Board of Supervisors Meeting — Agenda Packet

1 Sawyer County County Board of Supervisors Meeting Thursday, August 20, 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. PRESENTATION OF COLORS- CIVIL AIR PATROL 5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 6. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW 7. MEETING AGENDA 8. 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 on an item. 9. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING a. Draft County Board Minutes 7.16.26 10. REVIEW DISTRICT 15 SUPERVISOR POSITION (DISCUSSION) Page 1 of 71 2 11. APPOINTMENTS (DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION) a. Remove Supervisor Minto from HHS and Zoning Committees b. Remove Supervisor Hessel from Economic Development/UW Extension Committee and Appoint to Zoning Committee c. Appoint Reone Gheen Sawyer County Medical Examiner 12. PUBLIC COMMENT POLICY (DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION) a. Amend Board Policy & Procedure Manual Rule 8 Public Participation in Board and Committee Meetings and Add Rule #10 Amendment of Rules Back to Policy 13. ZONING COMMITTEE a. Zoning Committee Report b. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-012. Todd's Redimix Concrete LLC - Request to rezone approximately 80 acres of RR-1 to F-1 for the purpose of a new non-metallic mining operation. Zoning Committee recommends denial, Town of Lenroot recommends approval. (Discussion/Action) (Resolution attached) c. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-013. O'Brien Hill Properties LLC - Request to rezone approximately 5.0 acres of A-1 to R-1. Zoning Committee and Town of Hayward recommend approval. (Discussion/Action) (Resolution attached) d. Data Center and Associated Infrastructure Moratorium Ordinance (Discussion/Action) 14. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE a. Public Works Committee Report 15. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE a. Public Safety Committee Report 16. LAND, WATER, AND FOREST RESOURCES COMMITTEE a. LWFRC Committee Report 17. FINANCE COMMITTEE a. Finance Committee Report 18. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BOARD a. HHS Board Report Page 2 of 71 3 b. Resolution 2026____Mental Health Funding (Discussion and Possible Action) c. Resolution 2026____Public Health Funding (Discussion and Possible Action) 19. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & UW EXTENSION COMMITTEE a. Economic Development & UW Ex Committee Report 20. SAWYER COUNTY ADMINISTRATION a. Administration Committee Report b. County Administrator's Report c. CJCC Committee Report 21. BOARD APPOINTED COMMITTEE UPDATES 22. CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS 23. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 24. NEXT MEETING DATE /TIME: SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 AT 5:00PM 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 71 Minutes of the June 18, 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- Excused 06 C Hayward W-1 & 2 Jim Miller 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 John Minto- Absent 15 T Winter W-2, T Draper, V Winter Also present: Doug Mrotek, Mike Markgren, John Pinnow, Sheldon Johnson, Jason Laumann, Megan Sorenson 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 – Set Public Comments – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: June 18, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. NWRPC Presentation-- Mr. Sheldon Johnson from Northwest Regional Planning Commission gave a presentation on NWRPC’s history, organization, and Economic Development, Housing, Environmental and Fiscal programs. NWRPC provides services to Sawyer County and its municipalities, who fall under its membership. Sawyer pays the highest membership of all ten counties in the district based on equalized value. Jason Laumann spoke on Planning and GIS work the Commission performs and Megan Sorenson spoke on Water Resources grants and projects. Zoning Committee – Mr. Buckholtz gave the Zoning Committee Chair report: the committee has heard 401 LUPs to date and will hear 2 rezones, 4 CUPs and a moratorium for data centers on July 17. Page 4 of 71 Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-008 for Emerson & Evelyn Martin- to rezone 6.37 acres from A-1 to RR-1 was approved on a motion by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Kariainen Motion carried without negative vote. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-010 for Roslie Sheptick- to rezone 6.12 acres between four separate lots from RR-1 to C-1 was approved on a motion by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Zone District Map Amendment for RZN #26-011 for Mark Geddes— to rezone 0.57 acres from R-1 to C-1 was denied on a motion by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Ms. Wilson Motion carried without negative vote. Public Works Committee— Mr. Neumann updated the Board on department reports for Maintenance, Airport, Highway, and the Ad-hoc Committee. 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. Economic Development and UW Extension Committee— Mr. Righeimer gave the July Economic Development and UW Extension Committee report on a proposed resolution for the library funding process, Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau, the Sawyer County Economic Development Corporation and motorized trail report. Mr. Markgren presented a resolution approved by Economic Development and Finance Committees and supported by the libraries, to set annual library allocation at the greater of 150% of the Wisconsin Act 150 circulation formula amount or 102.5% of the previous year’s County allocation. Resolution 2026-____Weiss & Winter Library Support was approved on a motion by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Finance Report - Mr. Righeimer provided an update on county finances and department budgets. HHS Report—Ms. Wilson reported on the July 2 meeting of the HHS Board was adjourned due to lack of quorum. Administration Report— Mr. Kinsley reported that the Administration Committee met and heard reports from the County Clerk, Veterans, IT, and HR departments, the County Administrator, and the Veterans Tribute update. Mr. Markgren has announced his retirement from the County Administrator position at the end of December. County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren updated the committee on preparations to submit the Opportunity Zone application, speaking at WTA on July 27, and reported that work is underway on the Meadowbrook radio tower. Page 5 of 71 CJCC— Ms. Barry of Justice Point applied for a $740 million RCORPS grant to fund Deflection programs, which have been making a positive difference. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings- None Future Agenda Items- Replace CA- start process in Admin Committee Meeting Adjourned at 6:09 pm Next meeting: Thursday, August 20, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 6 of 71 1 2 SAWYER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS – 3 AMENDMENT TO RULE 8 AND PART I/SECTION A(16) OF THE SAWYER COUNTY 4 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUALRELATING TO 5 PUBLIC COMMENTS AT COUNTY BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS 6 7 RESOLUTION NO. _____________ 8 9 WHEREAS, Wisconsin law authorizes the Sawyer County (the “County”) Board of 10 Supervisors (“County Board”) to adopt and enforce rules relating to the conduct and procedures at 11 its public meetings; 12 13 WHEREAS, the County Board has adopted the “Sawyer County Board of Supervisors 14 Policies and Procedures” (“Board Rules”); 15 16 WHEREAS, Rule 8 of the Board Rules states in part that public participation in meetings 17 “must be balanced with the orderly and efficient proceeding”; 18 19 WHEREAS, Rule 8 of the Board Rules currently allows public comment by both residents 20 and non-residents of Sawyer County, and does not limit public comment to matters appearing on 21 a meeting agenda; 22 23 WHEREAS, the Board Rules do not clearly reflect the procedure required for amendment 24 of the Board Rules; 25 26 WHEREAS, the impact of Rule 8 to allow residents and non-residents of Sawyer County 27 to speak on agenda items and non-agenda items has resulted in unintended consequences, 28 including but not limited to: (a) members of the public raising issues and rendering public 29 statements that create a record to which the County Board or its committee may not respond to if 30 the topic is not on that County Board or committee agenda; (b) potential confusion by the public 31 of whether the County Board or committee may take action on the item raised in public comment; 32 (c) an inefficient raising of issues that may have already been, or may subsequently be, decided by 33 the County Board and/or committee; and (d) creation of disorderly and inefficient proceedings of 34 meetings; and 35 36 WHEREAS, the Board wishes to clearly define the proper procedure required to amend 37 the Board Rules. 38 39 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors 40 determines, adopts and directs the following: 41 42 1. Amendment. The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Policies and Procedures 43 Manual is hereby amended, as set forth in Exhibit A. 44 45 Page 7 of 71 2 46 2. Conflict with Other Laws. Nothing in this Resolution shall be deemed to conflict with 47 any other applicable state law, as each may be amended. In the event of any conflict 48 between this Resolution and state law, the state law shall control. 49 50 51 This Resolution is hereby recommended for ___________ by the Sawyer County Board of 52 Supervisors at is meeting on August 20, 2026 by the Sawyer County Administration 53 Committee at its meeting on August 13, 2026. 54 55 _______________________________ ____________________________ 56 Ron Kinsley, Chair Ron Buckholtz, Member 57 58 _______________________________ ____________________________ 59 Stacey Hessell, Member John Righeimer, Member 60 61 ____________________________ 62 Marshal Savitski, Member 63 64 65 66 This Resolution is hereby adopted by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors this 20 th day of 67 August, 2026. 68 69 70 ___________________________________ ____________________________ 71 Ron Kinsley, Liz Klein, 72 Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sawyer County Clerk 73 74 75 Exhibit A (Attached): Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Policies and Procedures Manual – 76 Revisions to Rule 8, Rule 10, and Part I/Section A(16). Page 8 of 71 1 EXHIBIT A Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Policies and Procedures Manual – Revisions to Rule 8 and Part I/Section A(16). Rule 8 Showing Revisions: Rule 8: Public Participation in Board and Committee Meetings. The purpose of public comment is to provide non-Board members that reside in Sawyer County an opportunity to comment on matters over which the Board has authority. The public is encouraged to attend Board and Committee meetings and, to the extent provided in these Rules, to participate in proceedings. Such participation must be balanced with the orderly and efficient proceeding to of the Board meetings. It is important to remember that public participation in Board meetings is a privilege and not a right – the Chair and the Board have an obligation to maintain appropriate decorum at Board meetings. Any resident of Sawyer County Members of the public will be given the opportunity to address the Board during the Ppublic Ccomment portion of the meeting for items on the meeting agenda. Any non-resident of Sawyer County wishing to speak during public comment may submit written comments to the Board Chair, Board members, and/or County staff for consideration. Any person wishing to comment on a matter not on the Board meeting agenda may submit written comments to the Board Chair, Board members and/or County staff for consideration. The Chair is also ablemay to exercise discretion to recognize and allow non-Board Member comment and participation during the meeting pertaining to agenda items. Residents of Sawyer County Those wishing to speak during public comment shall will sign up before the Board meeting indicating their name, address, and topic they wish to address. The persony will be recognized to speak by the Chair at the appropriate time. Once recognized, the person wishing to speak will approach the podium and state their name, address, and subject upon which they will speak. The time allocated to any person addressing the bBoard will be a maximum of 3 minutes and the total of all public comment will be limited to a maximum of 30 minutes unless extended at the discretion of the Chair. To maintain order and for the safety and consideration of Board mMembers, members of the public may not approach the County Board members at the meeting table before, during, or after Board and Committee Mmeetings and must remain outside the area designated as “no members of the public beyond this point.” During public comment and all other times during a Board meeting, discussion or commentary of personalities and any conduct that disrupts the meeting or is disrespectful of others is prohibited, including applauding or heckling in response to a speaker’s remarks. Civility shall be observed at all times. This Rule 8 shall apply to all committee meetings as it applies to the Board herein. This Rule 8 shall not apply to public hearings. Rule 8 Showing As Amended: Rule 8: Public Participation in Board and Committee Meetings. The purpose of public comment is to provide non-Board members that reside in Sawyer County an opportunity to comment on matters over which the Board has authority. The public is encouraged to attend Board meetings and, to the extent provided in these Rules, to participate in proceedings. Such participation must be balanced with the orderly and efficient proceeding of the Board meetings. It is important to remember that public participation in Board meetings is a privilege and not a right – the Chair and the Board have an obligation to maintain appropriate decorum at Board meetings. Any resident of Sawyer County will be given the opportunity to address the Board during the public comment portion of the meeting for items on the meeting agenda. Any non-resident of Sawyer County wishing to speak during public comment may submit written comments to the Board Chair, Board members, and/or County staff for consideration. Any person wishing to comment on a matter not on the Board meeting agenda may submit written comments to the Board Chair, Board members and/or County staff for consideration. The Chair may exercise discretion to recognize and allow non-Board member comment and participation during the meeting pertaining to agenda items. Residents of Sawyer County wishing to speak during public comment shall sign up before