Health and Human Services Board Meeting — Minutes

Health and Human Services Board Minutes December 17, 2025 5:00 PM St. Croix County Government Center - Room 1400 Government Center - 1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson, Wisconsin Call to Order Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn called the December 17, 2025, meeting of the HHS Board to order at approximately 5:00 PM. Roll Call PRESENT: Mike Barcalow, Kathleen Findlay, Cathy Leaf, Deb Lindemann, Wayne Roen, Greg Tellijohn ABSENT: Lisa Lind, Julie Smith Others in Attendance: Health and Human Services (HHS) Director Bob Rohret, County Administrator Ken Witt, HHS Deputy Director Shar Lopez, Fiscal Manager Fay Strenke, Public Health Administrator/Health Officer Elle Klasen, Public Health Strategist, Genevieve Palazzolo, Public Information Officer Adam Kastonek Approval of Minutes Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn asked the Board after reviewing the minutes from the November 19, 2025 HHS Board meeting if any editing was needed. With nothing noted, the minutes were accepted as submitted. 1. Minutes of Previous Meeting - November 19, 2025 Public Comment Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn opened the meeting to public comment for items on or off the agenda. No public comment requests were submitted tonight. Business 1. Financial Report for November 2025 Fiscal Manager Fay Strenke reviewed the monthly HHS financials with the HHS Board. Strenke informed that the financials in the packet are for November 2025. Strenke went on to highlight that things continue to trend the same. In comparing Nov. 2025 to Nov. 2024, things are still showing in the red, though a little less than last year. There will be revenues and expenses that will continue to be added through Feb. of 2026, that will be posted back to 2025, but we should finish similar to last year. The Health Care Campus is showing a positive balance and should finish the year that way. Some discussion followed. 2. Public Health Updates Public Health (PH) Administrator/Health Officer Elle Klasen shared information on some of the smaller projects that PH works on. She shared that the Reproductive Health program applied for a grant with Pierce County for what is called Vitamin Angels. This allows them to be able to provide prenatal vitamins to all those with a positive pregnancy test or those planning to become pregnant. Also, the Fit Families program had some unspent money, so WIC/Fit Families worked with the New Richmond School District and is assisting with their vegetable grow tower program. These funds helped provide education and equipment for 5 hydroponic grow towers. With this, they have been able to provide NR schools with lettuce for school lunches and the Backpack Program. Then Klasen went on to share that one of the big changes in 2025 was the approval of the Public Health Strategist position. She then introduced our new Public Health Strategist, Genevieve Palazzolo. Public Health Strategist, Genevieve Palazzolo then reviewed some of the other things she and the Public Health staff are working on. She went on to explain where county residents can find the work being done on the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, which is out on the St. Croix County website. Palazzolo also shared information on some grants she is working on and discussed the implementation of a survey for county residents to complete regarding Know Your Water. Some questions asked and answered. 3. HHS Legislative Education Committee Updates Health and Human Services (HHS) Director Rohret provided an overview of the HHS Legislative Education Committee; its reason for creation, their goals, and some of the legislative issues they are monitoring. ADRC Administrator Kristin Newton is the chair of this committee and has been involved with the County Ambassadors Program (CAP) in Madison, along with the HHS Director, County Administrator, and some County Board Members. The tangible things the committee is working on are one-page easily understood documents that better inform on what policies could affect the various service areas in HHS. Also, HHS would like to have a better working relationship with our state and local representatives so we can inform them on how policies may affect HHS. The plan is to begin inviting our local representatives to St. Croix County Services Center to discuss our issues and concerns face to face with them or their staffers, and to hear from them on activity at the Capital. The hope is that this will happen quarterly in 2026. Questions and discussion followed. Request for Future Agenda Items Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn asked for any future agenda item requests. There were no requests tonight. If items come up, board members are encouraged to contact Chair Tellijohn or HHS Director Bob Rohret. Announcements Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn asked if there were any announcements tonight. *HHS Deputy Director Shar Lopez provided updates on grants received and how the funds are being used *HHS Director Rohret informed that Children Services received Like Kin grant funds to provide extra items to kids in foster care * Also announced was that HHS Board Member Dr. Kathleen Findley received the top provider of the year award from the Community of Baldwin. Congratulations! * HHS Board Chair Tellijohn shared that Ruby's Pop-up Pantry is back again tomorrow in New Richmond 4:30-7 Date of Next Meeting 1. Date of Next Meeting - January 21, 2026 Adjournment Health and Human Services (HHS) Board Chair Greg Tellijohn called this December 17, 2025 meeting of the Health and Human Services Board adjourned at approximately 5:30 PM. Happy Holidays to everyone! St. Croix County Health & Human Services Legislative Education Committee – Summary & Current Focus December 2025 Committee Purpose The Legislative Education Committee was established under the 2023–2026 HHS Strategic Plan to strengthen the department’s ability to monitor, interpret, and respond to policy developments at local, state, and federal levels. The committee: • Reviews legislative and administrative proposals affecting HHS programs and fiscal stability. • Assesses alignment between policy proposals and HHS’s mission and strategic priorities. • Collaborates with the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) and Wisconsin County Human Services Association (WCHSA) to remain informed on statewide policy trends. • Prepares HHS leadership for engagement with policymakers through the County Ambassador Program (CAP) and quarterly legislative meetings. • Provides updates through the HHS Connection to support staff awareness of relevant policy activity. Committee membership includes divisional leadership, with meetings held more frequently during active legislative periods. Legislative & Policy Focus Areas (Winter 2025–2026) • Human Services Aids & Core County Funding • Mental Health System Investments • Youth Behavioral Health & Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) • Suicide Prevention & the 988 Lifeline • Child Welfare, Foster Care, Kinship & Youth Justice • Income Maintenance & Economic Support Capacity How the Committee Uses These Updates The Legislative Education Committee synthesizes information from statewide associations, state agencies, and legislative sources to: • Identify emerging issues relevant to Health and Human Service work. • Prepare impact summaries for HHS leadership, county committees, and legislators. • Support consistent, proactive communication throughout the legislative cycle. • Strengthen staff understanding of how policy decisions affect operations and services. 2 Quarterly Legislative Meetings (Beginning January 2026) Beginning January 2026, HHS will hold recurring quarterly meetings with the county’s state legislative delegation on the last Friday of January, April, July, and October at 11:00 a.m. These meetings are designed to: • Share updates on local needs, trends, and departmental initiatives; • Hear about legislative priorities and Capitol activity; • Identify areas of overlapping work to improve coordination; and • Provide legislators with a consistent and accessible point of contact within HHS. This structure will strengthen partnerships, improve communication, and support informed policymaking for St. Croix County residents.