Marathon trustees open to ATV street use
Village of Marathon City trustees last week Wednesday signaled they are open to allowing ATV/UTVs travel on village streets, but said they were wary of letting the vehicles drive on STH 107 (Main Street) due to truck traffic.
The trustees, after reviewing recently passed ordinances in Edgar, Athens, Stratford and Mosinee, directed administrator Andy Kurtz to draft an ordinance for Marathon City based on rules and regulations contained in a Marathon County ordinance.
“We need to move this forward and create that ordinance,” said trustee Keith Paul.
Trustees also requested that Marathon County Sheriff’s Department highway safety coordinator Lt. Ted Knoeck speak to the board about best ways to regulate ATV/UTV traffic.
In debate, trustee Connie Ruplinger said she opposed allowing ATV/UTVs on STH 107, adding that the village needed to locate an alternate route for the vehicles to enter and exit the village.
Trustees mentioned various roads as routes, but no decisions were made which would be the best.
Village president Dave Belanger agreed that the village was asking for trouble if it permitted ATV/UTVs on STH 107.
“We have a ton of traffic all times of day down STH 107,” he said.
Trustee Mark Ahrens suggested developing an ATV/UTV trail system not dissimilar to the current snowmobile trail in Marathon City.
Trustee Paul said he didn’t think that would work. He said he saw no reason why people shouldn’t be able to haul brush to the village compound with a UTV. He said people currently pull trailers on village streets with lawnmowers.
“I don’t see any difference,” he said. Trustee Kevin Sorenson was the board member most vocally in support of allowing ATV/UTVs on Marathon City’s streets. He said early predictions about how many problems ATV/UTVs on public roads would cause have not come to pass.
“All the predictions about problems with erratic driving and other things just haven’t come true,” he said. Administrator Kurtz sent a survey to clerks in Edgar, Athens, Mosinee and Stratford asking about whether the municipalities were dealing with ATV/ UTV problems. The Mosinee clerk indicated that the city did get complaints about ATV/ UTVs traveling too fast, but other clerks said problems with the vehicles had been minor.
In other board business:
n Administrator Kurtz told board members he planned to budget an upgrade for the village’s police department body and squad cameras. The current cameras are six and one-half years old. He said police officers would be better able to send camera video to the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office with the new Digital Alley camera software.
n Board members decided to let the Marathon County Highway Department remove graffiti on the Rib River Bridge in either September or October. The department offered the village the cleaning chemicals so a local crew could remove the graffiti earlier.
n The Marathon County Highway Department has offered to gift 1,900 feet of CTH B between South Rd. and STH 107 to the village. The county would resurface the road and install a section of curb and gutter.
Board members directed administrator Kurtz to obtain more information about the opportunity.
n Administrator Kurtz announced changes at this year’s Fun Days. There will be no softball tournament this year, he said, and carnival rides will be placed on the softball field. He said fireworks will be set off at Marathon Area Elementary School. The school will not be open during the event, but the school parking lot will be available.
n Administrator Kurtz said the village board and Marathon Board of Education would hold a joint meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m. in the Marathon High School auditorium to talk about priority issues.
n Board members elected not to apply dust control chemicals on village gravel streets due to the higher than expected cost. A quote for treatment half of a mile of road was $1,500.
n Board members agreed to keep sign fees the same after administrator Kurtz said the village received $1,900 in fees over the past three years. Kurtz said the village needed fee income in the face of declining state revenue.
n Administrator Kurtz said that production of police package squad cars is so backed up that the village neither can order such a vehicle or even get a quote on one from local dealers.
n Board members agreed to vacate portions of East and Third Streets as part of an overall plan to facilitate Marathon Cheese Corp. truck traffic. Trustee Mark Ahrens abstained from voting.
Kevin Sorenson