the Page 9 of 71 2 Board meeting indicating their name, address, and topic they wish to address. The person will be recognized to speak by the Chair at the appropriate time. Once recognized, the person wishing to speak will approach the podium and state their name, address, and subject upon which they will speak. The time allocated to any person addressing the Board will be a maximum of 3 minutes and the total of all public comment will be limited to a maximum of 30 minutes unless extended at the discretion of the Chair. To maintain order and for the safety and consideration of Board members, members of the public may not approach the Board members at the meeting table before, during, or after Board meetings and must remain outside the area designated as “no members of the public beyond this point.” During public comment and all other times during a Board meeting, discussion or commentary of personalities and any conduct that disrupts the meeting or is disrespectful of others is prohibited, including applauding or heckling in response to a speaker’s remarks. Civility shall be observed at all times. This Rule 8 shall apply to all committee meetings as it applies to the Board herein. This Rule 8 shall not apply to public hearings. Rule 10: As Amended: Rule 10 Amendment of the Rules: Unless otherwise provided by law, these rules may be amended by a majority vote of those members entitled to vote. Part I/Section A(1618) Showing Revision: 16. Board Rule 8 shall apply to committee meetings. In addition, residents of Sawyer County Members of the public may be given the opportunity to address a c the Committee during public comment for items not on the committee’s agenda, or at the time of consideration for items on the agenda at the discretion of the committee chair. The committee chair will call on the member of the public at the appropriate time. The committee chair has the discretion to limit the amount of time each person may speak and the total amount of time devoted to public comment. Part I/Section A(16) as Amended: 16. Board Rule 8 shall apply to committee meetings. In addition, residents of Sawyer County may be given the opportunity to address a committee during public comment for items not on the committee’s agenda, or at the time of consideration for items on the agenda at the discretion of the committee chair. The committee chair will call on the member of the public at the appropriate time. The committee chair has the discretion to limit the amount of time each person may speak and the total amount of time devoted to public comment. Page 10 of 71 Page 11 of 71 Page 12 of 71 Page 13 of 71 Page 14 of 71 Page 15 of 71 Page 16 of 71 Page 17 of 71 Page 18 of 71 Page 19 of 71 Page 20 of 71 Page 21 of 71 Page 22 of 71 Page 23 of 71 Page 24 of 71 Page 25 of 71 Page 26 of 71 Page 27 of 71 Page 28 of 71 Page 29 of 71 Page 30 of 71 Page 31 of 71 Page 32 of 71 Page 33 of 71 Page 34 of 71 Page 35 of 71 Page 36 of 71 Page 37 of 71 Page 38 of 71 Page 39 of 71 Page 40 of 71 Page 41 of 71 Page 42 of 71 Page 43 of 71 Page 44 of 71 Page 45 of 71 Page 46 of 71 Page 47 of 71 Page 48 of 71 Minutes of the August 12, 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 Don Mrotek Rhandi Ehn Randy Neumann Derek Leslie Rick Schmidt- Virtual 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- Don Mrotek, Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: July 8, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Helwig Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Maintenance- Mr. Schmidt presented a written report on maintenance projects. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—No major changes. CIP includes 5 Sheriff squad units, 1 maintenance truck, HHS and count fleet vehicles. Sawyer County Airport Report- Mr. Leslie provided the July Airport report. Airport is busy, Young Eagles provided 60 rides for kids. No update from state or FAA on ALP for the Master Plan. The snow removal contract was signed. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Additional funds for brushing and snow removal. Highway Department- A written report was provided on July Highway work: crack sealing, mowing and brushing operations continue. Cty F and DD construction started August 10. STH 27 from Carol Dr. to Boylan Rd. is ongoing with delays and flagging operations. STH 70 from GG to Price County is completed. CTH E project appraisals are higher than estimated. The county received $118,000 in a 90/10 award for a small structure replacement on CTH W by Connors Lake Highway Facilities discussion— Mr. Pinnow presented his ideas for a facility plan to the members and requested funds for consulting and design plans; after discussion he was asked to provide a plan for new construction and a plan adding on to existing buildings in September. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Winter maintenance increase to cover the price of salt. CIP request to cover the 20% match for the CTH E project in 2027 for the purpose of not cutting into other planned work: increasing highway work and utilizing equipment will help move the county away from the state’s Actual Cost model. Board Appointed Committee Updates-- None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings – None Page 49 of 71 Future Agenda Items – Highway facility plans, Ad hoc committee update on tower and ATV/UTV routes Meeting adjourned at: 5:40 pm Next Meeting: September 9, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, Sawyer County Clerk Page 50 of 71 Minutes of the August 6, 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 Chaz Ann Olson Jeff Hoehne Bryan Deyo Kristi Kare Marshal Savitski Sheriff Mrotek Mike Woller Jim Evans Greg Ripiczinski Jim Onarheim Sandy Okamoto Rhandi Ehn 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: July 2, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Hoehne Motion carried without negative vote. Clerk of Courts/Register in Probate Reports - A written report was provided. Ms. Ehn reviewed the 2027 preliminary department budget with the committee. Sheriff’s Department Report – Patrol Report – Lt. Ripczinski reviewed the written patrol report: there were 859 calls in July, 27 traffic citations issued and 24 crashes- 5 with injury, zero deaths. There have been 159 total crashes year to date, 50 with personal injury, zero fatalities. Jail Report – Lt. Woller reviewed a written jail report for July with arrest data by race and gender. There was an average of 69 inmates incarcerated with a 67% unemployment rate at the time of booking, 2 on electronic monitoring. Dispatch and Emergency Management – Dispatch- Lt. Ripczinski reviewed a written report showing 449 emergent 911 calls received in July, 11,500 received year to date. The department cohosted National Night Out and will assist with Cops n’ Bobbers on August 8 at DJ’s Dockside Resort. Emergency Management- Lt. Ripczinski reviewed a written report with updates on local events, the HazMat Grant application period, and the pending Hazard Mitigation Plan submission to the state. Sheriff Mrotek reviewed the 2027 preliminary department budget. Page 51 of 71 Code Enforcement- Ms. Olson reviewed her written report on dog licenses, TRH and human health hazards investigated. There were five TRH complaints investigated in July, and three potential human health hazard complaints from June were investigated and passed on to other agencies. Ms. Ehn reviewed the 2027 preliminary department budget with the committee. Child Support Department Report – Ms. Okamoto presented a written report for July and discussed the department needing to meet performance measures of 70% in four areas to receive the full amount of state funding. Ms. Okamoto reviewed the 2027 preliminary department budget with the committee. Emergency Services— Mr. Froemel presented a written report showing ambulance call volume, location and run times and discussed the 2017 Ambulance study with the committee and how the findings from the study have been used to improve the delivery and tracking of emergency services in the county. There is state and federal push to provide “on scene care” coming in the near future, which will affect the department as early as 2028. Mr. Froemel reviewed 2027 preliminary department budget with the committee. Radio Towers Update- Mr. Markgren updated the committee on the status of the towers, which are still on schedule to be operational by October 2026. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Update –Mr. Markgren reported the July CJCC meeting highlights: Justice Point programs including Diversion and Deflection are having a positive impact on the county. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings— None Future Agenda Items- Radio Tower Update Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Public Safety Committee will be September 3, 2026 at 9:00 am in the Board Room. Meeting adjourned at 9:48 am Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, Sawyer County Clerk Page 52 of 71 Minutes of the August 12 , 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 Pat Zimmer Marshal Savitski Greg Peterson Brian Lehner Steve Longtine Chris Gregory Rachel Fischer Allison Jonjak- Excused Rachel Thompson Rhandi Ehn Call to Order – Chair Kariainen called the meeting to order at 8:31 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: July 8, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Events— No applications received Register of Deeds Update-- A written report for July was provided; transfer fees have increased significantly; Tapestry use and revenue has increased. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— No major changes Land Records and County Surveyor Department Report – Land Records—A written RPL report was provided. Kimberly Peterson took a different job, Chase Propson has been hired to replace Tristan Wirkus. The positions require a year or more to become fully trained; the department is asking to maintain three employees to meet the workload. Surveyor—A written surveyor report was provided. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Land Records revenues from grants were discussed; expenses consist of salaries, software, office equipment and training. Surveyor has a CIP request for a $35,000 GPS receiver. Forestry – County Forestry Report— Mr. Peterson reported that 13 sales were active in July. There is approximately $4.75M in sold-uncut timber on file at the time of the report. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Forestry expenses are primarily salaries, tree marking, and fuel which are not increasing by much. ATV/UTV grant projects are budget neutral. CIP requests include replanting red pine at Page 53 of 71 $500/acre: the process involves removing overstory canopies which will generate $6,000/acre and is part of a natural rotation cycle of forest management. A second request is $9,000 for Hatchery Park maintenance. DNR Report—Mr. Zimmer reported on July DNR activity, which focused on timber sale preparation. Hot, dry weather has increased fire danger concerns and the public should follow permit requirements and check for restrictions before burning. USFS Report—No report Recreational Trails Report—Mr. Davison reported that trails are dry and dusty. Several projects are stalled awaiting contractors. Trail ridership is up 50-75% this year. Zoning/Conservation Department – Mr. Kozlowski reported that staff has been busy with pit inspections and planning a LWFRC fall tour on September 16th. Reporting format has been updated to reflect Land & Water Resource Management Plan goals and accomplishments. Resolution # 2026____Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program was approved on a motion by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried with 5 in favor, 0 abstaining, and 0 opposed. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Conservation budget has CIP requests for dam inspections and repairs including Fishtrap, Tiger Cat, Brunet, Billy Boy and Birch Lake dams. Bill Boy Dam requires a $35,000 500 year flood event model analysis; Birch Lake Dam is 50% shared with Washburn County and needs repairs. Zoning budget reflects an increase for training, publications and postage costs. Treasurer’s Report— Mr. Lehner submitted a request for committee approval to accept bids lower than appraised value on tax deeded parcel ID 1098457-010-2-41-08-15-401-000-000010#; since then, an accepted offer of $565,000 was received for the property so the request has been withdrawn. Board Appointed Committee Updates – Ms. Wilson reported that the Callahan/Mud Lake District held their second meeting and is planning a joint meeting with DNR, the county, and the Town of Round Lake to discuss a dam hazard analysis. Mr. Savitski invited the members to a City Rotary meeting with Bill Johnson to discuss the Biofuel Plant project; the meeting is September 2 at 12:00pm at The Social. Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 9:14 am Next Meeting: September 9, 2026 Time: 8:30am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 54 of 71 Minutes of the August 13, 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 Marc Helwig Ron Buckholtz Steve Kariainen Rhandi Ehn 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 – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: July 9, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Treasurer’s Report – Mr. Lehner provided a written report on tax collections and delinquent parcel. Since the report a property came off the In Rem list for a total of six, and two of the four unsold properties have sold. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Standard increases for employees Finance Department Report - Ms. Ehn reviewed monthly sales tax revenues, Budget Performance Reports for July 2026, and July CIP purchases. 2027 Budget Update— Ms. Ehn has been working with Department Heads to get final numbers for the proposed budget, which will be shared with the committee next month. Department Financial Updates-- County Clerk Department---Ms. Ehn reviewed July 2026 financials for the County Clerk Department, which is on track for 2026. Treasurer Department—Ms. Ehn reviewed July 2026 Financials for the Treasurer Department, which is on track for 2026. Register of Deeds Department— Ms. Ehn reviewed July 2026 Financials for the ROD Department, which is reflecting strong revenues and lower expenses so far in 2026 due to staffing turnover. Page 55 of 71 Investments Review and Update—The June investment report was provided: interest rates are holding above 3%; County CD investments are still exceeding 2025 returns. Mr. Markgren noted that interest revenue will drop once funds held in accounts are expended for the radio tower upgrade. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 8:44 am Next Meeting- September 10, 2026 Time: 8:30 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 56 of 71 Minutes of the August 6, 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 John Minto- Absent Julia Lyons- Virtual Jim Miller Hailey Sands- Virtual Jeff Hoehne Alicia Carlson- Virtual Lorraine Gouge- Absent Julie McCallum- Virtual Vacant Shawna White- Virtual Pam Mueller Season Westphal- Virtual Dr. Sabrina Dunlap- Excused 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 – Set Public Comments – Linda Zillmer Lorraine Gouge arrived at 5:06 pm Minutes from the previous meeting dated: June 4, 2026 Motion to approve amended minutes made by: Mr. Van Etten Second by: Mr. Hoehne Motion carried without negative vote. Mr. Markgren presented a mental health funding resolution that is currently being adopted by other counties. Resolution 2026-____Mental Health Funding was approved for recommendation to county board on a motion by: Mr. Miller Second by: Mr. Van Etten Motion carried without negative vote. Outside Committee Reports- LCO Liaison— Ms. Gouge provided updates on LCO Heath Clinic, Health Fair August 10, Recovery Services, Men’s Sober Living, the emergency shelter, and shared Tribe concerns about adult long term care resources. Construction of a nursing home is being planned in the next 2 years. A Drug Trends and Human Trafficking presentation is set for August 19 at Sevenwinds Casino. Senior Resource Center— The July SRC Board report was provided; the SRC board adopted updated Bylaws in July. Administration— The HHS Acronym/Terms glossary and HHS organizational chart have been included as standing agenda items. Ms. Lyons reported that a public input hearing will be held on August 19 at 3pm for the 2027 HHS Budget. Page 57 of 71 Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)— Ms. Lyons updated the committee on staffing: Kim Hill was hired as a Dementia Care Specialist and Ashley Miller is the new ADRC Supervisor and Adult Protective Services Director. The Adult Long Term Care written report was provided; recent Chapter 55s have been transitioning into assisted living. Behavioral Health— A written report was provided. Ms. Lyons shared updates from a the WI Substance Use Summit she is attending. The report reflects increased collaboration between Mental Health and Youth Justice/Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services. A Winnebago patient has been moved to Transitions, a big step toward the Strategic Plan goal of reducing costs for out- of-county placements. Mobile Crisis- The Community Support and Mobile Crisis report was provided. Mental Health Expense reports were provided. Children, Youth & Family Services—Sarah Inczauskis has resigned from her position as Youth Justice, Truancy & Diversion Supervisor. Social Worker Season Westphal, who is the current CPS Supervisor, has stepped up to also supervise Youth Justice, Truancy & Diversion. Ms. Lyons and Ms. Westphal are working closely with the team to provide as smooth of a transition as possible. Youth Justice- A written report was provided: YJ had 4 referrals in June; there are 28 active clients. Truancy & Diversion- A report was shared showing positive outcomes from the program. Several staff members are attending a gang conference in Chicago, covered by grant funds. Children’s Support Services- Ms. Sands provided a written report on referral and enrollment numbers and timelines for CLTS (Children’s Long-Term Support): there are 61 enrolled and 2 pending enrollments and the program is at full capacity. Economic Support— Ms. White verbally updated the committee on the June Northern Income Maintenance Consortium data. A written report was provided for May: in May there were 1,804 FoodShare recipients, 21 Child Care families served and 1,313 BadgerCare Plus clients served. The call center answered 5,989 calls with a 95.29% answer rate. A Child Care Data report was provided by Northwest Connection Family Resources A Child Care Access Program impact report was provided. A Food Shelf poster was shared with the committee. Public Health-- Ms. McCallum provided a written report for July: a Sawyer Agent Program report was reviewed. Mr. Markgren presented a public health funding resolution that is currently being adopted by other counties to request additional state funding for mandated services. Mr. Miller recommended addressing the mandates themselves instead of just asking for increased funding. Resolution 2026-____Public Health Funding was approved for recommendation to the county board on a motion by: Mr. Van Etten Second by: Mr. Hoehne Motion carried without negative vote. Page 58 of 71 Fiscal— Ms. Lyons provided the HHS fiscal reports. Sawyer HHS received additional proceeds from left over grant funds: $115,000 for Community Support programming, $7,500 for Prevention and $7,500 for Treatment and Recovery services will be applied to cover expenditures in those budget areas. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings— None Future Agenda Items— Bylaws Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Health and Human Services Board will be Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 5:00pm in the Board Room. Meeting adjourned at 6:12 pm Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 59 of 71 RESOLUTION 2026-____ RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE TO PROVIDE GPR FUNDING TO COVER THE FULL NON-FEDERAL SHARE OF MA CSP AND CRISIS SERVICES WHEREAS, Sawyer County is concerned that the public mental health system in Wisconsin is in need of additional resources to respond appropriately to the needs of individuals with persistent mental illness and those experiencing a mental health crisis; and WHEREAS, state law designates counties with the responsibility for the well -being, treatment, and care of individuals with mental illness, and serving those without private insurance coverage; and WHEREAS, the Medical Assistance program (MA) covers an array of mental health services, ranging from office-based therapy to inpatient hospitalization, and many of these services are delivered by counties; and WHEREAS, Community Support Programs (CSP) offer intensive community -based care for adults whose mental illness and functional limitations might otherwise require them to need institutionalized care. Counties use CSP services to keep people out of extended hospitalizations and support people in the community following emergency detentions; and WHEREAS, counties are required to provide Crisis intervention services including an emergency mental health services program to serve persons in crisis situations; at a minimum, 24-hour crisis telephone service and 24-hour in-person response on an on-call basis; and WHEREAS, while the state pays the full cost of most MA services, when it comes to county- based CSP and Crisis mental health services, the county finances the cost of the services up front, and receives MA reimbursement for only the federal share for that service, and WHEREAS, Community Aids funding has not kept pace over the years with increased county costs for services, resulting in counties bearing a disproportionate share of CSP and Crisis service costs from county tax levy; and WHEREAS, counties are limited in their capacity to use tax levy revenue due to state levy limits, so the lack of Community Aids increases combined with strict property tax controls makes it difficult for counties to maintain Crisis and CSP services; and WHEREAS, in addition to the costs to county human