Three proposals to purchase the former WPS building near the Oneida county courthouse by a Rhinelander businessman were rejected by the county board Tuesday, but it might not be the end of bargaining. That rejection also had a bearing on the location of two county departments.
Mike Boyd's offers included Oneida county paying to use some of the office space he would construct. One of the options was to locate the county UW- Extension and possibly Land and Water Conservation departments in the new building.
Supervisors later said they might be looking for a counter-offer from Boyd.
Meanwhile, running parallel to Boyd's offers was a tabled resolution to return the Land and Water Department to the courthouse building, renew a lease at the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport and keep Extension in that building. After sometimes heated debate, the board voted 20-8 to approve keeping Extension at the airport and moving Land and Water back to the courthouse. UW-Extension's Erica Brewster said jet fumes sometimes have sickened employees in the lower level offices at the airport..
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"....the fumes from jet fuel and other issues in the lower level...we would just like to know that is going to be mitigated should we stay in that lower level...."
Supervisor Billy Fried said his committee has looked at that issue and many others, but rather than postpone a decision, he wanted to move forward...
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"....we certainly don't want to put any employee in a situation where they are breaking out in hives because of the working conditions....
Another resolution to look at locating UW-Extension at the WPS building was postponed indefinitely.
