The City of Spooner has approved up to $1.64 million dollars for road and utility work in TID #4.
Tax Incremental District #4 is the area of the proposed Wal-Mart development.

No opinion will be given as to the merit of this action.

However, the "How" this happened is of concern.

An excellent view of "how" this action was taken is expressed in an opinion written by Spooner Advocate reporter Frank Zufall.

...if you are someone who cares about open government and including a clear agenda that lets you know what government officials will be discussing and voting on and you like straight talk from those same government officials, then Tuesday, Dec. 2, was a sad day indeed.

Item “b” in section 7, “Discussion/actions” for the Tuesday, Dec. 2, monthly Spooner City Council meeting reads, “Action on TID 4 projects.”

As a reporter who has covered the Spooner City Council since March 2003, I have seen similar written descriptions that pertain to one of the four TIDs within Spooner. It is not uncommon that such a description would address a business interested in locating within one of the TIDs, or work that could be done within a TID, such as surveying, or the status of a project.

Some agendas spell out the nature of the discussion more clearly, such as “the color to paint the TID 4 water tower.”

But on Dec. 2, the city council did not discuss a minor issue, like the color of a water tower, but an issue of great magnitude with repercussions on a pending Wal-Mart development and the future economic development of Spooner and even Washburn County.

It turns out that “Action on TID 4 projects” was a very big subject, a very important subject, a subject that involved several questions the public may have wanted to weigh in on, such as:

• Releasing Wal-Mart of an obligation it has said it would assume until recently.

• The pros and cons of using TIF dollars. Yes, there are both pros and cons for TIF investment.

• Economic development in Spooner.

• Those for and against the proposed Spooner Supercenter.

When it came to “Action on TID 4 projects” there were I and two others in the audience. None of us spoke up during public comments before the discussion because, quite frankly, we could not discern what the council was going to discuss. It was too vague.

A question citizens of Spooner should ask is, “Does ‘Action on TID 4 projects’ give any indication that at the end of the council meeting the city would release Wal-Mart of potentially $1.64 million of improvement costs Wal-Mart has said, as late as the summer of 2008, it would assume and/or make the same dollars available for other major development in the area?”

This is a serious problem.

Possibly a legal problem.

I highly recommend anyone interested in this issue to read the entire opinion here.

Free registration is required to read the entire opinion. But, worth the minute to register.

Bayfield County residents and property owners have until December 19 to complete an online survey which will help guide future growth and development. The survey can be found HERE.

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Burnett County will be holding two Public Meetings to gather input for their Comprehensive Plan. The Southern Cluster meeting will be Monday December 15 at 6:00 pm at the Grantsbury High School Library. The Northern Cluster meeting will be Tuesday December 16 at 6:00 pm at the Webster High School Cafetorium. (I must be getting old. I don't even know when a cafeteria become a cafetorium.) All citizens and property owners are encouraged to attend.

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The Rusk County Comprehensive Planning Committee met on December 5 for the first time since August. They have finalized their survey which will be distributed soon.

The Burnett County Zoning Committee held their Public Hearing on the proposed sign ordinance. There were a few objections to the proposed ordinance claiming they would harm present and future businesses. The committee will consider the comments made at the Public Hearing and discuss possible changes at their January 6 meeting.

Bayfield County will be busy this month working in their Comprehensive Plan.

A special open house will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. That meeting will be followed by meetings also scheduled on December 17 and 18. More information is available about these meetings from the Bayfield County Planning and Zoning office at (715) 373-6138.

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Barron County will be holding a Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday December 3 at 7:00 PM at the Government Center.

The City of Ladysmith Common Council met with a "standing room only" crowd for their proposed 2009 budget which would have increased taxes by 19.45%. The Council listened and will now present a new budget with an increase of 8.81% at a December 1 Public Hearing.

It is officially "That time of Year" ... Deer hunting has started ... Followed by The Holidays"

No major issue will be discussed by local government in northern Wisconsin until January.
(Except the Burnett County Sign Ordinance Public Hearing on December 2.)

I'll keep following the news just in case ... but pickings will be real slim.

The City of Ladysmith Finance Committee recommended the 20% tax hike go to Public Hearing.
The public will be allowed to comment on the budget proposal during a hearing scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at city hall, 120 Miner Ave. West.

Could be an interesting Public Hearing.

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Governor Doyle's Northern Wisconsin Economic Summit was recently held in Rhinelander. NewsoftheNorth.Net reported ...

It’s a chicken-or-egg question of which comes first to the Northwoods: a thriving business community or high-speed Internet?

Judging from the discussion at an advisory task force held yesterday in a meeting room at the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, the answer is the latter.

The meeting was convened by State Senator-elect Jim Holperin of the 12th District and included a dozen or so representatives of Northwoods-based businesses and organizations who are affected by the lack of high-speed connectivity in northern Wisconsin...

After the task force meeting, Holperin said he came away with a list of five or six recommendations. “We’ll follow up with one, two or three key ideas,” he said, “and get the state to give a yes or a no answer on them—I think that’s what people are looking for. We have very entrepreneurial people in northern Wisconsin who want a definitive answer—positive or negative—so they can move forward.

For areas that do not have high speed internet this is a very important economic development issue. One person offices even need this service.

The Burnett County Zoning Committee will be holding a Public Hearing on their proposed Sign Ordinance on December 2 at 9:00 am. It should be a full house. The Siren Chamber of Commerce has sent out an alert to their members asking them to review the proposed changes. The proposed changes are on the Burnett County website. Follow the links to the Zoning Committee Agendas.

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Bayfield County Comprehensive Planning Committee has been holding Public Input meetings. They plan on having a compressed schedule of meetings in order to meet the January 2010 deadline.

November RANWW Report

Barron County

Barron County held an open house for new FEMA flood maps in September. The 90 day review period is now in process. County officials are very happy with the revised maps. The how and why of these new maps can be found in this article of the Chetek Alert.

The bottom line of these new maps is ...

"Prior to the new maps, 1,370 structures in Barron County were identified as being in the floodplain of a body of water. With the new maps, that number has dropped to 167 structures.

What does that mean for property owners in Barron County? For one thing, says County Administrator Duane Hebert, owners of property that has been removed from the floodplain will no longer have to carry flood insurance.

According to floodsmart.gov, federal flood insurance premiums on a $100,000 house total $1,143 annually.

"It's a good use of taxpayer dollars," says Hebert. "But there's more to it than just saving on flood insurance premiums."

Hebert adds that the mapping information is used by county law enforcement and the emergency management department to determine risks and possible damage to property."

There are multiple uses for this information; there's no doubt we'll get our money's worth."

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The Barron County Board of Supervisors have voted to abolish the County Forester position. It was not without controversy. The Chetek Alert reported ...

According to the resolution, the county would contract for timber services from an outside source, and all other duties of the department would be dispersed to other employees. The change is expected to save the county $50,000 per year.

