HomeMy WebLinkAboutSheriff’s Emergency & Veterans’ Services Committee - Minutes - 10/9/2017Bayfield County Board of Supervisors
Sheriff’s, Emergency Government, Veterans and Child Support Committee
October 9, 2017 Meeting Minutes
Attendees: Rusty Williams (Chair), Jeremy Oswald (Vice-Chair @ 4:12 pm), Dennis Pocernich, Larry
Fickbohm, Mark Abeles-Allison-Co. Administrator (4:08 pm), Sheriff Paul Susienka, Chief Deputy Dan
Clark, Cpt. Kathleen Haiden (4:20 pm), Bonnie Chivers-Child Support, Kevin Johnson-Veteran’s Service
Officer (4:24 pm), Deb Milanowski-Confidential Secretary
Rusty Williams called the meeting to order at 4:02 pm.
Approval of Minutes: Motion by Larry Fickbohm, 2nd by Dennis Pocernich to approve the September 11,
2017 meeting minutes. Motion carried.
Public Comment: None
Report from Child Support: Bonnie reported she just came back from a good conference that was well
attended. There will be substantial changes in foster care regarding child support payments. The State
is proposing that foster parents’ wait 18 months before pursuing money from biological parent (s).
Bayfield County has 52 foster care cases and they get around 3-4/month. Should know something
regarding this change by January 2018.
Bonnie left the meeting at 4:08 p.m.
Report from the Sheriff’s Office: Updated the committee on the security system upgrade for the
courthouse and the Sheriff’s Office/Jail. There will be 13 doors in the courthouse that will require
secure entry with a card/fob. Should be done the week of Oct 16th-20th.
Update on the TAD program funding application. We are in the 2nd year of a 5-year cycle working with
Ashland County (worth about $80,000) which is due next week. Barb Flynn has accepted the position of
Criminal Justice Coordinator to replace Brenda Spurlock. Brenda’s last day is October 13, 2017.
Discussed a grant that helps inmates re-introduce from jail. These grant funds would be used for
designing and setting up the process and the goal is to institutionalize this process. Only 5 awards given
in the State of Wisconsin (there are 72 counties).
Update on budget -went through executive committee and included 1 full time jailer and moving one
CCO to part-time (50%).
Discussed Ashland County’s desire to contract with Bayfield County to board all their female inmates in
our jail. Discussed the reasons why this wouldn’t be feasible but we would take what we can
accommodate. We want the ability to turn away problem inmates. The benefit of having this contract
was questioned. There is no benefit since we would not be able to take any males from Ashland County
and may have to deny board requests from Sawyer County.
Cpt. Haiden reported that they held interviews today for a Jail Corporal. She also has some prospects
for part time jailer. Also reported that transporting inmates to Northlakes in Ashland has been going
well. There is an issue when there are multiple inmates with different appointment times, but it has
been working.
Chief Deputy Clark reported that Applefest came and went with no significant issues. There was one
individual brought in that wasn’t cooperative.
Report from Veterans Service Office: Kevin briefed the committee on his re-activation for support in
Florida due to the hurricane. Florida had requested 3,000 soldiers which is pretty much the whole
Wisconsin brigade. They landed in Ft. Lauderdale and helped clean up and provide traffic control. They
worked with the Miami/Dade Law Enforcement while in Florida. He was there for about 1 week.
His 2018 budget was approved. There was not much change from his 2017 budget.
Disabled American Veteran’s -there is a post in Ashland and they are having a membership drive. They
had a booth at Applefest and Kevin led the veteran’s in the Applefest parade.
He is currently catching up on his work from being gone and things are going well.
Kevin left the meeting at 4:40 p.m.
Report from Emergency Management: No Report- Jan was out attending a conference.
Report from Mark Abeles-Allison: Mark gave provided the committee with a “heads-up” that the
Executive Committee discussed a request from the Counties Association to join a class action lawsuit.
This lawsuit pertains to the opioid epidemic (against big pharmacy).
Meeting ended at 4:44 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Deb Milanowski
Next meeting date is November 13, 2017 at 4:00pm in the EOC.