Marathon housing found in poor repair
With a police officer at hand, village officials recently employed a locksmith to gain entry to 600, 606 and 608 Main Street and found living conditions in the apartments to be substandard, administrator Andy Kurtz told the Marathon City Village Board last week Wednesday.
An inspection report will be completed, Kurtz said, and, after being turned over to the board, trustees may be asked for authority to raze the properties.
Kurtz said a warrant was obtained in Marathon County Circuit Court to inspect the Main Street apartments. He said their condition was in poor repair, not unlike other apartments in the building.
The administrator said the officials found unauthorized people living in the apartments.
In discussion, Kurtz said a third party but not the apartment owner, Scott Stollenwerk, Pewaukee, had hired a carpenter to make repairs. Kurtz said the village warned the carpenter that the village was threatening to go to court and have the buildings razed. He said the carpenter stated he would make the repairs in any case.
Board members wanted to know whether Stollenwerk had committed to fixing up the apartments. Kurtz said communication with the property owner has been difficult.
“There hasn’t been anything official in terms of a response,” he said.
In other village board business:
_ Board members approved a certifi ed survey map delineating parcels on land east of CTH NN that will be used for a Little Lions daycare center to be run by St. Matthew’s Evangelical Church, Marathon, and a village sports complex.
In related action, the village approved a red, black and white color scheme for the masonry pavilions to be located in the sports complex.
It was reported that Vierbicher Associates, hired to design the complex, is 70 percent finished with its work.
“It looks really nice,” said village president Dave Bellanger about the colored elevation drawings of the sports complex buildings.
_ Administrator Kurtz updated trustees on progress in a development project to erect four rows of townhouses across the current Veterans Park. He said he had completed an initial draft agreement with the project developer, Blenker Construction.
Trustee Connie Ruplinger asked whether an increase in building material costs might sidetrack the project as it has construction of a retail center on Main Street.
Kurtz responded that material costs could be a “potential concern.”
_ Administrator Kurtz said County Materials Corp. had offered to sell an 18-year-old plastic covered storage building next to the village’s wastewater treatment plant for $10,000. Kurtz said the offer was “very, very reasonable” and attractive given that the village will need to move the building in order to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant.
Kurtz said the building and a second similar structure could be relocated to store salt, sand and other village equipment.
Village trustee Mark Ahrens said he could support structures to store salt and sand but not village equipment.
_ Board members approved a 2021 employee manual that includes regulation of Facebook use by employees. The manual restricts the use of Facebook on village technology but also says it is an expectation of the village that employees not to say anything “potentially embarrassing to the village or considered offensive in the community” on their own personal Facebook pages.
_ Board members approved a $25,600 contract to have Vierbicher Associates, Reedsburg, engineer repaving 540 feet of Westview Drive from Pheasant Lane to Thornapple Street and 400 feet of Butternut Street south of Westview Drive. The project includes improving roadside ditches and replacing driveway culverts. Cost of the project is estimated at $162,000.
_ Board members discussed whether to license food trucks in the village. Trustees said they wanted food trucks inspected for safety, but did not want to re-inspect vehicles that already are inspected by the Department of Transportation and the Marathon County Health Department.
Brooke Borchardt, Edgar, who operates an ice cream truck in the village with a peddler’s permit, said the City of Mosinee has a good ordinance Marathon City could follow.
_ Trustees approved hiring a summer youth worker for 10-15 hours per week.
_ Board members approved an update to the village’s housing code and passed a League of Wisconsin Municipalities resolution calling on the state legislature to increase state shared revenue payments to local governments.
_ Following a closed session, the village board promoted Marathon Police Department officer John Lee to sergeant. It also agreed to retain attorney Brent Jacobson, Anderson O’Brien, Stevens Point, to represent the village in a potential lawsuit with the South Area Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) concerning contract interpretation and a recent town of Marathon fire call.
