Public Works Committee — Minutes

Minutes of the October 7, 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 Rick Schmidt- Virtual Randy Neumann Derek Leslie 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- Jim Strandlund, Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: September 9, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. Maintenance- A written report was provided on September maintenance projects. Sawyer County Airport Report- Mr. Leslie provided the September Airport report; the Airport has been active. No action by the state BOA regarding the Master Plan or Airport Layout Plan. The demand for hangars remains high. Aviation fuel prices are high. The Snow Removal Equipment may be partially delivered, the funding was awarded but delivery of the equipment has been held up due to the Buy American Act. Mr. Leslie will attend the WAMA conference at the end of October. Highway Department- A written report was provided on September Highway work: construction on CTH D and CTH FF is complete, mowing and culvert installations have been ongoing. As of Oct 1, Sawyer County has been taken off Actual Cost. Mr. Pinnow brought in $7.8M in funding for five bridge replacements including $3.5M for the roundabout at the intersection of CTH B and K. Alliance Comments- Don Mrotek, representing the Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance, requested the removal of time and seasonal restrictions on the LCO routes that recently opened and asked for assistance and participation with meetings with the Tribe. Issues of concern were discussed: tourism, business impact if no snow, signage, map accuracy, and law enforcement of the Tribal routes. Mr. Pinnow will order the signs. Letter from TGB— Mr. Kinsley read a letter from the Tribal Government stating they are opposed to changes to the routes. Mr. Kinsly, Mr. Helwig and Mr. Evans spoke regarding the Ad Hoc Committee’s work to get the routes opened and the need to respect the wishes of the Tribe, with a possibility of future dialog next spring. Resolution #2026-35 Amendment to Sawyer County Ordinance- ATV/UTV Routes-- Motion to Approve Resolution #2026-35 for consideration by County Board by: Mr. Van Etten Second by: Mr. Evans Motion carried without negative vote. Resolution #2026-36 Amendment to Sawyer County Ordinance- Consolidation of ATV/UTV Routes-- Motion to Approve Resolution #2026-36 for consideration by County Board by: Mr. Van Etten Second by: Mr. Helwig Motion carried without negative vote. Highway Facilities Update- Mr. Pinnow signed the consulting contract with Kueny and set up a meeting on October 12 at 10:00am starting in Radisson and moving to the Hayward Highway shop, to look at possible options for improvements or a new building. The Public Works Committee is invited to attend. Ad Hoc Committee—No update Board Appointed Committee Updates-- None Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings – None Future Agenda Items – Highway facility plans, Ad hoc committee update on tower, update on WAMA Conference Meeting adjourned at: 5:53 pm Next Meeting: November 4, 2026 Time: 5:00 pm Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, Sawyer County Clerk