Economic Development & UW-Extension Committee — Agenda Packet

1 Sawyer County Economic Development & UW-Extension Committee Meeting Monday, April 6, 2026 @ 8:30 AM Sawyer County Assembly Room AGENDA 1. ZOOM LINK a. To view or participate in the virtual meeting from a computer, iPad, or Android device please go to https://zoom.us/j/97642007840. You can also use the dial in at 1-312-626-6799 with the Webinar ID: 976 4200 7840. Use *9 to Raise/lower hand and *6 to Unmute/mute. If you are on a computer, click the "Raise Hand" button and wait to be recognized. If you are on a telephone, dial *9 and wait to be recognized. If additional assistance is needed please contact the County Clerk's Office at 715- 634-4866 prior to the meeting. This meeting will be recorded and will be available on our website at: https://sawyercountygov.org. 2. CALL TO ORDER 3. ROLL CALL 4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 5. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW 6. MEETING AGENDA 7. PUBLIC COMMENTS At this time, members of the public will be given the opportunity to address the Board. Please adhere to the following when addressing the Board: • Comments will be limited to 3 minutes or less per individual. • Comments should be directed to the Board as a whole and not directed to individual Board members. • The Board cannot respond to your comments during this time. • Please sign in and fill out a public comment sheet if you wish to speak on an item. 8. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING a. Previous Meeting Minutes 9. LIBRARY UPDATES (JAN, APR, JUL, OCT) a. Weiss Library Report b. Winter Library Report Page 1 of 44 2 c. LCO Library Report 10. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EXTENSION REPORT (FEB, MAY, AUG, NOV) 11. HAYWARD LAKES VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU REPORT a. HLVCB Report 12. NORTHWEST REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT a. NWRPC Report 13. SC/LCO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REPORT a. EDC REPORT i) 1. Thrive Grant Application 2. Legislature Passes Key WEDA Priorities 3. Rural Peer Groups 4. Forestry Revitalization Bill Update 5. Sponsorship work 14. TRAIL REPORTS- MOTORIZED AND NON-MOTORIZED a. Motorized b. Non-motorized 15. BOARD APPOINTED COMMITTEE UPDATES 16. CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS 17. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 18. NEXT MEETING DATE /TIME: 19. ADJOURNMENT DISCLAIMER: A quorum of the County Board of Supervisors or of any of its committees may be present at this meeting to listen and observe. Neither the Board nor any of the committees have established attendance at this meeting as an official function of the Board or committee(s) or otherwise made a determination that attendance at the meeting is necessary to carry out the Board or committee’s function. The only purpose for other supervisors attending the meeting is to listen to the information presented. Neither the Board nor any committee (other than the committee providing this notice and agenda) will take any official action with Page 2 of 44 3 respect to this noticed meeting. Copy sent via email to: Committee Members, Associated Staff and News Media. Note: Any person wishing to attend whom, because of a disability, requires accommodation should call the Sawyer County Clerk’s Office (715.634.4866) at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made. Mission Statement: The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors will strive to provide excellent services and responsible leadership to protect and enhance Sawyer County citizens, businesses, and resources, while preserving our unique heritage. Page 3 of 44 Minutes of the March 9, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Economic Development and UW-Extension Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room; Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: Chair: John Righeimer- Excused Mike Markgren Lori Adria Vice Chair: Stacey Hessel Laura Bruce Tom Duffy Sheldon Johnson Steve Kariainen Mindy Simons Randy Neumann Ron Kinsley Call to Order – Ms. Hessel called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken. Quorum was met. Meeting Agenda -- Set Public Comments – None Minutes from the previous meeting dated: February 9, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Duffy Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. Library— None Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau Report— Ms. Simons reported on the current campaigns: Video Views and Demand Generation. She spoke about the upcoming spring campaigns and the hosting of the Governors Opener. Mr. Kinsley asked if the Governor would be traveling the roads of Southern Sawyer County. NWRPC Report— Mr. Johnson reported on the Water Resource Plan, Environmental services program and the Strategic Assessment. Mr. Duffy inquired on Federal Grant impacts. SC/LCO Economic Development Corporation Report— Ms. Hessel read a report from Mr. Lamoureaux which included a Thrive Grant update, a Lumber Exchange update and Forestry Revitalization update. Ms. Hessel stated this passed the House on February 17th and is is scheduled for March 17th in the Senate. Trail Reports-- Motorized—Mr. Neumann reported the trails have been officially closed as of March 6 th to both snowmobile and ATV/UTV use. He summarized the season ending local club events and fundraisers. Non-Motorized trails—Mr. Duffy reported on the recent Birkie. Board Appointed Committee Updates – No reports Correspondence, Reports from Conferences— None Page 4 of 44 Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 8:54 am Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Economic Development and UW-Extension Committee will be Monday, April 6, 2026 at 8:30 am in the Board Room. Minutes recorded by Laura Bruce, Elected Official Deputy Clerk Page 5 of 44 Wisconsin’s Digital Library and the Libby app Kanopy streaming video Creativebug arts & crafts instruction Transparent Language for 110+ languages Badgerlink educational databases Sign up for your library card today! Visit weisscommunitylibrary.org, click on the “Digital Library” menu, and select “Register for a Library Card.” DIGITAL SERVICES New Program Additions and Highlights of 2025 MOST BORROWED Children’s Books Adult Books & DVDs Inaugural year of “Celebrate Your Library” Monthly Craft & Conversation for Adults & Teens Split the TNT program into two programs: Tweens (age 9-13) and for Teens (age 13 - 18) Three Cairns built along the Library Trail, in partnership with CHARAC, Dragonfly Studio, Nature’s Designs & Timber Ridge Landscape and Design Fox & Beggar Theatre presented a play, “Tigre, Tigre”, on library grounds in partnership with CHARAC BINGO night on the 4 Tuesday of the month in partnership with JusticePoint th Entertainer, at Primary & Intermediate school informing students about the Library’s Summer Reading Program sponsored by a donor Staff were trained in Dementia, First Aid & ALICE New Memoir Writing group meets monthly New Logo for the library Weekly tech help from Northwest WI Workforce Investment Board Page 6 of 44 wi-ficonnections (for free) 61,711 library visits Physical items loaned 5,474 card holders P h y s i c a l i t e m s l o a n e d 107 children’s programs 3,824 total attendees 5,517 e-books e-audios 11,377 13,553 digital downloads 480 4,515 e-videos e-serials https://weisscommunitylibrary.com/ 715-634-2161 10788 State Hwy 27/77, PO Box 917 Hayward, WI 54843 268 total programs 6,248 total attendees 67,294 2025 ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library 97,219 PhysicalItemsChecked Out 166 Library Activities 15,233 Participants Physical & e-material ItemsChecked Out *69,193*69,193 * 1 2 , 5 0 3*12,503 * 1 1 , 6 6 2*11,662 * i i c c 2 c c 4 c c a a 9 a a*249 * 2 7 , 7 7 4 9 8*27,498 *96,691*96,691 * 2 3 0*230 * 1 5 , 4 5 3*15,453 * 6 , 1 5 9*6,159 * 2 4 5*245 * 4 , 6 7 8*4,678 *98*98 *2,661*2,661 * 5 , 0 9 8*5,098 * 5 8 , 5 6 0*58,560 29,925 Total e-materials * 3 , 0 8 4*3,084 *2024 Annual Report numbers *2024 Annual Report numbers Page 7 of 44 Hayward Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total Total 5,046 4,545 9,591 Ill 53 42 95 Total-ILL 4,993 4,503 9496 Adult 3422 3134 6556 Juv/YA 1624 1411 3035 Total eCirculation 2889 2396 5285 Hayward Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total Total 5,451 4,853 5,607 5,840 5,251 6,499 7,175 5,976 5,707 5,665 4,950 4320 67,294 Ill 67 41 36 62 61 57 70 89 63 108 43 55 752 Total-ILL 5,384 4,812 5,571 5,778 5,190 6,442 7,105 5,887 5,644 5,557 4,907 4265 66542 Adult 3568 3239 3772 3773 3397 3887 4338 4002 3838 3636 3135 2906 43491 Juv/YA 1883 1614 1835 2067 1854 2612 2837 1974 1869 2029 1815 1414 23803 Hayward Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total Total 5,493 5,369 5265 5587 5475 6331 7,212 6,634 5,794 5,969 5,301 4763 69,193 Ill 76 59 76 81 55 48 50 59 69 87 85 38 783 Total-ILL 5,417 5,310 5189 5506 5420 6283 7,162 6,575 5,725 5,882 5,216 4725 68410 Adult 3,513 3,556 3265 3694 3590 3974 4513 4214 3865 3995 3340 3260 44,779 Juv/YA 1,980 1,813 2000 1893 1885 2357 2699 2420 1929 1974 1961 1503 24414 Hayward Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total Total 5278 4635 5868 5323 5662 6072 6176 6258 5528 5587 5428 4799 66614 Ill 51 57 55 44 57 70 68 75 69 65 69 60 740 Total-ILL 5227 4578 583 5279 5605 6002 6108 6183 5459 5522 5359 4739 60644 Adult 3511 2988 3793 3361 3609 3882 3789 4116 3708 3521 3356 3145 42779 Juv/YA 1767 1647 2075 1962 2053 2190 2387 2142 1820 2066 2072 1654 23835 Hayward - 2026 Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total State eBooks 1148 878 2026 State Audiobooks 1271 1137 2408 State Magazines 470 381 851 Total eCirculation 2889 2396 5285 5285 Adv. eBooks 156 135 291 Adv. Audiobooks 197 190 387 New Users Added 14 14 28 Unique Users 530 520 1050 Hayward - 2025 Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total State eBooks 1043 940 1025 993 886 919 973 889 833 904 958 1012 10363 State Audiobooks 1102 1025 1139 1127 1149 1105 1074 1176 1197 1189 1168 1101 12451 State Magazines 407 425 401 330 352 324 298 408 377 394 368 430 4084 Total eCirculation 2552 2390 2565 2450 2387 2348 2345 2473 2407 2487 2494 2543 29441 29441 Adv. eBooks 117 105 133 140 150 154 147 145 149 149 147 143 1536 Adv. Audiobooks 166 150 152 158 157 164 184 178 203 193 191 178 1896 New Users Added 26 20 20 11 18 16 24 18 17 20 19 8 209 Unique Users 487 479 492 482 492 500 488 513 491 490 489 500 5403 Hayward - 2024 Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total State eBooks 1253 1098 1185 1056 1089 1012 1048 895 995 923 984 965 12503 State Audiobooks 945 871 969 1035 1033 1000 1060 951 986 1009 941 862 11662 State Magazines 305 290 327 177 266 207 236 169 233 237 304 333 3084 Total eCirculation 2503 2259 2481 2268 2388 2219 2344 2015 2214 2169 2229 2160 27249 27249 Adv. eBooks 89 101 114 106 105 109 96 106 123 104 124 112 1289 Adv. Audiobooks 140 133 139 176 163 157 181 163 166 158 163 165 1904 New Users Added 24 19 15 24 20 23 23 16 14 23 23 18 242 Unique Users 463 440 445 460 442 451 452 460 448 456 467 450 891 Hayward - 2023 Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total State eBooks 1135 992 1093 1003 940 959 969 1144 1033 1068 1021 1038 12395 State Audiobooks 1020 886 850 825 803 837 819 805 788 842 841 800 10116 State