The Department of Transportation has proposed two options at the busy intersection of U.S. 8 and state Highway 47 on Rhinelander's west side. One is a roundabout, which has generated considerable discussion since it was first proposed there.
Monday night, the Rhinelander City Council decided no action was the best action. At the request of City Administrator Keith Kost, Public Works Director Tim Kingman wrote a sample letter of support for a roundabout. Members of the city council wanted to discuss whether the city should support the idea.
Council member Tom Gleason says he doesn't favor the roundabout and wondered whether the letter might give the impression the city council supported the idea.
Kost said the state asked the city to discuss a letter of support. Kost asked Kingman to write the letter so it could be discussed at the special meeting this week...
"....the only way the council could voice an opinion, if they wanted to voice, an opinion, is because it fell on a special meeting night...."
The closing date for comments on the proposal is the end of January, so it had to be discussed this week or the matter would have been moot. Council members were nervous the public perception might be if the council took a position, the public would see it as the city taking a position on what is a state, not city, proposal.
The council decided not to back any position and simply let the matter die.
