by Dino Corvino on December 28th, 2009
Look, I know there is a Wausau Century Plan, or the 100-Year Plan, or the Used to be A Lumber Town Plan, or the Plan to Keep the Kids at Bay Plan. But really, is there a plan for the City of Wausau, and where can I see it in action?
A few weeks ago my main man Dr. Rent went to a CISM meeting. He reported to me that they essentially gave up on the idea of changing the direction of 3rd Street downtown. Just gave up. No big whoop. We are moving on. Like it was never a thing to do anyway.
How does that work? A city committee puts forth an idea, some study is given to the idea, then some public discussion, and then like it never mattered in the first place, they just stop. Essentially the government says: “Whatever, nevermind!” to an issue. Just a governmental shrug of the shoulders and a big “eh”.
But, if they can just sort of change their mind about something as significant as urban planning, I have to ask, what exactly do these people have the convictions to actually DO?!?
I read the minutes from the December 10th CISM meeting, which was strongly attended by local businesses, and was shocked to find that this has been a discussion since 2005. The altering of this traffic has been a part of every discussion that involves the pedestrian mall, or downtown parking. The minutes reflect that.
At the meeting Mr. Marquardt, who I must assume works for the city, talked for a while about the different options, and how this or that would be impacted. Then it was a parade of business owners all seeming to express their own self-interest. Which is fine, unto itself. It only borders on not fine when self-interest hinders the common good of the city. The voices had no agreement on anything. Some, like Mark Craig, thought parallel parking was the way to go. He made good points about looking to the future, and how we have had this pedestrian mall in operation for 20 years, and he hoped 30 years from now people would look back and talk about how the vision we had now, worked going forward.
Jane Janke-Johnson stated that she wanted to see the street remain the same, even bringing up some numbers that appeared in the initial debate about the pedestrian mall, the number being that every parking spot is worth $15,000 in retail sales. No idea where that number comes from, but she brought it up.
There had to be ten or more varied opinions on what was best, but again, they were all opinions based on self-interest. People with expertise really were missing from this discussion. Leah Alters from Main Street did a survey of business owners(prior to hitting the highway to Columbus), informally it would appear, and even her results were varied.
So, the idea gets put down. Nothing happens. And it leads me to ask: is there any sort of plan to move the city forward, or are we all just throwing darts at a board? Is there something more at play here than personal interest, and negative Nancys? How does it come about that something as significant as rerouting traffic to improve or not improve the businesses of downtown is met with so little scrutiny that no experts are brought forth? No plan is referenced in the minutes of the discussion. What is the plan, man?!?
by John H. Fischer on October 22nd, 2009
On Monday evening during Wausau’s Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, there was a public hearing on some changes to Wausau’s housing code ordinances. The three changes were:
- Establishing a re-inspection fee if building inspectors have to constantly re-inspect a property for the same uncorrected violation.
- Making it a code violation to have a non-operational vehicle (which includes vehicles without proper registration) on a property unless it is in a garage.
- Requiring property owners who don’t live in Marathon County to have a registered agent for service of process within Marathon County.
These are just the first rounds of recommended changes coming to the City from a Task Force that was created at the request of the Mayor some time back. The Task Force was to “be composed of staff and elected alderpersons to study the issues and provide recommendations for a Code Enforcement Program that would ensure decent and safe housing for all City of Wausau residents.” – This statement, in quotes, comes from the Task Force recommendation sheet that was provided to the Committee at Monday’s meeting.
This Task Force consisted of Deb Hadley, Matt Kaiser, Lisa Rasmussen, Ann Werth, Roger Sydow and Tammy Stratz. Their first meeting was held on February 17th, 2009, and their last meeting was on June 23rd. In gathering information for their recommendations, they interviewed Anne Jacobson (city attorney), Cliff Ambriz (property inspector), Mark Sauer (municipal judge), Officer Max LaPorte (police dept) and Mindy Brandenburg (community development specialist).
NOTE: I did request the agendas and minutes from these meetings, but I was told that the City of Wausau feels that an ad hoc committee such as this one does not fall under the open meeting laws so no agendas were posted or “official” minutes taken.
The three proposed ordinance changes that went to public hearing on Monday were all recommendations of this Task Force. The first recommendation of the Task Force is to hire an additional property inspector. Understanding this is not in the budget, a further recommendation is to “work towards a program that would license all rental units which will pay for the additional inspector through these fees.”
I personally find it interesting that this committee has determined that licensing rental properties and using the fees to hire another building inspector will accomplish the goal of improving the quality of housing in Wausau. I also find it personally interesting that the Task Force came to this conclusion even though none of the interviews were done with rental housing providers. (And no, playing phone tag with me for two days doesn’t count.) As a matter of fact, in the meeting minutes from the September 21st, 2009, Public Health and Safety Committee minutes, when “Abitz questioned if this had been brought forward to any of the rental associations, Rasmussen indicated there were some public hearings scheduled and meetings with some of the neighborhood groups.”
