HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 5/22/2025BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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Board Members Present: James Crandall, Mary Dougherty, Teri Hanson, Jeff Holte (virtual), Donna
Lundin, Marty Milanowski, Jeremy Oswald, Sue Rosa
Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Stephanie Eder, Jeanine Spuhler, Jo Beth Gonzalez, Sarah
Traaholt, Tom Croteau, Christine Branagan (left at 5:23), Jan Lee, Brynna
Watters-Moffitt, Carolyn Novak (left at 5:10), Mark Ables-Allison (left at
4:10)
Call to Order and Introductions
Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Introductions were made.
Introduction of Christine Branagan, applicant for DHS Citizen Board Vacancy – Christine will speak
briefly about her interest in an appointment and the skills and experience she will bring to the board.
Christine Branagan introduced herself to the Board and expressed her interest in an appointment to the
Human Services Board. Branagan was recently appointed to the Family Services Advisory Committee.
Branagan holds a bachelor’s degree in human services from Lac du Flambeau College. Branagan currently
works for Bad River Social Services. Branagan emphasized that her professional experience, education,
and passion for helping others would enable her to make a significant contribution as a citizen member
of this group.
Discussion and Possible Action – Review and approval of the April 24, 2025, meeting minutes.
Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Dougherty, to approve the April 24, 2025, meeting minutes.
Motion passed.
Opportunity for Public Comment (Limit 3 minutes)-
County Administrator Mark Ables-Allison expressed his gratitude to Skulan for her leadership as Director
and her three decades of dedicated service to the Human Services Department. Ables-Allison presented
Skulan with several tokens of appreciation, accompanied by analogies that reflected her commitment to
Human Services.
DHS Board members inquired if a successor had been identified. Skulan reported that a candidate will be
presented to the Bayfield County Board for confirmation on Tuesday, after which further information will
be available.
Program Presentation – Elderly Nutrition Program Update, Carolyn Novak, Elderly Nutrition Program
Supervisor
Novak noted that due to the closure of Chartwells at Northland College in May, a new food
vendor was needed to provide food for three home delivered meal (HDM) routes and one
congregate meal site. Novak reported that the Bayfield County Kitchen will provide these
DRAFT:
Subject to change at
the next BCDHS Board
meeting
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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additional meals. Currently, Bayfield County Kitchen provides meals for one HDM route and three
congregate sites. Bayfield County has a total of six HDM routes and seven congregate meal sites.
The Cable route is staffed by volunteer drivers. Food for the route is provided by the Lakewoods
Resort. Red Cliff includes residents in and around Bayfield in their HDM route.
Novak noted that the new vendor Ashland County had planned to use was not able to provide the
meals as planned. As a result, the Bayfield County Kitchen will supply home delivered meals for
three days a week, approximately 270 meals per week, until Ashland can identify a new vendor.
Ashland will pick up the meals in bulk and pack them at another site. They are still working on the
fine details of this arrangement.
Bayfield County Kitchen has hired two former Chartwells staff members.
Chartwell’s last day of service for Bayfield County is Thursday, May 29. A transition of fleet
vehicles and equipment from Chartwells to Bayfield County will be facilitated. Bayfield County will
then begin to provide meals on Monday, June 2, 2025. There will be no gap in service. The timing
and some route structures will change minimally to accommodate the change in vendors.
Jim Crandall asked for an update about the Barnes congregate meal site. No site manager has
been hired. The site will remain closed until the site manager position is filled.
Eder asked who would be providing congregate meals in Ashland. Novak replied that Sandy Shore
and the Ashland Family Restaurant have both agreed to provide congregate meals for Ashland
County participants. Ashland is implementing a voucher program to provide flexibility to diners
and to control meal costs.
It was reported that at this time, the Governor’s budget proposal for 2026 does not include the
senior nutrition programs. Funding can, and likely will, be added back to the budget. Effective
advocacy is important. Greater Wisconsin Area on Aging Resources (GWAAR) has been providing
Wisconsin aging units with current news regarding state and federal funding changes. GWAAR is
also providing seniors with resources to help them advocate with their lawmakers.