Magazines 100 98 92 104 71 91 92 82 158 274 294 368 1824 Total eCirculation 2255 1976 2035 1932 1814 1887 1880 2031 1979 2184 2156 2206 24335 24335 Adv. eBooks 124 89 93 82 91 90 90 77 84 93 96 97 1106 Adv. Audiobooks 108 85 111 103 113 124 155 129 131 148 138 132 1477 New Users Added 18 15 13 15 12 26 34 21 19 25 29 4697 4924 Unique Users 414 387 396 395 375 419 515 475 444 468 458 430 5176 2026 Patron Counts 2024 Circulation Statistics Circulation Statistics Circulation Statistics Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Statistics for 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 2026 Circulation Statistics 2025 Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Statistics for 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 Libby Statistics - E-Media 2026 2023 Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Statistics for 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 Libby Statistics - E-Media 2025 Libby Statistics - E-Media 2024 Libby Statistics - E-Media 2023 Page 8 of 44 2026 Patron Counts Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Hayward 5506 5551 2025 Patron Counts Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Hayward 5143 5176 5220 5260 5295 5341 5405 5439 5477 5517 5548 5474 2024 Patron Counts Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Hayward 4539 4585 4625 4662 4706 4787 4850 4925 4973 5027 5072 5098 2023 Patron Counts Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Hayward 4049 4076 4112 4110 4204 4275 4338 4424 4473 4523 4563 4505 Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Statistics for 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 Page 9 of 44 Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Statistics for 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 Page 10 of 44 Summary of Director’s Reports for County April 7, 2026 Fire Protection System – Hooper’s are scheduled to come in Tuesday, March 10 in the morning to fix the air-leak in the sprinkler system. Last week we did have an alarm go off “Test with Trouble Present” and I contacted Hooper. Everything is okay, but they will look at it in more detail when they fix the air- leak (Cost of the repair will be $607.) [Overall, they said the pipes look thick enough to last but do recommend that they test again in the fall of 2026. (They noted that the library’s system—installed about 20–25 years ago—will soon reach its expected lifespan.)] 2 Trails, 2 Hikers, 1 Fundraiser: Collin Tingo and Matt Ostrander will each be going on a hike and we will be getting pledges for each mile that they walk or a flat amount to help raise money for improvements to the Hayward Library and Nature Park by pledging a dollar amount per mile as local hikers Matt Ostrander and Colin Tingo take on hikes of the Ice Age and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails. All proceeds will go directly to support the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library. We couldn’t get a regular Running platform since I do not have any control of our account. We will be using the FOL platform “Give Butter” for any on-line donations for this fundraiser. We will also be collecting pledges the old-fashioned way. Please let me know if you would like a sheet where you could collect some pledges. We will have a send-off for them on April 2, 2026 @ 5:30 pm at The Whistle Punk in Stone Lake. Janet Wilson: Our long-time volunteer, Janet Wilson, passed on 2/25/26 at the age of 97. She has designated the library as one of two places where her memorials can go. I was able to attend her wake this past Saturday. Annual Report: Meeting room usage: A new set of questions will be introduced for the calendar year 2026. This workbook will be useful for understanding the new questions, defining meeting spaces, tracking annual use of meeting spaces, and preparing for submissions to the Annual Report. These questions will be optional for the 2026 Annual Report and required for 2027. I’ve been keeping track of our Study Room and Meeting Room Usage for nearly 2 years. Building Systems & Maintenance • Drinking Fountain: Still waiting to hear. Will contact them by the summer. One fountain was modified to reduce the spraying water however, it does need a part replaced; I’m waiting to hear back how much the part would be and how much both mouthpieces would cost to be replaced. There is no filter on the fountain. Page 11 of 44 • Men’s Restroom Urinals: Sent the bid to the newspaper. I will be a relative small ad with those interested going out to our website for the details. Realistically, the construction wouldn’t happen until the summer, but I would prefer the Fall. Funding: $21,500 • Icing on the Windows: I have not had time to investigate trying out a new window by the adult patio. Thoughts on this – perhaps I should see about getting a new door for the patio since that also ices over when the temperature drops. • Library Doors: Small note that the we will have to keep an eye on the men’s door because of the Central board oxidizing and the capacitor is going bad. Internet and Phone Updates • Norvado: switched or hooked up the fiber optics to the building recently. • New Phones: o I will address this issue in March/April 2026. o Internet will remain separate. o New phones are recommended. We are still having some difficulty with patrons leaving messages. o After plan adjustments, the monthly cost is projected at ~$180 (down from $235). Our current plan is $150 per month. I will be meeting with them again Wednesday, Oct. 15, for further details. o I’ll confirm TTY accessibility options with Norvado. Programs and Events • Kindergarten Visits: We will be having all the Kindergarten classes from