PCUL MEETING RECAP: 1 MILLION SUGGESTED AS PARKING LOT VALUE; RESIDENTS ASK QUESTIONS

[My Northern Wisconsin]

   
Image from Teams meeting at beginning of meeting.

Price County United Limited (PCUL) held a meeting on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the BW University Learning Center in Phillips.  At least five City of Phillips officials were in attendance, along with at least one county board member.  About 30-some people attended in person, and another two dozen or so joined via video, though some people left during the meeting, so the number fluctuated.

Lyn Ludwig led the meeting.  Blake Pluemer joined into the discussion to answer some questions.  Both are PCUL board members.  David Holmes, an environmental consultant, added some insight at the early part of the meeting via video.

About the project and grants, Lyn stated, "I think timing is everything.  We created the non-profit.  In the last five years, there was significant money.  Now, with Trump on board, we don't know if there's going to be funding or not, but at least we got the first grant.  That is extremely important, because once you get the first grant, the EPA, they want to see you succeed."  Lyn thanked David Holmes for playing an integral role in getting the $1.6 million EPA Cleanup Grant.  Click here to view PCUL's grant application.

She also shared that she and Mark Brzeskiewicz have been working with the EPA Sustainable Communities Accelerator Network (SCAN) Program Network.  Seventeen communities are learning how to implement plans to prioritize sustainability actions.

   
"Lionite" property at 115 Depot Street in Phillips; image provided by PCUL in Teams meeting

Lyn gave an overview of the EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant, stating, "We got 1.6 million awarded last May, and that was for the 'Lionite' site and that was for the 9.2 acres of the 26-acre parcel.  We did that on purpose to potentially sector off some more later.  So, we applied for one grant in that sector, so it's a little bit of a strategy."  Lyn stated, "It was not possible to get two EPA Cleanup Grants for the same site, but then we created one small site, so after we potentially clean up that 9.2 acres, we can get another cleanup grant for the rest of the property."  She stated the 9.2 acres in the EPA Cleanup Grant covers the land where the buildings are located.  That would mean the Elk Lake Park parking lot is not included in the EPA Cleanup Grant.

She added, "We also have been working with the EPA Water Technical Assistance.  This is with the City of Phillips.  We got the thumbs up to say hey, you can work with them, so they are putting forth about 20 to 25,000 dollars' worth of work to figure out the stormwater run-off and things like that in the City of Phillips.  And why we want that so much is because if we are going to spend millions of dollars building out buildings, we want to make sure we have a very sound infrastructure, so EPA Water Technical Assistance is there."  (After the meeting, My Price County asked Alderman Bill Elliott for clarification, and Bill explained, "It is the EPA Water Technical Assistance that we partner with through Ayers and Associates, and the grant she got from the EPA.  We did not spend that money....We work with Ayers, as our city engineers, and they have that water assistance.")

At the meeting, Lyn stated that the EPA Community Change Grant, which was supposed to be awarded in 2024, now will be awarded by May 2025.  That grant would give $20 million, if awarded.  PCUL also applied for the EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grant, which could bring in $600,000, if awarded.

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JUSTIN LINDGREN, PHILLIPS SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE:  Justin Lindgren feels he is qualified to be a school board member because he has been a teacher and has completed coursework in school administration.  He feels he has the insight on both sides to see what needs to be fixed.  He is calling for change, transparency, and communication on the school board.  "I have spent 12 years serving both the community and the school district, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue this."  Learn more about Justin at Vote Lindgren.

Lyn stated PCUL was not selected for the Department of Transportation Alternative Programs (complete street model), which would have granted $1.5 million and potentially helped with the cost of new sidewalks.  She stated, "If the city put their name on that line, they would score higher."

She stated a $500,000 WEMA Flood Resilience Grant was not awarded, because Phillips did not have any recent floods, and the funding went for larger communities.

She shared that, while some grants were not awarded, it has led PCUL to other grant opportunities for which they can apply.

During and at the end of the meeting, attendees asked questions.  While some of the names are known, My Price County did not know the names of all participants, so, to be fair, meeting attendees from the audience will not be identified by name in this article.

