Editor’s note: This story corrects the original version that did not include the budget modification requirement that was necessary for the measure to pass. Wausau Pilot & Review regrets the error.
By Shereen Siewert
City Council members on Tuesday did not gather enough votes to fund a project that would fence off an area beneath the Scott Street Bridge where homeless residents often gather and camp, despite having a simple majority of votes to do so.
The project required a budget amendment to fill its roughly $18,000 funding shortfall, requiring a vote from the council to complete. Though the measure passed by a 5-4 vote, the budget amendment required a 2/3 majority to pass.
The Finance Committee approved the funding in August with no discussion on the matter, but the proposal drew sharp opposition from two speakers Tuesday during the public comment portion of the full council meeting.
Sandy Kelch spoke to the consequences of blocking off access to the bridges. That space, she said, provides a barrier from the wind and snow for people with nowhere to go. She reminded the Council that the Warming Center, while a tool to help serve the unhoused residents of Wausau, has room for just 29 people. Many more need shelter, she said, and though the current approaches are helpful, they are not enough.
Last season, 180 unduplicated people used the Warming Center for shelter, Kelch said.
Another speaker, part of the Community Outreach Task Force, said that the reason people stay together under the bridge is to have some sort of shelter and to stay safe\. When it comes to surviving on the streets, there is safety in numbers, she said.
“We have a lot more than 29 people living on the street in Wausau and with the economy, that number will keep rising,” she said.
Wausau Police Chief Ben Bliven said the measure is not a solution to homelessness and is not meant to hurt people, but to protect them.
“I have personally been at the dam when they’re pulling dead bodies out of the river because they’re falling into the river,” he said. “That’s the purpose of this fence, to keep these people safe…this fence needs to be put up for that reason.”
Bliven said the area beneath the bridge shows “deplorable” living conditions, and said his department has been at the forefront of trying to address homelessness. He also said Marathon County should also have “skin in the game” to resolve these issues as they persist in the community.
Dist. 3 Alder Tom Kilian also called out Marathon County for making decisions such as closing the Community Clubhouse while at the same time touting their fiscal responsibility.
“Let’s make sure at the end of that 16-18 weeks that everyone who is sleeping under that bridge now has a roof over their head, at least the option,” he said. “Yes it’s bad, I’m sure it’s bad, but I assure you this is not an elective.
Kilian is one of four council members who opposed the fencing project and openly asked how much of the river would be fenced to protect the homeless population if safety is the goal.
The future of the project is uncertain.
