HomeMy WebLinkAboutSheriff’s Emergency & Veterans’ Services Committee - Minutes - 5/15/2023
Sheriff’s, Emergency Management, Veterans, Child Support
Committee of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors
Minutes of the:
Bayfield County Sheriff’s Committee Meeting
May 15th, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Held in the Bayfield County EOC, Washburn, WI
The meeting of the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Committee was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by
Bayfield County Chair Jeremey Oswald. A roll call was taken by Chair Jeremy Oswald, as follows:
Dennis M. Pocernich-present; John Rautio-present; Jeff Silbert- present. Vice Chair Larry Fickbohm
came in at 4:02 p.m. Total: 5 present A quorum was present to conduct business.
The following were also present for today’s meeting: Sheriff- Tony Williams; Child Support
Director- Jennifer Jones; Emergency Management Director- Meagan Quaderer; Jail Administrator-
Luke Kleczka.
2. Approval of Minutes of April 17th, 2023
Motion by Silbert, seconded by Rautio to approve the Minutes of the Monthly Bayfield
County Sheriff’s Committee Meeting held on April 17th, 2023. Motion carried, 4-0.
Vice Chair Larry Fickbohm came in at 4:02 p.m.
3. Public Comment: None.
4. Child Support Office
a. The Budget Summary was presented by Jennifer Jones, Director for Bayfield County
Child Support Services. Expenses are at 24% for the year, and revenues are at 19%.
Collection totals are above where the office was last year.
b. Department Overview: Jones attended the Director’s Dialogue in Brown County.
There had been a question at a previous meeting on the statistics regarding the
amount of female versus male non-custodial parents in the state and locally. There
are 20,263 non-custodial parents in custody statewide. There are 47,958 (13%)
female non-custodial parents and 321,116 male non-custodial parents in the state.
In Bayfield County, 14.7% non-custodial parents are female.
5. Emergency Management
a. The Budget Summary was presented by Meagan Quaderer, Director for Bayfield
County Emergency Management.
Sheriff’s, Emergency Management, Veterans, Child Support
Committee of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors
b. Department Overview: Quaderer reported that her department attended the
WIPSCOM/NENA Conference in the Dells May 7th-10th. There were many good
discussions with legislators regarding the need for funding PSAPS (Dispatch Center)
regularly through grants. They are in the process of getting cost estimates for towns
to apply for WDF funding.
c. Genasys Mass Notification System Update: Emergency Management has received
approval from FEMA to utilize the IPAWS system. They are moving on to creating a
workgroup to finalize policies and procedures and to create a list of users. They plan
to have the system training and policies completed by the next Sheriff’s Committee
Meeting in June.
6. Sheriff’s Office
a. Budget Summary: Budget Report included.
b. Department Overview: Sheriff Williams provided the call total update. There were
40 traffic crashes, several welfare checks, 7 domestics, 9 disturbances, and 16
suspicious activity calls. Sheriff Williams reports on the new hires which include a
new Jail Secretary, Melissa Moravetz, and a new full-time dispatcher, Walter Gurske.
Jenaye Pearson, a halftime dispatcher has been moved to full time. The Sheriff’s
Office is in the process of hiring another full-time dispatcher. Mike Hanold with Red
Cliff Police Department has been offered a deputy position and should be starting in
two weeks pending health and psych tests. The entire staff of deputies have been
certified for CPR and AED after receiving 20 new AED units for the squads. Several
Sheriff’s Office employees were sent to Crisis Intervention Training last month and
10 employees between the jail and road are being sent to Peer Support training to
be a part of the statewide peer support system. They will be available to provide
support for other agencies in the state of Wisconsin. The Sheriff’s Office also
participated in two funeral processions for three officers killed in the line of duty.
The Sheriff’s Office is currently writing up policies for officer involved deaths and
creating forms for officers to fill out with end-of-life decisions, such as notifications,
funeral homes etc. to have on hand for the Sheriff’s Office to use in the event of an
officer involved death. Nine new radios have been purchased and are getting
programmed. Two of the new squad cars have arrived, though it will be
approximately two weeks before they are able to be used in the fleet. The Sheriff’s
Office is testing bodycams from Axon. Sheriff Williams showed video footage from a
recorded stop which was related to a complaint from a citizen. The footage showed
the complaint was unfounded. Sheriff Williams advised squad and body cameras will
cost approximately $48,000 annually. If approved, the cameras can be delivered in
approximately four weeks from the time of order. Cameras will upload footage to
the cloud via Wi-Fi from the squad cars as well as when they enter the Sheriff’s
Sheriff’s, Emergency Management, Veterans, Child Support
Committee of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors
Office. State Patrol has the same system the Sheriff’s Office is currently testing.
Board Member Jeff Silbert asked if there is any training that the committee could
support law enforcement participating in to prevent officer deaths during common
daily tasks, such as traffic stops. Sheriff Williams advised each situation is unique,
but departments are reviewing policies and procedures to determine if there are
changes to be made to improve safety. They are continuing to train within the
department to avoid complacency during common interactions.
c. Jail Overview: Jail Administrator Luke Kleczka reported that as of today, 30 male and
7 female inmates are incarcerated with 1 on electronic monitor. The jail is currently
boarding three Ashland County inmates and nine Burnett County inmates. A GED
program with Northwood Tech has finished for this semester and will not return
until the fall. UW Extension will be running an art class for inmates. Art supplies will
be paid for through the Bayfield County Criminal Justice Department. Kleczka
reports that the jail is fully staffed. Currently there is no budget line item for Huber
revenue, a budget amendment may be required at a later date. The jail has been
catering events for other departments and will be reimbursed for the food costs.
7. Next Meeting Date, June 19th, 2023, at 4 pm in the EOC
8. Adjournment:
There being no further business to come before the Sheriff’s, Emergency Management,
Veterans, Child Support Committee of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors, Chairman
Oswald adjourned the meeting at 5:26 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Meagan Quaderer
Bayfield County Emergency Management