In other words… NO! There was one public hearing scheduled (the one we had on Monday) and they want to get this to the Council and approved in November so that notices of the ordinance change requiring the agent be included with the tax bills. And, although I admire the work done by many of the neighborhood groups, I have yet to hear how any of those groups make an effort to include rental property owners.
In a conversation I had with Rob Mentzer of the Wausau Daily Herald, I explained that I understand why the City wants to create this requirement for an agent in county. It makes their job of serving notices easier. But it also creates additional expense. Who is going to be willing to be a registered agent to be served process (and possibly find their name on CCAP just because they are an agent)? What will they charge? How will adding an additional cost, which will most likely just be passed on to the tenants as rent, help make housing better? It may have the opposite effect. Houses and rental properties that are in distress and are being sold may now have a smaller pool of buyers, as out-of-county purchasers may not want to deal with this whole “registered agent” thing.
If the city has to serve process on an out-of-county owner, it may cost more. But in the eventual judgment, those costs get added on and can get recouped. I understand that out-of-state property owners adds another level of difficulty, but when the owner resides out of state, there is a state law (WI SS 704.22) that requires out-of-state residential rental owners to have a designated agent in-state, and that information should be on file with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.
Reasons given by the Inspections Department for wanting agents include how difficult it is to determine who owns the property. However, I have no problem getting owner information through a quick phone call to the Marathon County Treasurer’s office. Another reason for wanting a designated agent, is because often the owner is a corporation or LLC and you don’t know who to serve. However, I have no problem getting this information on the Department of Financial Institution website, as registered agents for corporate entities are maintained by that department and anyone can go on the website and get this information.
I hear talk that we need to do something about the slum-lords in this town – and I will agree. I spend a great deal of money to make sure that my housing units meet all applicable codes, and I want everyone to play by the same rules that I do. However, and the Inspections Department will agree with me, the slumlords are the minority. The vast majority of rental property owners comply with codes and provide safe housing.
Also, in my experience, there are two kinds of slumlords. There are those that are in it for the money and simply don’t care; and there are those who didn’t realize what they were getting into and simply can’t afford to care.
That first group we can take care of by just aggressively enforcing the ordinances that we currently have.
That second group might be able to be saved with education, guidance, and a culture of understanding, working together. and helping. Having the Task Force make recommendations without soliciting the input of rental housing owners flies in the face of a culture of working together, and creating an additional expense of having to find an in-county agent only takes away more money that the landlord could otherwise use for the needed repairs.
Two of the three recommendations, in my opinion, will help the goal of cleaning up Wausau properties. However, in regards to the agent thing, I have yet to understand how this will actually help. It will only create additional expenses for the good landlords – for the slumlords, this is just another code that they will chose to ignore.
by Dino Corvino on October 21st, 2009
Recently, Carol Mularkey passed away. It appears she was best known as an art teacher in the community, but I knew her as something different — a swimmer, and a constant presence in my 20s. To be frank, she was a nag, a nitpicker, and she was tough, and I had no idea why.
I met Carol when I was about 17. In my teens and 20s I thought my career was going to be in the water. I was a lifeguard, swim teacher, and lifeguard instructor all over the state and the nation. In my teens, I worked for DC Everest Community Education as the morning lifeguard for AM Lap Swim, and that is where I met Carol, and God I hated her.
AM Lap swim is the coolest thing ever. Swimmers, when they are growing up, need pool time. And a traditional time, for some reason, is to do that is in the morning. As swimmers age out of competitive swimming, it is not uncommon for those sleep patterns to keep going, and AM Lap Swims exist all over the country.
I was a lifeguard, a teen, and a child of punk rock. I wanted NOTHING to do with AM Lap swim, or “AM” anything for that matter. But, I needed money, so there I was at five A.M. at my high school, driving my green Pinto. The first person I met was Carol. She was there before me, and standing there looking at me very disapprovingly. I opened the door without saying a word, and away we went.
Carol was a fish in those days. She swam a lot, and fast. The unique thing was she wore a thermometer on her suit. It was one of those REI key chains, and she had it right there. When she got done swimming she checked that, and told me the temperature of the pool. I had no idea why, and frankly I thought she was some kooky old woman who thought I could somehow make the pool warmer or colder. I was young, so what did I know?
One day, I overslept, and was late. I was concerned as I pulled up, and there she stood. Boy, did I get an earful. She let me know that I was disappointing her, and that people were counting on me, and I needed to take this seriously. To be fair, I was sound asleep as she let me have it, so I couldn’t have cared less.
I did that for a few months. Then summer came, and I went to the RS Pool. The following year I taught swim lessons with Peter Rotter and Ted Tautges at the Woodson Y. I’m sure they don’t remember, but I remembered them. One day, Carol and Sue Lewitzke teamed up and wanted to talk to me. They asked me to lifeguard for the Wausau Triathlon. I was thrilled. I was scared to be involved, but Carol made a point of pressing me into service with: “You better do a good job, people are counting on you.”
