_05052026-1671

Price County Forestry & Parks / Buildings & Grounds Committee Minutes Date: May 5, 2026 Time: 9:00 a.m. Place: Courthouse County Board Room 101; 126 Cherry St; Phillips , WI 54555 Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Doug Erickson, Committee Chairperson. Roll Call Members Present: Jenifer Baratka, Michelle Drobnik, Doug Erickson, Jordan Spacek, Patricia Stephan Also Present: Joe Grapa, Forestry and Parks Administrator; Josh Isaacson, Buildings and Grounds Superintendent; Nick Trimner, County Administrator; Paula Houdek, County Vice Chairperson Items For Discussion and Possible Action 1. Public Comment: Kristi Speer, from Town of Elk; and Lindsay Wilkinson, from Wheaton, Illinois; was allowed by the committee to speak during agenda item number eight. Communications: None. 2. Meeting Minutes from April 7, 2026 Motion Drobnik/Spacek to approve the April 7, 2026, meeting minutes . Motion carried. 3. Set Next Meeting Date: Either June 2, 2026, or July 7, 2026. Buildings & Grounds 4. Project Updates : New committee members were welcomed to the board, and given a brief overview of the Buildings and Grounds Department, including the County Courthouse; the Sheriff’s Department and Jail; the Normal Building; the Highway Department; the Count y Airport Terminal; outreach offices in Park Falls and Prentice; and some upkeep at the Concrete Park. Numbers full- time and part-time employees were listed. Equipment has been maintained and being made ready for summer. Snow plowing attachments have been changed to mowing attachments on equipment. Repairs have been made and general maintenance. Courthouse updates include painting the hallways, LED lighting, and new signage. New hanging signs and room numbers will be installed soon. Some offices will receive new paint . Painting is done every eight to 10 years. The Register of Deeds office will receive some new construction near the front desk. 5. Department Update and Financial Report: The department is fully staffed. 6. Courthouse Electrical Panel – Request For Proposal (RFP) Update : An updated Courthouse Electrical Panel will be purchased with Capitol Improvement funding through next year’s budgeting process (2027). The Request For Proposal (RFP) will go out within the next month with a due date. There was a failure in one of the buckets used in the main electrical panel for the Courthouse. The unit is so old that no more buckets are being made, and the County purchased the only remaining part. The switch panel feeding electricity to the entire courthouse needs to be replaced. Forestry & Parks A brief overview of the Forestry and Parks Department was presented. 92,000 acres of County Forest is managed by the department, including numerous County Parks, trailheads, All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) trails, and dams. 7. Timber Sale Bid Awards : The timber sale bid awards were presented and are on file. Out of 21 tracks, all but one sold. Access to sales can affect sale prices. Prices were lower than last year overall, as there is greater supply and lower demand at this time. Motion Spacek/Drobnik to approve Timber Sale Bid Awards as presented. Discussion held. Motion carried. 8. Land Sale Inquiry : Attorney Kristi Speer, Speer Law Office, LLC , and Lindsay Wilkinson, both commented publicly representing the Higgins family, landowners in Price County. An Inquiry for purchasing two parcels of County forest land was submitted to the Committee, and it is on file. The land proposed for purchase is located along the South of the Jump River , South of Kennan, currently allows access for public along the river , and the tax ID numbers are 17538 and 17539. The process for selling County Forest land was discussed, and it could take between six months to a year to complete. A proposed land sale requires approval from the Committee, County Board, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the State of Wisconsin, and the land must prove to benefit the state of Wisconsin, not just the County. Spacek/Stephan to postpone agenda item to next meeting for more research to be done on requirements for selling county forest land. Motion carried. 9. Survey Need T38N R1W Section 4: There is a survey need for County land located North of Lugerville, to clarify County land and personal property lines before a timber sale is cut. Motion Drobnik/Spacek to proceed with the s urvey needed for T38N R1W Section 4. Motion carried. 10. Department Update and Financial Report: Work is being done in the parks, and the water is turned on for campers. State contract water sampling is being completed. Potentially hazardous trees are being cut in the parks. Grass cutting is getting done. Solberg projects are being completed and the prison crew is helping. ADA surfacing is being installed at Solberg as well as rubber chips at the playground. Well testing is being completed. The first date for camping will be Friday before Memorial Day. Bathrooms will be installed in Big Falls in July. Miscellaneous 11. Vouchers: Motion Drobnik/Stephan to approve vouchers in the amount of $50,071.61 for Forestry & Parks, April, 2026; and $9,196.19 for Buildings & Grounds in April, 2026. Motion carried. 12. Adjourn: Meeting adjourned by Doug Erickson, Committee Chairperson at 10:05 a.m. Respectfully Submitted by Meredith Hueckman, County Clerk