the Hayward School tour the library in late May. • Norther Waters Environmental School: They have received a grant to set up weather stations and the library is one of the sites for a weather station. I will also ask them to help with clean-up along the trail for late April or beginning of May. • Celebrate the Library: June 13, 2025. Next meeting is April 20 at 4:30 pm. Need someone to step up to be “co-captains” for different activities during the day. • Bridge & Pier Project: Donor gave us $13,000 (latest estimate on the work is $12,980) with $11,000 to be going toward the bridge and pier and the remainder was to be going toward a children’s program. I am in the process of applying for the LP Grant. Waiting for snow to be gone to schedule maintenance. Page 12 of 44 Facilities and Safety • Inventory Closure: Library closed March 18–21, 2026 for inventory which we do every 5 years. Inventory (scanning) the books went well along with “Shelf-reading” over those days. Currently cleaning up and the system information with the inventoried items. • Re-organization of Library: As part of the inventory process, we will be reorganizing parts of the library. The WI section will be narrowed down to just “history” and be moved away from the window where the sunlight is damaging the books. In its place we will place the audiobooks. The WI books will go next to the Ojibwe section. • “Dementia” Friendly books and things: Taking a look at our patrons and speaking with ADRC as to how many of them have some difficulty with memory issues, we will be organizing a new section with books that cater to decreasing memory issues. I will be looking for grant(s) to finance the initial purchase of books and things. We have already started purchasing some puzzles and we have the memory kits from a few years ago. • Syringe found: Monday, March 9, 2026, a patron found a syringe near the Linda Graham statues. I called the Hayward Police, and they came and picked it up and they believe that it was used for drugs. There is no way to tell when the syringe was placed there (before snow fell or recently). The officer will talk to his superiors and see about getting at minimum officers to patrol the area more frequently and about the possibility of a trail cam(s) being placed on our property to see what is going on. • A number of outdoor lights don’t work and will have to be addressed with the warm weather. Staffing • Betty has turned in her resignation letter. She is hoping to retire at the end of April, but willing to continue if we have not found anyone. First week in March I will be having a meeting with NWLS about the duties of Cataloguer and how to best write the ad for the job and the job description, since many changes have happened with that position since Betty started. I will be looking to rewriting her job description so that we can offer the job to a much broader audience, before I put the job opening. This may involve changing our some of the other staff’s responsibilities. I have already expanded the roles of the staff so that they are responsible for more “programming” . • Director Education: Started the Collection Development Class on Feb. 2. Upon completion of the class I will have a new Collection development policy for the board to review. Patron Use & Feedback The library continues to receive positive comments from visitors, including travelers and out-of- town guests. For February we collected patron’s I Love My Library stories. We had 63 entries over the last three years (2024, 2025, & 2026)! Let me know if you would like a copy. Page 13 of 44 Computers/Study Pods/Donations • Unfortunately, we did not receive the grant from First Lutheran Church like we did last year. I will try again. • A Vietnam Veterans organization donated money for a camera for the side staff door. Some funds from the FOL will also be used for the purchase and the installation from CCS. Estimated cost will be just under $1000 ($300 from the Vietnam Vets and the remainder from donations that were given to FOL.) • Turned in the Huelsmann Grant application and waiting to hear from them. Heard from one of the Trustees indicating that we should be receiving the grant although I have not had any official word, yet. We should get the official word from them in two weeks. This grant is for the purchase and installation of 3 study pods. • With a donation intended for the “staff” , we purchased three standing mats for the staff and chairs for the staff and a few for the public. The old chairs would sink when you sat in them. We will try to sell some at the CYL rummage sale and donate to resale places. Press & Public Relations • I’ll be scheduled to speak on the following 2 radio stations on a monthly basis: WOJB, & WRLS. • Library Merchandise is selling well. Please put in your orders by March 31. We will sell them again at the beginning of June. Summer Reading 2026 Theme: “Unearth a Story. ” • Children: Dinosaur and discovery theme. Partnering with Cable natural History Museum, 4-H and more. • Teens & Adults: Humanities, sciences, anthropology, and personal discovery. Madelline Marshall will do a presentation at the end of July. Looking ahead • I asked Marketplace to have us as their June business for the Round Up campaign. • Next month we’ll be working on a policy a month to update that handbook, including a policy/procedure for the donation checking account. • I will be evaluating the staff and have them completed by the end of March 2026. Page 14 of 44 2025 Improvement Projects at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Project Date Cost Status Replaced 3 Book Carts Winter 2025 $1,548.18 Total Amount Donated - $1,548.18 Duct Work Cleaned Spring 