An unaffordable solution | The Weekly Wausonian
Wausau news for the week of Jan. 16, 2025
The Wausau City Council on Tuesday nixed a plan that would have seen the city spending $350,000 on a house it would sell to an income-qualified person for $140,000.
The proposal, put forth by Brian Luedtke Design Group in response to the city’s requests for bids, was the first the city had received after its fourth attempt to market the property. City leaders now say it ought to just turn over the piece of land, at 1019 Bridge Street, to the private market to develop on its own.
But will it? That’s a question some city council members are asking themselves. At a $350,000 cost to build a house in a city where the median home price is under $200,000 seems like a tough sell. Even if that funding is a mix of state and federal funds.
The Wausonian looked at the plan in detail here:
The expensive affordable housing solution the city council looks at Tuesday
A benign-looking item on last week’s Economic Development committee meeting ended up being surprisingly explosive.
Readers also read about the result of an ethics complaint against the group Community for All:
WEC: Ethics complaint against Community for All dismissed
Nearly one year ago, in February 2024, The Wausonian broke news that a resident had filed a complaint against the Community for All organization with the state’s Wisconsin Ethics Commission.
What else in Wausau?
Complaint dismissed: The city’s Human Resources Committee Monday dismissed a complaint from a former alderman, who said the city was improperly classifying its debt. The committee dismissed the complaint from Keene Winters following a closed session meeting, its second on the matter. Winters contended that the city had misclassified its debt and thus had been exceeding its debt limit. The city further hosted Quarles and Brady for a presentation on city debt and how it’s classified.
Around the metro
Kronenwetter sees three-way board president race: The village of Kronenwetter will see three people vie for the seat in February. Incumbent Chris Voll will take on challengers Aaron Myszka and David Baker. This week Voll released a statement to the media, seemingly in reaction to board member Alex Vedvik who announced on Facebook he wouldn’t seek re-election to the village board.
Tomahawk murder suspect arrested: Prosecutors filed homicide charges against Michelle Sanderson, 43, of Tomahawk who police suspect killed her husband Richard Sanderson, 50, by stabbing him in their Tomahawk home. Sanderson said she found him like that in the garage after he called to her, the criminal complaint says. But police noted she kept referring to the stab wound while in the hospital. She’s being held in Lincoln County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond.
Business
Ukrainian bakery to remain open: People were a bit disheartened to learn that Just Right, a bakery run by a Ukrainian couple who left Ukraine when the war started, was about the close. But that’s no more. The couple announced that Kseniya and Liza, two women who helped fill in for the couple while they were gone, will take over the shop starting next week. They’ll continue working with Anastasia, their chef who had been one of the top pastry chefs in Ukraine, and will be adding to the menu as well.
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Entertainment
Friday, 1/17: If you’ve never been to a piano bar, you have no idea how fun they can be. There’s something about a really good piano entertainer that sets him or herself apart from other musicians. So this show coming up at The Grand ought to be a real blast. Minnesota musicians David Eichholz and Ted Manderfeld put on a Vegas-style comedy music show that channels everything from rap to country. And like those piano bars I mentioned earlier, audience participation is a key component of the excitement. 7:30 pm. $30-$50. See the event page for more.
Saturday, 1/18: It’s that time of the year again - Winterfest moved to a different date this year, and it likely had a big impact because now there is snow on the ground. See the sled dogs and weight pull, the petting zoo and cookies and pizza from Pizza Kiln. And, the night before is Brew Fest, with 10 breweries represented, a brat bar and live music from Curious Crow. Winter Fest is free from 11 am-1 pm, Brew Fest is $40 and from 6 pm-9 pm. Check out the event page for more.
Saturday, 1/18: Are you big-time into gardening? If so, this is the event for you. Check out the Gardens Vision conference at North Central Technical College. Feature four guest speakers, four hot gardening topics, numerous vendors, a relaxing lunch with your fellow gardeners and even an online option if you can’t or don’t want to make it in person. 8:30 am-3:30 pm. $69, $59 for those 62 and older, and $40 for virtual attendance. See the event page for more.
Looking for kids/family events? Check out the family-oriented listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.
Sports
Boys basketball: Wausau West is currently tied for second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after losing to first-place Marshfield 50-29 Tuesday. The Warriors are off for two weeks, heading to Merrill on the following Friday.
Girls basketball: D.C. Everest is currently in third place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after doubling up on Merrill 50-25 Tuesday. The Evergreens will defend its position from fourth place Wisconsin Rapids Friday.
Boys hockey: Wausau West and D.C. Everest remain a stone’s throw away from undefeated SPASH, tied for second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The Evergreens beat Merrill/East 4-1 last week, and the Warriors beat Wisconsin Rapids 6-1.
Girls hockey: The Storm added a pair of home wins last weekend to further boost its record. The Storm squeaked by Eau Claire Area 2-1 Friday, then shut out Hudson 6-0 Saturday. The Storm are now 14-3 and still lead the unaffiliated division.
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My guess is that due diligence on the builder also played a part in the decision.
Building one or two homes is not going to make a significant difference in affordable housing in my opinion. That money can surely be used in a much more efficient manner impacting multiple families instead of just one.