"It's absolutely asinine that we don't want to have a county forester," said Supervisor Terry Henck. "An independent forester isn't going to care about the condition of the county's forests; they're only going to care about the bottom line."

Henck pointed out that the county has 75 employees in the Department of Health and Human Services, including four receptionists."And we can't afford to have one person look after the forests of the county?" Henck asked.

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The Barron County Comprehensive Planning Committee is hold Public Input sessions this month in Cumberland, Rice Lake and Barron. The Cumberland meeting had 12 in attendance. The Rice Lake Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday November 18 at the UW-Barron County from 6-8pm. The Barron Meeting is scheduled for Thursday November 20 from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Courthouse. Starting in January the plan is to start meeting more than once a month in order to meet the 2010 deadline for passage.

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A real battle is brewing in Rice Lake. When the Developers Agreement was signed between the City of Rice Lake and Lakeview Hospital it was agreed that both parties would negotiate in good faith to come to an agreement for the new hospital to contribute a Payment in Lieu of Taxes(PILOT). Those discussions are not going well. A building permit for the new hospital will not be granted by the City of Rice Lake until an agreement is reached.

Bayfield County

Bayfield County is looking at wind power. Seriously, looking at wind power. The Ashland Daily Press reports ...

Bayfield County could reasonably consider installing a commercial scale wind turbine on one of two possible locations in the county, says a preliminary assessment from a consulting professional engineer.

The report, released to members of the Bayfield County Board Executive Committee Thursday said a large-scale wind turbine would be "reasonably productive" if built on a Mount Ashwabay site or another Bayfield hills site west of the City of Bayfield.

County administrator Mark Abeles-Allison noted that on Madeline Island, the Town of La Pointe is on the verge of beginning its own detailed wind studies with a goal of becoming energy-independent.

This does not make any wind proposal a done deal as there would be massive political input from both sides.

Burnett County

The Burnett County Comprehensive Planning Committee had a meeting planned for November ... but no agenda was ever posted. Let's hope they don't wait until January to get started again.

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An Attorney General opinion has dealt a serious blow to a very critical "quality of life" issue in Burnett County. According to this report in the Burnett County Sentinel...

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said "the mutual aid statute does not apply to tribal law enforcement agencies operated by any of Wisconsin's 11 Native American tribes and bands."

What this decision means locally is that the St. Croix Tribal Police Department can't offer mutual aid assistance off-reservation."It's a safety issue for our officers," member Emmett Byrne pointed out. "If one of our deputies needs assistance and a tribal officer is closest but can't respond because of this ruling, our officer could be in jeopardy."

"One of our biggest concerns is we don't have a K-9 unit like the tribal P.D. does," Stacy Hopke pointed out. "We'd have to go to Polk County for the nearest unit."Hopke was presenting the sheriff's report on behalf of Sheriff Dean Roland.

Committee member Gary Lundberg agreed."This decision handicaps the tribal police too," he said. "If they have an officer in Hertel, that officer can't go lights and sirens to an emergency in Danbury or Barron county until he is on tribal land."

"This puts us at a big disadvantage," Lundberg added. "We just lost 12 or 13 officers, not to mention all the equipment they have."Lundberg said if there is any bright side to this situation, it's the fact the decision is being challenged.

Rusk County

The Rusk County Comprehensive Planning Committee has not met since August. Tick tock... tick tock. January 2010 looms.

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While every local unit of govenment has had their share of problems balancing this years budget, the City of Ladysmith seems to be having the biggest problem in the area. According to the Ladysmith News ...

The City of Ladysmith is planning a special finance committee meeting early next week to consider additional cuts in a proposed 2009 city budget calling for double digit spending, tax levy and tax rate hikes.

There is no firm date or time set yet, but the meeting will likely be held next Tuesday evening (Nov. 18) at city hall. It will be an open meeting for the public to attend, but it was not immediately clear if public comment will be taken by the finance committee.

City officials have proposed a 2009 municipal budget that calls for a 20.64 percent property tax rate hike.

Under the proposal, the tax rate would increase from $5.91 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2008 to a new level of $7.13 per $1,000 of assessed value the following year.

Ouch!

Sawyer County

Sawyer County will be looking at changes to their sign ordinance in January. Of particular interest to Realtors® is language that regulates the size and location of For Sale signs. A meeting of Realtor® members and Zoning Administrator Bill Christmanwas recently held. The RANWW is in the process of gathering input from members in order to make recommendations at that January meeting.

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The October meeting of the Sawyer County Comprehensive Planning Committee started to get down to the nuts and bolts of planning. They started to hear from citizens. RANWW member Gary Nathan was one of many at the meeting who noted the lack of affordable housing in the county. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 19 at 6:30 pm.

What the Comprehensive Planning Committee decides to recommend regarding affordable housing will be interesting to follow. Every planning committee of any kind I have attended in Sawyer County over the years identifies affordable housing as a top priority.

Washburn County

Washburn County will once again be attempting to pass their Comprehensive Plan in January after a new fresh printed copy has been provided to all County Board Supervisors.

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A strange story that has no relevence, but I found very interesting, comes out of Washburn County. It was reported in both the Spooner Advocate and Washburn County Register...

Washburn County Judge Eugene Harrington will soon be reunited with his personalized gavel, after it went missing 10 years ago.

Harrington said that when he was sworn in as judge in 1997, his father gave him a gravel engraved with his name and new title. However, the gavel disappeared from the courthouse not long after that.

Recently, when Washburn County Sheriff's Department officials searched a Spooner residence on a drug case, Harrington said, they found the gavel prominently displayed on a shelf.

The woman not only faces multiple charges for marijuana paraphernalia and possession of THC within 1,000 feet of a school, but possibly a stolen property charge, as well.

The woman said in court Monday afternoon that she had just moved to the area and was renting the house from someone; the gavel has been missing for over 10 years.

While the gavel is being held as evidence in the case, the district attorney said the judge will soon get it back.

An Attorney General opinion has dealt a serious blow to a very critical "quality of life" issue in Burnett County.

According to this report in the Burnett County Sentinel...

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said "the mutual aid statute does not apply to tribal law enforcement agencies operated by any of Wisconsin's 11 Native American tribes and bands."
What this decision means locally is that the St. Croix Tribal Police Department can't offer mutual aid assistance off-reservation.

"It's a safety issue for our officers," member Emmett Byrne pointed out. "If one of our deputies needs assistance and a tribal officer is closest but can't respond because of this ruling, our officer could be in jeopardy."

"One of our biggest concerns is we don't have a K-9 unit like the tribal P.D. does," Stacy Hopke pointed out. "We'd have to go to Polk County for the nearest unit."

Hopke was presenting the sheriff's report on behalf of Sheriff Dean Roland.

Committee member Gary Lundberg agreed.

"This decision handicaps the tribal police too," he said. "If they have an officer in Hertel, that officer can't go lights and sirens to an emergency in Danbury or Barron county until he is on tribal land."