2025 $2898.00 Carpets & Furniture Cleaned Spring 2025 $1750.05 Completed by Servpro Needs to be done yearly in Fall. Donor - $1300 Replaced Air Conditioner July 2025 $6576.88 Replaced 3 public computers with new and replaced 10 staff computers with refurbished ones Summer 2025 $6,426.30 $5,500 in Donations 15 yr old Disc Cleaner repaired Summer 2025 $434.00 $434.00 in Donations Repaired Air Conditioner August 2025 $554.18 Men’s 2 Urinals Fixed Fall 2025 $952.54 4 Hydraulic Door Mechanisms Replaced Fall 2025 $2740.00 Hydraulic Door in Children’s room – waiting for parts Button on Handicapped Door repaired Fall 2025 $300.00 Maintenance on Handicap Doors November 2025 $400.00 Women’s restroom controls need to be replaced 5-year Inspection on Fire Sprinklers December 2025 $1100.00 Needs repair done. “Air” portion has hole/leak. Waiting for estimate. System nearing life of 20 to 25 years. Total Completed 2025 $25,680.13 $8782.18 in Donations Page 15 of 44 2026 & Future Improvement Projects at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Rank Project Date Cost Status 1 Hydraulic Door to Children’s room Winter 2026 $300 Completed 2 Repairs to Fire Sprinkler System Winter 2026 $607 Completed 3 Women’s Restroom door Winter 2026 $2973 Completed 4 Bridge & Pier need to be maintained Spring 2026 $13,000 Delayed while looking for funding. Donor came up with money needed. 5 Repair & Maintenance of Arbor & Planters Spring 2026 $300 Volunteers to do project. Donor for sealer. 6 Men’s Restrooms Spring 2026? $35,000 Need to put out for bids. 7 Window Sill Replacement Fall 2026? Unknown Waiting for estimate 8 Fall Test of Sprinkler System September 2026 Unknown System is nearing “End of Life” 9 Expansion crack repair $700 10 Perimeter Crack Repair $2200 11 Women’s Bathroom $4000 Stall partitions for ADA compliance 12 Men’s Bathroom Door $3,000 13 Adult Room Carpeting - original $39,000 Price does not include movers for shelving. 14 Children’s Room Carpeting - original Est. $39,000 Estimated amount and does not include movers for shelving To Be Completed $140,080 + $13,000 in Donations Page 16 of 44 Fundraising at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Fundraising Directly by Library Grant Applications – We will apply when they come to our notice Round up at Marketplace - June Celebrate your Library - June 13, 2026, 9 am – 2 pm Purchase of Library Logo Clothing/Merchandise by Public (Through Friends of the Library) Pledges & Donations from 2 Hikers, 2 Trails, 1 Fundraiser Donations Received $1,000 from Sevenwinds Casino Received $1,000 from Town of Lenroot Carnegie Corporation of New York Grant - $10,000 for bathroom repairs Huelsmann Grant - Applied to purchase 3 Study Booths. Should hear back mid-April. Friends of the Library will be increasing their fundraising efforts including selling used books in the library. Possibilities include selling at Lynne’s Meats, Bingo at Schoolhouse wines. Hayward Library Foundation will continue its fundraising efforts. Page 17 of 44 Recent additions to programs at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Click & Learn - Wednesdays 10:30 am – 3 pm returns: Public can come in for any assistance for computers, phones, iPads, etc. Partnered with Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board Gentle Exercise – Mondays 11 am – Noon: Gentle chair exercises from YouTube. Partnering with Outdoor Ventures and open to public. Bingo & B’Longing - 4th Tuesday of the month 6 – 7 pm: Bingo is free with prizes being given away. Partnership with Justice Point. Memoir Writing: First Monday of the month 1 – 3 pm. Free prompting and encouragement of writing your won personal memoirs. Partnership with Paul Mitchell & Donna Nickel. Caregiver Movies – Once a Quarter on the 3rd or 4th Thursday of the Month at @2:30 pm. First Movie January 22 – “Away from Her”. Partnership with Sawyer County ADRC and Tribal DRC. Sawyer County Literacy February Laptop Distribution event – Feb/March – Partnership with Sawyer County Literacy. May have more events. ABC’s & D’s of Medicare – Monthly at 10 am and 5:30 or 6:00 pm. Partnership with Margaret Winter from Medi Quest. School Visits – Hayward 6th graders, Kindergarteners (May), Northern Lights Christian Academy (April), New Logo from Studio North Page 18 of 44 2025 Improvement Projects at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Project Date Cost Status Replaced 3 Book Carts Winter 2025 $1,548.18 Total Amount Donated - $1,548.18 Duct Work Cleaned Spring 2025 $2898.00 Carpets & Furniture Cleaned Spring 2025 $1750.05 Completed by Servpro Needs to be done yearly in Fall. Donor - $1300 Replaced Air Conditioner July 2025 $6576.88 Replaced 3 public computers with new and replaced 10 staff computers with refurbished ones Summer 2025 $6,426.30 $5,500 in Donations 15 yr old Disc Cleaner repaired Summer 2025 $434.00 $434.00 in Donations Repaired Air Conditioner August 2025 $554.18 Men’s 2 Urinals Fixed Fall 2025 $952.54 4 Hydraulic Door Mechanisms Replaced Fall 2025 $2740.00 Hydraulic Door in Children’s room – waiting for parts Button on Handicapped Door repaired Fall 2025 $300.00 Maintenance on Handicap Doors November 2025 $400.00 Women’s restroom controls need to be replaced 5-year Inspection on Fire Sprinklers December 2025 $1100.00 Needs repair done. “Air” portion has hole/leak. Waiting for estimate. System nearing life of 20 to 25 years. Total Completed 2025 $25,680.13 $8782.18 in Donations Page 19 of 44 2026 & Future Improvement Projects at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Rank Project Date Cost Status 1 Hydraulic Door to Children’s room Winter 2026 $300 Completed 2 Repairs to Fire Sprinkler System Winter 2026 $607 Completed 3 Women’s Restroom door Winter 2026 $2973 Completed 4 Bridge & Pier need to be maintained Spring 2026 $13,000 Delayed while looking for funding. Donor came up with money needed. 