At the federal level, the Older Americans Act (which funds senior meals, caregiving programs,
health promotion, and the Elder Benefit Specialist position) has not been reauthorized yet.
Funding for the Older Americans Act is not included in either the President’s or the House of
Representatives’ budgets. The situation will continue to be monitored.
At the April meeting, Dougherty proposed that DHS develop a resolution opposing federal
reductions in Human Services programs that can be recommended to the County Board for
approval and sent to state and federal legislators. Skulan drafted the resolution. It will be
addressed later in the meeting.
Congregate meal site participation updates: Port Wing, 12; Cable, 40-45; Iron River, 55; and Time
Out, 53. It was reported that Cornucopia often offers activities with meals. The South Shore
Elementary Choir recently sang for participants and joined them for a multi-generational lunch.
Bayfield County does not pay rent for any of the facilities used for congregate meals.
Monthly Section Reports
Behavioral Health and Community Programs (BHCP) – Tom Croteau
Behavioral health numbers remain stable. Croteau reported that although there was a strong
candidate for the vacant Behavioral Health Case Manager/Social Worker position, the candidate
stopped communicating with Human Resources, so the position has been reposted.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
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May 22, 2025
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Behavioral Health Case Manager Jamie Allen is very busy trying to keep up in the interim. Allen does
a great job staying on top of things.
Croteau noted that two Behavioral Health individuals need a higher level of care, leading to costly
placements. These cases often follow an emergency detention (ED), when individuals are not ready
to return home. DHS provides for two to five such cases annually out of approximately thirty
emergency detentions processed each year. Allen is responsible for finding appropriate placements.
One individual will be placed in a facility in Superior, and the other individual will be placed in a
facility in Rice Lake.
Enrollment for Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) has experienced a slight decline. There
have been three discharges. One individual successfully completed the program. Another individual
required a higher level of care and was subsequently transitioned to the Community Support
Program (CSP). The final individual passed away due to natural causes. The loss of clients is
particularly challenging for Service Facilitators, who establish close relationships when working with
individuals. In some cases, the Service Facilitator may be the sole source of support.
Alan Spaude-Filipczyk has assumed additional clinical responsibilities, allowing Croteau to allocate
more time to other priorities.
Croteau reported that since the last meeting, the BHCP staff have moved into their new offices. The
new area features three offices and a conference room on one side of the hall and three offices and
a forensic interview room on the other side of the hall. Children with Long-term Support (CLTS) staff
have moved back from the Annex and are now located in DHS, where the CCS offices were
previously located.
Family Services (FS) – Jo Beth Gonzalez
Gonzales reports that the Family Services Section has had a significant rise in Youth Justice (YJ)
cases. These cases are currently at approximately 50% of last year's cases, and the numbers are
continuing to increase rapidly. There is still a Youth Justice Case Manager/Social Worker vacancy.
This has led to other staff assuming Youth Justice responsibilities to effectively manage the
workload.
Child welfare numbers are currently steady. Gonzalez reported that a significant portion of cases are
attributable to parental substance abuse. In these instances, the primary objective is to provide
parents with the necessary support and resources to facilitate recovery, promoting the possibility of
reunification with their children.
When possible, FS staff provide voluntary, preventive child welfare services. By offering support
services to individuals who do not meet child protective services criteria, DHS can divert some
families who will likely meet the criteria in the future if not assisted.
Gonzales appreciates her staff for their dedication despite staffing challenges.
Gonzalez reported that Family Services staff have submitted applications for Foster Parent and
Community Intervention Program Grants. Additionally, Gonzales is researching a grant focused on
Youth Justice, which she hopes to apply for. All the grants are offered by the Wisconsin Department
of Children and Families.
In addition to the open Youth Justice position, there is a half-time Social Worker Aide position and a
Coordinated Service Team (CST)/CSP Case Manager/Social Worker position that is not posted.
Family Services is fortunate to still have some limited-term assistance, but they hope to fill the open
positions soon.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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Working on collaboration and setting up training on how to conduct joint investigations with law
enforcement.
Family Services staff continue to attend training.
Family Specialist, Sophia Henneman, has been a great addition to the Family Services team.
Henneman has started making visits and taking on additional tasks to help ease the workload of
other staff.
