Damakant Jayshi

The Wausau City Council on Tuesday approved several security improvements at City Hall after Mayor Katie Rosenberg and police chief Ben Bliven laid out the importance of adopting those measures, saying they were high priority.

The security upgrade will impact movement in the building, with restrictions imposed on visitors once they enter the main lobby. According to city documents, a transparent glass partition wall with a secure entrance will limit access to the elevators, stairs and the basement area. Glass will be bullet-resistant including in the municipal clerk’s office, which will be moved to the current Birch Room with a bullet-resistant opening into the lobby.

Over the past few years “there have been a few vagrant and hostile individuals roaming through City Hall,” according to city documents. Some people were found living in the basement of the building.

The estimated cost of the improvements, initially proposed through American Rescue Act funding, is $183,380. Now, the project will be paid for through the general fund, according to the city’s finance director.

Mayor Rosenberg said a couple of security-related incidents discussed in the past involved her and said “at least a couple of people had to be arrested from my office.” She said was mocked for sending a safety memo two years ago.

The mayor almost broke down while sharing her experience. “I am sorry for getting emotional but this is not good for me, it’s not good for people here.”

On one weekend alone, when no city offices were open, the mayor said, 16 people had walked in and out of the building. And in January last year, a man accused of creating a disturbance at City Hall and had had altercations with city staff was arrested and charged criminally.

In addressing the council, Chief Bliven was direct in his reasoning as he urged approval.

People who work in the building deserve to be safe and it would be foolish to let the mayor and others become a soft target to potential attacks, Bliven said.

“We cannot go a day in this county without seeing a shooting in a building,” Bliven said. “We need to do this. It is an emergency and it is a priority.”

Municipal governments nationwide are grappling with how to best protect staff and elected officials in the wake of a spate of violent incidents in the U.S. in recent years. The latest U.S. mass shooting happened at a downtown bank in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday. At least four people were killed.

Dist. 4 Alder Tom Kilian asked if the security improvements were in response to any specific threats, but Bliven said no.

“What I’d like to hate to see is the city council fail to fund again a project like this and there would be tragedy in this building that would impact the community for decades,” the chief said.

Rasmussen said city alders could learn more about the security situation by reaching out to the mayor and the police chief and added that the vulnerabilities of the building should not be discussed in a public forum. She said council members and staff have been threatened over closure of taverns, denying cab driver licenses or even asking people to wear masks inside the building. The security upgrades are a necessity, the alder said.

Earlier, Alder Gary Gisselman expressed concern about potential changes to the historic nature of the lobby of the City Hall, especially the marble walls of the eastern part of the building. He asked for preserving the marble for a future use. He also wanted to hear from the alder who voted against the proposal at the Finance Committee on March 14.

Alder Doug Diny, who had opposed the project at the Finance Committee, said he did so because the measure was proposed to be funded through ARPA funding.

Alder Carol Lukens said the security improvements project did serve the majority of the population, adding that the city’s employees who work in the building are part of the community. Lukens, who is a teacher, also said she is sensitive to such security issues because she has taken part in safety drills related to shootings at schools, which have increased throughout the country.

Alder Lou Larson said though he agreed with Gisselman about the historic value of the City Hall, he would support the security improvements to ensure safety of the staff. Alder Michael Martens also said he supported the proposal, despite having some misgivings about it.

The 11-member Common Council passed the budget modification resolution 10-1. Alder Tom Kilian was the lone dissenter.