Board of Supervisors passes resolution to extend emergency authority powers for the county administrator
by Cara Dempski
HUDSON — The Saint Croix county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution giving interim county administrator Ken Witt the authority to modify policies regarding COVID-19. Witt clarified these are not policies for the general public, but instead for county employees and those working in county buildings. Supervisors also unanimously approved extending COVID-19 emergency orders that are set to expire at the end of December. The decisions came after a November 17 special meeting during which a communicable disease ordinance was defeated 10 votes to nine.
During the public comment section of the December 1 meeting, several county residents thanked the board for defeating the COVID-19 communicable disease ordinance. One resident pointed out there were many people she had spoken to that were not aware of the ordinance or what it was for. She asked for more communication about it to be made available to the public.
County communications manager Adam Kastonek explained the county’s communications for COVID-19 and said the plan is “to deliver informative, consistent communication to educate the public. The audience is county residents, employees, municipalities, Chambers (of commerce) and hospitals, and local media. To date,” he explained, “the core of the messaging has been to share information from the state department of health and the centers for disease control.”
During Witt’s administrative report, he explained that the county’s finances were on track through October and it looks like “we’ll finish close to where we have been prior years; in the black.” Additionally the administrator’s financial report through Oct. of this year indicates the aging disability resource center has a balance of $413,775 out of a budgeted $2,128,246. Health and human services has a balance of $647,792 out of the originally budgeted $918,974.The 2020 budget had $5,528,290 for skilled nursing facilities of which there is a balance of $633,377 remaining. Budget line item 4230 for the Kitty Rhodes Memorial Memory Care Center in New Richmond was budgeted $1,024,148 for the year and has a $903,262 balance. Orchard View was budgeted $1,777,901 with an October balance of $1,038,076, and veteran services received $286,392 in the 2020 budget and currently has a $48,611 balance.
The total health and human services budget for this past year was $31,433,296, there is a remaining balance of $11,011,839.
The 2020 budget estimated $17,642,704 for transportation revenues, and as of October there was $2,005,861 in the balance.
$19,763,431 was projected for the public protection revenues for this year and as of October there was a balance of $3,155,803 remaining. There was no discussion about the budget during the meeting.
The 2020 budget projected total revenue of $102,059,528 in October there was a balance of $18,268,968. From there the board moved on to the business before it for the December 1 meeting, which included the resolution for the county administrator as mentioned above.
Also, District Attorney Michael Nieskes was recognized by the board for his service to St. Croix County, and for 30 years of public service in Wisconsin, Nieskes was in Racine County as an assistant district attorney before coming to St. Croix County.
Judy Achterhoff suggested exploring more options for broadband access in the county, when asked for agenda items for upcoming meetings; supervisor Paul Berning suggested a committee to explore broadband options for the county, both Berning and Achterhoff pointed out reliable broadband access could be very good economically for St. Croix County because it would lure more businesses by making it easier and faster to do business.
The next meeting of the board of supervisors is scheduled for January 5, 2021, at 8:30 a.m.