"This puts us at a big disadvantage," Lundberg added. "We just lost 12 or 13 officers, not to mention all the equipment they have."

Lundberg said if there is any bright side to this situation, it's the fact the decision is being challenged.

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Sawyer County will be looking at changes to their sign ordinance in January. Of particular interest to Realtors® is language that regulates the size and location of For Sale signs. A meeting of Realtor® members and Zoning Administrator Bill Christman was held earlier this week. The Realtors® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin will be making their recommendations to the Zoning Committee at that January meeting.

The first of three Comprehensive Planning Workshops will be held this evening in Cumberland. The workshop starts at 6:00 pm at the Augustana Lutheran Church. On November 18 the Rice Lake workshop starts a 6:00 pm at the UW-Barron County campus. The final workshop will be held in Barron on November 20 at 1:30 at the Barron County Courthouse.

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The next Burnett County Comprehensive Planning Committee will be held on November 17 at 1:00 pm. This meeting will be held at the The Lodge at Crooked Lake in Siren.

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The Rusk County Comprehensive Planning Committee has not met since August.

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Washburn County will once again be attempting to pass their Comprehensive Plan in January after a new fresh printed copy has been provided to all County Board Supervisors.

The October meeting of the Sawyer County Comprehensive Planning Committee started to get down to the nuts and bolts of planning. They started to hear from citizens.

The Sawyer County Record reported on the meeting...

Access to affordable, adequate housing remains a big problem in Sawyer County, according to guest speakers who addressed the Sawyer County Comprehensive Plan Development Committee at its Oct. 22 meeting...

“We continue to have this perplexing problem of (a lack of) good, clean, safe, affordable, accessible single-family homes and apartments for rent in Sawyer County,” Gary Nathan added.

What the Comprehensive Planning Committee decides to recommend regarding affordable housing will be interesting to follow. Every planning committee of any kind I have attended in Sawyer County over the years identifies affordable housing as a top priority.

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Barron County held an open house for new FEMA flood maps in September. The 90 day review period is now in process. County officials are very happy with the revised maps.

The how and why of these new maps can be found in this article of the Chetek Alert.

The bottom line of these new maps is ...

"Prior to the new maps, 1,370 structures in Barron County were identified as being in the floodplain of a body of water. With the new maps, that number has dropped to 167 structures.

What does that mean for property owners in Barron County? For one thing, says County Administrator Duane Hebert, owners of property that has been removed from the floodplain will no longer have to carry flood insurance.

According to floodsmart.gov, federal flood insurance premiums on a $100,000 house total $1,143 annually.

"It's a good use of taxpayer dollars," says Hebert. "But there's more to it than just saving on flood insurance premiums."

Hebert adds that the mapping information is used by county law enforcement and the emergency management department to determine risks and possible damage to property."

There are multiple uses for this information; there's no doubt we'll get our money's worth."

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Bayfield County is looking at wind power. Seriously, looking at wind power.

The Ashland Daily Press reports ...

Bayfield County could reasonably consider installing a commercial scale wind turbine on one of two possible locations in the county, says a preliminary assessment from a consulting professional engineer.

The report, released to members of the Bayfield County Board Executive Committee Thursday said a large-scale wind turbine would be "reasonably productive” if built on a Mount Ashwabay site or another Bayfield hills site west of the City of Bayfield.

This does not make any wind proposal a done deal as there would be massive political input from both sides. In addition to county interest ...

County administrator Mark Abeles-Allison noted that on Madeline Island, the Town of La Pointe is on the verge of beginning its own detailed wind studies with a goal of becoming energy-independent.

It seems the "Holiday Season" starts earlier and earlier each year doesn't it? As I have said many times before, in Wisconsin the "Holiday Season" starts the Friday before deer hunting. Nothing is accomplished in local government during the "Holiday Season". Everything is of importance is postponed until January. Now however, since "deer hunting" has so many seasons the "Holiday Season" now starts in October!

Case in point.

The Sawyer County Zoning Committee will have on their agenda in January a discussion on changes to the sign ordinance which deals with on and off premise Real Estate For Sale signs. Both the size of the on premise signs will be discussed along with the problem of illegal placement of off premise signs.

Nothing is being proposed yet. But, we can expect some language change to come down the line. Hopefully, it will be something the Realtors® can live with. The RANWW will certainly be discussing this issue prior to January to prepare for that meeting.

The Barron County Board of Supervisors have voted to abolish the County Forester position. It was not without controvery. The Chetek Alert reported ...

According to the resolution, the county would contract for timber services from an outside source, and all other duties of the department would be dispersed to other employees. The change is expected to save the county $50,000 per year.

"It's absolutely asinine that we don't want to have a county forester," said Supervisor Terry Henck. "An independent forester isn't going to care about the condition of the county's forests; they're only going to care about the bottom line."

Henck pointed out that the county has 75 employees in the Department of Health and Human Services, including four receptionists.

"And we can't afford to have one person look after the forests of the county?" Henck asked.

Property committee members Supervisor George Strom and Supervisor James Pannier said the decision was difficult, but with forester Jack Nedland retiring in November, they felt it was a "now or never" proposition to save the county money.

"If we can't make these decisions when someone retires, then how will we ever make decisions to cut positions when someone isn't retiring?" asked Pannier. "We have to start making some tough decisions."

The board voted 18-9 to approve the change, with Supervisors Larry Leff, John Hardin, Donna Cordes, Rick Wuorenma, Carol Moen, Keith Hardie, Jon Sleik, Donald Horstman and Henck opposing. Supervisors Ed Zych and Walt Organ were absent.

October RANWW Report

Barron County

BARRON COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BARRON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS

Barron County residents have three choices of dates and locations to participate in the Issues & Opportunities Identification Sessions to be held in November. Using results from the Public Opinion Survey conducted in August and historic data compiled in the Conditions and Trends Report, Andrew Dane from UW-Extension, will lead the participants in a discussion and exploration into the issues and opportunities facing Barron County into the next twenty years.

The three locations and dates of the Issues and Opportunities Identification Sessions are:

Cumberland on Monday Nov. 10th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Great Hall of Augustana Lutheran Church.

Rice Lake on Tuesday Nov.18th 6:00-8:00 pm

UW-Barron County in the atrium of Meggers Hall.

Barron on Thursday Nov. 20th 1:30-3:30 pm

Barron County Courthouse, 330 E La Salle Ave - #110.

Contact Catherine Tuminaro at (715)537-6343 or catherine.tuminaro@co.barron.wi.us

for more information.

Burnett County

Sign Ordinance Alert ... Sign Ordinance Alert ... Sign Ordinance Alert

The Burnett County Zoning Committee spent two hours discussing a proposed new sign ordinance. I was most interested in learning if there would be any attempts to restrict For Sale signs. There is no language to restrict Realtor® For Sale signs.However, I suggest ANY BUSINESS that uses signs (on or off premise) to obtain a copy of the proposed language from the Zoning Office. I repeat ANY BUSINESS that uses signs. The proposed new language will place new restrictions on practically all ON and OFF premise signs. This also includes the size of signs on the sides of buildings. I have no idea what they are proposing is reasonable or not. That is really up to ALL BUSINESSES in Burnett County to determine. This is still early in the process so now is the time for input on this issue with the Zoning Committee and Zoning Administrator.

