Board of Supervisors Meeting — Agenda Packet

1 Sawyer County County Board of Supervisors Meeting Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 5:00 PM Sawyer County Board Room AGENDA 1. ZOOM LINK a. To view or participate in the virtual meeting from a computer, iPad, or Android device please go to https://zoom.us/j/95015680309 You can also use the dial in at 1-312-626-6799with the Webinar ID: 950 1568 0309. Use *9 to Raise/lower hand and *6 to Unmute/mute. If you are on a computer, click the "Raise Hand" button and wait to be recognized. If you are on a telephone, dial *9 and wait to be recognized. If additional assistance is needed please contact the County Clerk's Office at 715- 634-4866 prior to the meeting. This meeting will be recorded and will be available on our website at: https://sawyercountygov.org. 2. CALL TO ORDER 3. ROLL CALL 4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 5. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW 6. MEETING AGENDA 7. PUBLIC COMMENTS At this time, members of the public will be given the opportunity to address the Board. Please adhere to the following when addressing the Board: • Comments will be limited to 3 minutes or less per individual. • Comments should be directed to the Board as a whole and not directed to individual Board members. • The Board cannot respond to your comments during this time. • Please sign in and fill out a public comment sheet if you wish to speak and hand it to the County Clerk (please respect the signs and do not approach Board members at the table). 8. DISTRICT 15 SUPERVISOR RESIGNATION/APPOINTMENT (DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION) a. Accept Supervisor Minto Resignation Letter b. Appoint District 15 Supervisor- Ida Kinsley Page 1 of 38 2 c. Appoint Ida Kinsley to HHS, Economic Development/UW Extension Committees 9. DISTRICT 15 SUPERVISOR OATH OF OFFICE 10. BEN POPP- BIRKIE PRESENTATION 11. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING a. Draft Meeting Minutes 8.20.26 12. ZONING COMMITTEE a. Zoning Committee Report b. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-014. Matt Greuel requests to rezone approximately 114.5 acres from Residential/Recreational-One (RR-1) to Agricultural-One (A-1) for personal use farming and livestock. Zoning Committee and Town of Winter recommend approval. (Discussion/Action) (Resolution attached) 13. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE a. Public Works Committee Report 14. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE a. Public Safety Committee Report 15. LAND, WATER, AND FOREST RESOURCES COMMITTEE a. LWFRC Committee Report 16. FINANCE COMMITTEE a. Finance Committee Report b. Economic Development Project Discussion: Sustainable Fuel Facility c. 2027 Preliminary Budget Presentation 17. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BOARD a. HHS Board Report 18. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & UW EXTENSION COMMITTEE a. Economic Development & UW Ex Committee Report Page 2 of 38 3 19. SAWYER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S UPDATE a. Administration Committee Report b. County Administrator's Report c. CJCC Committee Report 20. BOARD APPOINTED COMMITTEE UPDATES 21. CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS 22. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 23. FINALIZATION OF BUSINESS 24. NEXT MEETING DATE /TIME: OCTOBER 15, 2026 AT 5:00 PM 25. ADJOURNMENT DISCLAIMER: Copy sent via email to: County Board and News Media. Note: Any person wishing to attend whom, because of a disability, requires accommodation should call the Sawyer County Clerk’s Office (715.634.4866) at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made. Mission Statement: The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors will strive to provide excellent services and responsible leadership to protect and enhance Sawyer County citizens, businesses, and resources, while preserving our unique heritage. Page 3 of 38 Page 4 of 38 Minutes of the August 20, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Sawyer County Courthouse/Virtual Voting Committee Members Present (X) Roll Call Dis tric t Wards Steve Kariainen 01 T Lenroot W-1, T Hayward W-7, C Hayward W-5 Kay Wilson 02 T Lenroot W-2, T Round Lake W-1 Steve Longtine 03 T Hayward W-1 & 2 Stacey Hessel 04 T Hayward W-3 & 4 Randy Neumann 05 T Hayward W-5 & 6 Marc D. Helwig 06 C Hayward W-1 & 2 Jim Miller 07 C Hayward W-3 & 4 Marshal Savitski- Virtual 08 T Bass Lake W-1 & 2 Jim Evans 09 T Bass Lake W-3 & 4 Chuck Van Etten 10 T Sand Lake, T Edgewater W-1 Jeff Hoehne 11 T Edgewater W-2, T Bass Lake W-5, T Meteor, T Couderay, V Couderay John Righeimer 12 T Spider Lake, T Round Lake W-2, T Winter W-1 Ron Kinsley 13 T Hunter, T Radisson W-1, T-Ojibwa W-1, V Radisson Ron Buckholtz 14 T Radisson W-2, T Ojibwa W-2, T Weirgor, V Exeland, T Meadowbrook John Minto- Absent 15 T Winter W-2, T Draper, V Winter Also present: Doug Mrotek, Mike Markgren, John Pinnow, Jay Kozlowski, Bryan Deyo, Atty. Roeker Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance–Chairman Kinsley called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. Roll call was taken; quorum was met. Presentation of Colors was made by Civil Air Patrol. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments – Ginny Chabek, Hazel Jonjak, Dennis Erickson, Jim Sosniak, Danielle Dale, Randy Eytheson, Heather Vabilitis, Linda Zillmer, Letter from Martin Hanson Minutes from the previous meeting dated: July 16, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Review District 15 Supervisor Position— Chairman Kinsley stated that the District 15 Supervisor Minto came to the first meeting and one committee meeting and stopped attending. Atty. Roeker advised the board that there is a statutory process for removal and recommended sending a letter and getting a resignation in writing. Mr. Miller made a motion to have the sheriff serve a letter, second Mr. Evans. Ms. Hessel stated it was a discussion- only item on the agenda. Mr. Miller withdrew his motion. Page 5 of 38 Discussion by Mr. Buckholtz on numerous attempts to contact Mr. Minto with no response. Chairman Kinsley stated he will proceed with a letter. Appointments— Supervisor Minto was removed from HHS and Zoning Committees by Chairman Kinsley, confirmed on a motion by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Supervisor Hessel was removed from the Economic Development/UW Extension Committee and appointed to the Zoning Committee by Chairman Kinsley on a motion by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Ms. Reone Gheen was appointed as Sawyer County Medical Examiner on a motion by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Public Comment Policy— Admin committee approved an amendment to the Board Policy and Procedures Manual Rule 8 to limit public comment to residents and add back Rule 10. Motion to approve the amendment to the Board Policy & Procedures Manual Rules 8 and 10 by: Stacey Hessel Second by: John Righeimer Discussion: Supervisors Wilson, Buckholtz, Miller, Helwig, Evans and Van Etten are opposed to limiting public comment. A roll call vote was taken: Mr. Kariainen-no, Ms. Wilson- no, Mr. Longtine- no, Ms. Hessel- yes, Mr. Neumann- yes, Mr. Helwig- no, Mr. Miller- no, Mr. Savitski- no, Mr. Evans- no, Mr. Van Etten- no, Mr. Hoehne- no, Mr. Righeimer- yes, Mr. Kinsley- yes, Mr. Buckholtz- no. Motion failed with 4 ayes and 10 opposed. Zoning Committee – Mr. Buckholtz gave the Zoning Committee Chair report: the committee has heard 483 LUPs to date. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-012 for Todd’s Redimix Concrete LLC to rezone 80 acres from RR-1 to F-1 for the purpose of a new non-metallic mining operation was withdrawn. Motion to accept withdrawal by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Ms. Wilson Motion carried without negative vote. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-013 for O’Brien Hill Properties LLC to rezone 5.0 acres of A-1 to RR-1 was approved on a motion by: Mr. Helwig Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Data Center and Associated Infrastructure Moratorium Ordinance— Mr. Kozlowski presented a proposed 18 month moratorium on data centers to give the county time to review; this does not limit construction of small telecommunications infrastructure. Motion to approve Resolution 2026-____to adopt the Sawyer County Data Center and Associated Infrastructure Moratorium Ordinance by: Mr. Kariainen Second by: Mr. Hoehne Motion carried without negative vote. Public Works Committee— Mr. Van Etten reported on the Public Works Committee meeting and stated that the Hwy 27 construction project is the state, not the county. Page 6 of 38 Public Safety Committee — Mr. Buckholtz reviewed the Clerk of Courts, Sheriff’s Department, Jail, Emergency Management, Dispatch, Child Support, Code Enforcement and Emergency Services and Tower reports for the board. Land, Water and Forest Resources Committee— Mr. Kariainen reviewed the Register of Deeds, Land Records, Surveyor, Forestry, Zoning Conservation and Trails reports. Finance Report - Mr. Righeimer provided an update on county finances and department budgets. HHS Report—Ms. Wilson gave the August HHS Board report. Resolution 2026-____Mental Health Funding was approved on a motion by: Mr. Miller Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Resolution 2026-____Public Health Funding was approved on a motion by: Mr. Helwig Second by: Ms. Wilson Motion carried without negative vote. Economic Development and UW Extension Committee— Mr. Righeimer gave the August Economic