Wood County Highway Department

The meeting commenced with the invocation and pledge of allegiance. Key agenda items included the unanimous approval of the minutes from the previous meeting. The board reviewed and passed several resolutions. Resolution 26-1-1 concerned consent to the use of taxable revenue bond financing for a multi-jurisdictional project, noting no fiscal impact to Wood County. Resolution 26-1-2 approved an amendment to the 2025 Edgewater human maintenance budget for water lateral failure repairs, funded through retained earnings and surpluses. Additionally, Resolution 26-1-3 approved an amendment to the town of Saratoga official zoning ordinance. Resolutions 26-1-4 and 26-1-5 authorized out-of-state travel for the highway commissioner to attend national conferences. Resolution 26-1-6 approved the 2026 Wood County Forest annual work plan. Resolution 26-1-7 amended the rules of order for the Wood County State Wildlife Area Advisory Committee. The meeting also involved discussions regarding committee minutes and monthly updates from various departments, including a detailed discussion on the 287G agreement with ICE regarding undocumented individuals arrested in the county. A date change for a future county board meeting to June 23rd was also addressed.

The Operations Committee meeting agenda included reviewing and approving minutes from the January 6, 2026 meeting and monthly letters of comment from department heads. Key finance discussions involved resolutions to amend the 2026 budgets for Sheriff Traffic Safety (BOTS Grant), Edgewater Administration (CBRF Design carryover), and Maintenance Capital Projects (HVAC project carryover). The committee also planned to address resolutions to amend various 2025 budgets, and Human Resources items included a review of 2025 turnover/recruitment metrics and discussions regarding Elected Official Salaries for 2027-2030 terms. The subsequent minutes covered the January 6, 2026 meeting, where key actions included approving the distribution of a draft memorandum of understanding regarding DS300 tabulators, authorizing the County Clerk to request a change in the June County Board meeting date, and approving resolutions to authorize a tax bond financing request and amend the 2025 budget for Edgewater Haven emergency water lateral work.

Key discussions included a public comment regarding project progress reports, review of department staff and revenue reports, and approval of department vouchers. The committee approved a resolution from the Wisconsin Counties Association requesting a sustainable, long-term highway funding mechanism. An ordinance modification regarding speed limits on a portion of CTH B was approved for forwarding. The committee also approved a highway set back variance for the Town of Milladore for a septic system installation. A timber bridge bid was awarded to Wheeler Lumber, LLC, and a low bid for LRIP Project 2023.72.17 was awarded to WK Construction, Inc. Furthermore, the Highway Department PPE Allowance Policy was updated to include reimbursement for hands-free cell phone devices. Parks and Forestry matters involved reviewing reports, discussing moving suggested projects for Red Sands beach with Aqua Skiers representatives, approving five resolutions related to snowmobile and ATV trail maintenance funding and budget amendments, approving a special use permit for Disk Golf Tournaments at North Park, and approving the 2026 Work Plan resolution for the Wood County Forest to enable grant funding applications. Finally, the committee approved a resolution to amend the rules of order for the Wood County Wildlife Advisory Committee and approved Parks & Forestry vouchers.

The meeting commenced with introductions and proceeded to the election of officers, resulting in the unanimous selection of Bill Leichtnam as Chairperson, Bill Clendenning as Vice Chairperson, and Jen McNelly as Secretary. During the public comment session, a member shared positive feedback from the Dean of North Central Tech College regarding CWG's work. Subsequent discussions included correspondence regarding the Alliance for Great Lakes Nitrate on Tap Report, a presentation on the roles and duties of UW-Extension in protecting Wisconsin's natural resources and CWG participation, and encouragement for members to devise strategies for increasing CWG membership and community integration. A potential agenda item for the next meeting involves exploring the community access channel as a platform for sharing CWG's story and work.

The meeting commenced with no public comment and the approval of the consent agenda. Key discussions included a monthly update on Wellness programming provided by the Wellness Coordinator. The Finance Director presented and received approval for three resolutions amending the 2026 budget concerning the Sheriff Traffic Safety BOTS Grant, Edgewater Administration CBRF Design carryover, and Maintenance Capital Projects HVAC project carryover. Nine resolutions amending the 2025 budget were also presented and approved for transmittal to the county board, covering areas such as Corporation Counsel, Dispatch, Emergency Management, and various Parks and Administration budgets. The HR Director reviewed 2025 turnover and recruitment/retention policy metrics and discussed the current pay structure for the Clerk of Courts and Sheriff, noting a potential adjustment for the Clerk of Courts' hours to align with other constitutional officers, with further details expected in the subsequent meeting.