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The Burnett County Zoning Committee had their final discussion on the proposed Subdivision Ordinance. From the initial proposal in May the proposed new ordinance is very much improved. The citizens of Burnett County owe a debt of gratitude to Doug Crane and Mark Krause for their tenacious work on this ordinance. If you see Doug or Mark thank them for their work. They managed to make significant changes that made the final product something that is much improved over what is in effect now. and also what was originally proposed. Final passage is expected by the County Board.

Rusk County

The Rusk County Zoning Committee is discussing "Changes to Fee Schedule, Private Sewage Ordinance, Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance and Shoreland Ordinance. According to the Zoning Administrator none of the changes discussed are of major substance. We will trust but verify that statement.
No Public Hearing date is scheduled for any of these changes.

Sawyer County

The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors has approved the new Wilderness Lakes Classification. It was not done without controversy and a close 9-6 decision. A complete recap of the meeting can be found HaywardWi.Com.
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Sawyer County Zoning Committee has been reviewing proposed changes to the Subdivision Ordinance. No major problems have been found in the proposed changes. On interesting issue is centering on language which would knowingly be in direct conflict with a recent Supreme Court ruling. This would be setting up show down with someone, somewhere down the line.

Washburn County

The Wal-mart saga in Spooner continues to divide the residents of Washburn County. Now being discussed is changes in the road to decrease costs, lowering the asking price of the land and possible TIF funding. If there is ANY public money put toward this project the residents will go ballistic. More info can be found at SpoonerAdvocate.Com.

Sawyer County Zoning Committee has been reviewing proposed changes to the Subdivision Ordinance. No major problems have been found in the proposed changes. On interesting issue is centering on language which would knowingly be in direct conflict with a recent Supreme Court ruling. This would be setting up show down with someone, somewhere down the line.

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Barron County Comprehensive Planning continues to crawl.

According to the Barron News Shield ...

The county's "conditions and trends report" was unveiled at a comprehensive planning meeting Oct. 1. West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission prepared the 266-page document and presented it last Wednesday.

The report gives community leaders detailed statistics about various aspects of the county, including housing, utility service, transportation and economic climates, in addition to covering issues on natural resources and land use.

County Administrator Duane Hebert said that this report will compliment a soon-to-be completed citizen survey, which is meant to gauge public sentiment on what services Barron County residents want. The UW-River Falls organized survey is expected to be finished within a few weeks.

Once the survey and the report are both available, then there will be three public "issues and opportunities" meetings where people can weigh-in on the findings, Hebert said. These meetings are tentatively scheduled to take place throughout November, and they will be posted with greater detail in the coming weeks.

Sign Ordinance Alert ... Sign Ordinance Alert ... Sign Ordinance Alert

The Burnett County Zoning Committee spent two hours discussing a proposed new sign ordinance. I was most interested in learning if there would be any attempts to restrict For Sale signs. There is no language to restrict Realtor® For Sale signs.

However, I suggest ANY BUSINESS that uses signs (on or off premise) to obtain a copy of the proposed language from the Zoning Office. I repeat ANY BUSINESS that uses signs. The proposed new language will place new restrictions on practically all ON and OFF premise signs. This also includes the size of signs on the sides of buildings. I have no idea what they are proposing is reasonable or not. That is really up to ALL BUSINESSES in Burnett County to determine. This is still early in the process so now is the time for input on this issue with the Zoning Committee and Zoning Administrator.

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The Burnett County Zoning Committee had their final discussion on the proposed Subdivision Ordinance. From the initial proposal in May the proposed new ordinance is very much improved. The citizens of Burnett County owe a debt of gratitude to Doug Crane and Mark Krause for their tenacious work on this ordinance. If you see Doug or Mark thank them for their work. They managed to make significant changes that make the final product something that is much improved over what is in effect now and also what was originally proposed. Final passage is expected by the County Board.

The Rusk County Zoning Committee will be discussing "Changes to Fee Schedule, Private Sewage Ordinance, Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance and Shoreland Ordinance. According to the Zoning Administrator none of the changes to be discussed are of major substance. No Public Hearing date is scheduled for any of these changes.

Sawyer County Zoning Committee has reviewed proposed changes to the Subdivision Ordinance. Further discussion on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for the October Zoning Committee meeting with a Public Hearing in November. A copy of the proposed changes can be requested from the Zoning Department

The Barron County Comprehensive Plan Committee meets Wednesday October 1 at 7:00 pm. Dates and locations of Public Visioning Sessions will be discussed. Since this plan will be hastily thrown together it will be interesting to see if these "Visioning Sessions" will be of any consequence.

The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors has approved the new Wilderness Lakes Classification. It was not done without controversy and a close 9-6 decision. A complete recap of the meeting can be found HaywardWi.Com.

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In a story I find fascinating...the Wal-mart saga in Spooner continues to divide the residents of Washburn County. Now being discussed is changes in the road to decrease costs, lowering the asking price of the land and possible TIF funding. If there is ANY public money put toward this project the residents will go ballistic. More info can be found at SpoonerAdvocate.Com.

In an attempt to clarify some of the changes proposed in the Burnett County Subdivision Ordinance a meeting was held on September 12. The meeting brought together the County Surveyor, Zoning Administrator, county surveyors and the Realtors® Association. The changes proposed are wide and varied. Only one or two major issues of contention remain. Those will be reviewed by County Staff.

The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors will be voting on the Wilderness Lakes Classification. The meeting is scheduled at the Winter School on Tuesday September 18 at 6:30 pm. This shorland ordinance change has been more than two years in the making. Everyone interested in this issue should attend.

In some election news from the area...

In the 87th Assembly District (Price, Rusk, Tayor) Judy Reas defeated J. Suzanne Murphy in the Democratic primary. Reas will now oppose the incumbent Mary Williams (R). This sets up a repeat contest from two years ago.

In the 73rd Assembly District (Douglas, Washburn, Burnett) Nick Milroy won the Democratic primary over three others and will face Independent Party candidate Jeffery Monaghan. There is no Republican Party candidate. This is the district which has been represented for years by Frank Boyle who has retired.

In the 74th Assembly District (Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer) the incumbent Gary Sherman won the Democratic primary and will face Shirl LaBarre in November. This is also a repeat of a contest two years ago.

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The on again, off again Wal-Mart project in Spooner looks like it headed off again. According to the Washburn County Register...

A Spooner Wal-Mart may be at a standstill, after the Washburn County Executive Committee announced that the company said the project was “in trouble” due to budget issues.

