Marathon doubles rental fees for village hall
By Kevin O’Brien
For both residents and non-residents, the cost of renting village hall in Marathon City will double this year after the village board last week approved an increase recommended by administrator Steve Cherek.
Cherek suggested the change in rental prices at the village’s Jan. 3 meeting after researching what other municipalities are charging for renting out their halls and finding that Marathon City was significantly below average. He also noted that the rental fee has not been updated since 2016.
As a result of the board’s action, residents will pay $100 to rent the hall and non-residents will be charged $150, with the security deposit staying the same at $50. Community groups, such as the American Legion, Boy Scouts and Lions Club, will continue using the facility for free.
In reviewing the previous rates – $50 for residents and $75 for nonresidents – Cherek said they were around half what many other municipalities are charging. He presented research to trustees showing the average rental rates for similar- sized halls were $100 or more for residents and around $150 for non-residents. The village’s security deposit is also below average, he said, pointing out that the towns of Holton and Cassel make renters sign an agreement to ensure the halls are cleaned up after events.
Trustee Jeff Lawerence asked how much revenue was generated by hall rentals last year. Deputy clerk Luanne Wiesman didn’t have those numbers available, but she said the number of people who rent the facility is “more than you think.”
“You’d be surprised by how many people inquire about it,” she said, noting that the hall is often used for birthday parties, holiday celebrations and funeral receptions.
Cherek pointed out that the village recently installed new flooring at the hall, investing money to keep the facility updated.
Trustee Connie Ruplinger initially said she would like to see the security deposit increased as well, calling it “way too low,” but trustee Keith Paul pointed out that the village can always bill a renter beyond the security deposit amount in order to cover any damages. Paul said the security deposit is typically used to pay for cleaning services if the renters leave a mess behind.
“I would imagine an hour of cleaning is going to cost you 50 bucks,” he said.
Wiesman said most people who pay to rent the hall do a good job of cleaning up after their event, but there have been issues with nonpaying groups. Village president Kurt Handrick suggested having those groups sign agreements ensuring that they will clean the facilities or possibly face charges.
Handrick was the only one to vote against the rental increase.
“I myself think the residents are already paying for the building with taxes,” he said. “I’m not for raising it. I could see raising the security deposit just in case, but for the rest of it, I’m good with leaving it where it is.”
Trustees, however, said the village needs to recoup its costs for the facility, including rising utility expenses. They said offering event space is beyond the services municipalities normally provide.
“It’s not our obligation to provide a party place for the residents,” said trustee Kevin Sorenson.
Walking trail worries
Trustees held a lengthy discussion about plans for a walking trail on the east side of the village that calls for narrowing a portion of Fourth Street and eliminating parking in that area. The project will be 80 percent federally funded, with the village covering the remaining 20 percent.
The trail will run along Fourth Street and include a pedestrian tunnel under CTH NN that will lead to the village’s new softball/baseball fields, which are in the first stage of construction.
Cherek said the trail plans have already been approved by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the project needs to be bid out for construction this summer to comply with the federal grant requirements. He said he’s not sure if the village has enough time to make changes to the plans before the grant deadline, noting that any modifications would require land acquisitions and DNR reviews.
“If you don’t make that deadline, you’d have to file for an extension, and you might not be awarded the funding,” he told the board.
Still, trustees were adamant that narrowing Fourth Street and get-
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ting rid of on-street parking would create traffic problems on a heavily traveled stretch of road.
“With the amount of truck traffic we have there, we don’t need that street to be narrowed,” Ruplinger said, noting that semis often park temporarily along that stretch.
Paul, however, warned against doing anything that would deprive the village of 80 percent federal funding for an estimated $664,000 project to expand pedestrian access.
“I don’t want to compromise that tunnel,” he said. Cherek said he would talk to Vierbicher, the engineering firm that submitted the plans to the DOT, and get back to the board with more information at a future meeting.
“This is all preliminary, so I can’t see why we couldn’t change anything,” he said.
Other business
n The board met in closed session to discuss a development agreement in TIF District 1, but no action was taken in open session.
n Cherek told the board that most of the water and sewer lines have been installed in the new business park north of STH 29, and Kwik Trip plans on starting construction in April on its new gas station and truck stop on the east side of STH 107.
n Cherek said local police are starting to issue warnings and tickets for those who park on the streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., which is not allowed from Nov. 1 and April 1.