Development and UW Extension Committee report. Administration Report— Mr. Kinsley reported that the Administration Committee met and talked about how to handle District 15, appointed the Medical Examiner and discussed public comment. The committee heard reports from the County Clerk, Veterans, IT, and HR departments. The HR department will look for new County Administrator candidates from within Wisconsin and Minnesota and the Admin Committee will conduct the interviews. County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren shared that Mr. Priester submitted the Opportunity Zone application, the 2027 Budget is coming together, Net New Construction and valuation is high, five departments have moved within the courthouse and Oasis buildings, and the radio tower project is progressing. CJCC— Justice Point is yielding good results, the RCORPS grant has been submitted and the county received confirmation of receiving approval for the TAD Grant pre-application. Board Appointed Committee Updates— Mr. Kariainen reported that the CEP 2027 budget is finalized and ICAA is meeting in Sawyer County Monday 8/24 in the Board Room. Ms. Hessel reported that the NWRPC meeting will be in Park Falls next week with a tour of the St. Croix Rod Company. Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings- Mr. Kinsley said the County Fair was well attended. Future Agenda Items- Ben Poppe, 2027 Budget, Public Comment Rules, Rule 10 Board Policy Meeting Adjourned at 6:30 pm Next meeting: Thursday, September 17, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 7 of 38 Page 8 of 38 Page 9 of 38 Page 10 of 38 Page 11 of 38 Page 12 of 38 Page 13 of 38 Page 14 of 38 Page 15 of 38 Page 16 of 38 Page 17 of 38 Page 18 of 38 Page 19 of 38 Page 20 of 38 Page 21 of 38 Minutes of the September 9, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Public Works Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: Ron Kinsley Mike Markgren Marc Helwig Liz Klein Tim Davison Randy Neumann- Excused Derek Leslie Chuck Van Etten John Pinnow Jim Evans Jayne Schroeder Call to Order – Chair Kinsley called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken; quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments- Tim Davison, Joseph Wobij Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 12, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Helwig Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Maintenance- A written report was provided on August maintenance projects. Sawyer County Airport Report- Mr. Leslie provided the August Airport report; the dry weather resulted in less mowing and more brushing being done on the property. Mr. Leslie is attending the WAMA conference in the Dells in October. Highway Department- A written report was provided on August Highway work: mowing and brushing operations continue. Cty F and DD construction is ongoing. CTH E ROW acquisition has been completed for 2027 project. Highway Facilities- Responses to requests for proposals to develop plans for a new Highway facility were received from four consulting firms. Kueny Architects came in lowest; they are currently working on a Highway facility for Rusk County. Motion to award the contract to Kueny Architects in the amount of $6,800 was made by: Mr. Van Etten Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Ad Hoc Committee—Mr. Kinsley spoke with mr. Bisonette of the Tribal Governing Board today and the WOJB Tower passed engineering tests so they will set up a meeting to move forward on the radio tower project. Board Appointed Committee Updates-- None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings – None Future Agenda Items – Highway facility plans, Ad hoc committee update on tower, Letter from TGB to committee, consolidate ATV/UTV routes, update on WAMA Conference Page 22 of 38 Meeting adjourned at: 5:18 pm Next Meeting: October 7, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, Sawyer County Clerk Page 23 of 38 Minutes of the September 3, 2026 meeting of the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: Ron Buckholtz Mike Markgren John Froemel Marc Helwig Liz Klein Nicole Ripcinski Jeff Hoehne Bryan Deyo Kristi Kare Marshal Savitski Sheriff Mrotek Mike Woller Jim Evans- Virtual Greg Ripiczinski Marge Kelsey Sandy Okamoto Call to Order –Chair Buckholtz called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. Roll Call taken. Quorum was met. