_08132026-1704

Price County Law Enforcement Committee Meeting Minutes Date: August 13, 20 26 Time: 1: 00 p.m. Place: Courthous e County Board Room 101; 12 6 Cherry St; Phillips , WI 54555 Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 1:00 p.m. by Larry Palecek, Committee Chairperson. Roll Call Members Present: Jenifer Baratka, Robert Kopisch, Larry Palecek, Patricia Stephan Members Excused: Dennis Wartgow Also Present: Robert Hawn, Chief Deputy; Nick Tr imner, C ounty Administrator Items For Discussion and Possible Action 1. Public Comment: Brittany Volkman of Medford, Taylor County, spoke on a non-agenda item. Communications: None. 2. Meeting Minutes – May 7, 2026: Motion Stephan/Jenifer Baratka to accept the May 7, 2026, meeting minutes. Motion carried. 3. Coroner – Department Report: April 2026 after Coroner Casey took Office: 6 reported deaths, 6 cremations. May 2026: 18 reported deaths, 17 cremations, 1 burial, 1 autopsy. June 2026: 16 reported deaths, 15 cremations, 1 burial, 3 autopsies. July 2026: 16 reported deaths,12 cremations, 4 burials,1 autopsy. 4. District Attorney – Department Report: The office is at a high volume of cases with 250 cases pending review, and 50 were just filed. New District Attorney Alexis Nash and her office is diligently working towards getting that number down. 5. Clerk of Circuit Court – Department Report: No new updates. There will be a new Clerk of Courts elected into office in January, 2027. 6. Sheriff’s Office – Department Report a. Equipment Update i. Radio Project: The consultant will help determine the true end-of-life status of current equipment and recommend replacements, as well as ensure the new system is compatible with neighboring counties. The goal is to switch to the new system by early 2028 with a timeline that includes reviewing equipment, creating plans, and negotiating contracts. The County Board will need to approve the project’s progression to phases two and three. Northway, the current vendor, was praised for their support, but replacement parts are scarce and sometimes only found second-hand online on eBay and Amazon. ii. Request For Proposal (RFP) Radio Equipment/Technology Project: The Request for Proposal (RFP) for Phase 1 received four bids. Tusa Consulting Services from Missouri was recommended as the best package for all three phases. Phases two and thr ee will require permission from the County Board and will be funded through the borrowing process. The goal is to have the system up and running by early 2028. The County Board will receive options late this year or early next year, and the project will be incorporated into the 2028-29 budget. The Executive Committee signed a resolution for Tusa Consulting Services, and it refers to Fund 105 Capital Improvement/Bug Tussel Fund. b. Staffing Update: Dawson Hauschild is in his third phase of FTO and is estimated to complete his FTO in the beginning of September. New hire, Brandon Boggs, is currently in the recruit academy in Rhinelander and doing very well. He is anticipated to graduate from the academy early September and to return to Price County for the FTO program. Interviewing for the third vacancy. c. Humane Officer / Animal Control: Deputy Dabler has been busy with animal calls. d. K-9 Units: Deputy Calzavera has been organizing the K-9 fundraiser scheduled for the end of August. e. Rec Officer : The recreation officer has kept up with required hours for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and has been on a lot of boat patrol in the summer of 2026. f. Jail Update: The jail recently passed its kitchen and jail inspections, with positive feedback from the inspectors. g. • Open R ecords Requests: The Sheriff’s Office is dealing with an influx of open records requests, which are taking a significant amount of time and resources. The County is exploring ways to manage the requests more efficiently. In 2024 there were 195 total requests, and in 2025 there were 322 total requests. In 2026 there have been 220 year-to-date. 7. Discussion on Amending Ordinance Section 398-1 9: The committee discussed and ordinance update regarding pet waste in campgrounds, which would require pet owners to clean up after their animals, including at campsites. The committee agreed to move forward with the ordinance update and to schedule a public hearing in the future. 8. Committee V ouchers: Motion Kopisch/Stephan to approve the Law Enforcement Sheriff/Jail vouchers in the amounts: $35,121.63 for June, 2026; and $128,432.00 for July, 2026; and to approve the COC Coroner DA vouchers in the amounts: $20,928.06 for June, 2026; and $9,637.69 for July, 2026. Motion carried. 9. Date o f Next Meeting: September 3, 2026 10. Adj ourn: Meeting adjourned at 1:46 p.m. by Larry Palecek, Committee Chairperson. Respec tfully Submitted by Meredith Hueckman, County Clerk