Administration Committee — Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the October 8, 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 Atty. Andy Phillips- Virtual Jeremy Marshall- Virtual Marshal Savitski Gary Elliott John Righeimer- Excused Rose Lillyroot Stacey Hessel Mike Coleson- Virtual John Pinnow- Virtual 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 Atty. Andy Phillips, Synthec Bond Issue Request— Atty. Phillips updated the committee on the status of the Synthec funding request; he is waiting for term sheets and definitive documents that guarantee zero risk to the county before proceeding. The timeline for BCPL and the Swiss Bank is to complete the process by early December. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: September 10, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Savitski Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. Minutes from the previous meeting dated: September 28, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Courthouse Recognition Wall- Discussion and general agreement to reserve the south wall of the new courthouse lobby for County government recognition; discussion to move historical County Board portraits from Assembly room to this hallway and start taking a group photo of the County Board again. Resolution #2026-____ Amending Board Policy & Procedures Manual- Rule 10 Motion to approve by: Ms. Hessel Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. County Clerk Report- Ms. Klein provided a written department report on September activity: 14 marriage licenses were issued, 8 plat books sold. A new report format includes the duties performed by the department daily and throughout the year. Ms. Klein reviewed the financial processes of the county clerk and treasurer’s offices in issuing, receiving and accounting funds. Veterans Service Office Report - Mr. Elliott updated the committee on September department activity: 585 phone calls, 1,202 letters/emails/faxes sent and 246 office visits. 163 disability claims have been filed to date with $750,473.98 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. There will be a Sawyer County-LCO Veterans Fair at SevenWinds Casino on October 22 with 42 vendors already signed up. The Wisconsin C/TVSO Fall Training Conference is October 12-16 in Waupaca County. Mr. Elliott provided the Fiscal Year 2025 annual report and a fact sheet summarizing 2025 VA funds paid to Sawyer County Veterans. The annual Veterans Commission Meeting is Monday, October 19 at 12:30 pm at the VSO on Hwy 63. Veteran’s Tribute Update- The concrete was poured, the fountain will be set this week and the materials for the walls will be delivered next week. County maintenance will install the walls and murals. The project is on track for a completion date and ribbon cutting ceremony on November 6, 2026. Information Technology Department Report - Mr. Coleson updated the committee on ongoing IT projects. Human Resources Report - A written report was provided on staffing and recruiting for open positions within the county. County Administrator’s Report— Mr. Markgren reported HLVCB tourism data showing $114M in taxable goods and services brought into the county by tourism in 2025. The 2027 Budget will be turned over to the Board at the Budget Hearing on Oct 15. Mr. Markgren attended the Lumber Exchange grand opening and the WCA conference, and reported that the radio towers are scheduled to be operational by the end of 2026. Board Appointed Committee Updates – None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings– Ms. Hessel attended the WCA conference and shared that Sawyer County is doing well, and reported that Mr. Markgren has been nominated by the Chamber for Administrator of the Year. Future Agenda Items- None Adjournment – 10:50 am Next Meeting: November 5, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk