WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A mainstay in Marathon County leadership will retire next month.
Highway Commissioner Jim Griesbach will leave his post in September. County Administrator Lance Leonhard says the retirement is well-earned. “He has been a great advocate for not only our highway staff but also the safety of highway employees throughout the state of Wisconsin.”
He leaves just as the county is planning a new Highway Department Headquarters in Kronenwetter near Interstate 39. Leonhard says they’ve acquired the necessary land and are preparing to issue an RFP for design services. That’s one of many decisions that will need to be made before ground is broken. “This isn’t something that’s going to happen next week. There is a lot of important work and a lot of decisions yet for the board to make.”
That means construction is still years away. Griesbach previously told WSAU News that once construction does start, completion will likely take up to 18 months.
RELATED: Marathon County Supervisors Approve Kronenwetter Land Purchase
Funding will also be an issue, as Leonhard says he wants to make sure the project gets done with as little borrowing as possible. “I think we are in a good place with our reserves, specifically highway reserves [that could] offset some of that cost. I know that’s a big decision for the County Board to make.”
Giresbach has spent the last 20 years in the post, but his time with the county dates back much longer than that. Leonhard says he started as a part-time, seasonal employee in 1983, giving him more than 40 years of service.
Other topics Leonhard discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- New Administrative Offices
4:00- New State Crime Lab
10:10- New County Highway facility and potential deal with the City of Wausau
15:00- Jim Griesbach’s retirement
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