Top ten stories of 2019

By: 
Miriam Nelson
News Editor

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District has not had a referendum since 1995 and since voting for the referendum in November of 2018 the district has been busy modifying the three buildings and will continue with upgrades through the summer of 2020.

The felony charges against Wittenberg Village President Willian Switalla made several headlines before ultimately being dismissed. Wittenberg also faced a review by the Public Service Commission resulting in a 60 per cent increase in water rates for the first time in 25 years.

Here’s a look at the headlines that dominated 2019:

1. WBSD board accepts over budget bid package

Bids for the first phase of projects approved by Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District voters in November as part of a $13.1 million referendum came in over budget.

The school board on April 29 approved bids totaling $284,608.50 — or $50,797.50 over the budget estimate — for improvements to entryways at the high school and two elementary/middle schools.

2. Burglary charge dropped against Wittenberg village president

A felony burglary charge against Wittenberg Village President and Shawano County Supervisor William J. Switalla was dismissed Thursday and a misdemeanor count of theft will also be wiped off the books if Switalla abides by the conditions of a deferred prosecution agreement.
Switalla will have to perform 40 hours of community service over the next six months as part of that agreement.

Switalla was accused of breaking into a garage and taking a grill from a property the county had acquired in tax foreclosure. Switalla later returned the grill to the property.

Switalla’s attorney, Paul Payant, had previously argued that there had been no felony committed; that Switalla removed the grill from the property along with garbage he offered to clean up for the county at the property the county had acquired.
Payant also questioned whether County Treasurer Deb Wallace, who signed the non-consent form stating Switalla had no authority to take the grill, was in a position to claim ownership of the property.

3. Wittenberg water rates will increase by 60 percent

Residential water bills for Wittenberg Municipal Water & Sewer customers will increase by 60 percent as the Public Service Commission Friday authorized the village’s first water rate hike in 25 years.

Average residential customers who had been paying $52.90 quarterly for 9,000 gallons of water will be paying $84.54 for the same volume under the new rates, according to the PSC rate order.

Rates for commercial, multi-family, industrial and public authority customers also will increase from 42 percent to 131 percent depending on customer category and usage.

The new rates will make Wittenberg’s water bills about average compared with similarly-sized utilities statewide, according to the order and will take effect on Dec.1 for the Dec. 15 bills.

4. School board makes cuts to stick to $13.1M budget

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board and its contractor have pared $1.5 million in estimated construction costs from the second set of bids for work authorized by voters in November when they OK’d a $13.1 million referendum.

The board learned in May that estimates for the second phase of work were running higher than projected. The second phase of work includes additions to the Wittenberg and Birnamwood elementary-middle schools and a new building, primarily for agriculture classrooms, next to Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School.

The board decided not to supply air conditioning to the wood shop or metal shop. The same was decided for the kitchen, which is not used in summer. A separate air conditioning system will be used in the school office for the 12-15 staff members who work there in summer.

The board also agreed to reuse rather than replace office furniture and equipment. Work stations in the family consumer science rooms will be re-utilized, and a break out room was cut from the library’s plans.

The board has approved delaying caulking and seal replacements around doors at the high school, not replacing an existing generator, reusing the dust-collection system in the wood shop but making it more efficient by improving the duct work, and putting on hold a construction trades area planned for the north end of the ag building and new toilets in the tech ed area.

If bids come back lower than expected, some of the items could be re-added.

5. State discontinues Revolving Loan program and Village of Wittenberg votes to buy their share

The Wisconsin Department of Administration’s revolving loan fund program, which provided low-interest loans for business development, has ended, and Village of Wittenberg officials were forced to decide how to move forward.

Under the buyout, the village will return the $76,000 it has on hand for the fund program, according to Traci Matsche, Wittenberg treasurer/clerk. An additional $180,000 in business loans will also need to be repaid — money that is currently in the streets, sidewalks and public property account. Once this $256,000 is given back to the state, Wittenberg would be eligible to reclaim those funds for an approved municipal project, such as the road improvements needed on Webb Street. The funds would need to be allocated within two years.

6. District finalizing schedule for referendum projects

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board is finalizing plans for the $13.1 million in improvements approved by school district residents in November.

One of the first steps will be to create secured entrances for all three district schools. Other maintenance work expected at the high school later this year will address roof and exterior door issues.

The largest project at the high school will be installing a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Engineers have not yet determined whether it can be finished in one summer.

The elementary/middle school additions and the ag building are expected to be completed in summer 2020. Work will continue throughout the year and during summer school.

7. Broadband coming to Birnamwood

Better access to high-speed internet is coming to rural Shawano County, but the process is going to require patience from homeowners and cooperation between municipalities and communication companies.

Village of Birnamwood residents were invited to an informational session before the village board meeting Feb. 11 to learn about the broadband expansion, which is being made possible by a $274,068 state grant.

Dennis Heling, chief economic development officer of Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., explained key details of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission grant, including a matching requirement of $25,000 from Shawano County and $1,000 to $2,500 each from area municipalities. The grant will help extend high-speed internet to more than 2,300 households and 110 businesses, Heling said.

The extent of that need was made clear by an exploratory group formed two years ago to study the lack of internet access in the county. The group reached out to IT professionals, business people, manufacturers, agricultural producers and municipal officials before applying for the grant, which was approved in fall.

8. Matsche Farms planning another expansion

A public meeting Jan. 23 on a proposal for Matsche Farms Inc. to get a Shawano County livestock facilities license to expand its operation saw very little public comment.

The county’s Land Conservation Department held the meeting to get public input after the dairy farm owners completed a request to expand its operation to 13,006 animal units. The farm has almost that many cows, with 5,998 milk and dry cows and the rest being heifers and calves, but the farm has currently been utilizing other farms to house some of the cows.

9. Taco John’s opens in a big way as Wittenberg’s newest business serves 1,000 customers

Free food will always bring in a crowd. Taco John’s, the newest fast food restaurant in Wittenberg, opened in a big way June 10 by giving golden coupons to the first 50 customers.

The franchise is operated by Julie and Herman Basuki, who also operate Taco John’s in Antigo and Rhinelander. They plan to employ about 30 people.

The 1,500-square-foot restaurant is the 31st Taco John’s in Wisconsin and 387th system wide. The Basukis opened the Antigo restaurant in 1996 and the Rhinelander location in 2007.

10. Car hits school bus in town of Norrie

No one on the bus was injured in an accident involving a Wittenberg-Birnamwood school bus and a passenger vehicle Wednesday at 7 a.m. on County Road Y near County Road D in the town of Norrie, the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The operator of the passenger vehicle sustained injuries and is receiving medical attention at a local hospital. Eight elementary school students were on the bus. The crash is currently under investigation.

Marathon County deputies, Hatley EMS/fire units, and the Wisconsin State Patrol responded to this crash.