HomeMy WebLinkAboutExecutive Committee - Agenda - 9/29/2020K:\Executive Committee\2020 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE\AGENDA\September 29,
2020\Exec Comm Notice Agenda 2020-09-29.doc
Bayfield County Administrator
117 E 5th Street, PO Box 878, Washburn, WI 54891
Ph: 715-373-6181 Fx: 715-373-6153
Mark Abeles-Allison, County Administrator
Kristine Kavajecz, Human Resource Director
BAYFIELD COUNTY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
Brett T. Rondeau, Chair Mary Dougherty
Fred Strand Dennis Pocernich
Jeff Silbert, Vice Chair Larry Fickbohm
*** AGENDA ***
Dear Committee Members:
This letter is written to inform you of the Bayfield County Executive Committee
Meeting scheduled for 4:00pm Thursday, September 29, 2020 in the Bayfield
County Board Room. This meeting will be held in-person and remotely.
Supervisors and the public will be able to participate in the Meeting via voice
either by using the internet link or phone number below.
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
+1 715-318-2087 United States, Eau Claire (Toll)
Conference ID: 484 776 736#
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Contact Bayfield County at 715-373-6181 if you have access questions or
email Markaa@bayfieldcounty.org if during the meeting.
Any person wishing to attend who, because of a disability, requires special accommodations, should
contact the County Clerk’s office at 715-373-6100, at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting
time, so appropriate arrangements can be made.
Notice is hereby given that in the event the standing committee does not have a quorum the County
Board Chair or Vice Chair may act as an ex officio member (County ordinance, Chapter 3, section 2-
3-1 (c)). Notice is hereby given that a majority of the Bayfield County Board may be present at the
meeting to gather information about a subject over which they have decision-making responsibility.
This constitutes a meeting of the Bayfield County Board pursuant to State ex rel. Badke v.
K:\Executive Committee\2020 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE\AGENDA\September 29,
2020\Exec Comm Notice Agenda 2020-09-29.doc
Greendale Village Bd., 173 Wis. 2d 553, 494 N.W.2d 408(1993), and must be noticed as such,
although the County Board will not take any formal action at this meeting.
1) Call to Order:
2) Public Comment
3) Approval of Minutes of September 23, 2020.
4) Discussion and Possible Action regarding utilization of Routes to Recovery Funding (if
available) or Contingency Fund Expenditure for Laptop Computers in 2020.
5) Broadband Expansion Information, Mike Cariveau, Bayfield Wireless
6) Discussion and Possible Action on DOJ Supplemental COVID Funding
7) Discussion and Possible Action on the 2021 Budget
a) Department Budget review
b) Budget Changes Review
c) Recommendation to Board
8) Reports: Financial Report
9) Adjourn
Narrative, September 29, 2020
Item 4: At the last meeting the Committee supported purchasing extra lap top computers in
the current year. Paul Houck has estimated costs for this to be as follows
• Laptops $1,853.00 * 20 = $37,060
• NetMotion $120.00 * 20 = $2400
This totals: $39,460
I would recommend authorizing both or either Routes to Recovery and/or Contingency funding
to meeting this for 2020.
Item 5: Broadband in Bayfield County is a priority of the Board. Bayfield Wireless successfully
bid on and obtained new spectrum for the next 10 years for the region. Mike Cariveau will
review what this means for the county and how rollout continues through the region. Attached
in the packet is their recent press release.
Item 6: A supplemental COVID Grant in the amount of $58,000 was made available to Bayfield
County. Details on this can be reviewed here:
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/dles/justice%20programs/Coronavirus%20Emer
gency%20Supplemental%20Funding%20-%20Non-
Direct%20Counties%20%282020%29%282%29.pdf
The focus of the grant is on:
• Courtroom / Courthouse Safety
• Jail Safety
• Deputy Safety
A group of Law Enforcement, Court, Criminal Justice, Attorney and Jail staff have met twice so
far to review possible projects. The application is due on October 5.
The spreadsheet below is what we are continuing to work on. These grants can impact county
funding / budgeting in 2021. Major new items are additional lap tops, UV-C lights and ZOOM
ROOM. We are waiting for some final costs estimates this coming week.
Item 7: Department budget changes are included on the spreadsheets below. Updates
continue to come in so we may have some slight changes recommended next week.
General Fund: Expense and Revenue increase $16,482, net 0 change. Addition to Contingency
of $13,550
• Capital Improvement Fund: Net decrease $18,800. If approved as is this would
decrease General Fund Transfer by this amount.
• Highway Fund: Net zero change, but moved funds from county highway to capital and
reduced bond by $100,000.
8. We will have a financial report for September at the meeting.
Discussion regarding October 6 and 8 meetings, potential to cancel.
1
Minutes of the
Bayfield County Executive Committee Meeting
4:00pm, September 14, 2020
Meeting was held in the County Board Room and Remotely, with phone
and/or video access for members and the public.
Members Present: Brett Rondeau, Jeff Silbert, Dennis Pocernich, Fred Strand, Mary
Dougherty, Marty Milanowski,
Members Excused: Larry Fickbohm
Others Present: Mark Abeles-Allison-County Administrator, Kristine Kavajecz-Human
Resources Director, Charly Ray, Jeremy Oswald, Jim Crandall, Jason Bodine, Paul Houck, Bob
Anderson-Highway Patrol Superintendent, Steve Sandstrom, Kim Mattson
Meeting Called to Order at 4:00pm by Rondeau.