The committee met Monday, Sept. 8, in the Elliott Building, Shell Lake, to discuss the matter. Chair Micheal Bobin said four Wal-Mart representatives met with the county, city of Spooner and the Department of Transportation last week. Bobin said the representatives told those present that originally $2 million of infrastructure improvements for the Spooner project were slated. Now, he said, the company told him the costs have escalated, raising the total to around $4 million. If the cost can’t be brought back down to around $3 million, Bobin said, the store may not come to Spooner.

“They threatened to cancel the project,” Bobin said.

Barron County has a new committee. It is the Program Prioritization Committee. Their first agenda has "Program Prioritization Discussion." Should be a riviting discussion.

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Burnett County Comprehensive Planning Committee had a full agenda this month. Lots and lots of background material to cover. Fifteen months and counting until the deadline.

Barron County has scheduled a Flood Risk Information Open House. According to the DNR Press Release..."This Open House will provide the public with an opportunity to review a recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rating Maps (FIRM) that include base flood information and areas subject to significant flood hazards within the County."

The Open House is scheduled for Thursday September 25 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Barron County Courthouse, Room 110. For more information you can contact Brooke Bushman at 608-266-9273 or Gary Heinrichs at 608-266-3093, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Floodplain Planners.

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Barron County Administrator Duane Herbert, turned down the offer to move to Itasca County, Minnesota.

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An interesting story was told in the Chetek Alert ...Darn Republican Street the stuff of laughs and local legends.

The depths were murky.

In the past 30-odd years, Chetek's most publicized street has generated a host of local legends. Some thought the property was deeded to the city in the 1920s and the name changed from Brewer Street to "Damn" Republican to the less offensive "Darn" Republican in the '50s. Some thought John Shane owned the property in the '50s and deeded it over then. Others said the angry Shane returned to find Brewer Street where Darn Republican should have been and stirred up a fuss that finally resulted in restoration of the road's rightful name.

Wrong. As with most legends, the story is much less complicated-and perhaps more interesting-than the lore, and even a former mayor and Milwaukee newspaper columnist didn't get it all right.

According to Chetek resident Mavis Dodge, a relation of Bertha (née Dodge) Shane, the tale begins with the Shane family-Charles, Bertha and their sons Fay, John and Robert, who lived in Chetek in the 1920s. Charles died in 1928 when Fay, the oldest, was only 6 years old.

Fay Shane was "tall and dark," in the words of Chetek resident Hazel Bates, with "Grease"-style hair and a matching attitude. No one seems to know whether he graduated from high school, but Fay's son Daniel Shane says he was rumored to have knocked out the principal on graduation day.

Shane signed up for the Army Reserves on his 18th birthday. He left town in December 1941 to fight in New Guinea after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. Like many Chetek men, Shane joined Company D of the 32nd Red Arrow Division, a historic guard unit from Wisconsin and Michigan that traces its roots back to the Civil War.

After he was released from the Army, Shane, who now went by first name Charles, settled in Renton, Wash., a city 13 miles southeast of Seattle. He became a real estate developer and member of the Democratic Party, married wife Agnes in 1945 and had a family.

Daniel Shane doesn't know how his father acquired the land now known as Darn Republican Street, but Shane deeded the property over to the City of Chetek in 1954, with the stipulation that the new street be named "Damn" Republican Street.

The deed was drawn up, except the spoken word "damn" became "darn" on paper-or did it? Some say the name was Damn Republican temporarily, but residents' complaints about obscenity led to revocation of the name. Others say Shane's initial choice of words never went beyond the verbal.

Either way, the street off (what is now known as) Lakeview was "Brewer Street" until City Supervisor Al Hawkos stumbled across the Darn Republican sign, ordered in July 1971, while cleaning the city shop. The sign went up, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, newspapers from Milwaukee to Rice Lake have commented on Shane's very public sentiment. Daniel Shane and brother Michael clipped the stories to honor the memory of their father, who died in 1991.

"He had a great sense of humor," Daniel remarks.

And a strong sense of political partisanship, evidence suggests.

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Burnett County is seeking input on a new Billboard Ordinance. I will let the Burnett County Sentinel give the details...

Billboards, no billboards, or somewhere in between?

That's the question the county's land use and information committee has been grappling with in developing a new sign ordinance since the Burnett County authorized a moratorium on new billboards several months ago.

The moratorium was the result of the county losing a $200,000 lawsuit after it was taken to court over the previous sign ordinance.

"The committee is looking for some direction," committee chair Maury Miller told the rest of the county board at their meeting at Lake 26 on Thursday.

"We have three options we have developed and we'd like to have a non-binding vote so we know where to focus our discussions," he said.

"We've been looking at the St. Croix County sign ordinance, which prohibits all off-premise signs, except in a few instances," he continued.

He said that was the ordinance on which the three options were based.

Off-premise signs are defined as those signs which advertise something not located on the premises upon which the sign is located.

The first option would allow a limited number of new, permanent off-premise signs. The second option calls for no new permanent off-premise signs and the third option is the same as the second with the added stipulation that off-premise signs eventually be eliminated.

"The primary reason for that third option is tourism," committee member Chuck Awe pointed out.

He said states like Maine and Vermont prohibit off-premise billboards to enhance their state's natural beauty.

The board, in a straw vote, liked the first option least, and of the remaining two favored the second option.

It is up to the land use committee now to discuss the options and bring one to the full board for consideration.

Some supervisors suggested putting thew two options on the county's website or in the newspaper in order to get some public and/or business-owner feedback before a decision is reached.

Regardless of the option finally chosen, it is good news the ordinance would be included under the county's land use ordinances, as it would then have an appeal process.

"The county was sued over the previous ordinance because it didn't have an appeal process," supervisor Norm Bickford pointed out.

So, if you have any thoughts on the billboard proposals, contact one of the committee members listed in this article.

It is getting closer to budget crunch time in local government. The Counties, Cities, Villages and Towns are all preparing preliminary numbers and they aren't looking good. This report from the Sawyer County Record could be from anywhere.

All county departments will be receiving a letter from the Finance Committee directing department heads to try to find ways to cut costs while ranking the importance and necessity of their services.

With a two percent levy cap due to affect nearly every aspect of the 2009 Sawyer County budget, the county is preparing to take an inventory of services — which includes looking at priorities and where cuts can be made.

“If the departments aren’t willing, or can’t, find a way to become more efficient and effective, maybe we go into the following year saying we can’t afford to increase salaries,” said committee member Shirley Riedmann. “Benefits we have no control over. If we can’t find the money internally and revenues aren’t coming in and costs keep going up ... then we can’t afford to give raises. We just don’t have the money.”

It continued in part...

“It’s the benefits that are killing us,” Kathy McCoy said.

With the vast, overwhelming majority of costs of local government being personnel costs, these comments will be heard at meeting after meeting after meeting this fall.

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The Barron County Board of Supervisors approved the placing of a health care referendum on the November ballot. According to the Chetek Alert ...

