City council to vote on ArtStart boiler request

The Rhinelander Common Council is expected to make a decision Monday evening on a plea from ArtStart for help in covering the cost of replacing the aging boiler in the former federal building where the arts and cultural center is located.
After hearing from ArtStart’s program and operations director Ashley McLaughlin, who detailed the nonprofit’s plea for assistance, the council deadlocked 3-3 on a motion to table the matter until April 28.
That left the outcome in the hands of Mayor Kris Hanus.
“With the logic (that) more information is always better for making a decision, and since this isn’t super time-sensitive, I will vote that we table for the next meeting,” Hanus announced at the end of the April 14 discussion.
Prior to vote, McLaughlin explained the nonprofit’s struggles in heating and cooling the over 100-year-old building at 68 S. Stevens Street it has been leasing (at a cost of $1) from the city for over a decade.

McLaughlin said the nonprofit has repaired the boiler on several occasions over the last few years, including by replacing the circulation pumps, but has been advised by the repair company that parts for the 1919 heater (last retrofitted in 1965) may no longer be available. The company’s recommendation is replacement at a cost of $185,000, she added.
While the lease agreement between the city and ArtStart requires ArtStart to cover the cost of maintenance and repairs, McLaughlin said the nonprofit is hoping the city will agree to a cost-share agreement.
“Frankly, ArtStart cannot afford this,” she said. “This might force us to no longer occupy the building. If we cannot heat the building, we cannot be in the building. We’ll probably be OK through the summer. But we are concerned about it and our future in the building.”
McLaughlin said the temperature in the building dropped to as low as 46 degrees when the boiler was on the fritz in the winter and then shot up to 80 degrees when it was repaired.
“We have to continue to shut off the boiler so we can regulate the heat back down to a manageable temperature and then pray that it ignites again,” she explained, noting that the nonprofit has been a good steward of the property and it could be complicated for the city to find another tenant to occupy the space.
City administrator Patrick Reagan praised the ArtStart folks as great to work with but noted the city budget continues to be very tight.
“Part of my job is to tell you the truth,” he told the alderpersons. “You had to cut a position to make (the 2025) budget work because health care expenses are going up and they’re not going to go down next year. It’s gonna get tighter and tighter and tighter and whether it’s something you guys wanna hear or not, it’s the absolute truth. So something’s gotta give. For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”
Some of the alderpersons indicated it might behoove the city to revisit its lease agreement with ArtStart but there was disagreement as to whether the group was prepared to make a decision immediately. Ultimately, alderman Gerald Anderson made a motion to table the matter until the next meeting on April 28.
To watch the entire council discussion, visit www.hodagtv.com
City ethics committee
Earlier in the evening of April 14, the city’s ethics committee met briefly in closed session to discuss concerns voiced on social media regarding the special city council meeting held on Sunday, March 30 following the collapse of the Hodag Dome. The panel’s behind-closed-doors discussion was brief as city attorney Steve Sorenson advised that there was no ethical issue with regard to the March 30 meeting. The attorney explained that the panel was required to meet to select a new polling location after the Hodag Dome, the city’s regular polling place, became unusable due to damage suffered in an ice storm. He indicated the social media chatter was that the council chose to hold the special meeting in order to get extra per diem money. It was also clarified that the decision to move the polling location to James Williams Middle School was due to logistics rather than any attempt to influence the outcome of the School District of Rhinelander’s operational referendum.