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Meeting Agenda- Set Public Comment – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 6, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Savitski Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Clerk of Courts/Register in Probate Reports - A written report was provided. The new criminal clerk has resigned, leaving the position open again. Sheriff’s Department Report – Patrol Report – Lt. Ripczinski reviewed the written patrol report: there were 653 calls in July, 45 traffic citations issued and 14 crashes 4 with injury, one fatality. There have been 177 total crashes year to date, 57 with personal injury, 1 fatality. Jail Report – Lt. Woller reviewed a written jail report for July with arrest data by race and gender. There was an average of 66 inmates incarcerated with a 60% unemployment rate at the time of booking, 1 on electronic monitoring. Dispatch and Emergency Management – Dispatch- Dir. Ripczinski reviewed a written report showing 610 emergent 911 calls and 3,071 non-emergency calls received in August, with a total of 26,378 dispatch calls received year-to-date. The committee was updated on upcoming staff training events. Emergency Management- Dir. Ripczinski reviewed a written report with updates on events, grant funding, training and radio communications meetings. Page 24 of 38 Code Enforcement- A written report was provided on dog licenses, dogs at large, TRH and human health hazards investigated. There were four TRH complaints investigated in August, and three new potential human health hazard complaints from August were investigated and closed. Child Support Department Report – Ms. Okamoto presented a written report for July and updated the committee on an annual audit. Emergency Services— Mr. Froemel presented a written report for the period January 1-August 25, 2026. New software is providing meaningful data points for reporting. Radio Towers Update- Mr. Markgren updated the committee on the status of the towers, which are still on schedule to be operational by the end of 2026. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Update– Mr. Markgren shared Justice Point statistics, an update on the RCORPS grant submission, and Allrise conference takeaways which emphasized meeting basic needs and employment for successful treatment outcomes. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings— Mr. Savitsky thanked the Phipps Motorcycle Ride for their generous donations to local law enforcement and EMS. Future Agenda Items- Radio Tower Update by GenComm Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Public Safety Committee will be October 1, 2026 at 9:00 am in the Board Room. Meeting adjourned at 9:24am Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, Sawyer County Clerk Page 25 of 38 Minutes of the September 9, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room, Sawyer County Voting Committee Members (X) Present: Others Present: Steve Kariainen Mike Markgren Brian DeVries Randy Neumann Liz Klein Tim Davison Kay Wilson Jay Kozlowski Adam LaSalle Marshal Savitski Greg Peterson James Doss Steve Longtine Rachel Thompson Brody Fischer Allison Jonjak Call to Order – Chair Kariainen called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken; a quorum was met; the agenda was set. Public Comments – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 12, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. Events— No applications received Register of Deeds Update-- A written report for August was provided; Ms. Thompson reviewed revenues and activity from recorded documents, transfers, Laredo, Tapestry and Vital Records Land Records and County Surveyor Department Report – Land Records— Mr. DeVries gave a written update on department activity and stated the need for a third Land Records employee. Surveyor—A written surveyor report was provided. Forestry – County Forestry Report— Mr. Peterson reported that 17 sales were active in August There is approximately $4.5M in sold-uncut timber on file at the time of the report. DNR Report—Mr. Fischer reported on August DNR activity, which focused on timber sale preparation and timber breaks for prescribed burns in 2027. Annual partnership meeting with SC Forestry on September 14th. Drought conditions have increased fire risk; Mr. Fischer emphasized the importance of obtaining burn permits and checking fire restrictions before burning. USFS Report—Mr. LaSalle gave a USFS report on timber sale activity in the Great Divide District, an Aspen-Fir regeneration project in the Medford District, and two recent human-caused fires. Page 26 of 38 Recreational Trails Report—Mr. Davison reported on addition funding received for maintenance on the new routes on LCO; of 47 miles, only 17 miles are funded. The Alliance would like to see more uniform ATV/UTV routes in the county Ordinance. Zoning/Conservation Department – Mr. Kozlowski reviewed a written Conservation report and reported that there will be a full-day LWFRC fall tour on September 16. Mr. Doss from USDA APHIS presented the annual Wildlife Damage documents to the committee for discussion and action. Motion to approve the 2027 Budget/Financial Plan as presented