5 Repair & Maintenance of Arbor & Planters Spring 2026 $300 Volunteers to do project. Donor for sealer. 6 Men’s Restrooms Spring 2026? $35,000 Need to put out for bids. 7 Window Sill Replacement Fall 2026? Unknown Waiting for estimate 8 Fall Test of Sprinkler System September 2026 Unknown System is nearing “End of Life” 9 Expansion crack repair $700 10 Perimeter Crack Repair $2200 11 Women’s Bathroom $4000 Stall partitions for ADA compliance 12 Men’s Bathroom Door $3,000 13 Adult Room Carpeting - original $39,000 Price does not include movers for shelving. 14 Children’s Room Carpeting - original Est. $39,000 Estimated amount and does not include movers for shelving To Be Completed $140,080 + $13,000 in Donations Page 20 of 44 Fundraising at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Fundraising Directly by Library Grant Applications – We will apply when they come to our notice Round up at Marketplace - June Celebrate your Library - June 13, 2026, 9 am – 2 pm Purchase of Library Logo Clothing/Merchandise by Public (Through Friends of the Library) Pledges & Donations from 2 Hikers, 2 Trails, 1 Fundraiser Donations Received $1,000 from Sevenwinds Casino Received $1,000 from Town of Lenroot Carnegie Corporation of New York Grant - $10,000 for bathroom repairs Huelsmann Grant - Applied to purchase 3 Study Booths. Should hear back mid-April. Friends of the Library will be increasing their fundraising efforts including selling used books in the library. Possibilities include selling at Lynne’s Meats, Bingo at Schoolhouse wines. Hayward Library Foundation will continue its fundraising efforts. Page 21 of 44 Recent additions to programs at the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library Click & Learn - Wednesdays 10:30 am – 3 pm returns: Public can come in for any assistance for computers, phones, iPads, etc. Partnered with Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board Gentle Exercise – Mondays 11 am – Noon: Gentle chair exercises from YouTube. Partnering with Outdoor Ventures and open to public. Bingo & B’Longing - 4th Tuesday of the month 6 – 7 pm: Bingo is free with prizes being given away. Partnership with Justice Point. Memoir Writing: First Monday of the month 1 – 3 pm. Free prompting and encouragement of writing your won personal memoirs. Partnership with Paul Mitchell & Donna Nickel. Caregiver Movies – Once a Quarter on the 3rd or 4th Thursday of the Month at @2:30 pm. First Movie January 22 – “Away from Her”. Partnership with Sawyer County ADRC and Tribal DRC. Sawyer County Literacy February Laptop Distribution event – Feb/March – Partnership with Sawyer County Literacy. May have more events. ABC’s & D’s of Medicare – Monthly at 10 am and 5:30 or 6:00 pm. Partnership with Margaret Winter from Medi Quest. School Visits – Hayward 6th graders, Kindergarteners (May), Northern Lights Christian Academy (April), New Logo from Studio North Page 22 of 44 S A W H a y w a r d T o w n 2 1 . 1 % S A W * B a s s L a k e T o w n * 1 2 . 1 % S A W L e n r o o t 1 1 . 6 % S A W * H a y w a r d C i t y * 1 1 . 5 % O t h e r 8 . 2 % S A W S a n d L a k e T o w n 5 . 5 % S A W R o u n d L a k e T o w n 5 . 4 % B A Y B a r n e s T o w n 2 . 8 % W A S S t o n e L a k e T o w n 2 . 4 % W A S M i n o n g 1 . 9 % W A S B a s s L a k e 1 . 4 % W A S M i n o n g V i l l a g e 1 . 2 % S A W S p i d e r L a k e T o w n 5 . 9 % S h e r m a n & R u t h W e i s s C o m m u n i t y L i b r a r y C I R C U L A T I O N A C T I V I T Y b y S T A T G R O U P J A N - D E C . 2 0 2 5 Page 23 of 44 Page 24 of 44 Page 25 of 44 Page 26 of 44 Page 27 of 44 Page 28 of 44 Page 29 of 44 Page 30 of 44 Page 31 of 44 Page 32 of 44 Page 33 of 44 Page 34 of 44 Page 35 of 44 WINTER PUBLIC LIBRARY 2026 Activities Report 1st Quarter By Donna Knuckey winter.wislib@gmail.com Mission Statement: The mission of the Winter Public Library is to provide quality materials and services which fulfill the education, information, cultural and recreational needs of the entire community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful and businesslike. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2026 Budget Projections We started 2026 with carryover from 2025; however, some of those funds are earmarked for specific expenditures: ● Book Giving Tree ● Capital expenditure projects carried over to 2026 ● Basement restoration lien ($6,000) ○ In 2022, the amount owed was $25,830.20. Since then $14,499.20 in payments have been made with a remaining balance of $11,331.00. Funds for this expenditure are fully raised through fundraising efforts. In accordance with State Statues which are reflected in the Winter PL Financial policy, the Board of Trustees transferred the non-interest bearing checking account to a Money Market account that allows unlimited withdrawals/deposits using checks. Currently we are on target fiscally with revenues/expenditures compared to previous fiscal years. Friends of the Library Friends of the Library assists in fundraising efforts and also volunteers at library events. FOL met in March and planned the 2026 fundraisers: ● Book Sale-January, May, August ● 50/50 cash raffle ($4,000) ● July Jubilee 2 mile Color Run and 10K Race ● Sell glow items on July 4th ● Pop up raffle mid summer ● Canoe Races–kids games and raffles in August ● Duck Race down Chippewa River-Labor Day weekend ● Homespun Holiday Baskets and Cash Raffle in November Page 36 of 44 StrongBodies facilitated by UW–Madison Division of Extension FoodWise StrongBodies for Seniors strength training program continued throughout the year for area counties. The library provides a space for the participants to attend the program virtually each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Lego Club Meets the second Thursday each month at 6:00 p.m. Lego Club begins with individual lego challenges and ends the evening with a team challenge. These sessions are all STEM focused to enhance learning with LEGOS concepts. