Wausau News: Secret TIF bill put on ice

Weekly Wausonian for March 3, 2022

City hall pushed for a state bill that would allow the city to expand beyond state limits, while leaving the city council in the dark. City Council members were ticked. And now, that bill is likely on ice.

Sen. Petrowski’s office told The Wausonian that the bill is unlikely to make it through committee before this session is over. “The bill was a way to provide the city with an option going forward, but with the session coming to an end and without consensus support locally, there’s no way to get it done,” Petrowski said in a statement provided to The Wausonian.

Read Wausonian’s initial, more detailed story here:

City council members livid after being left in the dark about another mall development move

The bill would have paved the path for use by Wausau Opportunity Zone to help fund development in the mall redevelopment area. The project has already been mired in controversy over a lack of transparency.

What else in Wausau news?

• The city’s water commission approved a pilot study that will ultimately decide how the new water treatment facility will treat the excess levels of PFAS found in city water. Options for a more rapid response is coming before the city council on Tuesday.

• The city held the first of its Affordable Housing Task Force meetings. The Wausonian is working on a longer-form story about the findings so far, but one key metric from the United Way’s Ben Lee: nearly half of Wausonians struggle to make ends meet.

• Henry West was convicted of shooting three people, killing one at Pine Grove Cemetery in October 2019. Cemetery Manager Patty Grimm died from gunshot wounds in the shooting. West also tried to boobytrap his Schofield apartment but emergency workers were able to disable it. West pleaded no contest to the homicide and attempted homicide charges.

• The Wausau School District’s operations committee approved returning all of its protocols to pre-pandemic levels. Absences will be treated as they were before the pandemic and masks will no longer be required on buses and other district transportation. The full school board will still need to approve the changes. While many COVID policies were contentious, this passed committee unanimously.

This week in data

A key component of affordable housing is the other side of the equation — the salary side. After all, if people are making more, they can afford more. Here’s how Wausau’s median salary compares to other communities of like size:

(Coded by me in Python via Replit)

Entertainment

• Fri.-Sun. March 4-6: The annual Evercon Gaming convention is back! The three-day weekend-long event at the Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center will feature numerous tabletop board game events, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon and other card games, vendors, cosplay and a video game museum and we probably didn’t even cover half of it. Check out the website for the full list of available events. Friday and Sunday only $25 each; Saturday only $35; Full weekend pass $45.

• Saturday March 5: The High Hawks are basically a supergroup of bluegrass/Americana musicians, including Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth, Blue Sparks From Hell), Chad Staehly (Hard Working Americans), Adam Greuel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), Brian Adams (DeadPhish Orchestra) and Will Trask (Great American Taxi). That’s a lot. But the there there is that this is one talented group of diverse musicians joining forces to provide a musical experience that will be hard to forget. 7:30 pm. Tickets here. $25-35.

• Sat.-Sun. March 5-6: Granite Peak has been crushing it with these festivals, and this weekend’s Marti Gras style fest is right in line. Food, drink and fireworks you probably already counted on, but special jesters will be out on the slopes and milling about handing out 20,000 beads in true Mardi Gras fashion. Kids can make a Mardi Gras mask plus balloons and face painting. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

Sports

• Madi DuPuydt and Gabi Hauser each found the net for the Central Wisconsin Storm in its win over Hayward 2-0 Friday night, sending the team to the state competition in Madison. The Storm will take on the Metro Lynx at 6:15 pm Thursday to compete for the state title. Those interested can buy their tickets here.

• Wausau West Girls Basketball lost to Neenah in playoff action Saturday, ending its undefeated run. The Warriors lost 64-47 after defeating Oshkosh West 60-43 in the second round and enjoying a bye in round one. No more area Valley teams are alive in the tournament.

• The boys basketball tournament will start this Thursday for most area Valley teams. D.C. Everest heads to Marshfield, Wausau West heads to Superior and Wausau East heads to Fox Valley Lutheran after defeating Lakeland 76-50 in the first round on Tuesday. Everest tied SPASH for second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference to end the season.

On the pod

---

Thanks for reading The Wausonian! If you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up for free to get this roundup sent to you every Friday. Or, consider a paid subscription to get all The Wausonian’s content.

As always, please email tips or corrections to keepitwausome@gmail.com.