by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to set the deadline for 2026 claims as December 20, 2026 by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to set the crop price for corn at $3.92/BU and soybeans at $10.96/BU by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to approve the 2027 Deer Donation Program Agreement by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Board Appointed Committee Updates – None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – GIS Land Records re: changes to acreages Adjournment – 9:03 am Next Meeting: October 7, 2026 Time: 8:30am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 27 of 38 Minutes of the September 10, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Finance Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members (X) Present: Others Present: John Righeimer Mike Markgren Ron Kinsley Stacey Hessel Liz Klein John Pinnow- Virtual Marc Helwig Ron Buckholtz Andy Phillips- Virtual Steve Kariainen Rhandi Ehn Ben Conrad- Virtual Jeff Hoehne Brian Lehner Call to Order –Chair Righeimer called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call taken and quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments – None Andy Phillips Presentation—Atty. Andy Phillips of Attolles Law discussed proposed Sawyer County financial participation requested to secure EU Swiss bank financing for the sustainable fuel project. The county is being asked to secure a $25M loan from BCPL, to place in an account which would remain under control of Sawyer County, to serve as a type of “earnest money” required by the EU investors. Syntech would pay the interest on the loan. More details will be worked out to ensure it is a zero risk hold harmless transaction should the county proceed. Dave Armstrong of Barron County EDC spoke on the economic development and impact modeling used to assess the large and unprecedented project for viability. The model includes Sawyer and 31 counties who will benefit from job creation and the injection of outside money into the economy. $110M in tax credits over a 20 year Enterprise Zone would be in the form of corporate (not property) taxes. Paper industry expert Masood Akhtar, Ph. D., spoke to the committee about his input on the project from the beginning and explained the financing aspects in more detail. Atty. Phillips and Mr. Markgren will move forward to explore and secure legally and fiscally secure terms and conditions should the county decide to proceed with securing the loan. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 13, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Helwig Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Namekagon Transit 2027 Budget Request—Darrin White spoke on behalf of Namekagon Transit, highlighting Transit services and increased ridership. The agency is requesting an increase of $5,000 over last year in the 2027 Budget to cover cost of living increases for employees, for a total of $175,000 requested. Treasurer’s Report – Mr. Lehner provided a written report on tax collections and delinquent parcels. Finance Department Report - Ms. Ehn reviewed monthly sales tax revenues, Budget Performance Reports for August 2026, and August CIP purchases. Page 28 of 38 2027 Preliminary Budget Presentation—Ms. Ehn walked through slides of the preliminary 2027 Budget with the committee and answered questions. The presentation will be made to the full County Board on September 17. Department Financial Updates-- HHS Department---Ms. Ehn reviewed August 2026 financials for the HHS Department. Veterans Service Office—Ms. Ehn reviewed July 2026 Financials for the Veterans Service Office. Investments Review and Update—The July investment report was provided: interest rates are holding above 3%; County CD investments are still exceeding 2025 returns. CD Purchase— Motion to approve the purchase of a 12 month CD from Frandsen Bank at 3.98% interest by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Hoehne Motion carried without negative vote. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 9:36 am Next Meeting- October 8, 2026 Time: 8:30 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 29 of 38 Minutes of the September 3, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Health and Human Services Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room, Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: Kay Wilson Liz Klein Chuck Van Etten Mike Markgren Vacant Julia Lyons Jim Miller Hailey Sands- Virtual Jeff Hoehne Shawna White- Virtual Lorraine Gouge Julie McCallum Vacant Caitlan Myren Pam Mueller Dr. Sabrina Dunlap Call to Order – Chair Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was confirmed. Roll Call was taken; a quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Org Chart and Strategic Plan will not be individually