service departments, counties and municipalities also incur law enforcement costs to transport and provide security for persons in a crisis; and WHEREAS, the awareness of the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has made mental health assessment and referral more readily available, resulting in more demand on the mental health crisis systems; and Page 60 of 71 WHEREAS, stagnant state funding results in variations in the extent of services available across counties, wait lists for services, and eligible people receiving limited services; and WHEREAS, the limited state funding for Crisis services makes it difficult for counties to implement new evidence-based services, such as mobile crisis workers that could meet law enforcement officers in the field for crisis calls, that would reduce the need for law enforcement involvement and provide a more trauma-informed response to crisis situations, and; WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s counties continue to cover the costs of mental health services for individuals who are not Medicaid eligible, and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors does hereby request that the state of Wisconsin provide state General Purpose Revenue funding to cover the full non-federal share of MA CSP and Crisis services, and; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sawyer County Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to send a copy of this Resolution to the Governor of the State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Legislators with a constituency within Sawyer County, and the Wisconsin Counties Association. This Resolution is recommended for adoption by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on August 20, 2026, by this Sawyer County Health and Human Services Committee this 6th Day of August, 2026 _______________________________ ___________________________________ Kay Wilson, Chair Jim Miller, Member _______________________________ ___________________________________ Chuck Van Etten, Vice Chair Jeff Hoehne, Member _______________________________ ___________________________________ John Minto, Member Lorraine Gouge, Member _______________________________ ___________________________________ Pam Mueller, Member Dr. Sabrina Dunlap, Member _____________________________________________________________________________ This Resolution is hereby adopted by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors this 20th day of August, 2026. _________________________________ ____________________________________ Ron Kinsley, Chair, Liz Klein, County Clerk Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Page 61 of 71 RESOLUTION NO. 2026-____ A resolution to support sustainable state funding for local public health departments WHEREAS, in Wisconsin, local health departments (LHDs) are legally required to provide a core set of public health services under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 251 and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter DHS 140; and WHEREAS, responsibilities of LHDs have expanded significantly in recent years due to emerging public health threats, workforce shortages, and increasing community health needs; and WHEREAS, LHDs rely significantly on a combination of limited state aids, categorical grants, and local property tax levy to fund these mandated services; and WHEREAS, current state funding mechanisms for public health are largely outdated, not indexed to inflation, and do not reflect the true cost of delivering foundational public health services; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin currently ranks 49th lowest in state dollars dedicated to public health per person (https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/PH_funding); and WHEREAS, Public health initiatives consistently deliver high returns on investment (ROI), with recent data showing a median ROI of 14.3 to 1, often saving $14 in medical and societal costs for every $1 spent (https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/07/08/public-health-initiatives-deliver-big-returns- on-investment); and WHEREAS, reliance on short-term, restricted, or competitive grant funding creates instability and limits long-term planning; and WHEREAS, counties bear a disproportionate share of the financial burden for providing foundational public health services, placing additional pressure on local property taxpayers; and WHEREAS, a strong and adequately funded public health system is essential to protect the health, safety, and economic stability of Wisconsin residents and communities; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors supports continuing to build and retain public health infrastructure through increased and flexible funding; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such a funding model should: • Provide increased General Purpose Revenue (GPR) support for local health departments • Include automatic inflationary adjustments • Allow for flexible use of funds to meet local needs • Reduce reliance on short-term, restricted, and/or competitive grants BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Wisconsin recognizes public health as a core governmental function and prioritizes sustained investment to ensure consistent service delivery across all jurisdictions; and Page 62 of 71 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Sawyer County requests that the Wisconsin Counties Association advocates for policies that reduce the reliance on local property tax levy to fund foundational public health services; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Governor of Wisconsin, members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and all Wisconsin counties. Recommended for adoption by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on August 20, 2026, by this Sawyer County Health and Human Services Board on August 6, 2026. ________________________________________ ______________________________________ Kay Wilson, Chair Chuck Van Etten, Vice Chair ________________________________________ ______________________________________ Jeff Hoehne, Member John Minto, Member ________________________________________ ______________________________________ Jim Miller, Member Sabrina Dunlap, MD, Community Member ________________________________________ ______________________________________ Pam Mueller, Community Member Lorraine Gouge, Tribal Governing Board Representative ________________________________________ Vacant _____________________________________________________________________________________ This Resolution is hereby adopted by Sawyer County Board of Supervisors this 20th day of August, 2026. ________________________________________ ____________________________________ Ron Kinsley, Board Chair Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 63 of 71 Minutes of the August 10 , 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 Stacey Hessel Laura Bruce Ariga Grigoryan Jim Miller - Rhandi Ehn Steve Longtine Brian Priester Randy Neumann Chris Treland 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 – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: July 6, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. UW Extension Report – Ms. Baltrusis reported that their offices have moved out onto Highway 63. She played a short video on why Counties should invest in Extension, and spoke about a rural health grant they are looking into. As this is Sawyer County Fair week, she asked all to attend and show support. Ms. Grigoryan reported on the upcoming Clean Sweep happening on September 23rd at the fairgrounds. Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau Report—No report. SC Economic Development Corporation Report— Mr. Priester reported on the Census Tracts, upcoming launch of the new website, the Thrive Grant, and two upcoming small business grants. Trail Reports-- Motorized— Ms. Treland reported that local clubs are doing trail maintenance and guided trail rides. She stated that this has been a very successful summer for businesses and updated the committee on the trail counters. Non-Motorized trails— None. Board Appointed Committee Updates – No reports Correspondence, Reports from Conferences— None Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 8:57 am Page 64 of 71 Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Economic Development and UW-Extension Committee will be Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 8:30 am in the Board Room. Minutes recorded by Laura Bruce, Elected Official Deputy Clerk Page 65 of 71 Minutes of the Meeting of the August 13, 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 John Pinnow Brian Lehner- Virtual Marshal Savitski- Virtual Gary Elliot Randy Neumann John Righeimer Rose Lillyroot Atty. Roeker Stacey Hessel Mike Coleson 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: July 9, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Righeimer Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Review District 15 Supervisor Position: Discussion about District 15 Supervisor not attending County Board and committee meetings and his public resignation in the Sawyer County Record. Atty. Roeker recommended serving or sending a certified letter stating the circumstances and intent to proceed with removal and enclosing a letter of resignation that could be easily signed and returned. Supervisor Buckholtz offered to help if needed. Motion to either serve or send a certified letter to John Minto stating circumstances and intent to remove and include a letter of resignation for him to sign and return by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Righeimer Motion carried without negative vote. Atty. Roeker will draft a letter with the required elements. Appointments: The Chair has the authority to remove or appoint members to committees with confirmation by the County Board. A motion was made by Mr. Buckholtz, second John Righeimer to remove Supervisor Hessel from the Econ/UW Extension committee and appoint to Zoning Committee. Atty. Roeker advised removing a member from the Zoning Committee first due to statutory requirements specifying the number of members on that committee. Mr. Buckholtz amended his motion to: Remove Supervisor Minto from Zoning Committee, remove Supervisor Hessel from Econ/UW Extension Committee and Appoint her to Zoning Committee. Second by: Mr. Righeimer Motion carried without negative vote. Appoint Reone Gheen as Sawyer County Medical Examiner— Mr. Markgren recommended Reone Gheen for the open position of County Medical Examiner. Motion to appoint Reone Gheen as Medical Examiner by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Page 66 of 71 Motion carried without negative vote. Appointments and removals will go to full County Board for confirmation on August 20. Public Comment Policy— Mr. Kinsley stated that some board members have requested changes to the Public Comment policy. Atty. Roeker advised the committee that outside of public hearings, allowing public comment at board and committee meetings is not required and some counties do not allow any, while others have residency requirements and other limitations. Due process and other constitutional rights were reviewed, and there is no legal issue with requiring residency to participate in public meetings. Atty. Roeker reviewed the Board Policy & Procedure Manual and drafted revisions that would restrict public comment to residents only, and also added an accidentally deleted rule back to the document. The draft will be shared with all board members following this discussion, for consideration at the August 20 County Board meeting. A motion was made by Mr. Righeimer to amend the Board Policy Manual to add the requirement of residency to the public comment section. Second by: Ms. Hessel After discussion and clarification Mr. Righeimer amended the motion to: Amend the Board Policy Manual to add the requirement of residency to the public comment section and include Rule #10. Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. This will go to full County Board for consideration on August 20. County Clerk Report- Ms. Klein provided a written department report on July activity: 21 late dog licenses and 12 marriage licenses were issued. The towns did a great job with the August 11 election. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Election revenue will be decreased due to the municipal clerks doing their own elections. Otherwise, just normal increases for postage and publications. Veterans Service Office Report - Mr. Elliot updated his reporting format and presented a written report on July department activity: 524 phone calls, 1,163 letters/emails/faxes sent and 204 office visits. 129 disability claims have been filed to date with $601,153.23 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. Mr. Elliot received a Quilt of Valor at Honor the Earth Powwow, a high honor for his work helping Native Veterans. There will be a Sawyer County-LCO Veterans Fair at SevenWinds Casino on October 22. A citizen letter of gratitude was shared with the committee. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Normal increases. Veteran’s Tribute Update- Three bids were received for concrete flatwork: Mr. Markgren recommended Creative Concrete Concepts, who came in lowest at $58,000 with the added items of concrete benches and a base for the fountain included. Motion to approve the bid of $58,000 by Creative Concrete Concepts by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Righeimer Motion carried without negative vote. Page 67 of 71 Information Technology Department Report - Mr. Coleson provided a written IT report on ongoing IT projects. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Operations estimate is $6,000 lower than 2026. CIP requests for $230,000 include Cyber Security measures, replacing the phone system, and permit automation software. Human Resources Report - A written report was provided on staffing and recruiting for open positions within the county. Recruiting for the County Administrator position was discussed. A motion to recruit internally instead of using an outside firm was made by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Righeimer A proposal to recruit prospective County Administrator candidates from within Wisconsin and Minnesota was presented to the committee. The motion was amended to approve hiring internally and limiting the search for candidates to Wisconsin and Minnesota applicants by: Mr. Righeimer Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Motion carried without negative vote. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— 2027 budget is the same County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren reported on working with Brian Priester to apply for the Opportunity Zone designation, a report showing increased net new construction, Finance work on the 2027 Budget, a CIP request to fund 20% of a highway project that will allow the department to do the work internally and move toward breaking away from the state Actual Cost model which will increase Highway revenue in the long term, attending the Johnson Bank groundbreaking ceremony, and a five department move between the Courthouse and the Oasis building that will improve efficiency. Board Appointed Committee Updates – None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings– None Future Agenda Items- Veterans Tribute Update Adjournment – 11:08 am Next Meeting: September 10 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 68 of 71 1 County Administrator’s Report August 2026 Economic Development/Marketing Sawyer County Economic Development Executive Director Brian Priester submitted the Opportunity Zone application that I mentioned last month. Finance The 2027 budget is coming together. We have preliminary numbers for Net New Construction, looks like another record year, and County Valuation. We are meeting with department heads, working on piecing things together to make it work. Always a fun challenge this time of year. Connections I represented the County at the Johnson Bank groundbreaking on August 6th. Personnel Ms. Lyons had approached me about the possibility of moving the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) from the Oasis building back to HHS. UW-Ext had also expressed a desire for more space. We are in the middle of a move affecting five departments: UW-Ext has been moved to Oasis. Sanitation will be moved into the prior UW-Ext space. ADRC will move into Sanitation’s old space. Forestry will move out to Oasis. Medical Examiner has been split from Ambulance Director and will likely be placed in Forestry’s old space. Forestry and UW-Ext do not have a lot of walk-ins, so they made sense to move to Oasis. Public Safety Radio Network We had a Detail Design meeting on Friday, July 24th. All site signals will be safely above the terrain on the path profile. This gives us the most reliable signal possible. The Pipestone Tower will be utilized in place of the WOJB Radio Tower until the TGB decides whether to bring the current tower up to specifications or constructs a new tower in its place. Pipestone will be a good temporary solution. The only function that may not have 100% coverage is indoor talkback in some areas. CJCC The Committee heard a report from Justice Point. There are 101 active Pretrial clients, 10 Diversion clients, and 3 Treatment Court clients. A Federal Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grant of $740,000 was submitted for the Deflection program. There are no required matching funds. We likely will not hear about the award until after funding begins on September 1. The grant will then be either retroactive or begin at a later date. Five team members went to the Allrise training recently. A big takeaway is to focus on the goals of the participates of the program. Basic needs to be met prior to the participant to be able to focus on their goals. Part of that is to seek to have employment before graduating from the program. Weiss Library had 420 participants in the student summer reading program. Page 69 of 71 Minutes of the August 12, 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. Julia Lyons Liz Klein 2. Judge Elaine Smith- Excused Becky Barry 3. Dave Dixon Rebecca Moser 4. Mike Markgren Kristi Kare 5. Mike Woller- Excused (Deyo Alternate) Jess Bjork- Virtual 6. Lorraine Gouge- Absent 7. Doug Mrotek 8. Bruce Poquette 9. Katie Belanger- Virtual 10. Judge John Yackel- Absent 11. Marc Helwig 12. Judge Monica Isham 13. Marshal Savitski 14. Kathy McCoy 15. Bill Trepanier- Absent 16. Amanda Lokker- Excused Call to Order—Chair Lyons 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 – Table Truancy & Diversion Report to September Public Comments – None Minutes from the previous meeting dated: July 8, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Savistski Second by: Sheriff Mrotek Motion carried without negative vote. CJCC Executive Committee Report— No report Jail Report-- Chief Deyo reviewed a written jail report for July with arrest data by race and gender. There was an average of 69 inmates incarcerated with a 67% unemployment rate at the time of booking, 2 on electronic monitoring. Justice Point— Ms. Barry updated the committee on Justice Point. There were 101 active Pretrial clients, 10 Diversion clients, and 3 Treatment Court clients in July. Deflection outreach continues with community donations. National Night Out was well attended with over 200 contacts made; face painting and a coloring contest were popular activities to reach youth community members. The RCorps Grant application is still pending; if awarded, delivery of funds may be retroactive back to the intended start date of September 1st. The TAD Grant pre-application was submitted in June and still pending. Page 70 of 71 AllRISE Conference Recap- Five Court team members attended the conference in Nashville. Rebecca Moser reported on takeaways including the need to focus on client goals rather than sober days to keep them motivated and progressing, and the importance of meeting basic needs before a person can focus on sober goals. Food insecurity, housing and employment are common challenges seen in other areas like Community Health Improvement Plan, mental health, and Child Protective Services. HHS— Youth Justice—Sarah Incauskis resigned; Season Westphal is stepping in to supervise YJ and Melinda Hoyos is picking up the grant work for truancy and diversion so there will be no gap in services. Truancy & Diversion-Report was tabled to September. Behavioral Health- A written report was provided. Community Support & Mobile Crisis- A written report was provided. There has been an increase in mental health crisis calls. Public Health—A written report was provided. Community Services Updates- Dave Dixon/Timber Bay took 9 kids to Boundary Waters. Summer venture trips include a Sea Caves kayak trip, tubing, rock climbing, and a day on Round Lake with a camp fire. Timber Bay celebrates its 1 year anniversary on September 17. Donors who would like to sponsor the Sea Caves camping and kayak trip for $90 are needed; ten of 18 kids have been sponsored so far. Timber Bay needs 12 donors from the community to sponsor a month of expenses at $1,500, the average cost of operating the house. Ms. McCoy reported on summer activities for youth at the Weiss Library and an ALS Walk on August 22 at the First Lutheran Church at 9am. Lorraine Gouge came in at 12:24pm Ms. Gouge invited members to a Human Trafficking and Drug Event at Sevenwinds Casino on August 19 from 1-4pm. Jess Bjork invited members to the Walk for Tomorrow Suicide Prevention events which will be held on September 18 in Hayward and September 19 in Winter; proceeds from donations and t-shirt sales benefit LCO, Winter and Hayward school mental health programs. Outside Committee Reports – None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings – Ms. Lyons and Ms. Bjork attended the WI Substance Use Summit in Green Bay and will report out in September. Future Agenda Items – WI Substance Use Summit report out, Truancy & Diversion report, formalize designees for the Judges Meeting adjourned at 12:35 pm Next Meeting: September 9, 2026 Time: 12:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 71 of 71