Dunn County Board authorizes $3.1 million in borrowing for capital improvement projects
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Board has authorized borrowing $3.1 million for capital improvement projects through issuing general obligation promissory notes.
This is the “first step” in the debt issuance process after the county board approved the 2022 budget, said Keith Strey, Dunn County’s chief financial officer, at the Dunn County Board’s November 9 meeting.
Strey, who plans to retire, said he wanted to have the resolution in place for the transfer of the CFO position in January.
All of the specifics for what the $3.1 million will pay for are identified in the capital projects list included with the 2022 budget, he said.
According to the resolution, the projects include highway maintenance and improvements, equipment replacement and upgrades, a Judicial Center HVAC management system, boiler room abatement, Recreation Park pavement replacements and roof replacement on a cold storage building.
The resolution required three-quarters of the Dunn County Board to approve borrowing $3.1 million.
The Dunn County Board approved borrowing $3.1 million on a vote of 26 “yes” to two “no.”
Voting against the motion were Mike Rogers, county board supervisor from Menomonie, and Steve Jenson, county board supervisor from Elk Mound.
Budget amendments
The Dunn County Board also approved budget amendments for the 2021 budget at the November 9 meeting.
The budget amendments included $306,467 for the Department of Human Services. The revenue and expenses were related to grants that human services had received from a variety of sources.
The budget amendments also included the loan from the county’s general fund balance to solid waste and recycling of $325,000; a transfer of $325,000 from the special revenue fund to the highway department; and $168,000 in fund balance applied to general construction costs.
According to information included with the resolution, DHS has received notification that Dunn County will receive a State Opioid Response Grant in the amount of $275,000. The grant period started September 30, 2021, and the health and human services board is recommending adjusting the 2021 budget for 3/12 of the grant, or $68,752.
DHS plans on spending the money for counseling services for county residents.
Other grants include $75,000 for the Youth Prevention program to work with the Menomonie Police Department to benefit youth in Dunn County; a $50,006 substance abuse grant to help county residents with substance abuse; a $29,846 Community Mental Health Supplemental Award to help county residents with mental health services; $6,460 in youth aids funding to help Dunn County youth receive mentoring services; and $76,403 for coordinated specialty care to help Dunn County residents with mental health needs.
Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling was discontinued on January 1. All of the assets have been sold, and all known expenditures have been paid, leaving a net balance of $334,517.
DCSW&R borrowed $325,000 from the county’s general fund to help pay expenses, and the $325,000 from the net balance has been transferred to the highway department, which has the effect of reimbursing the county for the transfer of funds to DCSW&R in 2020.
The transfer of $168,000 from the general fund pays the claim by Haas Sons for road construction.
Other business
In other business, the Dunn County Board:
• Approved on a second reading an ordinance establishing fees for the child support agency that are not covered by Title 42, Chapter 7, Subchapter IV, Part D of the United States Code entitled “Child Support and Establishment of Paternity” (NIV-D), including account reconciliation with certification of arrears in NIV-D cases, $35 for each year certified; printed payment history in NIV-D cases, $35 per request; certified copy of payment history in NIV-D cases, $35 for each year certified; creating and sending an income withholding order in NIV-D cases, $35 for each order sent; crediting an account for direct payments in NIV-D cases, $35 for each request.
• Approved canceling checks issued by the county that have not been cashed and are over two years old. The amount of $3,140.37 will be credited back to the general fund.
• Approved a resolution charging back illegal tax certificates. The total charged back to the City of Menomonie will be $7.40, and the total charged back to the Town of Red Cedar will be $41.39. The resolution makes necessary corrections in the tax system.
• Approved a resolution adopting 2022 compensation for county employees and health and dental plans. The resolution is based on the recommendations of the compensation and classification study completed by Carlson Dettmann Consulting for Dunn County.
• Adopted the 2022 Dunn County legislative agenda, which will be distributed to all state elected officials. The agenda seeks the support of state elected representatives for a list of more than 30 items, including establishing a grant program to assist with upgrading the 911 system; establishing a Wisconsin Legacy Fund to support core conservation and environmental programs and services; a state grant program for the disposal of deer carcasses; increasing funding to expand grants for local Clean Sweep Hazardous Waste disposal programs; increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate for nursing homes; modifying the annual levy limit to include exemptions for the costs of services or programs mandated by state law that cannot be fully funded with state appropriations and require county appropriations; increase the gas tax comparable to all states in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes Region; allocate state funds to encourage and develop rural and agricultural tourism.
• Approved a resolution establishing a room and board fee schedule for the Department of Human Services of $25 per day for room and board provided in conjunction with Wisconsin Statute 51.42 services for adults placed in an adult family home, community-based residential facility (CBRF) or the Trempealeau County Health Center Institution for Mental Disease. These placements are typically court-ordered conditions of treatment and commitment and cost, on average, $7,500 per month. Part of the cost of placement is for room and board, and part of the cost is for treatment services.
• Denied an application for a zoning map amendment in the Town of Sherman requested by Ray Witke. The request was to rezone from General Agriculture to Residential 1. A public hearing was held on the rezone request September 14, said Tom Quinn, county board supervisor from Downing and chair of the Planning, Resources and Development Committee. A portion of the property is being used to support commercial activities in an adjacent commercial parcel, and the use is incompatible with the adjacent residential parcel and possibly with the agricultural usage, Quinn said. The PR&D Committee is recommending denying the rezone until the issues have been resolved, he said.