addressed; combine items 13 a,b and c Public Comments – None Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 6, 2026 Motion to approve amended minutes made by: Mr. Hoehne Second by: Mr. Van Etten Motion carried without negative vote. Outside Committee Reports- LCO Liaison— Ms. Gouge updated the committee on the LCO Food Shelf, which is open to all, the health center, recovery groups, mental health programs, and a weight room. Senior Resource Center— Ms. Klein updated the committee on fundraising efforts and a Chicken dinner on September 16. Administration— The HHS Acronym/Terms glossary has been included as a standing agenda item. Ms. Lyons gave a verbal Admin report, noting that the ADRC has moved to the Courthouse. Ms. Lyons reported on the public input hearing held August 19 for the 2027 HHS Budget. Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)— Ms. Lyons updated the committee on staffing changes- the ADRC is now fully staffed, with 46 active clients and 17 new referrals in July. Behavioral Health— A written report was provided and reviewed; there has been a drastic increase in violent mental health cases requiring intervention and medication in the community and throughout the state; all age groups are represented. September 8 is 988 day, Suicide Prevention; the public can dial 988 for crisis support. Page 30 of 38 Jim Miller arrived at 5:23 pm. Mobile Crisis and Mental Health Expense reports were provided and discussed. Children, Youth & Family Services— Ms. Lyons gave an overview of Child Protective Services, Youth Justice, and Truancy & Diversion programs with updates on staffing changes. Children’s Support Services- There are 26 enrolled and 3 pending enrollments in Birth to 3, and CLTS has 65 enrolled with 2 pending enrollments. The CCOP (Children’s Community Options Plan) plan is due to DHS October 1. Economic Support— Ms. White presented the August Northern Income Maintenance Consortium data: there were 1408 FoodShare recipients, 17 Child Care families served and 1300 BadgerCare Plus clients served. The call center answered 6,619 calls with a 94.27% answer rate. Public Health-- Ms. McCallum reviewed a written report for August: measles cases are increasing in the state. Inspections of licensed facilities are ongoing. Two Walk for Tomorrow events are happening September 18 and 19 in Hayward and Winter, and Clean Sweep is September 23. Fiscal— Ms. Lyons reviewed the HHS fiscal reports. Board Appointed Committee Updates— There was an ADRC Consortium Board Meeting. Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings— Ms. Gouge noted that Social Services have been moved to the old LCO health clinic. Future Agenda Items— October- update on Ch. 51, Ch. 55, and Crisis rk; update on CPS/YJ work. November- Bylaws and possible open house. Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Health and Human Services Board will be Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 5:00pm in the Board Room. Meeting adjourned at 6:03pm Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 31 of 38 Minutes of the September 8 , 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Economic Development and UW-Extension Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: John Righeimer Mike Markgren Lori Baltrusis Vacant Laura Bruce Stacey Hessel Jim Miller Mindy Simons Mindy Simons Steve Longtine Brian Priester Randy Neumann Call to Order – Mr. Righeimer called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken. Quorum was met. Meeting Agenda -- Set Public Comments – None. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 10, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. UW Extension Report – None Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau Report—Ms. Simons gave a summary of the annual marketing performance report for their fiscal year ending June 30th which includes paid advertising & media placements, digital video campaigns, organic social media, and website performance. She reported on a new partnership with Discover Mediaworks. She answered questions regarding social media and influencers. NW Regional Planning Report --None SC Economic Development Corporation Report— Mr. Priester reported on the upcoming EDC 101 presentation, the Small Business Technological Grant (SBTA) and the Small Business Development Grant (SBDG). He reported the name change has officially been completed and the new website has been launched. Trail Reports-- Motorized— Mr. Neumann read a report. There has been a lot of ATV and UTV traffic on the trails and patronizing local businesses, crews are out brushing trails and updating signage, and the clubs are looking for an update regarding the date restrictions on the trails going through the reservation. Non-Motorized trails— None. Board Appointed Committee Updates – No reports