Years later, I was in college, and I came home for a bit. I asked if I could get some AM shifts to get some money over Christmas. And sure enough, Carol was still there. Now I was even more arrogant, and cavalier. One day, I over slept and did not even go open the pool. Somehow Carol managed to track down my home phone number, and called to scold me. But, it was not a scolding, it was more about not living up to my potential, and how I had opportunities and I needed to take them seriously.
Her having my phone number led to wake up calls over the winter months, since she was planning on being there. I had the keys, so she needed me there. But, it was never just nagging. It was always about potential and opportunities.
Years later, as my aquatic career was coming to an end, and I had a bit of success as a writer, I got a call in Milwaukee from Carol. She said she had seen my name in the paper, and got a hold of the play or story mentioned. She said she was proud of me for living up to my potential and asked if I was still teaching swim lessons (which I still was). Then she wanted to talk to my girl Jackie. She and Jackie talked for a while, and Jackie laughed and laughed. When it was over, Jackie hung up and did not tell me what was said.
A few weeks later though something magic happened. Jackie and I were in a rough patch in our relationship. I was teaching some parent-child swim classes at Nicolet High School, and some lessons for younger kids, and Jackie came. She sat with the parents, and watched me sing songs, and blow bubbles, and teach kids to use the kick boards. The thing is Jackie never came to watch me teach.
After lessons Jackie came over and hugged me and smiled, and gave me a big smooch. She said she was sorry for the hard times, and we both laughed. I was wearing a Speedo, and shivering, so I was a funny sight. I asked why she came, and she said Carol suggested it. Carol told her that I was full of crap, but when I was teaching swimming I was not, that the kids would not let me, and I was a great teacher.
We learn life lessons in strange ways. This woman was a nag and a pain, but might have saved our relationship that time. While it did not work with Jackie, I was always proud that she came to see me teach little kids how to swim. It always made me proud. I think Carol knew it made me proud to be a swim teacher, and I think she wanted to know I took it seriously.
Thanks Carol. Thanks for teaching me that the things we are passionate about are important, and should be pursued with seriousness and intensity. Thanks for all of it.
by Brad Schjoth on August 26th, 2009
Combat USA, a mixed martial arts promotion put on by the National Combat Association, is slated to deliver an event to the Wausau area in just over two weeks.
The promotion, which features both amateur and professional fights in a hybrid round format, is coming to the Rothschild Pavilion on September 12th at 6:30pm. Established and originating out of Green Bay, Combat USA circulates the entire state of Wisconsin, providing competition to the booming sport on a local level. Tickets are relatively affordable ($20 for general admission), and it is a terrific opportunity for fans of the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce to enjoy some solid fights without spending the cash it would cost to buy a seat in a big arena. You can find out more information here, and it looks as if tickets are now on sale, with the event clearly announced to succeed their event this weekend in the Fox Valley.
It is the first time in quite a span that an MMA event has been held in the Wausau vicinity, and it only makes sense considering the substantial growth in popularity the sport has shown in the area. Up until now, Combat USA and other promotions similar to it (Konquer the Kage, King of the Cage, etc.) have traveled to larger metro areas hours from the Central Wisconsin landscape, or have taken advantage of the large amount of traffic to the Northwoods casinos. However, this scheduled stop is heavily warranted, as I can personally tell you, as a writer for Wisconsin Combat Sports and an avid mixed martial arts fan myself, Wausau, and the communities to all directions, are catching the fever of the sport, and recognizing it for what it truly strives to be.
Lah Thao, an accomplished mixed martial arts fighter, established Rising Son MMA in Wausau back in January. He was the top-ranked competitor in the state at 135-pounds until he took extended time off to start his adventure into teaching the skilled sport he loves. After an eighteen-month layoff, he returns to the cage September 19th in Tomahawk. But, back in July, Lah laid out to me the landscape of what has now become the Wausau area MMA scene, and how big the boom has become over the course of his career:
We usually have probably about 15-20 MMA guys that come regularly on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. And then we have about five or six grapplers that come regularly. Then we do a tae-kwon-do class and with that we have another 20 taekwondo students.
That statement, coupled with the craziness you’ll typically find at your favorite local establishment the Saturday night of a UFC event, it is instantly apparent the love and fandom for mixed martial arts that has come to rest in our community.
If you appreciate the heart and dedication put forth by any of the fighters that step into competition; if you enjoy the sheer physical power and prowess it takes to go one-on-one with an opponent; or if you are simply railed by the thrill of the action–support the sport and local fighters. I will see you September 12th.
by Dino Corvino on July 2nd, 2009
I am blessed each and every day, and I fight with cynicism and sarcasm on each of those days. The City of Wausau has blessed me with an amazing life and a rich tapestry of friends and experience. Most days I feel like the luckiest little boy in the world to be living where I am, being around the people I am around, and doing the things I do. Never once do I not realize it. Often times, I hope you feel the same way.
