Marathon County board approves series of rezones, library appointments and $760,541 highway budget amendment

The Marathon County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21 voted to approve a set of town rezones and appointments, adopted recognition resolutions for veterans and crash responders, and amended the county highway budget by $760,541.

The board, meeting in the Marathon County Courthouse Assembly Room in Wausau, handled a long consent and ordinance slate with largely unanimous votes. The meeting included one substantive exchange about the county’s role in town zoning and one contested vote on the highway budget amendment that was not unanimous.

The rezone and ordinance items the board approved include town-level rezones submitted to the county for final approval: Ordinance 046-25 (Town of Knowlton), Ordinance 047-25 and 048-25 (Town of McMillan) and Ordinance 049-25 (towns of Brighton, O’Plain Hall and Marathon). Several of those passed by voice roll call and were recorded as carried unanimously.

Supervisor Eric Hoppa asked for clarification on a rezone in the Town of Texas during discussion of Resolution 608-25 and related town items. Shad Harvey, Marathon County zoning director, explained that the town of Texas is town-zoned (not county-zoned), that the town held the public hearing and that the county’s role at the board level is to record the town’s rezone forward for final approval. Harvey said, “The town of Texas is not county zoned. So this is a rezone process that they’ve handled the public hearing...it’s kind of essentially a bit of a formality,” and noted that citizens wishing to comment should do so at the town hearing.

The board also approved several appointments, including the appointment of Supervisor Aaron Greiner to complete a three-year term on the Marathon County Library Board through Dec. 31, 2025, replacing Gary Gesselman. The county appointed Zoe Mourning and others to the Wisconsin Valley Library Service Board of Directors to complete vacant terms.

Two recognition resolutions were adopted: Operation Green Light for Veterans (listed on the agenda as Resolution 702-25) and Crash Responder Safety Week (Resolution 701-25). The board adopted a cooperation agreement for a community development program (Resolution 702-25 on the agenda) and entered memorials honoring the public service of Ken Day and Laverne Grunewald.

A higher-profile fiscal action was a resolution to amend the highway budget by $760,541 (Resolution 703-25 on the agenda). The amendment required a two-thirds majority vote. The motion carried; the meeting record shows at least one recorded no vote (Supervisor Endress voted no), so the adoption was not unanimous.

The meeting concluded with the introduction of Brian Desmond as the county’s new corporation counsel and routine closing actions.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (Items C9–C11): Motion by Supervisor Jeong; second by Supervisor Robinson; outcome: approved (recorded as unanimous).

- Appointment: Aaron Greiner to Marathon County Library Board (term to 12/31/2025). Motion by Supervisor Robinson; second by Supervisor Carvelli; outcome: approved (recorded as approved).

- Wisconsin Valley Library Service Board appointments (Zoe Mourning and others): Motion by Supervisor Veil; second by Supervisor Radtke; outcome: approved (recorded as carried).

- Ordinance 046-25 (Town of Knowlton rezone): Motion by Supervisor Seefeldt/Cefeldt (mover recorded as Supervisor Cefeld in meeting); second by Supervisor Ritter; outcome: carried (recorded as unanimous).

- Ordinance 047-25, 048-25, 049-25 (Town of McMillan; Franciscan Association of Divine Mercy; towns of Brighton/O’Plain Hall/Marathon rezones): various motions and seconds recorded on the floor; outcomes: carried (recorded as unanimous).

- Resolution 608-25 (Town of Texas zoning changes): Motion by Supervisor Drabek; second by Supervisor Marash; outcome: carried (recorded as unanimous). Note: Shad Harvey clarified this was a town-zone matter handled at the town public hearing.

- Resolution 69-25 (Town of Texas rezone for Douglas and Bernadine Wilke): Motion by Supervisor Covelli; second by Supervisor Debreu; outcome: carried (recorded as unanimous).

- Operation Green Light for Veterans (Resolution 702-25): Motion by Supervisor Covelli; second by Supervisor Robinson; outcome: carried (recorded as unanimous).

- Crash Responder Safety Week (Resolution 701-25): Motion by Supervisor Marash; second by Supervisor Jensen; outcome: carried (recorded as unanimous).

- Cooperation agreement for community development program (Resolution 702-25 on agenda): Motion by Supervisor Conway; second by Supervisor Arstead; outcome: carried.

- Highway budget amendment, +$760,541 (Resolution 703-25): Motion by Supervisor Jensen; second by Supervisor Poole; required two-thirds majority; outcome: carried (not unanimous; at least one recorded no vote by Supervisor Endress).

- Memorials for Ken Day and Laverne Grunewald: Motions carried; the board observed moments of silence.

What this means

Most items were routine final approvals of town rezones, appointments, and recognition resolutions; those were adopted with little debate. The highway budget amendment was the only item that drew a recorded dissent on the floor even though it passed and met the two-thirds requirement. Supervisor Hoppa’s question and the zoning director’s response clarified that several rezones came through the board only as formal county approvals because the underlying public hearings occurred at the town level.

The board scheduled an upcoming Western Towns Association meeting on Oct. 30 in the Town of Franconia and introduced Brian Desmond as the new corporation counsel.