One question and answer exchange was about when the equipment will be out of the building.  A man in attendance said, "At the last meeting, you said you couldn't do anything with demolition until the former owners got their equipment out of the building."  Lyn replied, "Yeah, well, things changed," so the man asked, "What's the timeline on that?"  Lyn said, "We should have the buildings down by the end of, in the fall, so that's the timeline."  The man asked, "Is that still the situation where the former owners have to get all the equipment out of there?"  She replied, "They will need to, yes." The man said, "So, have they given you some kind of guarantee of when they're gonna have that done?"  Lyn replied, "Yeah, we have contracts and all kinds of, um...."  The man said, "So is there a date on that that they have to have that out of there by?  Can you give us that?"  Lyn said, "Yeah, there's dates.  We are working together, because it's, um, we have a timeframe for the brownfield, so we are going to help that guy out as much as possible, so that when we need to move things around, there are dates that we have that we need to stage their stuff over here, that's okay...."  The man said, "But I'm just wondering if you have some kind of dates you can relay to us?"  Lyn said, "I think, at this time, I'm just, it's going to...."  He said, "I mean, you talk about transparency.  I'm just trying to see what that is here."  Lyn said, "Well, of course; we want to start our cleanup early in spring, so that is when we want his stuff to be out.  Early spring."  Lyn did not share how PCUL will accomplish getting the equipment out in time for cleanup but did express PCUL's motivation for doing so.

David Holmes, the environmental specialist who Lyn gave credit for getting the EPA Cleanup Grant, appeared via video and asked if he could add to the discussion.  He said, "So, we're trying to figure out all the details of staging it, if there are buildings that make sense to keep for a while for staging stuff or maybe later for redevelopment.  And there is this complication; the EPA grant won't pay for demolition unless it is integral with removing the asbestos or it's necessary to assess or clean up the underlying soil.  So that is where there are 40 different structures, and we need to make the case for each structure in order for the grant demolition to be eligible under that grant, so that is sort of a challenge because Price County United is a non-profit and this is not a for-profit project, so we are trying to figure out how we can get the grant to pay for everything."  He added there is no lead-based paint so all the concrete can be managed on site and crushed and be useful for future development.

A meeting attendee stated that the former owner told him, when he was giving a bid to demolish the old buildings that had fallen before PCUL's ownership, that it had been tested and there was no asbestos in the buildings.  David said he did not know why that was said, because there is asbestos in every building to some degree, and they are working on an abatement demolition workplan.

David added that there were some drums that leaked, so some soil may be contaminated.  There were six different areas of contamination with previous owners that were closed out with the DNR so there is not any known problematic contamination at the surface that they are aware of.  An old burn layer, about two feet down, does show contamination in one area from previous fires during previous mill operations over the last 100-plus years, according to David.

He said it's fortunate that 90 to 95% of the buildings are metal structures, and with scrap metal pricing being so good, they are hopeful the demolition part will be done by contractors that want the scrap.

A meeting attendee said that investors will need to know the ground is safe or else they will not want to invest.  David said, "There was a certain amount of leaking underground storage tanks, there was a groundwater remediation system that ran for a while under Georgia Pacific, and then when the last group came and bought it, they did do some level of testing throughout the property, and there really wasn't much found in groundwater, so for me as an environmental consultant, I get concerned if we find any solvents, because those can make a lot of problems and be very expensive to remediate, but there was really no evidence of any significant groundwater problem."  He said there is some metals contamination, but not too high, and it's not the type of concern to worry about because it can be capped, or the soil can be managed.  He was not worried about the level of contamination at the site as he said there are just common contaminants of any old, urban area that can be assessed and handled.  He did not anticipate any contamination would limit developer interest.

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ANTHONY SLECK, TOWN OF WORCESTER CHAIRMAN CANDIDATE:  If elected chairman, Anthony said, "I pledge to uphold the will of the residents, ensuring their tax dollars are managed wisely and their concerns are addressed with integrity.  My leadership style is grounded in common sense, accountability, and a long-term vision for Worcester's success, and I am ready to serve the residents."  Learn more about Anthony at Voice of Worcester 2.0.

