Mayor Hanus sworn in for second term, Mikalauski remains Rhinelander city council president

With one new face among its eight alderpersons, the Rhinelander Common Council held its reorganizational meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Gerald Anderson attended virtually, and Thomas Barnett was absent.

Mayor Kris Hanus was administered the oath of office for his second term by city clerk Austyn Zarda, followed by the swearing in of the four alderpersons elected in the April 7 spring election: incumbents LeAnn Felten of District 2, Bob Lueder of District 4 and Steven Jopek of District 8, and newcomer Linnaea Newman of District 6.

The election for council president had two candidates, with Jopek nominating previous president Carrie Mikalauski, and Felton nominating Lueder. Mikalauski won another term, 7-0.

Hanus’ appointments of the alderpersons to one-year terms on various committees, commissions and boards were made without objection:

• Board of Review: Newman, Barnett, Luke Kramer, Anderson.

• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee: Kramer, Anderson.

• Plan Commission: Lueder, Felten.

• Urban Forestry Tree Board: Kramer.

• Downtown Works Revolving Loan Fund: Mikalauski.

• Joint District Library Board: Newman.

• Sex Offender Residency Appeal Board: Kramer (liaison non-voting member).

Jopek was selected by Mikalauski to continue to serve as a non-voting liaison on the city’s Ethics Board. 

To launch his second term, Hanus had mayoral comments to offer. 

“As you guys probably already see outside, we have a ton of projects for capital improvement, and just improvements in our city happening as we speak this year,” he said.  “So we’re going to be doing a couple listening sessions and engagements with the public regarding our police and fire chiefs that are new to positions, our Department of Public Works from Tom Roeser down to his department heads, as well as our capital improvement projects. Those are all coming up in the next month … these are pretty informal, where they give a presentation and then there’s a Q&A for anyone that has any questions.” 

The community forums will be held at Rhinelander City Hall on April 30, May 21 and June 10.

“Besides that, I look forward to working with all of you for at least two years, if not four years, depending on your cycle,” he added, “and we’ll see what we can get done in the next couple years.”

The Rhinelander Common Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at Rhinelander City Hall.

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].