Administration Committee — Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the February 12, 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 Tom Duffy- Absent Gary Elliot John Righeimer Mike Coleson Stacey Hessel Call to Order –Chair Ron 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 – None Minutes from the previous meeting dated: January 8, 2026 Motion to approve by: Mr. Righeimer Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Motion carried without negative vote. County Clerk Report- Ms. Klein provided a written department report. The department updated the Notary policy, created a Senior Resource bulletin board and is updating elections documents and procedures. Valentines for Veterans and Meals on Wheels were collected in the Clerk’s office. The ballots for the April 7 election shipped today. Ms. Klein is attending the WCCO conference and a PIO training course in March. Veterans Service Office Report - Mr. Elliot provided a written report of January department activity: 594 phone calls, 1081 letters/emails/faxes sent and 168 office visits. VSO contacts have been steadily increasing. 18 disability claims were filed in January with $54,234.17 awarded in Veterans’ favor. The department is co-hosting counseling sessions at La Crosse Vet Center, hosting Coffee & Conversation, and hosting a Northern WI Tribal VSO training for 20 counties. The social media report was provided. The VSO will be delivering Valentines for Veterans again this year. Veteran’s Tribute Update- The environmental results came back clean on the building site. Mr. Markgren provided a timeline for next steps: purchase, demo, design and bid packages, with a proposed build starting in June and completed by Veterans Day. Motion to move the Veterans Tribute forward with purchase, as presented by Mr. Markgren, with contingency of a fuel oil tank being removed by owner by: Stacey Hessel Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Motion carried without negative vote. Information Technology Department Report - Mr. Coleson provided a written IT report on ongoing IT projects. Human Resources Report - A written report was provided on staffing and recruiting for open positions within the county. Namekagon Transit Garage- Transit received a grant to build a garage at their site, which is located on County Property. Discussion included concerns about the placement interfering with Fair parking, and the County paying insurance on the building. These issues will be addressed by Mr. Markgren prior to the County Board decision. Motion to approve for forwarding to County Board by: Mr. Buckholtz Second by: Ms. Hessel Motion carried without negative vote. County Administrator Report— Mr. Markgren updated the committee on the staff survey responses for the Wellness Day, work with Adam Lamoreaux on a grant that did not have enough local participation to apply for, closing out 2025 financials, and monthly meetings for the radio tower project. He reported progress on the WOJB tower. CJCC had a well-attended meeting and will present changes to their Bylaws at County Board. Justice Point received a $10,000 donation from a community member. Elected Official Wages— A resolution proposing the next term of wages for elected officials was presented by Mr. Markgren. The proposed 2027 base wage for the Clerk of Court is set at $76,501; 2028 is $78,414; 2029 is $80,374 and 2030 is $82,384. The proposed 2027 base wage for County Sheriff is $101,005; 2028 is $103,530; 2029 is $106,118 and 2030 is $108,771. Resolution 2026-____Establish Elected Officials Wage was approved for forwarding to County Board on a motion by: Mr. Righeimer Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Motion carried without negative vote. Mr. Markgren presented a resolution requesting the State help pay for the cost to counties for internet security. Resolution 2026-____Establish Membership with MS-ISAC was discussed and approved on a motion by: Mr. Righeimer Second by: Mr. Buckholtz Motion carried without negative vote. Board Appointed Committee Updates – Namekagon Transit is meeting today Correspondence, reports from conferences and meetings– None Future Agenda Items- Continue work on Veterans Tribute Adjournment – 10:56 am Next Meeting: March 12, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk