GILLETT – The Marinette County Board of Supervisors met on May 26 to take action on a variety of personnel, taxation and roadway items.
Board and committee members were appointed to multiple different boards, ranging from the local fair association board and MAR-OCO committee to larger regional bodies like the Lake Michigan Area Land and Water Conservation Association and the Wisconsin Counties Utilities Tax Association.
Appointments were then finalized for the Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Health and Crisis Intervention. This committee was established in March, where the board explained that “Marinette County recognizes the importance of the mental health and well-being of its residents and the need for effective and compassionate responses to mental health and crisis situations.”
The committee is made up of members with various backgrounds, including: Marinette County Board Supervisor Gail Wanek; Judge Morisson; Judge Miller; Chief Deputy Bill Swanson; Captain Joe Nault; Marinette County Health and Human Services Department (HHSD) staff Megan Keller and Candace Breault; and Emplify Health North Region Team Lead Elizabeth Dantoin.
This committee will be tasked with developing pilot projects for housing options and crisis diversion, improving community data sharing and finding ways to reduce the time and resources expended by law enforcement and healthcare systems on mental health crises.
In other committee updates, the UW-Campus Redevelopment Special Committee — which was also established during the same March meeting — finalized their membership.
The committee includes: Dr. Aaron Steuck, Marinette and Menominee Chamber of Commerce; Tom Karban, Marinette City Council; Sydney Swan Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission; Wendy Dzurick, Association for Community and Culture, LTD; Stan Gruszynski, administrative committee; Roger Allen, infrastructure committee; and Damon Roman, library board.
Additionally, the following members are serving on the committee and fulfilling previously specified representative duties: Ken Hanson and Trygve Rhude, Marinette County Board members; Cindy Bailey, NWTC staff member; Lauryn Albaugh, UW-Green Bay staff member; Jennifer Friday, Town of Peshtigo citizen; and Robert Holley, Marinette County citizen not residing in the City of Marinette.
“The committee’s purpose is to identify and present financially sustainable options for the redevelopment of the UW–Campus properties, each accompanied by feasibility considerations, estimated capital and operating costs, potential funding sources, governance structures, timelines, risk assessments and anticipated community impacts,” the county board shared.
In other personnel updates, the board authorized changes with the HHSD. A floating administrative assistant position was eliminated in exchange for a new economic support training position.
A major point of business was Ordinance No. 473-26, which was originally put into effect in 2001 to create a tax revenue used to reduce Marinette County’s annual property tax levy by paying down the county’s annual debt service obligations. The revenue has also been used to fund capital improvements, economic development and tourism expenses.
The ordinance was updated to expand how these funds can be used to include highway winter maintenance. The county determined that this additional usage will carry no new fiscal impact.
The ordinance amendment — proposed by supervisors Mark Anderson and Connie Seefeldt — passed with a 20-7 vote.
Next, the board approved Resolution No. 629-26 which updates the Rural Functional Classification System for roads in Marinette County.
The classification of a road impacts how federal transportation funding is awarded, so the changes were developed with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation staff to ensure proper categorization of local roads.
As of right now, the county determined that the resolution itself carries no direct fiscal impact.
In other updates, the board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the River Cities Community Pool Association (RCCPA).
Two property related actions were approved, including the transfer of two parcels of land to the Town of Grover for $1 each with the county covering the costs of preparing and recording the deed. They then granted a 10-foot by 890.57-foot utility easement to Spectrum Mid-America, LLC, across county land in the Town of Athelstane for a nominal total fee of $100.
In financial updates, the park user laundry fees were adjusted, raising the cost of a washer load from $1.25 to $2 and a dryer load from $1 to $1.50.
Two funding agreements were accepted for the HHSD — a $60,000 spring grant from the Provident Health Foundation and a $60,750 Department of Children and Families “Keeping Kids Safe and Putting Families First Funds” contract amendment.
The Marinette County Board of Supervisors will meet next on June 30.
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