Over the past year, I have been exploring ideas and politics in this town in a new way, at least for me. I have been trying to learn the players and learn the game a little bit better. As such, I have had both great experiences (spending time with Pat Peckham) and bad ones (spending time with others). I have seen acts of tremendous leadership and sacrifice, and I have seen acts of tremendous personal cruelty that is masked as somehow part of this political process. We have watched a GOP spokesman ousted for seeking moderation in tone, and we have watched the national media decry a man seeking that cooler heads prevail.
We had the terrible incident involving the letter of intimidation sent to the Council here in Wausau, fraudulently from the VFW address. This letter was, in my opinion, a low point in Wausau politics. But I did not know some of the terrible stories about the last few election cycles, and the personal and vicious attacks some of our elected and nonelected officials have taken.
Do not get me wrong. I believe that this administration lacks transparency. I believe that this administration is misguided, and in many ways, in over its head as Wausau seeks to find its footing in the next 10 years. I think our Mayor is far too passive in regards to anyone and anything, save for his friends he spends time with up north. None of this makes him a bad man, and none of this warrants personal attacks on him made through anonymous means.
In the past months we have seen a local village administrator and his wife attacked personally, and some might say viciously in the Wausau Daily Herald Forum. Everything from this man’s weight, to his wife’s ability to have a more attractive husband was brought forth by an anonymous poster. This administrator was able to get the name and address of the attacker, and he sent him a measured letter inviting the attacker in for a face-to-face meeting to handle these sorts of conflicts. The attacker then had what I would call a bit of a nutty, dancing all over town about how the administrator was doing this or that with the letter, and attacking him further. Then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, he changed his tune and screamed that the Wausau Daily Herald gave out his personal information. This would be AFTER the man showed the world the letter, gave interviews, and the like.
In Wausau we have a large elected council. This council is tasked with management of the future of our city. We have an elected Mayor who is tasked with the day-to-day operation of our city. The Mayor came to us after retiring from his professional life. The council … they all have other jobs. My point is, I am thinking they all chose this. They all chose to serve.
Sure there are some benefits. Many go on to improved lives, higher standing the community, and some go on to higher office. It appears that our Mayor is getting some of the great social perks that come from being the man in charge. Many decry this, and I have in the past, but recently it was pointed out that no matter who is in the chair, those perks have existed. Whether I like the Mayor or not, they all tend to get to spend time at the cool up north lake house of wealthy friends, they get invited to the cool Christmas parties, they get the cool stuff. They are, after all, the Mayor.
But now it seems like we have entered into a horrid time of personal attack. We can see the massive venom on display places like the WDH forum or facebook, or by some degree twitter and other places where people can anonymously post mean spirited items. Personally I have received emails from folks saying that I should attack people more viciously, and more personally if I oppose their actions or policies. For about a day that seemed like a good idea. These are public officials after all. They volunteer, so they have willingly placed a target on their back.
I was wrong. I was wrong, and that sort of personal cynicism has no place here in Wausau, or Central Wisconsin. Everyone who seeks office does so willingly. They seek to help, they think that they have something to offer their fellow man. They think that they can make it better. That is it. End of story.
Our personal cynicism clouds our judgment about these people. We see conspiracy where it is not, and we seek to make them into targets. Doing this, we only harm ourselves. By allowing people in this city to use vicious means to attack all of the members of the council, we make the next generation of leaders less likely to appear.
Jim Rosenberg once told me that you need to be aware of what is next, when you seek to cast stones. I did not get it, and I probably still do not fully understand it, but I think he meant that before we tear down what we have, we should be aware that the next one is less likely to be as good. We might in fact be creating a descending grade on which we get poorer and poorer leadership each time we seek to tear someone down, simply because we can.
Our personal cynicism enables us to feel powerful, instead of sad or afraid. This misguided power is often used to lash out and harm people. Hear that, harm people our attacks are harming the people who have volunteered to help our city move forward. I have not been elected to anything, so maybe I need to consider that before I throw stones. Maybe you could consider that as well.
It is fair to disagree on policy: it is even encouraged. Our newfound lack of civility as evidenced all over the place should be stopped. We, as a COMMUNITY, should demand of ourselves that we do not condone the actions of those who would seek to harm people, not policy, for their own ends. We should seek to engage these folks and seek to drive a wedge between them and the process, as they seek to drive wedges between the council and the voters.
Our city council is full of good people. They mean well, and they are trying their best. Maybe instead of encouraging them to be part of the voting block (which is thankfully disintegrating) maybe we should encourage them to take steps to be more transparent, and we should engage in their discussions with votes and the media.
In honor of their sort of goodness, I thought I would make a list of one thing I like about each of them. In no particular order.
- Gary Gisselman. I have created a mythos around Gary that makes him simply the smartest man I have ever known. When I was a boy I would go to the library and work on school papers, and inevitably Gary would help me find everything I was looking for, and more. Hence, the smartness. Plus, he is a studied and patient member of the council.
- Deb Hadley. First off, it appears Deb has known me far longer than anyone should. So that immediately makes her cool, for enduring that. Secondly, I think that Deb is committed to her ideas, and she sees things clearly and acts with a clarity of vision. She does not often seem to get sidetracked by the passion of it all. And she owes Rosenberg 20 bucks.
