County sees visioning project in its future
By LeAnn R. Ralph, Reporter
Monday, January 22, 2007 10:04 AM CST
Dunn County will be spending $20,000 on facilitators for a community visioning project.
The Dunn County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Wednesday evening to pay for the facilitators out of the general fund balance.
The Dunn County Community Visioning Project will provide a countywide benefit, said supervisor Dick Johnson. He is also a member of the project’s steering committee that is made up of people from the county board, school districts, city of Menomonie and other individuals from around the county.
The visioning project is a companion to Smart Growth and to land use planning. Input from all citizens in Dunn County is being sought about what they want for the county, said Juliet Fox, the UW-Stout lecturer and recipient of a 2005 Bush Leadership fellowship who is directing the project.
According to UW-Stout’s Web site, part of Fox’s fellowship plan included attending the Fielding Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif., to obtain a doctorate in human development and organization systems. Her work includes promoting public policy to help communities flourish and deal with change as well as researching rural public policy, regional growth and the effects of technological change on rural communities. Fox also served on the county board for four years.
Data collection
Once the information has been gathered, the Dunn County Board and other governing bodies in the county and the city of Menomonie will use the information to make policies and to give direction to programs.
“The project will engage the citizens of Dunn County in meaningful conversation about policies, problems and opportunities,” Fox said, adding that for the project to work, the county board must agree to be guided by input from county residents.
In addition to seeking guidance, the committee needs the participation of the citizens of Dunn County in order to be successful, noted supervisor Stan Anderson.
Peter Wiese, however, objected to the idea of the community visioning project.
“The goal is to include the voices of the community, but that’s why we are here, to represent our constituency,” Wiese said. “We’re spending $20,000 to do what we are already doing.”
He noted that every county committee seeks input from the public.
“If we’re not already doing this, $20,000 won’t fix it,” Wiese said.
Rosemarie Bristol wondered exactly how the $20,000 would be used.
The money will pay for the facilitators, Fox said, explaining that the year-long visioning project will need between two and five trained community visioning facilitators.
The Dunn County Board of Supervisors approved the resolution on a vote of 26 “yes” and two “no.” (County board supervisor Elton Christopherson was absent from the meeting.) Wiese and Calvin Christianson both voted “no” on the motion.
Oaths of office
The following county officials who were elected to their offices during the fall election took the oath of office administered by Dunn County Circuit Court Judges Rod Smeltzer and William Stewart: Marilyn Hoyt, county clerk; Mary Erpenbach, county treasurer; Clara Minor, clerk of court; Jim Mrdutt, register of deeds; and Dennis Smith, sheriff.
Never missed a meeting
Gary Seipel was appointed to serve in the 29th supervisory district to replace Don Hartung, who has retired after more than 30 years on the Dunn County Board.
Hartung, and recently-retired county clerk Lorraine Hartung, who served in that position for 26 years, were both recognized for their service.
In all the years that they served the county, neither Lorraine nor Don ever missed a county board meeting, according to Steve Rasmussen, chair of the Dunn County Board.
Seipel farms near Eau Galle and also will serve on the health and human services board.
Commission on Aging
The Dunn County Council on Aging has a new name and will now be known as the Commission on Aging.
Members will serve for three-year terms and can serve no more than two terms.
Scott Cox, Dunn County Corporation Counsel, said he had reviewed the rules and had discovered that state statutes set term limits.
Several members had been serving on the Council on Aging longer than two terms, he noted.
Francis Karnick was appointed to replace Gladys Waller, who had served on the Council on Aging for eight years. Marietta Terrill was reappointed until January 2008; Lynne Hausman was reappointed until January 2009. County supervisors Shirley Fredrickson and Gary Seipel will serve on the commission as well.
Other business
In other business, the Dunn County Board of Supervisors:
Appointed Earl Wildenberg to fill Ron Purvis’s position on the Chippewa Valley Airport Commission.
Appointed B. Jane Hoyt to serve on the Dunn County Economic Development board of directors.
Appointed Mark Hayden to serve on the fair board.
Approved purchase orders in the amount of nearly $116,000 for updates to Visionair that will include computer software, licensing, training, maintenance and support. The county’s computer system has not been updated since 2000.
Approved a purchase order in the amount of $46,739 to the Menomonie Flooring Centre for carpeting at the Dunn County Judicial Center. The building has not had new carpeting since it opened in 1998.
Approved a contract with the Red Cedar Racing Association for the race track at the Dunn County Rec Park for the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Approved a resolution encouraging the state legislature to adopt legislation protecting workers and the public from secondhand smoke and creating 100 percent smoke-free workplaces. The resolution also says that any state legislation must preserve the right of local levels of government to adopt more restrictive measures.
Adopted a resolution that states Dunn County elects to not create a new licensed Care Management Organization to bear the financial risk for all long-term care covered services and that the county plans, along with other counties, to request that the state Department of Health and Family Services issue a “request for proposal” for a Care Management Organization to provide redesigned long-term care services in this area.
Approved a resolution decreasing one environmental health specialist position in the Public Health Department by .73 Full Time Equivalency; increasing an environmental health technical support specialist position by .74 FTE; increasing a staff nurse position by .38 FTE; increasing a dietetic technician by .06 FTE. All positions have an effective date of Jan. 18. Total cost of all positions will be $3,055 in non-tax levy funds. |
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