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten (Ongoing/Independent Activity) The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is a free, nationwide early literacy challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their children before they start school. How the Program Works The challenge is designed to be simple and flexible for families: ● Target Audience: Children from birth until they enter kindergarten. ● What Counts: Any book counts—including repeats (reading the same book 10 times counts as 10 books), audiobooks, and books read at library storytimes or daycare. ● Tracking: You can track progress using paper logs, spiral notebooks, or the official 1000 Books Before Kindergarten App. ● Milestones & Prizes: Winter PL offers small rewards like stickers, badges, or certificates for every 100 books read, with a special prize ( backpack and free book) upon completion. Why it Matters Early reading is one of the strongest predictors of future academic success. It helps: ● Build a robust vocabulary and language skills. ● Strengthen the bond between caregiver and child. ● Foster a lifelong love of reading and learning. On-Site Youth Programming We offered a Birth to 4K storytime on the first and third Tuesday mornings. Parents and children are welcome to attend this hands-on learning session. Story Hour sessions include books, songs, and connection time between the families. Fiber Arts Mini-series Retired K-12 art teacher Ms. Joy visited the library to share her passion for weaving and loom arts with local youth. Over the course of a three-week workshop, seven participants learned the craft while creating their own handmade scarves and belts. Page 37 of 44 “Work” Afterschool Clubs The library has strong connections with the Winter School District. Each Thursday afternoon, a class from the afterschool program walks to the library to attend an hour of programming. The program includes books, games, crafts, etc. Jigsaw Puzzle Challenges Throughout the first quarter of 2026, the library hosted a monthly Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge. Each event featured four teams of four competing for gift cards from local businesses. These challenges have become a community favorite, offering a lively atmosphere filled with food, laughter, and a growing audience of spectators. Beginner Ukulele Lessons Ukulele instruction has successfully continued into 2026. A dedicated group of learners meets twice a month to refine their techniques and practice their repertoire together under the direction of community volunteer, Linda Olson. Race to 100 Winter School Kindergarten and LCO First Grade visit the library for story and craft activities. Then track their reading progress towards their goal of reading 100 books independently by the end of the school year. Each student that reaches that goal receives a certificate of completion and a free book. This program continues until the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Leprechaun Traps Our March Leprechaun Trap Challenge invited kids to build their own lucky contraptions. Participants used a variety of craft supplies and recycled goods to create unique traps, learning about structural design and problem-solving in the process. Community members are then encouraged to vote on their favorite Leprechaun Trap. V oting could be done online or in person. Each participant receives a free book and a special treat from the Leprechaun. In addition to the book and treat, the winner receives a goodie bag an bragging rights. Digital Navigator Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board provides CLICK and learn sessions at the library. Once a month the community members can receive technology assistance with a digital navigator. This service is provided free to the library and is funded by a grant provided to the Workforce Investment Board. Page 38 of 44 Circulation Statistics Circulation Report 2025 Winter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total 569 580 566 638 587 492 713 742 828 753 945 510 ILL 8 13 8 8 7 3 5 4 6 5 7 3 Total-ILL 561 567 558 630 580 489 708 738 822 748 638 507 Total Circulation as of 12/31/2025 =7,623 Circulation Report 2026 Winter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total 556 494 ILL 4 3 Total-ILL 552 491 Total Circulation as of 3/25/2026 =1,050 Libby Statistics-E-Media-2025 Winter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. July Aug. Sept Oct. Nov Dec State eBooks 158 160 179 158 129 141 140 152 122 122 134 156 State Audiobooks 127 130 153 98 102 109 126 113 90 121 90 114 State Magazines 51 29 27 27 45 33 50 41 53 52 27 36 Total eCirculation 336 319 359 283 276 283 316 306 265 295 251 306 Adv. eBooks 18 22 21 22 20 16 18 23 13 15 24 26 Adv. Audiobooks 20 16 24 12 16 11 22 31 25 16 12 17 New Users Added 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 Unique Users 52 53 56 52 53 52 51 58 52 53 60 60 Page 39 of 44 Libby Statistics-E-Media-2026 Winter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. July Aug. Sept Oct. Nov Dec State eBooks 171 136 State Audiobooks 137 109 State Magazines 49 28 Total eCirculation 357 273 Adv. eBooks 20 11 Adv. Audiobooks 25 26 New Users Added 1 1 Unique Users 62 