Marathon County Board approves purchase of parcels for proposed highway facility after rejecting delay

The Marathon County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the county’s purchase of two parcels in the Village of Cronenwetter for a potential new highway facility after defeating a motion to postpone consideration and a related amendment seeking a special meeting before one of the offers expired.

Administrator Leonard said the county faced firm deadlines from the potential sellers: “the county is required to communicate formal acceptance of that offer to WPS no later than 05/01/2025,” and for a privately held parcel “that notice that we must provide of formal acceptance is May 10.” He warned that without board action staff would notify sellers that the county was turning down the offers.

The motion to postpone, offered by Supervisor Sandalski and seconded by Supervisor Marshall, would have delayed a final decision until the county’s May 15 meeting while directing administration to consult with the Village of Cronenwetter. Board members debated whether a postponement would effectively terminate the current offers. Board staff explained that a rejection would end the agreed price and require renegotiation, additional due diligence time and a new closing date.

Supervisor Robinson, who described the purchase process as a standard private negotiation brought to the board for approval, argued against delay and cautioned that seeking public negotiation could drive the price up. “You don’t negotiate the purchase of a property in public because it will drive the price up,” Robinson said, adding that if the county turned down the offers and later re-entered negotiations the sellers could seek a higher price.

Other supervisors pressed for more outreach to the village and local neighbors. Supervisor Voll (past village president) explained local practice: plan commissions and village boards generally are notified once a site plan or certified survey map is formally submitted, and property purchase discussions alone typically do not trigger broad municipal notification. Administrator Leonard said the county would engage the village and neighbors during the site-plan phase and explore options for water supply, including possible coordination with Rothschild and its administrator Ryan Vandewall, and on-site solutions used by nearby businesses.

The board first considered an amendment to Sandalski’s postponement that would have added a requirement for a special meeting before May 1 to avoid the offers’ expiration; that amendment was defeated. The main postponement motion then failed. After further discussion the board voted to approve the purchase of the parcels; the chair announced the motion “is carried but is not unanimous.”

Votes at a glance: - Motion to postpone consideration until May 15 and direct administration to consult with the Village of Cronenwetter — mover: Supervisor Sandalski; second: Supervisor Marshall; outcome: failed. (Board discussion and packet language indicated a yes vote on the postponement would have effectively terminated the two outstanding offers.) - Amendment to postpone and call a special meeting before May 1 — mover/second: amendment by Supervisor Sandalski; seconded by Supervisor Marshall; outcome: defeated. - Motion to approve purchase of the parcels in the Village of Cronenwetter — mover/second: not specified in the transcript; outcome: approved (not unanimous). - Resolution 206-25 (supporting continuation of availability of tax-exempt bonding for municipalities) — mover: Supervisor Robinson; second: Supervisor Zong; outcome: approved (not unanimous). This resolution was considered later in the meeting and passed.

The board and administration repeatedly noted that approving purchase is an early step in a multi-stage process. Administrator Leonard and facility staff said subsequent steps would include site planning, neighborhood meetings and additional due diligence; any required site-plan approvals and utility connections would occur under applicable village ordinances and local review processes. Several supervisors said they expect more conversations with the Village of Cronenwetter about design standards, water capacity and potential joint uses before any final construction decisions.

Implementation details and next steps were not finalized in the meeting. The transcript shows key procurement deadlines (WPS acceptance by 05/01/2025; privately held parcel acceptance by 05/10/2025) and that, if the county declines the offers, the price and other terms would be subject to renegotiation.