Marathon County Board Environmental Resources Committee- 11/3/26

The Marathon County Board Environmental Resources Committee met on November 3, 2026, primarily to hold public hearings and consider land-use and zoning matters. The committee approved rezoning petitions for Theodore and Rebecca Wysaki in Green Valley (general agriculture to rural estate), Tommy Schultz in McMillan (rural residential to rural estate), and the Spencer Joint Revocable Trust in McMillan (farmland preservation to general agriculture), forwarding the Wysaki petition to the County Board. It also approved recommendations on the Town of Castle’s partial rezone from farmland to light industrial and the Town of Weston’s rezone from five-acre to two-acre rural residential. The proposed rezone by MK Enterprises LLC in Marathon, from farmland preservation to low-density residential for a potential 19-home development, was postponed to allow time for a town response, no later than the committee’s January 2027 meeting. Public testimony raised concerns about farmland-plan consistency, agricultural impacts, wetlands, septic suitability, and roads. No contracts, vendor selections, or purchasing awards were discussed.

Staff outlined the timeline for developing a data-center ordinance under the moratorium adopted in August, including research, municipal outreach, framework development, and a target public hearing in June 2027. During the 2027 budget discussion, members were asked to submit amendments by noon Friday for committee review. The committee also received information about Wisconsin DNR PFAS sampling grant opportunities, including community-wide private-well sampling; a 20% match may be met in kind, and a grant may cover backup water supplies if contamination is found. The county’s vote for the State Land and Water Conservation Board election is assigned to the county conservationist, with committee input requested by December 2. No procurement activity was identified.