- Steve Foley. Steve is simply the cool guy on the council. But more than that, Steve is a multitasking, community driven father who puts his money and his life where his ideas are.
- Ed Gale. Ed Gale is passionate, smart and driven.
- Lisa Rasmussen. New to the council, Lisa is willing to engage in the conversation far more than anyone else. When no council member will respond to an email question, Lisa will always. I think that is noble.
- Gary Klingbeil. Like Pat Peckahma, I like Gary’s calm sense of process. Things take time, discussions happen, time passes and Gary seems to get that.
- Jim Brezinski. Simply put, Jim is a teacher. He presents his opinion in a way that reflects his ability to communicate. And, Jim is a survivor.
- Jim Rosenberg. Rosenberg wants to be the cool guy, but you can tell just by looking he is a dork. In a good way. He has dorky passions, but he is really passionate. He is that sort of dorky earnest guy who will always end up being the hero, because it is the right thing to do. And he acts on a longer vision than most.
- Bill Forrest. The thing about Bill is I think that Bill gets it. He understands the divisive nature of things, of the process, of those people in the community who would drive that wedge. And he does his best to ensure that the process is safe and possible for council members. He is a great council president.
- Tom Miller. First off, Miller has a great pickup truck. Second, I think that Miller sees the world in such a way that he is able to understand his voting and position with clarity and grace.
- Matt Kaiser. Like Lisa, Matt is a new cat and is more than willing to engage the process. To engage the conversation. I like his willingness to say things, make mistakes and correct them. That reflects earnest effort.
- Sherry Abitz. Sherry is tough. Tough as nails. You can see that her time has been hard on the council. You can see that she listens to her district closely, and she works hard to ensure that these things are brought forth. Abitz is a worker, and that is awesome.
So there it is. 12 people. All trying to do something. All volunteers for lack of a better term.
by John H. Fischer on July 1st, 2009
This Saturday, July Fourth, we will be celebrating the 233rd anniversary of “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” which is a term often used when describing the act of the 13 British colonies in North America declaring their independence from the Crown, located an ocean away.
As has been tradition for some time, we Americans have decided that the best way to celebrate a “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” is with shooting other things that make much noise to be heard – specifically fireworks.
Wausau has a great deal to offer for a community our size. Those people who complain there is nothing to do really have not looked. The arts are well represented. Thanks to Rib Mountain and the Wisconsin River, we have year-round recreational opportunities, and I have already posted about the benefits of having the Wisconsin Woodchucks call Wausau home.
Considering the size of the overall Wausau Metro area, it is surprising that we really don’t have a truly impressive fireworks display for Independence Day. I find that truly sad.
Before you start attacking me for me talking down about the Jaycee’s celebration at Marathon Park, I am not doing that. I think they have a great way to spend some time, good low-cost entertainment for the entire family. Normally they have fireworks two or three nights during their celebration. However, I just don’t think that the fireworks they have at Marathon Park really do the Wausau area justice; I personally think that a community our size, on the Fourth itself, deserves more.
As a pyrotechnician myself, specifically one who has worked as part of the fireworks crew shooting the Jaycee’s shows for a few years, I understand what is going on and why they are limited to the type of show that they have. And, some people actually prefer their show. Their show is not allowed to use some of the really big, really fancy shells, so instead they have lower-level effects. And because those bigger shells are much more expensive: by having ONLY lower-level effects, they can have much more of them. Based on pure “number of shots,” there is a lot going on during the Marathon Park fireworks show – never a dull moment.
The Marathon Park fireworks for the Jaycee’s was my second ever show as part of a fireworks crew in 1993 (my first show was with the same crew doing a large show in Merrill a few weeks earlier, shooting off of an island in the Wisconsin River, we had some seriously big shells to work with). At that time, the aerial part of the show consisted of 3” and 4” diameter shells along with some mid-level effects. (Mid-level are those items that go in the air at least 50 feet, but do not go over 200’ – on average, the height of an aerial shell is the inch diameter x 100 – 3” shell goes 300’, 5” shell goes 500’, etc.)
With improvements made to Marathon Park, the 4” shells were removed from the show. Shortly thereafter, our crew was moved to the Rhinelander Fourth show, which was shot from a golf course across the river from Hodag park. Rhinelander’s show featured all the way up to 12” diameter shells shot out of mortar that was nearly 6’ tall. So, here I was in Rhinelander with a very impressive show, but I couldn’t understood why the much larger area of Wausau didn’t have a show like this?
Because of budget cuts, Rhinelander starting shooting their show themselves, and we were awarded the Weyawega show. That show went up to 5” and was still more impressive than Wausau’s. Our crew then returned to Wausau a few years ago, and the Fire Dept. was dead set against our using even 3” shells.
I am no longer part of a crew, but instead have my own crew. I now shoot a show in Pell Lake, a very small township just south of Lake Geneva, an impressive show lasting 35 minutes with up to 6” shells.
