Wausau committees approve contract with Bridge Street Mission for year-round emergency shelter; finance vote 4-1

Wausau city committees voted to move forward with a contract that would fund a year‑round emergency shelter operated by Bridge Street Mission, a faith‑based nonprofit, with an estimated first‑year city cost of $350,000 and a proposed facility build‑out of about 8,200 square feet.

The contract language reviewed by committees requires nondiscriminatory admission to the emergency shelter and explicitly disallows mandatory drug or alcohol testing as a condition of entry. Police Chief (name not specified) said the proposed shelter would replace a smaller Catholic Charities site that served about 30 people in roughly 3,000 square feet and stressed the community need: “I don’t want to see that in Wausau,” he said, referring to people forced to sleep outdoors if the city did not secure a year‑round site.

The contract would support a standalone emergency shelter distinct from Bridge Street Mission’s voluntary recovery programs. According to officials, the organization’s plan includes separate spaces for people who are intoxicated or otherwise unable to sleep in a communal area, and a day‑shelter portion that could serve up to 120 people per day.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the city lacks an alternative provider and noted the short timeline to secure funding and begin construction. Police Chief said the city’s current shelter…