Extraterritorial Zoning Dispute Resolution

WIPPS was contracted to assist Marathon County to mediate an extraterritorial zoning dispute among the Village of Marathon and four surrounding townships. As a result of changing perceptions and interests, five local municipalities found themselves in a highly public dispute around the issue of extra-territorial zoning. This led to communication gaps and a series of provocative statements being issued to and distributed through the media. WIPPS began a process of “shuttle diplomacy” through one-on-one meetings with local officials from the various municipalities. Based on these conversations, we laid the foundation for and designed a transparent and well-facilitated public meeting in which parties agreed to engage in a civil dialogue moving forward. As a result, some of the affected municipalities began to collaborate independently.