The approved health care referendum question reads as follows: "Shall the next state Legislature enact health care reform legislation by Dec. 31, 2009, that guarantees every Wisconsin resident affordable health care coverage as good as what is provided to state legislators and state officials?"

Opposition to the referendum included reasons such as ...

Supervisor James Stavran agreed the referendum was a noble cause, but he wondered if it was the same as passing a referendum that asked for lower taxes. He added that more time should be spent on voting the right people into office so the changes could be made.

How will you vote?

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More than 20 residents turned out Tuesday to demand the Ladysmith City Council follow through with a planned referendum to fund lifeguards at Memorial Park Beach.

Aldermen at a recent Legal Affairs Committee spoke against lifeguard funding, stating the city cannot afford the projected $15,000 expense. Residents upset by the comments said the cost is only a small fraction of a nearly $4 million total city budget.

“Many people are upset to see the city spending money on things other than lifeguards,” city resident Heather Tinder said in support of lifeguard funding.“Are we going to vote on everything, until we can’t afford to live in Ladysmith? I don’t think so,” alderman Mike Hraban said.

Last spring, the council voted to conduct a referendum on the lifeguard issue during the upcoming Nov. 4 presidential election. The referendum could give the city permission to exceed state-imposed levy limits lifeguards. County, city, village and town governments are only allowed 2 percent annual levy increases under state law. Inflationary and other cost of living increases typically exceed this amount, sometimes resulting in services being cut to balance the budget.

This is what is has come to...referendums on paying lifeguards?

The Rusk County Committee on Committee is expected to approve the Comprehensive Plan Survey at their September meeting. This timetable has results of survey ready in probably November. Next year will certainly be crunch time to complete the plan by 2010.

• The Washburn County Zoning Committe has decided to delay recommendation voting on the Comprehensive Plan until after the 2009 budget has been passed. This would put the vote either in November or December.

• The Washburn County Campground Ordinance was five years in creating and passing and the first test of it seemed to work. According to the Spooner Advocate...

After a five-year moratorium on campground and resort expansion within the county, the Washburn County Zoning Committee on Tuesday, July 22, approved 4-1 an additional 31 large campsites for Brad & Kay Campground on Twin Lakes in Chicog Township.The vote came after members of the public voiced both opposition and support...

The Chicog Town Board previously approved 50 new sites, the number requested by the owners, Brad and Kay Rundhaug. The township did not place any
conditions on the expansion...

Several committee members said since the town board, the board with local knowledge of the site, had given approval, they had confidence to give their approval.

The expansion will go before the county board for a final vote.

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Numerous newspapers, including the Washburn County Register reported the following...

A meeting between Washburn, Sawyer and Rusk counties to develop a coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan will be held at the Sawyer Community Senior Center, 15856 E. 5th Street, Hayward, on Thursday, Aug. 14, beginning at 1 p.m. This meeting is a joint effort between the three counties and is being coordinated through their human services and aging units.

The meeting is open to the public, and all interested individuals, elected officials at all levels and transit providers are encouraged to attend the meeting. Attendees will assist in identifying transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults and people with low incomes; provide input into strategies for meeting locally identified needs; and assist in prioritizing transportation services for funding and implementation. Information collected at this meeting will be used to develop the public transit-human services transportation plan.

Persons residing in Washburn, Sawyer, and Rusk counties or providing transit services within the counties who are unable to attend the meeting may submit written comments on existing, new, or improved transit services to: Sheldon Johnson, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, 1400 South River Street, Spooner, WI 54801 or by e-mail to sjohnson@nwrpc.com. — submitted

Good Luck!

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Wisconsin Way Update...

NewsoftheNorth.Net made these editorial comments regarding Wisconsin Way.

The Wisconsin Way is on the road again this summer holding public forums around the state and listening to ideas and solutions from citizens on how to revise the current state tax system to make it function better for funding public services without penalizing any group.

However, the group behind the initiative has canceled the public forums that were to be held in Superior on Aug. 7 and Rhinelander on Aug. 12.

According to Jennifer Sereno of Wood Communications Group, a spokesperson for the group reached by phone, Wisconsin Way organizers decided to cancel the two meetings, the only ones in the northern part of the state, because, according to Sereno, there was not enough interest from local people who had participated in the meetings over the winter to warrant holding more meetings this summer.

According to the press release, "leaders of the Wisconsin Way effort are working with a nonpartisan team of budget experts, policy advisers, economic development leaders, academics and financial industry members to turn the public’s priorities into a workable blueprint for the state."

It appears however, that the "bluprint" being prepared by the Wisconsin Way will be weighted heavily toward the concerns of southern Wisconsin residents since northern forums for northern residents to participate for a second time have been closed down at present.

In an email received Aug. 7, Jennifer Sereno wrote a response to this posted article, saying she didn't want any misunderstandings about Wisconsin Way's decision to return to the Northwoods.

"We will be coming back to northern Wisconsin in coming weeks," Sereno wrote. "We will be sure to reach out with specific logistics when we have secured dates and locations that prove to be less of a conflict in the communities."

We will see if this does happen.

The Rusk County Committe on Committee (Really, that is what they are called) met for a second time in July to discuss the Comprehensive Planning Survey. According to the minutes they discussed what EVERY long range committee discusses about their community surveys...

Discussion on costs, number of surveys to distribute, who to distribute them to and the percentage that needs to be returned.

The minutes didn't say "how" they were to be distributed, but I know that was also discussed.
It always is too.

Next Meeting August 8.

According to the Grand Rapids Herald Review...

Itasca County Commissioners are ready to offer top pay for a new county coordinator.

After two days of interviews, this Monday and Tuesday, a board of four, with Chairman Mark Mandich absent, voted unanimously to offer the job to a Wisconsin county administrator Tuesday afternoon. Duane Hebert, Barron County Administrator, was chosen as the preferred pick among the five top candidates chosen to be interviewed.

Hebert has worked as administrator for Barron County since 2003.

Mr. Hebert has come under fire lately, by some, over a number of personnel decisions and agenda issues.

My interactions with him have always been professional and courteous. I wish him well in his new job.

According to the Burnett County Sentinel...Burnett County is closer to completing comprehensive plan. What the County Board did is sign a contract with Foth Consulting to facilitate the planning process. They are still waaaaay behind schedule to have this completed by January 1, 2010.

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I neglected to earlier report the Sawyer County Wilderness Lakes Classification was passed by the Zoning Committee. The issues were well presented on both sides. Everyone wants to preserve clean water ... the devil is in the details of how?

I found this interesting from the Village of Bruce. According to the Ladysmith News...

The Bruce Village Board on Monday night voted to discontinue contracting with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department to provide additional police protection in the village beyond that provided through its ordinary county patrols effective Dec. 31.

Village voters opposed continuing the additional patrol, 145 to 93, in an April advisory referendum. There are about 400 registered voters.

The village presently has an agreement with the county through which the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department provides 24 hours of additional patrol weekly for village businesses and nearly 800 residents at a cost of $38,081.54 per year. The village has contracted for additional patrol since 1995, when trustees ended having a village police officer and patrol car and contracted with the county to cut costs of law enforcement.

