Richland County Board Meeting Begins With Silence

Richland County Board of Supervisor Chair, Dave Turk, began last night’s (Tuesday) board meeting with a moment of silence in the memory of Board Supervisor for District 3, Marty Brewer, who died this past week. The board then passed a resolution of condolence to the family. Marty Brewer served Richland County as a County Board Supervisor from April 15, 2014 through April 19, 2020, County Board Chair from April 20, 2020 through April 16, 2024, and County Board Supervisor from April 16, 2024 until his death on January 16, 2025.

Interim County Administrator, Derek Kalish, reported that the search is ongoing for a new administrator and finance director. The wage study is also in the final stages. Kalish and Interim Assistant County Administrator, Josh Elder, gave an update on the radio tower project. After meeting with the project officials, it was reported the project is 65 to 70% complete and should be finished sometime in August of 2025.

A contract for a water reservoir study with Delta 3 for Pine Valley Community Village was approved. The DNR is requiring Pine Valley to repair the water reservoir, as there is rebar showing inside the tank, conduit needs repaired and isolation values need to be replaced. The cost for this study is $15,500 and it is in two phases to be paid for by the Pine Vallley Capital Improvement Fund. It was noted that this reservoir supplies the drinking water to Pine Valley, but continues to pass testing and is safe to drink.

Richland County Health and Human Services has created two new positions in their budget. One position is in the Behavioral Health Unit and is for a Recovery Services Coordinator who would be tasked with providing services to those seeking recovery services for AODA issues. Grant funding is available that would fund the position and would only continue if grant funding is sustained. The second position is for the Economic Support Unit of Health and Human Services which has 12 Economic Support Specialists, but there is a need for additional supervision of the unit beyond what the manager is able to do. With the elimination of a worker, the creation of the Economic Support Supervisor would fund the position and provide an additional level of support and supervision to the workers without the need for additional levy. The Richland County Board of Supervisors approved the job descriptions for an Economic Support Supervisor and a Recovery Services Coordinator.

Also passed by the Richland County Board of Supervisors last night were:

Provider contracts for 2025 for Health & Human Services with Diane’s AFH of Arena for $135,000 to provide Adult Family Home services for Comprehensive Community Services consumers being served by the Behavioral Health Services Unit; with Hailey Schneider of La Crosse for $140,000 to provide medication management and individual outpatient services for consumers being served by the Behavioral Health Services Unit; with You Are Enough Counseling, LLC. of Avoca for $125,000 to provide psychotherapy, recovery planning, individual skills development, wellness management and AODA services to Comprehensive Community Services consumers being served by the Behavioral Health Services Unit; and with Driftless Counseling LLC of Viroqua for $1.5 million to provide psychotherapy, recovery planning, individual skills development, wellness management and AODA services to Comprehensive Community Services consumers being served by the Behavioral Health Services Unit.

For opiod grant funding to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $6,000 for prevention efforts, treatment and recovery efforts and to establish a D.A.R.E program for Ithaca Schools.

Fund transfers from the Symons Projects Fund – Donations to the Symons Operating Budget in the amount of $1,400.

To accept donations from the Symons Recreation Complex Foundation to the Symons Recreation Complex in the amount of $11,015.

The 2025 Educator Contract and Memorandum Of Understaning between Richland County and UW- Madison Division Of Extension.

And formal endorsements to both LaValle Telephone Cooperative and Richland-Grant Telephone Cooperative to apply for Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Broadband Equity, Access, & Development, or BEAD, Program.

The Board of Supervisors also passed an ordinance adopting a Comprehensive Plan for 2024 to 2034 for Richland County.

In other action the board voted to appoint Steve Carrow to the Committee on Committees to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Ken Rynes.

The board also recognized the retirement of Kathy Dobbs for her 37 years of service to the Department of Health & Human Services.