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Public comment raises town concerns about special-events threshold as county considers multiple ordinances and appointments
Summary
A town chairman told the Marathon County Board of Supervisors that a proposed ordinance increase in event threshold would burden volunteer fire departments; the board also heard a broadband update, appointed committee chairs and listed several ordinance and resolution items for future action.
Dean Beck, Towne Easton chairman, told the Marathon County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 16 that a proposed amendment to county code he identified as a "12.04 ordinance" would place an "undue burden" on small, unincorporated towns that rely on volunteer fire departments.
"It puts an undue burden on our small communities who have a volunteer fire department and we have to provide the safety for this," Beck said, adding that the ordinance as described in earlier meetings had moved a threshold from 3,000 to 5,000 and that his town receives no compensation for providing emergency services for such events. He said towns have five days to appeal approvals and that appeals are limited to public-safety concerns.
The comment was made during the meeting's public-comment period, which the board set at 15 minutes and limited to one registered speaker in this session.
During the subsequent agenda review the board listed several zoning and ordinance items for future action, including:
- Appointment of Supervisor Gene Mask as chair of the Public Safety Committee and Supervisor Yiling Yiling Zhang as vice chair of the Public Safety Committee (appointments presented to the board under item 9A1).
- Appointment of Gaylene Roden as vice chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, replacing George Peterson (item 9A2).
- Town of Green Valley rezone for Arthur and Laurie Young (ordinance 01-25) and Town of Knowlton rezone for Steve and Don Eisenberg (ordinance 02-25) (items 9B1 and 9B2).
- Amendments to chapter 22 of the Marathon County code (shoreland, wetland and floodplain provisions) and adoption of chapter 27 (floodplain code, listed as 4-25) (items 9B3 and 9B4).
- An amendment to sections referenced as "12.01parent212.04" of the Marathon County general code of ordinances (item 9B5, 0-5-25). During discussion Supervisor Sandalski said he would not support the ordinance on constitutional grounds, calling it an infringement on the First Amendment's protections for free speech and assembly.
The board also considered personnel and intergovernmental items including a Human Resources resolution to abolish one FTE senior administrative specialist and create one FTE human resources specialist in the sheriff's office (resolution 1-25), and an amendment to the City-County Information Technology Commission intergovernmental and operating agreement (resolution 2-25). No final votes on those items were recorded in the transcript excerpt.
At the end of the meeting Supervisor Langenhahn moved to adjourn, seconded by Supervisor Crivelli; the motion carried on a voice vote and the board adjourned.
The remarks and agenda listing establish items the board will consider in future meetings and register public concern about enforcement and appeal processes tied to the ordinance referenced by the public commenter.
