City of Rhinelander

Downtown Rhinelander, Inc. and the city are in the planning stages for a projected $8 million makeover of the streets and infrastructure downtown within two years. The first bit of funding for the effort might be coming in.

City Administrator Blaine Oborn said they've heard from the Department of Agriculture...

  As part of a re-worked Rhinelander comprehensive plan, city officials soon will be asking citizens what they want to see for outdoor recreation. North Central Wisconsin Regional Commission planner Fred Heider says he asked the city for their recreational plans so they also could be put into the Oneida county recreational plan. He says city officials had a number of ideas...  

  Last week, the Rhinelander city council approved a $20,000 commitment to bolster an effort to help businesses downtown redo their facades. The money is contingent on another $60,000 state grant being available. The city is also planning a major utility upgrade down Brown Street in 2016. The street would also have a new look after construction. Downtown Rhinelander Incorporated Director Maggie Steffen says that group is working toward an eventual $250,000 program so downtown businesses can redo the front of their buildings if they choose...  

  The city of Rhinelander would like to clean up the  former Lindey Cleaners in downtown Rhinelander and should they get ownership, they would like to remove the building. The city council voted Monday to authorize working toward a grant to build a parking lot on the site. The city could eventually get ownership of the property for back taxes through foreclosure.  The federal Environmental Protection Agency would like to remove solvents and underground tanks underneath the Stevens Street property. City Administrator Blaine Oborn gave an update...  

As of Wednesday morning, the city of Rhinelander was running about 30 jobs behind as water pipes continue to freeze in the city.

The extended cold snap has caused many problems along some of the city water mains. Last week the city asked property owners to let their water trickle. But that amount proved to be not enough says Mayor Dick Johns...

Rhinelander water users are being asked to run their water 24/7 to prevent frozen pipes. 

Tim Kingman, Rhinelander Director of Public Works, says the city has been thawing out dozens of households every day. 

“At a certain point in time, we have to make some hard decisions here to let this water be run on a system wide basis.  The reason we do so is it’s the best economy we can get.”

Thawing out frozen pipes for hundreds of people is very expensive.    Running water constantly is also expensive, but still cheaper than the alternative. 

The city of Rhinelander deer hunt was canceled this fall after the number of nuisance deer had diminished. But the hunt can resume after Governor Walker signed a bill this week.

The bill allows for greater crossbow use and also opens up deer hunting in cities across the state. But Rhinelander city council member Alex Young points out the bill also takes away many of the regulations local communities had over bow hunts within city limits...

A higher than expected city assessed value  has helped the Rhinelander city council  keep a flat property tax level and also help its depleted general fund.

The council passed an option which holds city taxpayers bills flat for the city's portion of the bill. But after the state reported in with the city's property value, it enabled the council to still hold the tax rate the same, but helped the city replenish a depleted general fund. The fund had been tapped during the recession to keep tax increases down.

City Administrator Blaine Oborn...

Rhinelander has joined at least two other area communities in allowing small numbers of chickens, but the approval has restrictions.

Jen Van Order asked the city a few months ago to change laws to allow up to 4 hens, no roosters in confined space. She has worked with city officials on the proposal. During a hearing at last night's council meeting, she says hens are less loud than barking dogs and, she says, cleaner. Property owners would need a special permit...

The effort to update Rhinelander's downtown got a boost last night as the city council approved going after federal dollars administered by the state.

After more than 30 years with the city of Rhinelander, Phil Parkinson will retire as City Attorney December 31.

The Rhinelander city council last night approved Parkinson's resignation, effective the end of the year. Parkinson began his job in 1980. He says the job has evolved to the present day, but says "it's time" to retire....

"....I'm ready to spend winters in some place warmer than northern Wisconsin..."