Board of Supervisors Meeting — Minutes

Minutes of the September 17, 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- Excused 07 C Hayward W-3 & 4 Marshal Savitski 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 Ida Kinsley 15 T Winter W-2, T Draper, V Winter Also present: Sheriff Mrotek, Bryan Deyo, Rhandi Ehn, John Pinnow, Derek Leslie, Atty. Andy Phillips, Atty. Ben Conrad Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance–Chairman Kinsley called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. Roll call was taken; quorum was met. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Meeting Agenda – Motion to move up item 16b to follow item 10 by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Public Comments – Linda Zillmer District 15 Supervisor— Resignation of John Minto— A letter of resignation was received in person by Sheriff Mrotek and Mr. Buckholtz. Motion to accept the resignation of elected District 15 Supervisor John Minto by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to confirm appointment of Ida Kinsley to fulfill the remaining term of District 15 Supervisor by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to confirm appointment of Ida Kinsley to the HHS and Economic Development & UW Extension Committees by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Kariainen Motion carried without negative. Appointed District 15 Supervisor Ida Kinsley was sworn in by County Clerk E. Klein. Ben Popp- Birkie Presentation—Mr. Popp presented an informative slide show with highlights on the Birkie organization, participation, and economic impact on Sawyer County; in 2025 the 501C3 organization has a staff of 26, over 2000 volunteers, 18,000 participants and a $63.4M impact on the area economy. Birkie was awarded Destination of the Year by Governor Evers. There is an open seat on the Birkie board of directors for a Sawyer County Supervisor. Economic Development- Sustainable Fuel Project—Mr. Markgren stated he was approached about an opportunity for the county to partner with the developer of the sustainable fuel project and consulted Atty. Andy Phillips of Attolles law, who spoke to the Finance Committee and County Board about further investigation into the details of a request for the county to borrow $25M to keep in a county-controlled account for 12 months to demonstrate county buy-in for the $1.25M Swiss bank financing sought by Synthec for phase 1 of the project in Hayward. The developer would pay the interest due on the loan up front and is negotiating a financial incentive for the county’s partnership in the financing. Mr. Masood Akhtar, Ph.D., spoke to the board about the development of the project and financing request through BCPL. Atty. Phillips and Mr. Markgren will proceed with fact-finding discussions with the bank and developers on September 21. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 20, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Savitsky Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Zoning Committee – Mr. Buckholtz gave the Zoning Committee Chair report: the committee has heard 556 LUPs to date. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-014 for Matt Gruel to rezone 114.5 acres from RR-1 to A-1 for personal use farming and livestock. Motion to approve RZN #26-014 by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Public Works Committee— Mr. Evans reported on the Public Works Committee meeting; Maintenance, Airport and Highway updates were shared with the board. 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 radio 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. The annual USDA APHIS Wildlife Damage and Deer Donation Program were approved. Ms. Wilson, Ms. Jonjak, and Mr. Kariainen participated in a tour of six conservation sites around the county, led by Mr. Kozlowski, Mr. Seidl, and Ms. Kanters. Finance Report - Mr. Righeimer provided an update on county finances and department budgets, the sustainable fuel project request, and a request by Darrin White on behalf of Namekagon Transit for a $5,000 budget increase. 2027 Preliminary Budget Presentation—Ms. Ehn reviewed the 2027 Preliminary budget. Notable highlights were a historic increase in net new construction of 1.607%, forecasted sales tax 7% higher than 2025, and projected draws from the fund and general balances for HHS and Highway. The 2027 Budget Hearing is set for Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 pm. HHS Report—Ms. Wilson gave the September HHS Board report. Economic Development and UW Extension Committee— Mr. Righeimer gave the September Economic Development and UW Extension Committee report. Administration Report— Mr. Kinsley reported that the Administration Committee met and heard reports from the County Clerk, Veterans, IT, and HR departments. Mr. Kinsley thanked Sheriff Mrotek and Mr. Buckholtz for their assistance with Mr. Minto’s letter. County Administrator candidates will be interviewed on September 28. County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren shared that Mr. Priester of the EDC is working on grants for local businesses, the 2027 Budget is coming together, five departments have moved within the courthouse and Oasis buildings, the Draper radio tower is almost completed, the Meadowbrook tower is started, and the project is on track for completion by the end of the year. Mr. Markgren will attend the WCA Conference in Wisconsin Dells next week to network with other county leaders. CJCC— Mr. Markgren reported that Steve Naglosky spoke to CJCC about the closure of a youth counseling site in Hayward and stated those services will still be available in Superior and Siren. Ms. Hoyos presented a Truancy & Diversion report showing 89% improvement in school attendance among participants; this program shows promise for keeping youth out of the criminal justice system. The Veterans Tribute concrete is going in September 21 and the walls will be built by County Maintenance staff with completion scheduled before Veterans Day. When asked about input on the final design, Mr. Markgren stated that the project was delegated to the Administration committee by the County Board in a previous meeting. Board Appointed Committee Updates— Mr. Kariainen reported on CEP and ICAA. Mr. Savitski reported on the Sawyer County Fair; 6,000 attended and the fair brought in $39,000. Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings- None Future Agenda Items- There will be a Special Board Meeting Thursday, October 22 at 5:00 pm with a presentation by Atty. Andy Phillips on Ethics and Board Rules and possibly the Synthec request. Meeting Adjourned at 6:21 pm Next regular meeting: Thursday, October 15, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk