Transitional housing pilot saves county $377,000 in first year, city to acquire Icebreaker and more Wausau news
Wausau Current is a regular column in the Wausau Daily Herald by Service Journalism Reporter Erik Pfantz that will cover a range of topics in city and county governments and local school districts to highlight the many items that flow past our local decision-makers.
If you have items you would like to see highlighted in this column, please reach out to Erik at epfantz@gannett.com.
Family Keys program saved county $377,000 in first year
A two-year pilot program to help keep children united with families experiencing housing issues is estimated to have saved Marathon County over $377,000 in its first year, according to Christa Jensen, social services director, in a Jan 18 Marathon County Board meeting.
The Family Keys program is funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and served 16 families with 46 children in 2023. The program aims to “prevent unnecessary removals, return youth to their families sooner, and offer cost savings to the broader community.”
Out of $128,647 spent in the first year, $97,157 went to paying rent for families, $2,887 went to one-time costs and $28,603 was spent on case management. County staff estimated $377,492 in savings to the county based on 38 children remaining out of state custody due to intervention by the program. Three more children were reunified with their families, which saved an estimated $3,976.
Wausau Common Council District 3 seat will be uncontested
District 3 residents will see an uncontested race for their representative on the Wausau Common Council after one candidate, William A. Harris, did not file all of their required documents.
The Wausau Daily Herald previously reported District 3 would have two candidates for the April 2 election, however, Terry Kilian will be the only name on the ballot, according to City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde.
Candidates are given a few days to correct mistakes with their documents, but that time has passed, Bernarde said.
Talks continue about restructuring Wausau Water Works Commission
Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg convened a Committee of the Whole on Feb 27 to continue a discussion she initiated in January regarding restructuring the Wausau Water Works Commission. She explained she had heard comments both from council members and the public about the commission’s structure and she wanted to begin a discussion on it early in the year.
Through an hour-long discussion, several points for further discussion were identified including the authority of the city’s Human Resources Committee over utility employees and the utility’s finances in regard to phasing out the use of payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT. This payment recovers some of the revenue that is lost due to the utility not paying property taxes because it is a public entity.
Local governments commonly adjust duties and responsibilities of committees. However, utility commissions receive increased oversight from the state’s regulatory commission and would require further approval than just the Wausau Common Council. Any disruptions in utility services could have serious consequences so expect this story to develop slowly.
Red Granite Charter School will open at Hewitt-Texas Elementary building
The Wausau School District and Red Granite Charter School announced Feb 27 the school would open for at least its first two years at the Hewitt-Texas Elementary School, about 5 miles northeast of Wausau.
“The Red Granite Governance Board and design team are grateful to have a home for the next two years,” Chamomile Nusz, Red Granite founder and charter school consultant, said in a news release. “This will give us the time and energy to work on all the details needed to create an amazing learning community ready to welcome families of incoming PK-2nd grade students.”
The school previously had an agreement to conduct the school on 2 acres at Monk Botanical Gardens. Further study of that site revealed extensive building costs. The school now plans to use underutilized classrooms at the Hewitt-Texas building and yurts to carry out at least three grades of the school in the next two years.
The two-year commitment is due to the district’s ongoing study of its elementary school footprint.
Wausau moves toward acquiring ‘Icebreaker’
Drivers and pedestrians may soon encounter fewer ice-covered and snow-packed streets across Wausau as the Finance Committee approved the recommended purchase of a Raiko P-15 Icebreaker. The P-15 mounts onto a front-end loader and also comes equipped with a plow blade so one employee and machine can both break ice and plow an area.
The machine consists of a roller with specially shaped spikes that will break up the snow and ice coverage without damaging the road surface. They are commonly used on airstrips to clear ice, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation uses them on their roads. The recommended top speed for their use is about 25 mph.
The Icebreaker is expected to clear snow and ice better than salt and sand and will likely lead to the city using less of those substances, resulting in cost savings over time.
More local news: Vending machines popping up across central Wisconsin are helping to save lives. Find out how.
Local health care news: Marshfield Clinic Health System to redirect urgent care services from Weston to Wausau starting March 8
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on X (formerly Twitter) @ErikPfantz.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Wausau Current: Transitional housing program, Red Granite Charter School
