Wausau committee approves rooftop solar for leased River Drive property

The City of Wausau Economic Development Committee on Feb. 4 approved a request to allow installation of photovoltaic equipment on property the city ground-leases to Van Smiling Eyes LLC at 1300 North River Drive, known as Wausau On The Water.

Committee members said the vote clears a necessary step for the project's grant application and requires coordination with the city as the property owner. The motion to approve installation was made by Alder Henke and seconded by Alder Tierney and passed by voice vote.

Randy O'Brien, with Olsen Solar Energy, said the system will be roof-mounted and installed in coordination with the local utility. "All equipment will be mounted on the building, in conjunction with WPS. So it shouldn't affect the ground per se at all," O'Brien said. He added the installer is bonded and insured; the committee asked for proof of insurance during installation so the city would not bear liability.

Committee members discussed liability and insurance requirements. A committee member confirmed the city typically requires proof of insurance for contractors working on ground-leased property and said staff will follow up to obtain that documentation before work begins.

No specific timeline or system size was discussed at the meeting. The committee packet included the ground-lease agreement and application materials for the grant that the developer is pursuing.

The approval was recorded as a committee motion; the item will proceed to any additional steps required by the grant application and property owner approvals.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve request to install photovoltaic equipment on property ground-leased by the City of Wausau to Van Smiling Eyes LLC at 1300 North River Drive — Motion by Alder Henke; second by Alder Tierney; outcome: approved by voice vote.