Correspondence, Reports from Conferences— None Page 32 of 38 Future Agenda Items – Election or appointment of a vice chair. Adjournment –8:56 am Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Economic Development and UW-Extension Committee will be Tuesday, October 5, 2026 at 8:30 am in the Board Room. Minutes recorded by Laura Bruce, Elected Official Deputy Clerk Page 33 of 38 Minutes of the Meeting of the September 10, 2026 Sawyer County Administration Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members (X) Present: Others Present: Chair: Ron Kinsley Mike Markgren Vice Chair: Ron Buckholtz Liz Klein Marshal Savitski Gary Elliot John Righeimer Rose Lillyroot Stacey Hessel Mike Coleson- Virtual Call to Order –Chair Kinsley called the meeting to order at 10:00 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call taken; quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 13, 2026 Motion to approve by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Righeimer Motion carried without negative vote. District 15 Supervisor Resignation— Motion to accept the resignation of District 15 Supervisor John Minto by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Appointments: Motion to appoint Ida Kinsley to the District 15 Supervisor position by: Mr. Savitski Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to appoint Ida Kinsley to the HHS and Economic Development/UW Extension committees by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. County Clerk Report- Ms. Klein provided a written department report on August activity: 54 late dog licenses and 10 marriage licenses were issued, 8 plat books sold. Discussion on reordering Plat Books every two years instead of three. Veterans Service Office Report - Mr. Elliot updated the committee on August department activity: 549 phone calls, 813 letters/emails/faxes sent and 197 office visits. 148 disability claims have been filed to date with $711,894.98 awarded in Veterans’ favor. The department is co-hosting counseling sessions at La Crosse Vet Center and Coffee & Conversation; the social media report was provided. There will be a Sawyer County-LCO Veterans Fair at SevenWinds Casino on October 22. The Wisconsin C/TVSO Fall Training Conference is October 12-16 in Waupaca County. The Perpetual Care of Veteran’s Graves reimbursement closed on 9/1/2026 with $7,044.00 awarded. Mr. Elliott requested an additional $1,000 in the 2027 Budget due to increased numbers in the Perpetual Care requests submitted. Page 34 of 38 Veteran’s Tribute Update- The plumbing is complete, the concrete is scheduled for 9/21. County maintenance will install the walls and murals will be ordered. A bronze plaque will go on the fountain. The project is on schedule to be completed by Veterans Day. Information Technology Department Report - Mr. Coleson provided a written IT report on ongoing IT projects. Human Resources Report - A written report was provided on staffing and recruiting for open positions within the county. County Administrator Recruiting Update—Ms. Lillyroot discussed the responses to the ad posting; eight candidates have followed through with cover letters and references and respondents will be screened down to the final interview group. Interviews are scheduled for 9/28 and will be conducted by the Admin Committee, incoming Sheriff, and department heads. County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren reported on working with the EDC Brian Priester on grants, the 2027 Budget process, upcoming WCA conference, courthouse office moves, public safety radio network updates (Draper is almost complete, Meadowbrook is starting), and CJCC updates. Board Appointed Committee Updates – Ms. Hessel noted there are two Walk for Tomorrow Suicide Prevention walks in Hayward and Winter on September 18 and 19. Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings– None Future Agenda Items- Veterans Tribute Update, County Administrator recruitment update Adjournment – 10:38 am Next Meeting: October 8, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 35 of 38 1 County Administrator’s Report September 2026 Economic Development/Marketing Sawyer County Economic Development Executive Director Brian Priester is researching grant opportunities for Sawyer County Businesses. Finance The 2027 budget came together well. There is a Federal highway project that requires a County match of about $862,000 that took a little bit of work to get into the budget, but we were able to make it happen. Connections I am looking forward to going to the Wisconsin Counties Association Annual Conference next week. It’s always good to connect with people from other Counties. Personnel All office moves have taken place and all seem to be very happy in their new locations. Forestry and UW-Extension are particularly enjoying their new locations even though they are no longer in the Courthouse building. Public Safety Radio Network The Draper tower is nearly completed, and the Meadowbrook tower is about to begin construction. The goal is still to go live yet in 2026. This upgrade has been many years in the making and it is great to see the light at the end of the tunnel. CJCC Steve Noglaski from Northwest Journey/Northwest Counseling and Guidance reported that even though their site in Hayward closed, the services are still available at the Siren and Superior locations. Melinda Hoyos gave a report from Truancy and Diversion. There were 53 students referred to address chronic truancy. 