Committee recommends $940,000 short-term fix for Wausau ice arena, forwards funding plan to County Board

The Human Resources, Finance and Property Committee voted 5–2 to forward a funding recommendation to the Marathon County Board to pay for short-term repairs and equipment at the Marathon Park ice arena that staff said will preserve both sheets of ice while long-term options are evaluated.

Parks purchasing and operations staff described structural and refrigeration problems at the two-sheet facility: one rink dates to roughly 50 years and the other about 40 years, with evidence of corroded piping, brine loss and a cooling tower nearing failure. Parks staff and an outside refrigeration engineer recommended a short-term strategy to keep both rinks operable while giving the county time to plan a longer-term solution. The centerpiece of the short-term approach is a portable MAT (mat) ice system that is designed to be laid over the existing concrete slab and connected to the current refrigeration plant; staff estimated the mat system’s lifespan at about 10 years with storage between seasons.

Parks Director Polley (Parks Director) told the committee the estimated cost for the combined package — mat system, piping upgrades, refrigeration-room safety improvements, a replacement cooling tower and engineering/design work — is $940,000. Polley said the facility supports high school teams, youth hockey, figure skating, an NH3L team and adult leagues and that losing the rinks would terminate many local programs.

County Administrator Leonard framed the request as a short-term, flexible investment that preserves options: the proposed assets (mat, cooling tower and some piping work) have resale or repurposing value if the county later decides to construct a new facility or change the long-term plan. Leonardsaid the Park Commission’s long-term recommendation remains under consideration and that the FEMA safe-room study and other planning efforts are ongoing.

Finance Director Sam (finance director) presented funding options and recommended a mix: $540,000 from general fund reserves, $290,000 of 2024 excess timber sale revenue in the parks fund, and $110,000 of projected 2025 excess timber revenue (totaling $940,000). Sam said alternatives included borrowing or using general reserves for the entire amount.

Speakers raised several policy points: whether user groups should contribute capital, how the county should treat the MAT system’s resale if a new facility is built, and how the repair package affects long-term capital planning. Supervisor Masc (Park Commission member) and others argued the short-term fixes give time to seek capital commitments from user groups and grant funding; Administrator Leonard reiterated that staff are not advocating a single long-term option but offering flexible short-term measures.

Supervisor Hart moved to recommend the resolution to the County Board with the funding mix Sam recommended and with an amendment drafted by corporation counsel to require that proceeds from any future sale of the MAT system be returned to the general fund. The motion was seconded by Supervisor O'Hara and passed on a 5–2 vote. Committee members emphasized that the committee’s action is a recommendation: a final funding decision rests with the full County Board and may require a two-thirds vote because it is a mid-year budget amendment.

Next steps: The resolution and funding recommendation will go to the full County Board for action. Staff said the FEMA construction grant process is uncertain and the $325,000 FEMA scoping grant is in place for study work; any construction grant would require separate decisions and potentially a local match.