Gonzales reported that the foster parent appreciation event scheduled for the end of this month will
be canceled due to the low number of individuals registered. Gonzalez added that the team will
explore alternative ways to recognize foster care providers and will focus on improving attendance
for the upcoming year.
Children's Long-Term Services (CLTS) remediation after the annual review went well. Staff are
conducting final tasks to complete the process.
Crandall questioned what age constitutes a “child” for Child Protective Services (CPS). Gonzales
stated 0-18 years or until the child graduates from high school or has transferred services to adult
disability services, if applicable.
Support Services (SS) – Stephanie Eder
Eder notes that this is a busy time of year for Support Staff with year-end audit and current year
budget monitoring.
Support Staff are currently preparing for Nina Bucher's retirement on June 18, 2025. Bucher has
worked for Bayfield County for 26 years. All Support Staff members will perform additional tasks
until Nina’s replacement is hired.
Kathy Wolfram-Moran will be retiring on January 2, 2026, after 36 years. Wolfram-Moran’s role as
bookkeeper includes complex governmental accounting. Wolfram-Moran is working with Heather
Gilbertson as part of the succession plan.
Eder mentions that there is significant anxiety as several long-term knowledgeable DHS employees
are retiring this year and next.
Edera also reported that Christopher O’Dell, who transferred to DHS from Zoning in November, has
been an excellent addition to the Support Staff team.
Economic Support Services Section Manager – Jeanine Spuhler
Numerous proposed modifications are poised to impact Economic Support programs. The most recent
updates encompass the following:
Changes to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Energy Assistance Programs
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) faces a proposal for elimination. The
federal budget asserts LIHEAP is redundant due to existing state utility disconnection protections
for low-income households.
Alternative federal strategies include in the budget suggest assisting low-income individuals
through energy dominance policies, and enhancements to U.S. energy production will render the
program unnecessary.
However, Spuhler noted, bulk fuel delivery (e.g., oil and propane), which requires upfront
payment and does not have the same protections afforded to natural gas and electric customers,
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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would be unaffected by the proposed changes. This would leave many low-income homes,
housing vulnerable people, in danger of not having heat.
Benefits provided in Bayfield County for fuel through the LIHEAP program amounted to $336,701
in program year 2025, and the Public Benefits Program (electrical) provided $75,337 in benefits.
The state’s HVAC Air Control Program was launched on May 15, 2026. It subsequently closed on
May 25, 2025, due to high demand and budgetary constraints.
Bayfield County requested additional administrative funds in March after completely depleting
the current allocations. DHS was recently awarded an additional $18,000.
Ashland County has decided to discontinue its administration of energy assistance programs. In the
future, Ashland County residents must access Energy Services Inc. (ESI), the state's contract
provider, to receive energy assistance. Bayfield County will continue to administer the program for
now.
Budgetary Adjustments for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that includes extensive funding reductions
in SNAP (FoodShare) funding through a combination of decreased benefits, increased
requirements, changes to eligibility criteria, and transferring costs to states. The bill is now under
consideration in the Senate.
Shifts in cost from federal to state levels include:
o SNAP food benefits, previously paid in full by the federal government, would require
states to contribute based on their payment error rates. Wisconsin's error rate is currently
considered very low at 4.41%.
o The financial impact on Wisconsin is estimated at $207 million annually.
Proposed reductions in administrative funding may lead to diminished federal support for staffing
and systems, resulting in an additional cost of $51 million per year for Wisconsin.
A proposal to expand work requirements would impose new documentation requirements on
approximately 88,200 residents of Wisconsin. This group includes older adults (ages 54–64) and
parents of school-aged children, including those with disabilities. The administrative burden
associated with this expansion is projected to be an additional $44 million per year.
The elimination of job availability exemptions may result in approximately 2,300 individuals in
rural and tribal regions losing their benefits.
Modifications to Medicaid
The proposal reduces backdated coverage from three months to one month.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates that up to 52,000 individuals may lose
Medicaid coverage under the proposed work requirement.
The proposal shortens the health care exchange open enrollment period, which would increase
the workload for local agencies and pose challenges for individuals seeking coverage.
Local impacts include increased workload and barriers to access.