58 Page 40 of 44 5 W I N T E R P U B L I C L I B R A R Y 2025 Annual Report Stats (2024 Stats in parenthesis) Open Hours per Week Labor Day -Memorial Day: 41 hours Memoriral Day-Laborday: 47 hours Open 2,204 hours/year Part-time Library Director 2 part-time staff Physical items Circulated 7,623 (9,341) Digital items borrowed 3,647 (3,803) Total Items Borrowed 11,270 (13,144) Items in the collection 10,144 (9,943) Visitors to the library 8,378(8,456) Library Programs 275 (141) People attending the programs 3,937 (3,015) Card holders 693 (664) Interlibrary Loan items: going out- 2,126 (2,219) coming in- 2,281 (2,396) WiFi Sessions 3,245 (6,660) Page 41 of 44 Econ Report Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Ojibwe University Community Library This report is being written to introduce the LCO Library to the Sawyer County Board. The library was established as a public library in 1992. It is located on the LCO Ojibwe University campus and serves as both an academic and a public library along with providing archival functions. It is a member of the Northern Waters Library Network and is open to everyone. Its resources are shared among the network and Wisconsin libraries. The LCO University serves as the primary funding source along with federal grants. Funding for non-resident circulations are obtained through Wisconsin Statue 43.12. The current facility was dedicated in June of 2007. It is a beautiful 9300 square foot facility which features culturally appropriate colors, floral designs, a “stylized” wigwam with a fireplace, and community artwork. The collection consists of 34,000 books and substantial collections of large print books, DVDs, audio books, microfilms, photographs, and community newspapers. Historical LCO newspapers have been digitized by library staff and are available on the library web site. The library has extensive Native collections and a well-stocked children’s library. Visitors are welcome to use the two meeting rooms. An additional source of funding is through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Native American Library Service Grants. Currently, the library has both the Basic Grant ($10,00) which is providing funding for collection development and the summer reading program for children in grades 1-5. The two-year Enhancement Grant ($144,000) has just begun and is being used for community programming; the development of a digitization center for library visitors; and the promotion of Ojibwe resources. Area schools and the Hayward Library staff members have been offered a list of titles and asked to select several for their library collections. These books are being purchased through this project. Page 42 of 44 April HLVCB Marketing Report WICGOT Recap: • March 15-18 the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism was held in Milwaukee, WI. This annual conference brings together a variety of tourism leaders from across the state. Not only is it a time for learning and exploring new industry trends, but it also offers an opportunity to network with peers from other Wisconsin destinations. • The meeting kicked off with a tremendous keynote speech by former Google executive, Jenny Wood. Her talk was on transformational leadership and having what she describes as “wild courage.” Her personal story was fascinating and her approach to leadership was simple, yet eye- opening. At its core, the idea is to push past the fear of discomfort, failure, and judgment of others to embrace your boldest self in pursuit of what you want. • There were two afternoons dedicated to Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) roundtables, where topics ranged from Diversifying your Tourism Economy to Leveraging Outdoor Recreation Assets, and a variety of other topics. • Longwoods International, a leader in travel and tourism research along with Arrivalist, a company that provides measurements and travel analytics; gave a presentation around tourism trends. Many of these may seem obvious, but it was nice to see data backing up theories. Some of the biggest upcoming trends that will need to be considered as we move forward with marketing/promotional messaging: o How to capture share of voice in the crowded Chicago media market. (Chicago still leads the way in WI travel market share vs neighboring states) o Budget-friendly travel o How to market to the aging baby boom population in both messaging and destination offerings Page 43 of 44 • A/I was the other big focus at this year’s conference. It is incredible to learn how fast this technology is changing the landscape of travel planning and even what we look to as measures of success in marketing. o For example, I just reported to you on our SEO and how that relates to the success of the Hayward Lakes website. Now, with A/I, we need to start looking at GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) which is the process of optimizing content to be cited and recommended by A/I powered search tools like Chat GPT. o There were some great, practical examples of how to get started with this, mainly centered around consumer behavior and really understanding our visitor. Understanding who our audience is and how they search for vacation planning will pave the way for how our marketing shits in the future. o It is a bit daunting how fast the technology is moving, but the destinations who embrace how to work with it and best position themselves will be the destinations that stand out. The conference had a record-number of awards nominees this year, so the competition was stiff. Neither Cheryl Treland nor I won in our respective categories, but it was an honor to be recognized during the nominee breakfast. Page 44 of 44