I understand the problem. Although I would disagree with the Fire Dept. about the safety of 3” shells in Marathon Park, anything bigger than 3” does pose an issue with how close buildings and other structures are. However, we have other areas in the Wausau area where larger shells could be fired. The weekend after the Fourth larger shells will be part of the fireworks associated with the Balloon Rally, launched from the Wausau Airport over the river.
There has to be a way that the Wausau Area can be treated to a Fourth of July fireworks show with some of the larger shells that can have pretty impressive effects without interfering too badly with the Jaycee’s shows. The Jaycee’s can keep doing the great job they are doing and have their “mid-level” show a couple of times, but on the Fourth itself, can’t we please have a decent show? Too many people go to Stevens Point or Mosinee or Merrill.
by Brad Schjoth on June 23rd, 2009
You would be hard-pressed to find a soul within the Wausau community who would prefer to see the area more clutter-filled, more polluted and more irresponsible when it comes to pressing environmental issues. Those folks simply do not exist, and if they did, their hand would certainly not be in the air. But while the whole of the community, and the globe for that matter, can easily concede that we ought to strive to take better care of our planet, making that happen is exponentially more difficult than it would seem it should be.
Attempting to turn that mindset into a forward-progressing reality within the Wausau area is the Commission for a Greener Tomorrow. Established during the summer of 2007, the organization assumes leadership in the effort for sustainability through conservation, ecological awareness and higher-level thinking toward our relationship with the environment. Immediately upon dropping those typical catchall phrases, it could be easy to dismiss the group as an insignificant body that merely wants what we all desire—a sparkling, clean planet. However, those “green” initiatives become much more realized when the impact hits home within the Greater Wausau community itself, and when the influence of the committee is clearly noticeable.
Most recently, the commission has been working cooperatively with the Wausau public transportation system in a push to create a bus line that would travel through the Rib Mountain commercial area as it already does in both Wausau and Weston. Creating the Business Improvement District that would provide the funding for the line doesn’t come cheap, however, as an estimate of $85,000 would need to be added to taxes in order to effectively run it—and that’s a low-end figure due to constantly increasing costs. While the numerous benefits to the service can be easily understood, the commission is collecting the opinion of Rib Mountain business owners and residents to gauge support. Fifty surveys were distributed, and as of June 22nd, three had already been completed and submitted to the group.
Over the June 19-21 weekend, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association once again put on their well-received, annual energy fair at the ReNew the Earth Institute in Custer. The Commission for a Greener Tomorrow bussed 15 people to the fair free of charge, which was an increase from eight folks who took the trip last year. Reception and reaction was heavily positive from the attendees, and the organization hopes to garner volunteers and sponsor another bus to travel to next year’s fair as well.
Numerous other projects are in development and exist only in their early stages, as the commission not only tries to gain recognition within the Wausau community, but to also collect support and backing. From reusable grocery produce bags in conjunction with the local farmer’s market, to a large woodworking clinic and art project directed at Wausau elementary students, the group’s aspirations vary, but they consistently support the goal of a sustainable Central Wisconsin. More specifically, the committee is proposing legislation that would declare Wausau an “eco-municipality”—a concept that is already in practice throughout several parts of the state. According to 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, as of November 2007, “12 local communities [have] formally adopted ‘eco-municipality’ resolutions.” The concept is an official pledge to put forth policies that increase the sustainability of the general community through cooperation with the citizens themselves.
The organization has struggled to find considerable support up to this point. With their humble number of recurring members and volunteers working directly with them toward their cause, their intentions are still positive and certainly in the best interest of the Wausau area. Continued work at piecing together resolutions and spreading knowledge about the importance of sustainability are the ultimate goals of the folks at Greener Tomorrow. Hopefully as public recognition and understanding of the group increases, so will the likelihood of success in their ambitions and, in turn, a better Wausau.
by John H. Fischer on June 15th, 2009
One of the stories that has the potential to have an impact on Wausau’s downtown is the whole Fillmor situation. According to the Wausau Daily Herald, it hasn’t been open since April, and not only are the owners facing foreclosure, they are behind in property taxes and haven’t made any payments to the money loaned to them from Wausau’s Community Development Authority (CDA).
As always, before getting into what might be a touchy topic, I think it valid for people to understand my personal background. I don’t know the owners, I never was in the Fillmor because frankly, I am not really a people person so venues designed to draw large numbers of people are normally not high on my list. I really don’t know too much of the history of it except for what I read in Daily Herald or the City Pages. So, with this utter lack of background, why am I writing about the Fillmor? Maybe it is because of this lack of background. I can see the situation from a different perspective. I can look at the Fillmor from the perspective of someone who dabbles a bit in real estate and has been known to wade in the pool of distressed properties from time to time. Also, because dealing with distressed properties can be quite complicated, I will apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I think it better to be a little long winded in order to try to explain in simple terms some pretty complicated stuff.
Here is the situation as I understand it from what I have read in our local publications. Purchasing the old Rogers Theater and then converting it into the Fillmor was not cheap. The owners have a $600,000 mortgage through a non-local lender. In addition, they borrowed money from the CDA to the tune of $175,000, also secured by the property. I read that some of the contractors who did the work have not been paid in full for that work, and have filed construction liens against the property. In addition, the property tax bills are not current. This definitely meets the term of “distressed property” from a real estate perspective. This is when things start to get interesting for me (as a real estate investor).
According to the Daily Herald article, the owner has basically dumped every penny they had into this, and they have simply run out of pennies. They are hoping to find an investor to help them out. I agree that fresh money never hurts, but as an investor myself, now is not the time to jump in.
All of these amounts owed are basically liens against the property. The large $600,000 loan is a first mortgage and the CDA funds are a 2nd mortgage. The construction liens are all liens against the property as are the unpaid taxes. In checking with the City of Wausau Assessment Department’s website, the preliminary assessed value of this property with the improvements finished is $411,500. If you add up the total owed against the property in mortgages, liens and back taxes, the amount is approximately twice as much as the property value. To get in as an investor now, investing in a property that is worth $400K with $800K of liens against it is not a smart move from a real estate perspective. (I understand there is more to the Fillmor than the real estate, there is the business aspect of it as well – however, since I am a real estate guy, looking at the real estate only is just my perspective on things.)
Having this property go through foreclosure is pretty much required before investors are going to take a serious look at this property; some of these liens have to go away. Liens are on a property in a certain order. Taxes are always in first position. Mortgages are in the order that they were obtained (unless one of the mortgages agreed to let a later mortgage get into an earlier position). Other liens such as civil judgments and construction liens would be in line behind the mortgages, again in the order from the oldest to the newest.
Any lien-holder can foreclose on the property if their lien is in arrears. However, a foreclosure normally results in a Sheriff Sale. The proceeds of the Sheriff Sale get paid out as follows: First the party that foreclosed gets paid off. Second, any lien holders in line after the first party get paid off in proper order until the money runs out. (If they run out of money before they get to your lien, you get nothing.) If there is any money left, that goes back to the original owner. Notice I didn’t mention any money going toward any of the lien holders in front of the party that foreclosed. That is because those liens are still valid. If the CDA would foreclose on their second mortgage, it would eliminate all of those construction liens, but that $600K first mortgage would now become the CDA’s responsibility.
The current foreclosure action is being under taken by the first mortgage holder. Considering that the mortgage is for $600K but the property is only assessed at $400K, they will probably not get enough at the auction to pay off their first, which means no one in line behind them (including the CDA) will get anything. What will probably happen is the bank will bid $600K at the auction, no one else will bid. The bank takes it back, all the liens (except property taxes) get eliminated, and now they have to try to sell the thing.
Banks don’t like owning real estate. It is not what they are designed to do. REO’s (Real Estate Owned, the term used for bank-held properties that they took back) are a draw on their balance sheet and their resources. All banks know this. The problem is that larger banks really can’t look at individual properties. They have a procedure, they follow it… period. (This is why I noted that the mortgage is an out-of-town lender, this matters when trying to work something out with that bank.)
I know many people are ready to send a lynch mob after the CDA for loaning nearly $200,000 in return for a second mortgage on a property worth only $400,000 that ALREADY had a $600,000 mortgage on it. Although I will agree that the CDA, when underwriting, depends too much on that second mortgage interest and not enough on the financial strength of the applicant, I have a hard time finding fault with their actions in this case.
I look at this way. What if the $175,000 wasn’t a loan? What if it was a grant? You had someone who was willing to take a long-time vacant property and turn it into something that had the potential to be a regional draw, something that would bring people to Wausau from the region, and more specifically, bring people to Wausau’s downtown. There are discussions about investing anywhere from $500,000 to over $1 million into the 400 Block for this exact reason, to draw people to downtown. So, with that concept in mind, a $175,000 GRANT to the Fillmor seems like money well spent.
However, it wasn’t a grant, it was a loan. A loan secured by a second mortgage. A mortgage that is just adding to the weight of the total project right now.
If I was going to invest in the Fillmor, this is how I would do it (again, from a purely real estate perspective). I would be working my butt off with that first mortgage holder. I would do everything I could to show them the money they were about to lose by converting this to an REO property. Once you figure in the cost of sale and the unpaid taxes and the cost of selling it again, not to mention the maintenance costs until that happened, they would be lucky to walk away with $250,000 to $300,000. If this was a local bank, this would be easier to do as they understand the property, they understand the market, and it is in their best interest to have $250,000 in cash than a property that they MIGHT be able to net $250,000 on at some point in the future, maybe.
I would try my best to convince that out-of-state lender to sell me their first mortgage for $250,000 to $300,000, and along with it, their position in the foreclosure. They are happy because they have the cash NOW. I then take their place and continue the foreclosure action, only at auction, I don’t open the bidding at the $600,000 the mortgage is worth, I open the bidding at $400,000. For that, maybe the CDA will jump in and buy it to protect their second, or maybe one of the other lien holders. Or maybe the owner will now find an investor partner in the business who is willing to pay $400,000 for a property assessed at $411,500. If that happens, I am happy, I walk away with $100,000 profit. If no one else jumps in at auction, I am still happy. I have the property, I paid $300,000 for it, and once the taxes are paid, it is owned free and clear.