Public Comment: None Received
Approval of Minutes of September 14, 2020: Motion Pocernich, Strand to approve
minutes of the September 14, 2020 Executive Committee meeting. Motion Carried (5-0)
2021 Budget Discussion:
a. Bayfield County Forestry: Jason Bodine, Forest Administrator provided an
overview of the Forestry and Parks Budget proposal for 2021. Overall budget net
contribution of $1.726 million. Reducing expenses by about 6%. Timber sale
markets are resulting in a very conservative revenue estimate, 10% decrease from
2020. Timber sale revenues for 2020 will be slightly above budget, but will not
result in the revenue surplus that the county has observed in years past. Half of
sales are pulp products and half are lumber. The pulp markets are the ones that are
dropping. Bodine also reviewed the capital improvement project items included in
the budget. A large project included in the Delta Landfill repair. Fishing dock is a
carry-over from 2020. Delta Landfill is estimated to be reimbursed 87.5%.
Forestry is exploring a Carbon offsetting program, which could provide an
additional revenue stream.
b. Bayfield County Information Technology: Paul Houck, Information Technology
Director reviewed the proposed 2021 IT budget. Estimated $26,000 increase over
2020. One staff will be primary programmer for the 5-county NOVUS tax system.
Office365 expenses have increased significantly due to licensing needs. Devices
capable of working remotely have doubled. Multi-factor authentication is
recommended for implementation. Preference is to purchase laptops. Committee
suggested purchasing laptops instead of desktops that are budgeted in the 2021
2
budget. Host server replacement, jail camera/cabling project Phase II, Backup
hardware addition are the capital expenditures planned.
c. Highway Capital / Radios / Mason Garage: Bob Anderson, Highway Patrol
Superintendent reported that the budget include a request for 71 mobile radios, 4
base stations and 2 handhelds using the WISCom System at a cost of $242,000
(originally proposed at $300,000 for 100 radios). County share of CTH M project
for 2021 is just over $1 million, this is the county’s 50% share. Goal is to also add
the second section of CTH M, currently planned for 2022, in 2021 with STP
funding, if approved by the State. Abeles-Allison explained that a 2019 restated
audit was just received and reflects a $2.8 million fund balance in the Highway
Fund for the end of 2019. The 2021 budget does propose to use a portion of the
fund balance, approximately $850,000. The budget also includes bonding in the
amount of $1.75 million. Recommendation from the committee is to maintain the
same bonding level as 2020.
d. Interdepartmental 00 account in General Fund: Abeles-Allison reviewed
proposals for this Department. There are unspent bridge aid dollars from
previous years that will be used for 2021. Corp Counsel estimated to be slightly
less in 2021. Contingency includes $80,000, $78,000 for COLA increases.
Review of library funding allocations. Transfer to Highway reduced from
$500,000 to $250,000 for 2021. BCEDC funding allocation identical to 2020.
e. Personnel Review: Personnel Narrative was reviewed by Kris Kavajecz, Human
Resources Director
f. County Board: Ice Rescue contribution is included. A request from Madeline
Island was not included in the budget proposal. Fraud hotline, youth scholarships
are continuing to be funded. Consensus of the committee is that Madeline Island
rescue should be included for funding. Per Diems have increased.
g. Other Departments: Abeles-Allison noted that several items have been identified
since the proposed budget was distributed. Abeles-Allison reviewed the list of
budget changes that have been discussed. This list will be used to rework the
budget for presentation on Tuesday.
Next meeting is Tuesday before the County Board meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 5:06 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Kris Kavajecz.
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
September 18, 2020
BAYFIELD INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER POSITIONED FOR REGIONAL EXPANSION:
WINS FCC AUCTION FOR NEW SPECTRUM
(Bayfield, Wis.) Locally based wireless internet service provider Bayfield Wireless announced today that
it was one of the winning bidders of the recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wireless
spectrum auction, securing new spectrum for the next ten years for the region. The FCC recently
concluded its nationwide auction for the new Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) priority access
licenses.
There were 271 bidders that qualified to participate in the CBRS auction by county for priority access to
spectrum in all 3,233 counties across the United States. The auction closed on August 25, 2020 after 76
rounds and raised more than $4.58 billion in bids by the 228 winning bidders.
Securing this new CBRS spectrum ensures Bayfield Wireless can continue its expansion of high-speed
Internet service throughout Bayfield, Ashland, Price and Sawyer counties. Bayfield Wireless founder
Mike Cariveau of Bayfield, Wisconsin comments, “Knowing we’ve secured long term priority access to
this important part of the wireless spectrum is critical to our future expansion plans. The additional
capacity and capability this licensed spectrum provides Bayfield Wireless will help further justify our
future investments to serve our local communities. It’s exciting to think about the importance of this to
our mission to serve the unserved and underserved rural and remote areas of our region.”
Bayfield Wireless is a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) serving local customers in the Town of
Bayfield, the Town of Russell, the Red Cliff Tribal Lands, Madeline Island, and the Town of Bayview since
its network went online in March 2019. Bayfield Wireless provides fiber-speed Internet service to fixed
locations using state-of-the-art wireless technologies to cost effectively serve lower density rural and
remote areas.
For more information about services and inquiries please visit https://bayfieldwireless.com
###
Media Contact:
Bayfield Wireless Mike Cariveau (715) 280-1900
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (FCC) Cecilia Sulhoff (202) 418-0587