Hanson noted that the use of local food shelves has increased at the same time their funding has
been reduced.
Dougherty requested Spuhler send any data that might be useful to County Board members to
consider as they begin to develop the county’s 2026 budget.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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Aging and Disability Services (A&D) – Brynna Watters-Moffitt
Carolyn Novak has been very proactive in addressing program changes to the elder nutrition
program and responding to questions from concerned program participants.
Watters-Moffitt reported that two new employees have been hired in the Aging and Disability
Services Section. Madilyn Mackin will begin on June 2, 2025, as a Social Worker Aide, while
Alexander Erickson will start on June 16, 2026, as an Adult Protective Services (APS) Case Manager.
Watters-Moffitt noted that the team is effectively bridging gaps, but being fully staffed will be nice.
Watters-Moffitt reports that there have been no significant changes in the Aging and Disability
Resource Center (ADRC).
Watters-Moffit applied for a Norvado grant and was awarded $1,500 to support a week of shelf-
stable meals for home delivered meal participants. These meals can be used on days when meals
cannot be delivered.
Marianne Johnson is working on the Senior Farmers Market voucher program for this summer. Each
voucher, worth $25.00, is available for Seniors to use at local farmer markets with participating
vendors. Bayfield County received 210 vouchers. Johnson mailed information to previous
participants and has received 105 responses. Johnson will also visit the Red Cliff Meal site to
promote the program and run an advertisement in the Bottom-Line News and Connection
newspapers.
APS has been quite busy; there are no changes to report.
Evidence-based programs are up and running, and everything is going well.
Monthly Reports
Monthly Financial and Overnight trainings were reviewed and retained.
Discussion and Possible Action – Consideration of approval of DHS Resolution 2025-02 Department of
Human Services Opposing Federal Cuts to Human Services Funding and its recommendation to the full
County Board of Supervisors
The DHS Board requested the following amendment:
Add LIHEAP to the list of programs affected
Include the names of Wisconsin Legislators
Motion by Rosa, seconded by Hanson, to approve Resolution 2025-02 with the amendments and
recommend to the full County Board of Supervisors.
Discussion and Possible Action – Review of May 2025 Update of the DHS portion of the Bayfield County
Comprehensive plan
An update was provided for review.
Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Dougherty, to receive and place on file.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
May 22, 2025
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Discussion and Possible Action – Review of citizen application, consideration regarding whether
recommendation for appointment to the DHS Board will be forwarded to the County Board Chair.
Because this is a new citizen member vacancy due to Schmidt’s notice of resignation at the last meeting,
the board requested the Director to adhere to protocol by publicly posting the vacancy before making a
recommendation to appoint Branagan. They felt that transparency and allowing others an opportunity to
serve on the committee are important. The Board was pleased with Branagan’s interest and application
but felt that posting the vacancy publicly was also important.
Skulan will contact Christy Branagan to relay the information.
Motion by Dougherty, seconded by Milanowski, to post to ensure all potential candidates have the
opportunity to apply.
Northern Income Maintenance Update – Report on Results of Consortium County Partners’ Vote to
Remove Forest County Social Services from the Consortium
Skulan reviewed Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC) model and operations.
Skulan reported that a special meeting of the NIMC directors was held to consider whether Forest County
should be eliminated from the consortium due to a failure to meet the terms of the group’s
intergovernmental agreement. Skulan noted that the group has been trying to prompt Forest County to
address the problems for approximately two years without success.
The group voted to eliminate Forest County from the consortium. It also voted to allow Forest County to
use the rest of 2025 to work with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to transition its services.
The transition must be completed by January 1, 2026.
Other
(WI) DHS Highlights Impact of Federal Budget Cuts on Wisconsin Medicaid Members.
Skulan thanked the Human Services Board for all of their support over the years.
Future Meetings
June 26, 2025, in the County Board Room, will include the Public Hearing on the 2026 DHS Budget and
Opportunity for Comments Regarding Bayfield County’s Policies and Procedures for Equal Opportunity
in Employment, Service Delivery, and Language Access
July 24, 2025
August 12, 2025
Crandall adjourned the meeting at 5:38 p.m.
Submitted by Sarah Traaholt, Clerk III