I think that the Fillmor will survive. I believe that it will become a regional draw to downtown Wausau as a live music venue. However, I also believe that this cannot happen under the weight of the debt this venue now carries. A foreclosure does not have to be the end of a dream. Instead, it can be a fresh beginning.
by Dino Corvino on May 21st, 2009
On May 14th something exceptional happened at a local committee meeting. We have it from three sources that at the last CISM (Capital Improvements and Street Maintenance Committee) turned into both a verbal, and some might say a physical, conflict.
The issue on the table, as you can see in these minutes, was a PEACE statue or memorial a recent exchange student wanted to create and donate for placement in the triangle grass by the courthouse between the library and United
Way office — intersection of River Drive, Washington and First streets.
This discussion quickly deteriorated when first term councilman Matt Kaiser once again stated his objections to the piece of art based on the idea of it being controversial or possibly misunderstood. Mr. Kaiser also pointed out that we currently have memorials to fallen officers and fallen soldiers, and they are more “civic” in nature.
Around this time sources say long time councilman Ed Gale became, to use a phrase, impassioned in his reaction. Mr. Gale, according to the minutes, objected strongly, and an exchange happened. This exchange, according to sources, quickly turned personal and “intimidating” in nature.
It is also around this time that a watch belonging to Mr. Gale, made its way through the air. Reports differ as to whether or not this was thrown at Mr. Kaiser, or just thrown out of impassioned frustration.
The notes also mention that “Mr. Gale returned to his chair.” When asked, sources were unclear as to what that meant, save for the description of Mr. Gale standing up. Did Mr. Gale storm out of the room as we were told? The notes do not reflect that.
I have chosen to highlight this issue for a few reasons. One being to point out the nature of our city’s committee meetings. Apparently some real back and forth and discussion happens — sometimes watches even fly about the room.
Secondly, I highlight this to illustrate that our first term council people have already chosen to make their leadership felt. In this case Mr. Gale is a long standing figure on the city council, even having run for mayor as well as serving on the county board, and Mr. Kaiser took his political life in his hands and stood up to a man who is known to be a bit, shall we say, gruff.
Finally, while it is only 2009, it is clear that mayoral politics are already in play. Watercooler talk has Gale considering his run, as well as another member of the council deciding to run in the future. It is important to see that this behavior, while possibly acceptable in a councilman, is something we need to give thought to in regards to selecting a mayor, our ambassador to the world. People have already begun to put together strategies, and ‘Survivor-like’ alliances are being formed within the community as well as the professional staff within the city.
I do not want to portray this as a smacking of Mr. Gale. This is simply not the first time we have seen Mr. Gale be referred to as intimidating or gruff. I have often gone to City Council meetings simply to watch Mr. Gale and his fascinating levels of frustration. It is however the first time that watches have gone flying, and other councilpeople have become verbally intimidated by the process of back and forth. These actions taken by our councilpeople, not just Mr. Gale, have results in the community. We need to be more aware of these types of actions.
Also, it is fascinating the difference in the account put forth in the minutes below, to what people in the room have told me occurred. I am also told that the city creates an audio recording of these meetings, but when Citizen Wausau asked for such a record, we were told that they do not exist. I am unsure of a policy that would allow the city to deny us public records, no matter what the format, but as we have seen from the mayor and the Wausau Daily Herald, anything is possible. So, if you know if an audio record is made, we would love to hear from you.
CISM MINUTES
by Dino Corvino on May 12th, 2009
In what can be a surprise to no one, this document from the State of Wisconsin has appeared in regards to the Fillmor in downtown Wausau. Clearly this is another indicator of trouble, but I think it leads to more questions than answers.
I want to be clear, I know that another local downtown iconic night spot did this same thing during the transition it had from living to dead. So, I would almost assume that this violation is not that uncommon. I also spoke with an investigator at the office mentioned in this PDF, and they said this was very common especially during difficult economic times.
It is my belief that we are all guilty in the case of the Fillmor. Not for the things that Dan Miller has asserted in his contrived letter to the editor, but rather for this reason: We let them fail. It is like watching your best friend try to walk uphill on ice. And he just falls and falls and is never going to get anywhere, and it is fun to watch, but you know you could help. We, as a community, let two men run a business when they were clearly in over their heads. Should we have stepped in sooner? Or, is it the case as some have said, that many did try to help and Bill Miller ran them out of the bar with his bad behavior?
More than that though, as we step back, what will the City of Wausau do? It is clear that the city has extended these boys cash, connection and extension. How does this move forward? In a story in the City Pages, Ann Werth said she gave Dan Miller an extension on his first repayment on the loan from the city. When was that given, and when was this letter filed? Did the City of Wausau give an extension to someone who was in violation?
Fillmor Document
