MARINETTE — The Marinette County Board unanimously referred the issue of ownership of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Marinette Campus back to the Infrastructure Committee last week.
The issue was whether to continue ownership of all properties or transfer them to the City of Marinette. County Administrator John Lefebvre said that until the board figures out who will own the property, members won’t get a picture of how it will be used in the future.
“And you may never know that,” he said.
Supervisor Ginger Deschane requested that the board table the discussion, as eight new board members had joined for their first meeting and may need a better idea of what they’re voting on.
Supervisor Mark Anderson said the county should apply for the new redevelopment grant created by Senate Bill 518 and hire an appraisal and evaluation firm to suggest the best alternative use. He also suggested involving the city in that discussion.
“I think being strategically smart is using the dollars that the state is going to give us to give us information that all of us want,” Anderson said.
Supervisor Stan Gruszynski said the area has history and heritage attached to it, not to mention its access to the bay of Green Bay.
“I’m not going to put it in a bag and throw it out the window and hope it lands right,” Gruszynski said.
Supervisor Christopher Norton agreed.
“We can’t bankrupt ourselves by getting rid of the property,” Norton said.
Supervisor Peter Noppenberg asked about private sector interest — developers, real estate investors, contractors and even the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“I don’t think we can vote on this resolution today,” Noppenberg said.
Lefebvre said they would need about two months to hire a consultant to help them with the grant. They would lay out a plan and determine whether that plan would work for the grant application. Along with the consultant, the county would need letters of support for the grant and some type of monetary match.
“You’ll probably be talking about this in a year,” Lefebvre said.
However, he had a reason for posing the issue now, he said.
“This is the thing we needed. I’ve been talking to the board for five months about this, and I finally got you to the point where you’re starting to talk and express what you truly think about this project,” Lefebvre said. “The only way I can do that is to get a resolution in front of you and make you feel that there’s urgency and a need to move forward. This wasn’t meant to insult anybody. This was meant to move government forward and have a good, quality discussion, and that’s what we’re having, so please, keep it up.”
He said the board would soon see a lease agreement with UW-Green Bay. The conditions of the contract would dictate how they take care of the facility. Either way, it won’t be neglected.
“We can’t mothball a campus that’s located in the City of Marinette that’s going to be partially used by UWGB,” Lefebvre said. “It’s going to be a place where people are going to come and gather in the theater.”
Supervisor Gail Wanek said the longer they wait, the longer it will take.
“I wish UWGB would’ve given us a heads up sooner than what they did,” Wanek said.
Lefebvre said if the county is going to do it right, it’s not an issue of timeline.
“I’m not upset about the time it’s going to take,” Lefebvre said. “I’m now starting to get the feel for the direction this county board wants, and that’s what I’m looking for.”
John Guarisco, county board chair, said there’s been much discussion about how long UWGB will remain in Marinette.
“Even if they agree to a 10-year lease, assuming there’s an opt-out clause, we should have that same right to opt out as well in case the studies we’re talking about yield a use… of the property that is more advantageous to the county,” Guarisco said.
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