89% improved and11% were unsuccessful. The program is voluntary, so a student opting out is considered unsuccessful. Only 4 cases moved forward to Youth Justice, which is reducing the numbers for that program. Those can become quite expensive. Judge Isham reported 22 cases in the Truancy program at this time last year. In contrast, she has only 2 cases this year, highlighting the progress that has been made. There are many reports from parents citing the improvement of their children after being in the program. The Judges Smith and Isham have commented on the benefits and successes of the Truancy and Diversion program. Page 36 of 38 Minutes of the September 9, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: 1. Chair- Julia Lyons- Absent Liz Klein 2. Vice-Chair Judge Elaine Smith Melinda Hoyos 3. Dave Dixon Sari Torstenson 4. Mike Markgren Steve Naglosky 5. Mike Woller Sherri Jensen 6. Lorraine Gouge Rhandi Ehn- Virtual 7. Doug Mrotek- Absent Bryan Deyo Alternate 8. Bruce Poquette 9. Katie Belanger- Excused 10. Judge John Yackel- Absent 11. Marc Helwig 12. Judge Monica Isham- Absent 13. Marshal Savitski 14. Kathy McCoy 15. Bill Trepanier- Absent 16. Amanda Lokker- Virtual Call to Order—Vice Chair Smith called the meeting to order at 12:02 pm. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken. Quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments – Steve Naglosky updated the committee on the closure of the Hayward Northwest Journey site and stated that the program is still open to area kids with virtual options and transportation to Superior, Siren or Menomonie available. Mr. Naglosky will help families with application paperwork for Day Treatment, which provides group and individual behavioral treatment therapy to children and adolescents. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 12, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Savitski Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. CJCC Executive Committee Report— The committee has had trouble meeting and is looking at setting a different meeting day. Designate committee alternates- tabled to October. Mr. Markgren was asked to contact the judges for their designees. Jail Report-- Lt. Woller reviewed a written jail report for July with arrest data by race and gender. There was an average of 66 inmates incarcerated with a 60% unemployment rate at the time of booking, 1 on electronic monitoring. The committee discussed probation revocation stats on the jail report, the status of the MAT program, and plans to request funding for a full time Mental Health provider in the jail on the 2027 Budget. Justice Point— Page 37 of 38 Ms. Barry provided a written report on Justice Point. There were 111 active Pretrial clients, 10 Diversion clients, and 3 Treatment Court clients in August. RCORPS and TAD Grant updates were provided. HHS— Truancy & Diversion- Ms. Hoyos reviewed the written report previously prepared by Ms. Inczauskis, which showed 53 referrals in one year with an 89% improvement or successful completion rate and other promising information on the program. Ms. Lyons entered the meeting at 12:37pm. Behavioral Health- A written report was provided. Community Support & Mobile Crisis- A written report was provided. Public Health—A written report was provided. Ms. Lyons stated that there has been a statewide increase in psychosis and violent mental health cases in the past year. 9-8-8 Day was observed September 8th to recognize the crisis/suicide prevention number. There are two Walk For Tomorrow events planned on September 18 and 19 in Hayward and Winter for Suicide Prevention and Awareness. Community Services Updates- None Outside Committee Reports – None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings – Ms. Gouge will attend a Tribal Consultation next week and offered to bring any committee concerns to the meeting. Future Agenda Items – 2027 Budget request for full-time mental health provider in the jail, approve list of designated alternates for committee members Meeting adjourned at 12:53 pm Next Meeting: October 14, 2026 Time: 12:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 38 of 38