Finance Minutes 02-19-2026

BUFFALO COUNTY MINUTES Committee of the Board: Finance Committee Date of the Meeting: Thursday, February 19, 2026 Chair Dennis Bork called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m. Members Present: Mr. Dennis Bork, Mr. Brian Michaels, Mr. Steve Nelson and Mr. Max Weiss. Mr. William Bruegger was excused. Others Present for All or Parts of the Meeting: Mr. Lee Engfer, Ms. Lisa Schmitt, Mr. Steve Wall, Ms. Tina Anibas, and Ms. Julie Vollmer. Ms. Leslie Sendelbach, Ms. Ashley Knudston, Sheriff Osmond, and Deputy Sheriff Jake Laehn attended virtually. Public Comments Regarding Agenda Items: None. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding the Previous Meeting Minutes: Mr. Weiss made a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, seconded by Mr. Nelson. Carried. Review/Discussion Regarding Establishing Elected Official Wages for Sheriff, Clerk of Court, and Coroner: Sheriff Osmond spoke remotely regarding the proposed wages being presented for discussion today. He believes that he should be making the same or greater than what the Highway Commissioner receives and that other counties need to be looked at for comparisons. Mr. Engfer explained that the wages were developed using the same percentile-based methodology that was applied to all employee groups. The same 20 counties that are used for all employee wage studies were used for these proposed wages as well. Mr. Engfer reported on the proposed wages to be set for the years 2027-2030. This would provide a 22.36% increase for the Sheriff and 15.8% increase for the Clerk of Court over the four-year term. The difference between the two percentages was explained and this would bring both officials in line with the same percentile as other employees. Ms. Vollmer, Clerk of Court, spoke and gave an update on the Clerk of Court employees and work that has been done in the office. Mr. Bork stated that this information will be taken into consideration, as will what the Sheriff presented. The coroner position was also discussed, and the proposed wages were given to the committee for their information. The coroner per diem rate was also discussed and mileage is paid at the federal rate. For all three positions, the amounts are based off the last year of comparable, established information instead of future data so the wage comparisons for all employees stay consistent. These positions were not included in the wage study previously done because of the date that was completed. All employee salaries are now based off the same 20-county comparables and the same percentile. More information will be compiled, and the wages will be set at the March meeting. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Risk Management and Safety Update: Mr. Wall reported that since the near-miss form was introduced he has received several reports and this is helping mitigate problems. There was an incident in the Highway Department regarding a brushing operation where a 4-6-foot-long log was ejected from the machine and struck a car. A report was filed by State Patrol, and this was filed with insurance. He stated the situation was handled well by the employees. Grants for fiscal year 2025 totaling around $36,000 have been partially awarded, with some delayed until later this year. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Approval of Solid Waste Permits: Mr. Engfer explained that this is for the annual approval process for solid waste permits. Bob Fort/ Green Earth Recycling is currently in litigation for not applying for a permit in 2025. The following permits should be approved for these companies who are compliant: Wm. Miller Scrap, GFL Solid Waste, Hilltopper Refuse and Recycling, Johnson Roll-off, King Scrap, Toss and Go Roll-offs, Toy’s Scrap, Tri-City Sanitation, D & D Disposal/Wabasha Rubbish Removal, Waste Management/La Crosse, Jared Cyrus/Waste Transport. It is also recommended to approve the permit for Waste Management/Eau Claire pending payment being received soon as they stated a check was sent already. If not received, the permit can be suspended next month. A motion was made by Mr. Michaels to approve all solid waste permits listed above, excluding Bob Fort/Green Earth Recycling, seconded by Mr. Weiss. Carried. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Audit RFP Awarding: Mr. Engfer reported on the two audit firms who submitted RFPs. The companies are Baker Tilly and Clifton Larson Allen. The county has worked with Baker Tilly previously. Clifton Larson Allen (CLA) does work for 42 other counties and is familiar with Tyler Technologies. Both companies have offices in Eau Claire and are reputable companies. Discussion was held. Mr. Michaels made a motion to award the audit RFP to Clifton Larson Allen for a three-year contract, seconded by Mr. Weiss. Carried. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Monthly Vendor Invoices/Employment Payroll/Investment Report: Mr. Engfer answered questions regarding the reports. Mr. Weiss made a motion to approve the vouchers as presented, seconded by Mr. Nelson. Carried. Chairperson Report: Mr. Bork asked for a ground penetrating radar update for the roads. Mr. Engfer explained we have the data and our GIS employee has converted it. Mr. Engfer is in the process of getting a license to be able to view this. This information will be discussed with the Highway Department to be used with road bans. County Administrator Report: Mr. Engfer reported that maintenance has budgeted for heat replacement work on first floor and he has been in contact with contractors to have this work done in summer. A few areas in the annex lot are settling probably due to water main and piping issues. The City of Alma is aware of this, and it is being monitored. Sand has been placed in the low areas. There have been problems with Bank of Alma processing our payroll. There will be a meeting with another financial institution next week. Public Comments Unrelated to Agenda Items: None. Next Date and Time: The next regular meeting date will be March 19, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Adjournment: Mr. Weiss made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:10 a.m. Respectfully Submitted, Lisa Schmitt County Clerk