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Iron County · Iron County · meeting of Jun 2, 2026 · Minutes
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Iron County Board of Health
Meeting Minutes
Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Time: 5:00pm
Place: Iron County Health Department, 210 5th Ave N., Hurley, WI 54534
1. The meeting was called to order at 5:02pm by Melissa Geach. Roll Call taken. Present: Dr.
James Rocco, Jamey Francis, Karen Lauer, Dr. Paul Hagemann, Zona Wick, Joe Pinardi, Larry
Youngs. Absent: None. Also Present: Melissa Geach, Jay Sween, Melissa Decarlo, Maria
Mackey, Denise Lotzer, Megan Moucha.
2. Melissa Geach acknowledged that the meeting was properly posted.
3. Dr. Paul Hagemann made a motion to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by
Karen Lauer. All ayes. Motion carried.
4. Call for nomination of Chairman. Jamey Francis nominated Karen Lauer. Call for
nominations 3 times. Joe Pinardi made a motion to close nominations and unanimously
appoint Karen Lauer to Board of Health Chair. Seconded by Dr. Roco. All ayes. Motion carried.
5. Call for nomination of Vice Chairman. Joe Pinardi nominated Jamey Francis. Call for
nominations 3 times. Joe Pinardi made a motion to close nominations and unanimously
appoint Jamey Francis Vice Chairman. Seconded by Dr. Roco. All ayes. Motion carried.
6. Jamey Francis made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from March 24, 2026 and
April 7, 2026, seconded by Dr. Paul Hagemann. All ayes. Motion carried.
7. Public Comment: Melissa Geach introduced the AHEC Intern Megan Moucha to the Board
of Health. Karen Lauer, Jamey Francis and the Board recognized Melissa Geach for completing
her master’s degree in public health.
8. Motion by Zona Wick to approve credit card bills (March-May), vouchers and checks from
March 18-May 26, 2026, seconded by Dr. Paul Hagemann. All ayes. Motion carried.
9. Discussed how the DATCP Agent Program is fee-supported, and the revenue collected
must directly fund the actual costs of inspections, licensing, and required state payments
rather than general county operations. Because these funds are tied to a specific regulatory
purpose, they must be tracked separately and carried over when unused, which a non-lapsing
account allows. We already have a non-lapsing account in place and will closely monitor
program expenses and revenue, especially with this year’s significant fee increase.
10. Discussed the longstanding issue that Birth to 3 service contracts have not received a rate
increase since 2013. The board unanimously supported raising reimbursement rates to align
with comparable provider rates across northern Wisconsin, recognizing that an adjustment is
necessary to stay competitive and ensure high-quality service delivery. The Birth to 3 program
currently contracts with five providers: one Physical Therapist, one Occupational Therapist,
two Speech-Language Pathologists, and one Early Childhood Educator.
11. Discussion related Human Health Hazards:
a. The Silver Street Motel passed pre-inspection and reopened under a new
owner/operator as of May 14, 2026.
b. Update regarding the sewage spill occurred at 2109 W Co Rd E due to a lift-pump
failure, with discharge reaching Weber Lake. DNR remains the agency responsible for
wastewater oversight and will continue enforcement as it deems necessary. The Health
Department will stay in communication with DNR and monitor for any potential public
health concerns.
12. The AODA Prevention Coalition, in partnership with Human Services and the Sheriff’s
Office, continues working to meet the objectives outlined in the Opioid Settlement Funds
Work Plan as well as Vital Strategies. This spring, the coalition also conducted a
comprehensive review of its mission, vision, and values, and engaged in in-depth discussions
about community needs, coalition capacity and structure, partnership development, and both
current and emerging prevention strategies and programming.
13. WALHDAB/Legislative Update
a. 2026 WALHDAB Annual Business Meeting held May 20th, no items to report.
b. National-level public health updates currently emphasize ongoing surveillance and
preparedness efforts for Ebola, Hantavirus, and Measles. Additionally, agencies are
keeping a close watch on the FY27 President’s Budget Request and its potential impact
on public health funding and priorities.
14. Health Officer Report
a. Reviewed the financial report; spending as of April 30, 2026 is at 29 percent of the
annual budget.
b. Received 25 free, discreet mail-in STD testing kits for distribution within the
community. These at-home kits will help improve access to confidential testing and
enhance our local STD surveillance efforts.
c. Site visit for the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grant conducted March 25,
2026 found that ICHD complies with all aspects of the contract and applicable federal
regulations and guidance, no areas of improvement indicated. Observation in the class
setting indicated no recommendations and stated “The session was a master class in
skillful, thoughtful, high quality facilitation”.
d. Iron County Aging Disability Resource Center and Iron County Health Department
collaboration accomplishments:
i. Health Department completed the aging friendly business certification.
ii. Continue to enroll residents in the county’s emergency notification program
via the Civic Plus Resident Portal with special consideration for those without
computers.
iii. Participating in the ADRC Community Connections Resource Carnival.
15. Karen Lauer adjourned the meeting at 6:00pm following completion of all agenda items.
Source: Iron County website. First collected Oct 11, 2026.