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Home My WebLink About03-01-2022 County Board Minutes MINUTES BOARD OF SUPERVISORS March 1, 2022 4:00 PM Room 1284-County Board Room Government Center - 1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson, Wisconsin NOTE - SOME COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS MAY BE ATTENDING REMOTELY CALL TO ORDER INVOCATION OR MOMENT OF SILENCE-TIM SACKETT PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL Attendee Name Organization Title Status Arrived Ed Schachtner St. Croix County Supervisor Present Shawn Anderson St. Croix County Supervisor Present 4:17 PM Bob Long St. Croix County Supervisor Remote Cathy Leaf St. Croix County Supervisor Remote Carah Koch St. Croix County Supervisor Present Tim Hall St. Croix County Supervisor Present Paul Berning St. Croix County Supervisor Present Richard Ottino St. Croix County Supervisor Present Bob Feidler St. Croix County Supervisor Present Dave Ostness St. Croix County Supervisor Present Scott Counter St. Croix County Supervisor Present Daniel Hansen St. Croix County Supervisor Present Scottie Ard St. Croix County Supervisor Present Greg Tellijohn St. Croix County Supervisor Present David Peterson St. Croix County Chair Remote Paulette Anderson St. Croix County Supervisor Present Judy Achterhof St. Croix County Supervisor Present District 18 Vacant St. Croix County Absent William Peavey St. Croix County Vice Chair Present PUBLIC COMMENT Steve Hermsen, Bonding Resolution; Christi Smith, Affordable Housing; Bill Rubin, River Crossing anniversary, Main Street Bounce Back Program, Small Business of the Year, Legislative Day in Madison CONSENT AGENDA (Unless separation of an item is requested, all will be adopted in one motion.) RESULT: APPROVED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Dave Ostness, Supervisor SECONDER: Scottie Ard, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 1. Minutes of Previous Meeting February 1, 2022 7:30 AM 2. Date of Next Meeting-April 19, 2022 3. Rezonings 4. Alterations of County Supervisor District Lines Due to Annexations Resolution Approving Alteration of Supervisory District Boundary - City of New Richmond (numerous parcels) 5. Appointments 6. Approval of Amendments to Town Zoning Ordinances Town of Troy Rezoning 39.6 Acres from Exclusive Agricultural to Agricultural Residential 7. Any Other Item Deemed Routine by the County Board Chair PRESENTATIONS OR RECOGNITIONS 1. Northwood Technical College Report - John Will, President Report by John Will, President of Northwood Technical College. RESULT: DISCUSSED 2.Recognition of Departing County Board Supervisors County Administrator Ken Witt recognized departing County Board members: Supr. Schachtner, Supr. P. Anderson, Supr. Achterhof, Supr. Peavey. Chair Peterson thanked those board members for serving. RESULT: DISCUSSED COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT 1. Financial Report for January 2022 County Administrator Ken Witt reviewed the financial report. RESULT: DISCUSSED BUSINESS 1. Initial Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of $80,000,000 General Obligation Government Center Building Bonds, Series 2022A County Administrator Ken Witt explained this is coming back based on the issues received as a result of the County Board's vote in February. Government Center Expansion Project review by Public Information Officer Adam Kostonek. Sean Lentz, Senior Municipal Advisor for Ehlers presented information on the bonding for $80,000,000. Supr. Achterhof reported she will vote in favor of this proposal based on the adjustment. Supr. Ard referred to the St. Croix County Vision and Mission Statement and added as this county grows more services will be necessary. Supr. Ottino read an email he sent to Chair Peterson dated February 25, 2022. "Mr. Chairman due to the current conflict in Ukraine I respectfully request that we do not proceed forward with the Government Center Project at this time. The cost is a burden to the taxpayers of St. Croix County. There are many other options that could be pursued in the future at a much lower cost. Gasoline is expected to reach $4.00 per gallon by Memorial Day and possibly higher in the future. The price of oil per barrel broke a $100 mark Friday. Home heating costs have almost doubled. Groceries have increased substantially and the supply chain issues are still very, very real. There is also a threat of a cyber attack on our infrastructure in the United States. Thank you. Rick Ottino" Supr. Long and Chair Peterson spoke in favor of the project. RESULT: ADOPTED \[15 TO 3\] MOVER: Scottie Ard, Supervisor SECONDER: Paulette Anderson, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey NAYS: Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Daniel Hansen ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 2. Resolution Amending 2022 Budget (#2) Witt explained this resolution authorizes the amendment of the 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Plan by moving the Government Center Addition project from 2023 to 2022 and reducing the project from $87,000,000 to $79,500,000. This would allow the design phase of the project to begin in 2022. RESULT: ADOPTED \[16 TO 2\] MOVER: Scottie Ard, Supervisor SECONDER: Dave Ostness, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey NAYS: Paul Berning, Richard Ottino ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 3. Resolution Establishing Elected Officials Wages for 2023-2026 Witt explained the elected officials' compensation needs to be set before nomination papers may be circulated and the first day to circulate is April 15, 2022. Witt explained he reviewed peer data from other counties in Wisconsin and focused on the most comparable compensation. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Carah Koch, Supervisor SECONDER: Paul Berning, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 4. Resolution Amending Wage Grid Witt recommended amending the wage grid with a 1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective April 3, 2022. The CPI for 2021 was 7%. This increase helps the gap. Witt added the increase in employee compensation costs about $300,000 per year. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Daniel Hansen, Supervisor SECONDER: Scott Counter, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 5. Resolution Adjusting Wages Due to Compression Witt explained periodically we have evaluated individuals placement on the grid and adjusted to alleviate compression issues. Compression can be a supervisor earning at or near the same wage rate as those they are supervising. This resolution identifies 43 employees and has a budget impact of $113,800. Supr. Leaf requested reviewing the wage grid as a future agenda item. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Tim Hall, Supervisor SECONDER: David Peterson, Chair AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 6. Resolution Adjusting Wages in Clerk of Courts Office Witt explained the Clerk of Court's office has been facing staffing issues for an extended period of time and finding it difficult to hire new employees below the range of existing experienced staff. This resolution requests approval of additional step increases for the employees listed. The fiscal impact is $41,200 which will be absorbed in the 2022 Clerk of Court budget due to current vacancies. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Daniel Hansen, Supervisor SECONDER: Bob Feidler, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 7. Resolution Updating ARPA Funding Uses Witt explained the U.S. Treasury issued final rules on ARPA funding uses and reporting requirements. The resolution allocates $10 million for federal reporting purposes only; it does not spend the $10 million dollars. Funds have to be committed by the end of 2024 and expenses by the end of 2026. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Scott Counter, Supervisor SECONDER: Greg Tellijohn, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 8. Resolution Updating Personnel Policies Human Resources Director Tara Davies-Fox was available for any questions. Supr. Long thanked the Human Resources staff for their work on the updates. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Scottie Ard, Supervisor SECONDER: Bob Long, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 9. Resolution Amending Rules and Bylaws Corporation Counsel Heather Amos explained the supervisory districts were updated due to redistricting and some formatting changes. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Bob Long, Supervisor SECONDER: Paul Berning, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 10. Consideration of Establishing County Clerk Vacancy Process Witt explained County Clerk Cindy Campbell submitted her retirement notice effective April 29, 2022. He highlighted the proposed timeline noting this appointment is approved by the County Board. Witt recommended the appointment subcommittee be made up of the standing committee chairs to review applications and conduct interviews . Motion by Supr. Hall, 2nd by Supr. Hansen to approve the process as outlined. Motion by Supr. Hansen, 2nd by Supr. Hall to amend the motion to add a citizen member to the subcommittee. Hansen recommended Jill Berke. Amendment passed. Motion by Supr. Hansen, 2nd by Supr. S. Anderson to add the County Board Chair as a member of the subcommittee. Amendment passed. Vote on motion as amended twice passed. RESULT: APPROVED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Daniel Hansen, Supervisor SECONDER: Tim Hall, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 11. An Ordinance Repealing Chapter 17, Subchapter IV, Section 17.40, of the St. Croix County Code of Ordinances, Floodplain Overlay Districts and Recreating the Floodplain Overlay District as Chapter 18 Floodplain Zoning of the St. Croix County Code of Ordinances Supr. Hansen explained this ordinance repeals Chapter 17, Subchapter IV, Section 17.40 of the St. Croix County Code of Ordinances, Floodplain Overlay Districts and creates the Floodplain Overlay District as Chapter 18 Floodplain Zoning. Hansen confirmed the proposed Chapter 18 has been reviewed by the Wisconsin DNR Floodplain Management Program and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and required changes were made. RESULT: ENACTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Daniel Hansen, Supervisor SECONDER: Ed Schachtner, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant 12. Resolution of Commitment and Support for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WISDOT) 2022-2026 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant Application to Construct the Highway 35 Off-Road Trail - Phase II Supr. Hansen explained this is an opportunity to extend the Loop trail from the Eckert Bluff Lands to Willow River State Park. Community Development Director Ellen Denzer explained this is a grant program through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation called the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) which funds bicycle and pedestrian projects at an 80% grant and 20% local match. The cost to the county would be $100,450 which would come from the CIP allocations if the grant is awarded to St. Croix County. RESULT: ADOPTED \[UNANIMOUS\] MOVER: Scott Counter, Supervisor SECONDER: Tim Hall, Supervisor AYES: Ed Schachtner, Shawn Anderson, Bob Long, Cathy Leaf, Carah Koch, Tim Hall, Paul Berning, Richard Ottino, Bob Feidler, Dave Ostness, Scott Counter, Daniel Hansen, Scottie Ard, Greg Tellijohn, David Peterson, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, William Peavey ABSENT: District 18 Vacant ANNUAL DEPARTMENT REPORTS 1. Annual Department Report - County Administrator Ken Witt County Administrator Annual Department report by County Administrator Ken Witt. RESULT: DISCUSSED 2. Annual Department Report - Human Resources Tarra Davies-Fox Human Resources Department annual report by Human Resources Director Tarra Davies-Fox. RESULT: DISCUSSED 3. Finance Department Annual Department Report - Finance Director Leah Simington Finance Director Leah Simington submitted the Finance Department Report. RESULT: DISCUSSED 4. Annual Department Report - Corporation Counsel Heather Amos Corporation Counsel Department annual report by Corporation Counsel Heather Amos. RESULT: DISCUSSED REQUEST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Supr. Leaf requested review of the wage grid. COUNTY CLERK'S REPORT OF CORRESPONDENCE AND REZONING REQUESTS None ANNOUNCEMENTS Supr. Feidler reported on attending the Economic Development Legislative Day in Madison Vice-Chair Peavey thanked everyone for the well-wishes while he was out. ADJOURNMENT 7:05 PM