The advisory referendum was not binding, thus the decision to continue to provide the 24 hours of weekly patrol in addition to normal county patrol still rested with trustees.

Trustee Mike Anderson made the motion to discontinue contracting for additional patrol. His motion was seconded by Trustee Lloyd Waite. Trustee Richard LaBelle voted in favor of the motion along with Anderson and Waite.

Trustees Jon Hamel and Mike Newman opposed the motion. Trustee Steve Quade was not present.

The village president did not vote.

“The people said they don’t want it. I don’t know why it has to go to committee,” said Trustee Anderson in discussion before he moved to discontinue contracting for added patrol. “Sixty-one percent of the voters said they don’t want this.”

“We’re paying too much for what we are getting,” said Trustee Waite.

Trustee LaBelle said he favored discontinuing added patrol because of the way the referendum came out.

“We should get extra patrol for no extra money. They are through here all the time anyway going to the county line,” commented Dave Jandrt from the audience.

The village clerk said it was not a roll call vote. Each member voting, however, made it clear which way he had voted. The village president generally does not vote except to break a tie, the clerk said.

I have no opinon whatsoever on this topice but ...

I just loved the quote, "We should get exra patrol for no exta money."

More for less.

The American Way!

Three interesting bits of information...

First we have this release from Mike Spranger, Chairman of the Board of the Wisconsin Realtors® Association...

Column: Wisconsin Way Initiative collaborative project

We have a wonderful quality of life here in Wisconsin, but budget challenges at the state and local levels are making it difficult to maintain it. Public services, like great schools, parks, roads, fire and police protection, all need adequate funding. At the same time, an excessive tax burden -- particularly our high property taxes -- put pressure on affordable housing, businesses and job growth. The fact is, our quality of life is defined by adequate funding for public services and fair and affordable taxes to pay for them.

As we enter another campaign season, we will hear candidates discuss the need for striking the right balance between the twin necessities of good services and affordable taxes. However, this important discussion is often overshadowed by polarizing politics and oversimplified "solutions" intended to get votes rather than get results.

I don't believe we can rely on legislators alone to fix our problems. I believe we, the general public, need to enter this discussion directly and engage legislative candidates in a serious discussion about our future. We must ask the hard questions of candidates, offer our own ideas, and allow them to consider creative alternatives to how we raise and spend our tax dollars to ensure our quality of life in Wisconsin remains high forever.

A unique coalition consisting of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, Wisconsin Education Association Council, Wisconsin Transportation Association, Wisconsin Counties Association and Wood Communications, has formed the "Wisconsin Way" project in hopes of providing this direction. This coalition is holding public hearings across Wisconsin to get your input for solutions, and they plan on sharing what you say with lawmakers this election season and beyond.

The Wisconsin Way initiative has been gaining momentum over the last year as over 5,000 attendees have offered their input at nearly 20 public hearings. These initial hearings produced many concerns and ideas, which have been cataloged and reviewed by policy experts to produce some innovative ideas on improving Wisconsin's systems for providing public services, and how we pay for them.

The Wisconsin Way is continuing their public hearings over the next several weeks and we're looking for your input. On July 23rd, central Wisconsin residents will have an opportunity to join this unique discussion by attending a Wisconsin Way public hearing in Wausau. The forum will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stoney Creek Inn, 1100 Imperial Avenue, Rothschild.

As the head of the Wisconsin REALTORS Association, a founding partner of the Wisconsin Way project, I invite you to join this important conversation and attend the Wausau hearing on July 23. A small investment of personal time now may help us create a better future for your children and grandchildren. Come share your ideas, listen to others, and be a part of creating Wisconsin's future. Please join me in attending this event, and ask your neighbors to come too!

You can also learn more about the Wisconsin Way at www.wisconsinway.org.

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This article on health care from the Superior Daily Telegram...

Voters’ get choice on health care

Shelley Nelson The Daily Telegram - 07/18/2008

Douglas County voters can register their opinion on health care reform at the polls.
The Douglas County Board became the first northern Wisconsin county to adopt the advisory referendum question to place on the ballot for November.

It gives voters the opportunity to tell their legislators they want health care benefits at least as good as the one’s they buy with their tax dollars — those the state legislature and other Wisconsin officials receive.

The board voted in favor of putting the question to the voters: “Shall the next state legislature enact health care reform legislation by Dec. 31, 2009, that guarantees every Wisconsin resident affordable health care as good as what is provided to state legislators and state officials?”

A “yes” vote would advise the legislature that Wisconsinites want health care reform.

Supervisor Karen Livingston, who worked in the health care, admitted having reservations about the wording of the question because of the complexities of issues involved.

“I would like it to say it would provide ‘access’ to affordable health care for every resident,” Prettie said. “I pay $550 a month. I’ve talked to families paying $1,500, $1,600 a month. I don’t make that kind of money. When you talk every year increasing, increasing, increasing, you’re going to have to do something.”

She said there are some who can’t get insurance, such as single people who have no children, but earn slightly more than limits allow for programs like BadgerCare.

“How are we going to pay for it?” Supervisor John Robinson asked. “We’re in a budget crunch everywhere from the state to the county. How are we going to pay for it? Where is the money going to come from?”

The referendum is strictly advisory. It gives voters the opportunity to log their opinion with the state without directing legislators to come up with a plan.

“It lets the people at least voice their opinion,” Board Chairman Doug Finn said.

“I support this resolution,” said Supervisor Mark Liebaert. “For years the Farmer’s Union has been trying to get the state of Wisconsin to give access their health care policies … We have suggested they allow the farmers to buy the policy the state supplies to legislators and their employees. We can’t even get them to do that.”

He said the biggest problem is people trying to make a living on their own can’t get a quality insurance product for a reasonable cost.

“There are 130-some people elected in the house in the state down in Madison who make a pretty good wage, get a pretty good health care plan and retirement plan,” said Steve Carlson of Trego, who proposed the idea to the county’s executive committee in late June. “I don’t think it’s too much to put an advisory referendum question to the voters to put some pressure on the folks down in Madison to try to figure it out. … We pay an awful lot of money for the group of people we elect to sort these things out. And, I think the voters should have the opportunity to kind of give them a nudge to do that.”

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Then, also this from the Superior Daily Telegram...

EDITORIAL:

Barrel controversy demonstrates why people no longer trust government.

The Daily Telegram - 07/19/2008

Elsewhere on this page today you will find an opinion about the mysterious barrels dumped into Lake Superior decades ago. There has been a long time dispute regarding their contents. Honeywell has confirmed military armaments were among the disposed items. At issue is whether or not hazardous or radioactive waste also is present.

