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Tomahawk City Council Recap: 2022 Budget; Levy Published on 12/01/2022 under News

The Tomahawk City Council approved a slight increase in the budget for the upcoming year, though the general tax levy should be down slightly.

Much of the work on the budget was completed during several special Finance Committee meetings last month. There was minimal discussion ahead of the vote and no comments during the public hearing.

In the end, the total spending came in at $8.2 million up around $1.6 million from last year. This is largely due to an increase in capital outlay. Among the projects on the docket for next year are the reconstruction of Sixth Street, replacing the roof at city hall, and mandatory computer technology upgrades. The city will also fund a portion of planned renovation of Washington Square Park that will include a splash pad and all-inclusive playground.

In addition to the budget, a corresponding ordinance set the city's general property tax levy at just over $1.7 million, a 13.5% drop or a decrease of approximately $300,000 when compared to the current year. The city's portion of the mill rate came in at $8.12 per $1,000 of valuation.

The other pieces of the local budget puzzle, the Tomahawk School District, Nicolet College, and Lincoln County, have already completed and approved their budgets.

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In addition to the budget, the City Council had one other topic on the agenda. They approved the division of a lot on Murphy Avenue off of CC. The property owner dividing one large lot into three smaller ones. That was approved with minimal discussion.

Tomahawk Committee Meeting Recap

The Health and Safety Committee held their regular November meeting. With a light agenda, the committee briefly reviewed the city's celebration budget. These are the costs the city picks up, primarily public works and police, during events like Powwow Days, the Fall Ride, and the Venison Feed, as well as duties such as hanging the holiday decorations. This year the city set aside $64,000, and they are running about $2,000 over budget. That budget had been down in recent years due, in part, to the pandemic and scaled back or canceled events.

Police Chief Al Elvins, in his monthly report to the committee, highlighted the department received two separate state grants for $3,000. One was for the Fall Ride, and the other ongoing officer training. He also noted the number of calls for service is up, already surpassing last year's overall total.

After a busy November working on the budget, the city's finance committee held their regular monthly meeting last night. The lone item on the agenda was the city owned property at 404 South Tomahawk Avenue. The city acquired it this summer from the county after it was taken for delinquent taxes. The eviction process is ongoing and the committee will discuss the future of the property once it is vacated. The city did have the property appraised at approximately $88,000.

In Other News

Lincoln County Plans to Transition to .gov Domain

Published on 04/24/2024 under News The Lincoln County government could soon be getting a new website domain and email addresses that are simplified and more secure. The County currently uses the co.lincoln.wi.us. Under a resolution approved by the county board last week, they'll transition to lincolncountywi.gov. The '.gov' addresses are exclusive to US government agencies and organizations. Ahead of the vote, IT Director Travis Spoehr provided a brief overview. He noted the change is something they've talked about in the past. Now the application and registration of .gov domains have been waived for counties and local municipalities. According to the resolution, the Wisconsin Elections Commission will make .gov a requirement for electron elections communications. Some Northwoods counties have already made that transition including Oneida and Vilas Counties. As for the specific domain name, Spoehr noted that they needed to include the 'wi' because there are 36 other Lincoln Counties around the country. They'll continue to maintain the current domain at this time to make a staggered migration. A specific timeline wasn't provided.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News Utility bills in the Northwoods could be up slightly starting next year. Wisconsin Public Service shared that they have filed a request with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to set the electricity and natural gas rates for the next two years. According to the release, the proposal would result in an increase of $11-12 a month for a typical electric bill, while natural gas customers would see an increase of $3-4. Even with the potential increase, WPS noted that bills would remain below the national average. The release says a majority of the filing is to recover costs of new power plants the PSCW has already approved. They also continue to focus on three key priorities: reducing customer outages, building the infrastructure needed to support jobs plus economic growth in Wisconsin, and meeting new EPA environmental rules. An update to the filing with more specific information on the impact for each group of customers. The company says they will also provide this information to customers through a bill insert and on wisconsinpublicservice.com. The PSC will review the proposal later this year, and the new rates, if approved, would take effect in January.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News A plump pine warbler and a Rotund ruby-crowned kinglet are among feathered friends competing in a statewide contest to celebrate healthy birds and migration. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is celebrating their first-ever Fat Bird Week. The Foundation notes that 'a fat bird is a healthy bird' and it 'celebrates and spotlights the amazing journey our migratory birds make to get back to Wisconsin.' Eight bird photos were selected in the bracket style tournament decided by fan vote. The foundation was inspired by the organizers of the popular Fat Bear Week in Alaska which celebrates bears bulking up for winter hibernation. Conservation biologist Ryan Brady notes that some species of bird will actually double their weight ahead of their twice annual migration. He says, "Fat is fuel in the world of bird migration." They did clarify that while many people call birds "fat," they are often referring to is the fluffiness of the feathers. While the contest is all in good fun, it also serves as inspiration to create a more bird-friendly back yard. Brady says to think native plants which will provide nutrition via fruits, seeds, nectar, and even drawing in bugs. The 'Fat Bird Week' winner will be announced during next Tuesday's webinar "Four Ways to keep Wisconsin's Birds Fat and Healthy." For more information