A meeting attendee said that they, (meaning PCUL and those affiliated with PCUL's efforts), just talked for ten minutes and did not answer his question, which was why an informational slide said the ground testing wasn't covered in the grant but everyone in attendance was just told it was covered.  The man said, "There is a lot of misinformation, which is why a lot of people online and a lot of people here have a lot of questions."  Blake Pluemer asked what else was misinformation that needed to be clarified, and the meeting attendee said the meeting should just keep going and hopefully questions would get answered.  Lyn called David on the phone, since he was no longer in the Teams meeting online, to give more information, which was mostly inaudible.

The meeting went on with a lot of the same information that was given and slides that were presented at the September 2024 meeting.

Lyn mentioned that the people in this county do not live as long as they should.  She said, "We're dying earlier, and we're trying to fix that with the Community Change Grant," (which PCUL has not received yet).  No specifics were given on how the grant being awarded would increase residents' longevity.

A meeting attendee said, "I've got another question.  You are putting apartments there, that's what you want to do, right?"  Lyn said, "I think we are off that subject."  He said, "Well, I am a concerned citizen, so we are on the same subject; this is why we're here.  You want to put apartments there, correct?"  Lyn said, "Are you talking about the 'Lionite' site?"  He agreed and said, "You want to put low-income apartments on that property?"  Lyn said, "I don't know what kind of apartments.  We are going to place housing units."  He added he has a problem because we have such a drug problem in this county, and he doesn't have a problem with low-income, but if you put low-income housing there, it could attract more drug problems.  Lyn said, "I think we got the message on our surveys that they [residents] don't want to have drugs."

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Lyn explained that some grants will cover acquisition costs, but it has to be structured with non-profits and 501©(3)s, which are charitable organizations.  An attendee said it was questionable, and she said it is a strategy for getting the grant money.  The only non-profit section right now, owned by PCUL, is the "Lionite" property.  She said they purchased the property and paid the back taxes on the property.  Lyn said, "Make sure you tell everyone.  If they are like, 'Oh, they just want it for the money,' who here would want to put $400,000 or two million dollars on this property?" she directly asked the audience.  "Oh, what about the soil testing?  It's terrible!  Would you want to buy that property?  So, Price County United has tried really hard to get an opportunity for Phillips.  This is an enormous opportunity, and we got 1.6 million dollars to help, so it's a liability of 1.6 million.  It is not worth anything and cost 1.6 million just to clean it up so the government, EPA, gave us 1.6."  However, Lyn did not elaborate on the value the property will have after cleanup, if she or PCUL will continue to hold the property once it is valuable, how much the land will be sold for (if sold) once it is cleaned up, who will receive the money from the development efforts once it is cleaned up, if the PCUL members receive any salaries/wages now or if they will in the future, and other concerns the community has had about the end project.  PCUL continues not to answer the community questions presented by My Price County via e-mail and other means.

She stated that if the area gets more housing, there will be more of a tax base.  She said that if we bring in more students, its $10,500 per student that the school will receive.  Lyn said she feels that the school, county, city, and townships should want to contribute.  She asked what it is worth to the citizens, and she said she feels the area should want to invest in PCUL's vision.  The audience explained that the area needs to have jobs, better medical, and things to do to attract people first.

As Lyn was closing the meeting, she stated community engagement is important to getting these grants.  Lyn encouraged people to sign the meeting's check-in sheet, if they had not already, as PCUL uses images of attendees from the meetings and the check-in sheets to show the groups/agencies that are giving grants that there is community interest in the projects.  For example, there is a "public involvement requirement" for the EPA Cleanup Grant that these meetings help satisfy.  The more attendees and the more website visitors, the more interest, and the higher likelihood of getting grants.

The meeting was set to end, but a meeting attendee continued the meeting by stating, "On Facebook they had that the City of Phillips wanted to buy the parking lot.  I think that is why a lot of the people are here, because it said you guys wanted $180,000 per year for it.  If you are partnering with the city, how are you going and saying we want $15,000 per month for this little parking lot that the park needs?"  Lyn responded, "What is it worth for all these other communities?  We want an intentional and accelerated development.  And you can see how much funding it takes to bridge the gap and get to the other side, so when we have five townships or six townships, I'm not asking the city to pay $180,000, I'm asking the city to partner with us and partner with the rest of our communities to put this in a public funding source."  She added, "We can accelerate this land project very quickly and get it developed."  She explained that with federal funding, sometimes it is delayed, and she called the proposition "local wealth building."  (See the related article, Additional $180,000 Per Year Lease Payment Proposal Suggested by PCUL, explaining the shared cost proposal.)