A few barrels were raised nearly 20 years ago and nothing dangerous was found. Minnesota regulators believe they have done their job and the matter should be dropped. We disagree.
The 1,500 barrels hidden beneath the surface represent waste that no common resident would be allowed to discard in such a cavalier manner. Pity the individual who foolishly allows their pickup truck or snowmobile to fall through Lake Superior’s ice. State and federal regulators would immediately be on the scene dictating expensive removal instructions and writing costly citations.

And that’s the way it should be. Everyone must take care to ensure Lake Superior’s water remain pristine.

So why don’t those rules apply to Honeywell, which manufactured the material, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which dumped it?

Clearly, there is an uneven and unfair enforcement of the law. Only one thing remains unclear: Whether the manufacturer and government are engaged in a coverup or just don’t want to fund a cleanup.

This represents one more example of why people have lost faith and interest in government: Individuals are held accountable for their actions, but public agencies are exempt from their own rules. This type of hypocrisy has torn the heart and soul from a great country.

A coalition of groups will march on Sunday to protest inaction on the barrel issue. Hopefully, they will stimulate public pressure to remove and examine all of the suspicious barrels.

Over the past few months in Barron County there has been a minor controversy smoldering over the County Board Agenda. As with any small fire, if it isn't extinguished immediately it will grow into a bigger fire. Thus, this editorial from the Rice Lake Chronotype.

Agenda issue getting in way

County board supervisors are the public's direct representatives in county government. So it seems reasonable to think that their concerns should be priorities for those who administer county government. But at times that doesn't appear to be the case in Barron County.

Of late there have been instances in which county supervisors have asked to have an issue placed on the agenda of the board's monthly meetings. Without a specific listing on the agenda, state law prohibits supervisors from discussing or acting on an issue. But county government leadership seems, at best, to be hesitant to deal directly with those requests. To outside observers this foot-dragging has the appearance of either obstructionism or ineptitude.

Supervisors are now questioning what it takes to get an issue on the agenda. The answers they've been getting haven't been reassuring. In fact, even those reportedly involved in that decision-making process have been seeking clarification about this most basic and critical part of county board governance.

It is literally incredible that County Board leadership can't give even County Board supervisors a straight answer on the agenda issue. And, if county supervisors are confused, what chance does the average citizen have of comprehending the procedures of county government? What confidence can they have that the county is going to be responsive to their needs?

It hasn't helped that two of the most recent requests have involved issues directly related to the job performance of administrator Duane Hebert. In one instance a supervisor has asked repeatedly for a closed meeting on Hebert's performance. In another, a supervisor asked when the board would consider a petition signed by 450 citizens calling for Hebert to be placed on administrative leave and elimination of the administrator's post. Hebert told that supervisor the issue may or may not appear on a future agenda.

The County Board's own rules seem to state clearly in Rule 2 that the board chair "shall decide all questions of order and the agenda" as the presiding officer for meetings of the board. The duties and responsibility of the county administrator states that the administrator, in consultation with the board chair, "shall prepare the agenda for meetings of the County Board of Supervisors." If there is some ambiguity or conflict in these two statements, county leadership should bring to the board a proposal to end this confusion.

The lack of action to date leaves citizens wondering just what is the "agenda" of county leadership.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

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The Rusk County Lake Classification Study and recommendations went to the County Board. The recommendation of enlarging the minimum shoreland lot size was defeated for a completely logical reason. The entire ordinance will need to be looked at after new NR 115 rules are completed. When exactly that will happen is totally unknown, but it is a foregone conclusion it will happen sometime in the near future. The following is the report from the Ladysmith News.

The board members ... were not in agreement during earlier action on proposals introduced after about a year and a half of meetings by the Rusk County Lake and Stream Classification Ad Hoc Committee, which was chaired by Bob Wiltrout.

It was approved by a 12 to 6 roll call with Tom Costello, Eldon Skogen, David Willingham, James Hofacker, James Platteter, Phil Schneider, Henry Golat, Roger Svoma, Wayne Stevens, Lucinda LaPorte Lyle Lieffering and Chairman Randy Tatur in favor. Voting no were John Stencil, Cliff Taylor, Gene DuSell, Tony Hauser, Sandra Roth and Phil Kaiser.

A motion by Phil Kaiser to amend the resolution so it would simply acknowledge completion and thank the committee instead of adopt the classification was defeated by a 12 to 6 vote prior to adoption of the original proposal.

Stencil said the classification was “based on not science but guess” and was just the start of a process toward more regulation and he could see no benefit.Tony Hauser said the whole purpose of classification of lakes was to “set the stage for future regulation and restrictions.”

Jason Gillis, a member of the ad hoc committee, made similar points and criticized the classifications themselves.

Cliff Taylor thanked the committee but said he could not support their classification plan. He said the population around lakes at Madison is 250 times that in Rusk County and said the ad hoc committee conclusions could be used by people developing Smart Growth in the county.

Board member Wayne Stevens said the classification was “something we can use in the future. There is no regulation in it. Any regulation would have to pass through the board.”

He said he agreed with Supervisor Tom Costello who described Phil Kaiser’s amendment as asking the board to tell the hard working committee members “Thank’s for turning it in. Here’s a cookie.” Costello also had referred to opponents’ comments at the meeting as a “little coup attempt at the 11th hour” after the ad hoc committee had worked more than a year.

Wiltrout addressed board members about the ad hoc committee work and Ken Parejko, a retired professor of biology from Sheldon who worked with the committee answered questions. “I think we had a robust system” to determine classification, he said, and maintained that the committee’s “science” which Stencil belittled was stronger than that similar groups in other counties. David Willingham said the county was “extremely fortunate to have someone with the background he (Parejko) had.”

At one point, Board Chairman Tatur cut short Stencil’s comments saying “We’re gonna move on John. You’ve got a minute and that’s it.”

A resolution from the ad hoc committee calling for the zoning committee to consider a minimum shoreline width of 150 feet for newly developed lots was amended to a recommendation, then defeated by a 10 to 7 vote. Wiltrout in comments to the board indicated that resolution had been forwarded because the committee had been asked to do so.

Sentiment seemed to be that such changes should not be talked about until new state law regarding resources is announced.

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The Great Lakes Compact has now been approved by the last of the eight Great Lakes States.

This AP article from MLive.Com explains where the Compact goes from here.

The pact still needs approval of Congress and the White House. The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have adopted a nearly identical document but cannot join the compact because U.S. states cannot make treaties with foreign governments.

Measures to ratify the deal in Congress will be introduced shortly, said David Naftzger, executive director of the Council of Great Lakes Governors.

More than 20 members have endorsed it, including Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominees. Obama, an Illinois Democrat, said he would be a co-sponsor.
"I am committed to working to fully implement this compact to protect America's truly Great Lakes," Obama said.

Carl Levin, D-Mich., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio, will be the primary Senate sponsors. In the House, support will be led by Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat and chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Supporters hope the pact will be approved this fall and sent to President Bush, whose administration has voiced no opposition.

The agreement outlaws diversions of Great Lakes water from its natural drainage basin with rare exceptions, while requiring the states to regulate their own large-scale water uses and promote conservation.