County Board Minutes 01-26-2026

BUFFALO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JANUARY SESSION Monday, January 26, 2026, at 7:00 P.M. The Board met. Mr. Bork in the Chair. Meeting called to order at 7:07 p.m. Roll call was taken and all the members were present. Others present at the meeting: Mr. Lee Engfer, Ms. Lisa Schmitt, and Mr. Tom Webb with Congressman Derek Van Orden’s Office. Others who joined online were Ms. Julie Vollmer, Ms. Leslie Sendelbach, Ms. Tina Anibas, Mr. Gil Adams, and Brommerich News. 
 The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Public Comments Regarding Posted Agenda Items: None.   Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Previous Meeting Minutes: Mr. Stanton made a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, seconded by Mr. Taylor. Carried. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Ordinance #26-01-01 An Ordinance to Become Self-Organized: Mr. Engfer explained that Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) has been requesting that counties become self-organized for some time. For Buffalo County to be compliant in how we do business, we need to adopt this ordinance. A copy of the signed ordinance once passed will be sent to the Secretary of State for filing and acceptance. Ms. McMillan Urell spoke asking for changes to the General Provisions paragraph (1)(b) as follows: Strike the second sentence reading ‘Method for filling vacancies on the county board’, which is a duplicate of the first sentence and to have the last sentence, which currently reads ‘The appointment is subject to confirmation by the county board’, changed for clarity to read ‘If there are multiple candidates, all candidates shall be heard by the entire county board with recommendation for confirmation, with appointment being made by the County Board Chairperson’ as discussed at the recent Committee of the Board meeting. Ms. McMillan Urell made a motion to have the duplicated sentence stricken and the last sentence amended to read ‘If there are multiple candidates, all candidates shall be heard by the entire county board with recommendation for confirmation, with appointment being made by the County Board Chairperson’, seconded by Mr. Ruff. Carried. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Resolution #26-01-01 A Resolution for Agreement of Legal Services: Mr. Engfer reported that in September of 2025, Kostner, Koslo, & Brovold, of Arcadia, Wisconsin, were designated as Corporation Counsel for 2026. A contract needs to be finalized and is attached to this resolution for approval. Ms. McMillan Urell made a motion to approve the Corporation Counsel contract resolution as presented, seconded by Mr. Michaels. Discussion was held regarding the hourly rate. Carried. Review/Discussion/Action Regarding Resolution #26-01-02 A Resolution for Approval of Chief Elected Officials Consortium Agreement of the Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Area: Chair Bork explained that the consortium involves eight counties. There hasn’t been a new contract since 2015 so a new consortium contract is needed, and the by-laws need to be restructured. Wisconsin Counties Association has reviewed the contract. Questions were answered by Chair Bork and Mr. Engfer. The county’s liability for prior disallowed costs, which are currently being investigated, doesn’t go away even if we wouldn’t agree to the new contract. Mr. Ruff made a motion to approve the consortium agreement as presented, seconded by Mr. Stanton. Mr. Hadley was opposed. Carried. Chairperson’s Report: None. Committee Chair Reports: None. County Administrator’s Report: Mr. Engfer reported as follows: •A public information meeting will be held on January 29th in Mondovi to discuss the 2027 Highway 37 project which will include a complete shutdown of a portion of the highway. A meeting last week of local officials discussed the detour route and trying to eliminate the impact on local businesses and special events. •A public involvement meeting will be held on February 11th at C-FC Schools to discuss the County Road OO project. •Monday of last week was an all-staff training day. •The RFP for a new auditor is posted, and all department heads have been notified to get basic information ready for an audit. •A table-top exercise will be held tomorrow at the courthouse with various DHHS agencies and multiple counties. •Mr. Steve Wall, Emergency Management Director, has certification testing this week. •The Artificial Intelligence Summit that was attended by some employees at no charge now costs between $50-$100 per person to attend. •A neighboring county has been hit by a ransomware attack, and we are working with our IT company to make sure we are as protected as we possibly can be. Public Comments Unrelated to Agenda Items: None. Next Meeting Date and Time: The next meeting will be March 23, 2026, at 7:00 P.M. The Committee May Enter into Closed Session Pursuant to WI Stats. 19.85(1)(c): Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility. Mr. Hadley made a motion to enter closed session at 8:01 p.m., seconded by Ms. McDonough. Roll call vote – Mr. Weiss – yes, Mr. Nathan Nelson – yes, Mr. Hadley – yes, Mr. Stanton – yes, Mr. Steve Nelson – yes, Ms. McDonough – yes, Mr. Bruegger – yes, Mr. Lindstrom – yes, Mr. Bork – yes, Ms. McMillan Urell – yes, Mr. Ruff – yes, Mr. Michaels – yes, Mr. Taylor – yes, Mr. Sendelbach – yes. Carried. The Committee May Enter into Open Session: Ms. McMillan Urell made a motion to return to open session, seconded by Mr. Bruegger. Roll call vote – Ms. McDonough – yes, Mr. Lindstrom – yes, Mr. Ruff – yes, Mr. Weiss – yes, Mr. Bruegger – yes, Mr. Stanton – yes, Ms. McMillan Urell – yes, Mr. Steven Nelson – yes, Mr. Nathan Nelson – yes, Mr. Bork – yes, Mr. Michaels – yes, Mr. Sendelbach – yes, Mr. Hadley – yes, Mr. Taylor – yes. Carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Lisa Schmitt
 County Clerk