Published on 04/24/2024 under News For years, Oneida County has offered a teen court program through the municipal court system which provides an alternative for first time youth offenders. The program is currently seeking high school age students to serve as panelists in the program. Panelists interview the offending juvenile and their parents. They assign sanctions designed to help the youth avoid making similar decisions, while allowing the offender to move forward without a juvenile record. Sharon Krause, works with the program through her role as Community Youth Development Educator with the Oneida County UW-Extension. She says serving can be beneficial to the student panelists as well, building communication and leadership skills. It also exposes them to careers in law, government policy, social work and counseling. She says "High school students who wish to become panelists need to have good listening skills, work well as part of a team, and be trustworthy with confidential information." Teen panelists should live in Oneida County (or Vilas County and attend Lakeland Union) The deadline is apply is May 1. For more information about Oneida County Teen Court and panelist application materials, please visit https://oneida.extension.wisc.edu/positive-youth-development/teencourt/ or contact Sharon Krause at sharon.krause@wisc.edu or (608) 381-2661.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News A team of Nicolet cosmetology students earned high marks at an industry event earlier this week. On Monday, Raven Carufel and Axle Jacobs, along with student model Isabella Hulsey attended America's Beauty Show in Chicago. The trio took part in the student team competition where they scored a third place finish in the cyberpunk fantasy category. The teams had an hour to craft an intricate hairstyle and makeup look demonstrating their creativity and technique. Instructor Marie Stott said, "Raven, Axle, and Isabella demonstrated their talent, dedication, and teamwork throughout this competition. Their success is a testament to their hard work and education at Nicolet College." The judging panel included industry professionals as well as social media influencers. For Jacobs specifically, it was a successful April. Earlier this month, we reported Jacobs competed and won the Wisconsin Skills USA barber competition and qualified for nationals. -Photo provided by Nicolet College

Published on 04/24/2024 under News Road Construction announcements are coming frequently. People can learn more about an upcoming project on Rhinelander's north side. The Department of Transportation announced a construction information meeting ahead of work on Highway 17 between Stevens Street and Pollyana Road. The contractor and project staff will share construction details, staging, schedule, traffic impacts and other information. That meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 30 at 1pm at Rhinelander City Hall.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad notched a convincing Great Northern Conference win Tuesday with a 12-1, five-inning victory over Rhinelander at Hatchet Field. The Hatchets got on starting pitcher Kelsey Winter early, scoring eight runs in the first. Tomahawk got three shutout innings pitched from sophomore Sophie Olsen. The Hatchets also showed great pateince at the plate, issuing eight walks. The win improves Tomahawk to 7-6 on the season and 2-3 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will have another GNC showdown Thursday at Mosinee. First pitch is at 5:00 that afternoon.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's track and field squads competed at the Medford Invite Tuesday night. The Hatchet girls had the lone first-place finish of the night, coming from Lydia Shaney in the 3200 meter run. Right behind Shaney in the run was Robin Schmidt. Schmidt joined Alli Palmer, Elise Gibeault, and Rachael Reilly placing second in the 4x800 meter relay. The Hatchet boys' top finisher came from Beau Stromberg and Sam Zastrow. Stromberg placed fifth in the high jump, while Zastrow placed fifth in the 800 meter run. Tomahawk will head to another Great Northern Conference foe for their next meet Thursday at Northland Pines. Field Events begin at 4:00 PM.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's golf squad finished their first Great Northern Conference meet of the season in fifth place out of seven teams at a cold, windy Inshalla Country Club. The Hatchets finished with a team score of 366. Austin Lamer finished as the top Hatchet of the meet with a score of 80, good for sixth overall. Sawyer Hanna and Caiden Reichelt finished with a 93. Tomahawk will be back in action Wednesday for another road invite at Barron. Tee-off is at 9:00 am.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's baseball squad was shut out by another Great Northern Conference opponent Tuesday afternoon, losing to Lakeland in Minocqua, 10-0. The Hatchets were also no-hit in the game and committed five errors. Brayden Larson had the loss on the mound, giving up five runs in 2.1 innings pitched. The loss drops Tomahawk to 1-8 on the season and 1-4 in Great Northern Conference play. The two teams will go against each other for the second time Friday at TK Memorial Field. Tune in for the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM and 100.7 FM WJJQ with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and First pitch at 5:00. Alex Koch and Keith Hanse will be in the broadcast booth.

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