Lyn would like to see the government, schools, businesses, and people work together on the funding of the projects.  She said, "If the school put in $30,000 per year, they would get $210,000 in students.  If the city puts in $60,000, what is that worth to the city in return?"

An attendee said that when Lyn talks about asking the school, city, or county to put in money, that is taxpayer money.

Lyn shared her frustration with the City of Phillips' officials.  "When we went to the city, we haven't gotten 40 minutes of their time all together until I put that lease agreement [for the parking lot] in front of them, and then we had a meeting."  It should be noted that the City of Phillips puts PCUL on their agendas, talks with them at meetings, and has added PCUL's plans to the city's comprehensive plan.  (View the plan on the city's website.)  Also, earlier in the meeting, Lyn commended the city clerk, Shelby Kosmer, for all she has done assisting PCUL.

Since the topic of the parking lot was still at the forefront of discussion, Blake said, "I don't think we are here to negotiate a lease."  "Well, that is taxpayer money," a meeting attendee said.  Blake said, "I'm a taxpayer, too."  The attendee said, "The city has been the caretaker of the property, so why does the city have to pay that money?  Why do our tax dollars have to go to you for us to park in that parking lot and use it for all these events that we have here in the city.  Why can't the city take that $180,000 and go on the other side of that sewer treatment plant, and build a road down that side and create our own parking lot?"

Blake said, "The point that Lyn was trying to make is all they [the city] have done is ignore requests, give two minutes at a city council...."  An attendee said, "She said she wants to give back to the community, but then she's trying to take our tax dollars."  Blake said Lyn has put a lot of time and effort into it and there are a lot of sequential challenges.  He added that "there needs to be a shift in their communication and their partnerships and working together, and this nuclear option maybe wasn't the best way to do it...But we're going to work through it, but we're not going to work through it here tonight.  But just know everyone has the best intentions for the city."

Lyn said she is looking for people to give assistance.  A meeting attendee said, "To me, if you want to show good faith to the taxpayers and the city, donate that parcel to the city."  Lyn said, "Absolutely not; we are not going to do it.  That's our property."  An attendee said, "You said you want to help the people of the city; that would be good faith to it."  Lyn said, "That's not on the table."  The man said, "Well, we'll see what the community thinks about that."  A county board member asked if the man would donate some of his land to his neighbor, but the man said that is a different situation.  The board member said, "No, it's not."  The other man said, "Alright, then pay a reasonable amount of money for it, what it's worth."  Lyn said, "A million dollars."  The attendee continued talking with the county board member, asking, "$15,000 a month, is that what it's worth?"  The county board member replied, "I'm not saying it is reasonable.  I'm simply saying it is Price County United Limited's property, and if that is what they feel is their number, it's their number."  Lyn said, "I live in this community, too; if people want to have that, so what is it worth to the community to redevelop?  They think, 'Oh, it's so expensive,' but what is it worth to accelerate that property?"  Lyn then said she thought it was a good time to pack up, but another meeting attendee spoke up, asking about the vision for getting the community to a thriving place.  She asked Lyn what it would look like and asked for a comparable city of Lyn's vision.  She wanted to know if a thriving community would look like Minocqua or Tomahawk or what is the end goal, and the meeting attendee figured people are having a hard time visualizing what is planned and who will benefit.  No response was given by PCUL as to a comparable community or who will benefit.

Another meeting attendee said people want to know who is going to own this and what the end goal is.  She added that people have been pitching ideas but wanted to know when everyone can start looking at the ideas that have been pitched so the community knows what is going to be there.  She asked when more information would be given at these meetings instead of the same information being given.  Lyn said it can happen soon and again stated that it's all very complex.

The approximately 20-minute more intense discussion of questions and answers was brought to a close by Lyn.  The meeting had gone about 20 minutes longer than expected.

The parking lot is on the agenda, for discussion and action, at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Room at the municipal hall at 174 South Eyder Avenue in Phillips.  Those who have an opinion on the topic should consider attending as city meetings are the meetings where decisions are made.

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Image from Teams meeting near end of meeting.