Law Enforcement Committee Requests Two More Deputies

The Marinette County Law Enforcement Committee repeated its recommendation to the County’s Finance and Insurance Committee, Personnel and Veteran’s Service Committee, and Board of Supervisors that two additional positions for Sherriff’s deputies be created and funded as of Jan. 1, 2015. The Committee made its recommendation during its Monday, Aug. 11 meeting. 

The committee took the action after a previous recommendation to the Personnel and Veterans Services Committee for the county to hire the deputies failed on a 2-2 vote at its Aug. 8 meeting. This matter is far too important to this Law Enforcement agency to get stopped by a 2-2 vote, Sherriff Jerry Sauve told the committee in urging them to press the recommendation, noting that one member of the Personnel and Veterans Service Committee had not attended the meeting where the split vote stopped any action.

Chairperson Ken Keller voiced his disagreements with Sauve about the suitability of hiring two new deputies. Keller noted that the County Board’s Executive Committee had instructed the County Administrator to find ways to save ten percent on expenditures. Moreover, the Board has already approved the construction of a heated shed at the Law Enforcement Center and the purchase of two new police vehicles. Adding two additional deputies at a time of austerity may be an overreaction. Further, the numbers of city police in Marinette, which Keller represents, and sheriff’s deputies have been stable.

Supervisor Paul Gustafson told the Committee that Law Enforcement was a priority and he believed that the Sherriff’s Office needed adequate personnel to meet a crisis situation.

In other business, the Committee chose not to change any of the User Fees charged by the Sherriff’s Office in 2015. The District Attorney’s Office, the Clerk of Courts, and the Child Support Division may ask to increase fees for their services.  However, fees for registering burglar alarms and dealing with false alarms, civil fees, hiring an officer for a special event, electronic monitoring fees, and boarding an out of county inmate at the Marinette County jail will not be increased.

The Committee also decided to purchase a new ATV for use by the Sherriff’s office. A bid from North Motor Sports will have the County spending $5,800 on the new ATV after a $5,000 trade in of the 2007 model now in use. Members also forwarded to the County Board a proposed agreement with Wisconsin Lock and Load Prisoner Transports of Green Bay to transport inmates to out-of-county destinations. The rate will increase to $1.65 an hour because the introductory rate of $1 an hour has expired. Sauve told the committee that the company has been very reliable and has provided excellent service. Even at the increased rate, Sauve reported, the county will still save money by hiring this company instead of using its own personnel to transport inmates. Sauve reserves the right to move inmates when there is an immediate need or it would cost less.

Communications Director Kirsten Bellilse reported that a July 24 power outage at the Law Enforcement Center took down all of the building’s phones and radios for ten minutes, and 911 calls were transferred to the Oconto County 911 call center from 11:56 P.M. until 3:30 A.M. on July 25.

Lieutenant James Albright reported on a planned auction of outdated and surplus items that the Sherriff’s office no longer needs. The items include squad cars, center consoles with decks for laptop computers, tools and coins. The items will be listed on the Wisconsin Surplus Website until the end of the month.

Jail Administrator Bob Majewski reported that the jail averaged 133 inmates during the month of July, eight inmates higher than July of 2013. As of Aug. 11, ten inmates were boarders from Oconto County, and the jail is so full that an Aug. 8 request from Oconto County to house two more inmates had to be turned down. The table in the video-conference arraignment room had to be prepared after an inmate picked it up and threw it at the wall. Majewski urged the committee to improve delivery of electricity to the building, as stuff happened that shouldn’t have happened during the July 24-25 power outage. Majewski gave the four committee members and two reporters present a tour of the jail to show them the jail’s new camera system and point out places where painting and other maintenance had been done and other places where it was needed.

Emergency Management Director Eric Burmeister reported on the process in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency will update maps of the flood plains near rivers in the county. Land Information Director John LeFebvre has joined Burmeister in meeting with FEMA officials about the new maps, which will be published in 2015 or 2016. The new maps, he told the committee, should be much more accurate than previous maps. Burmeister will meet later this month with the Marinette School District and Marinette Police Department about the training he received in dealing with active shooters in schools. The Natural Hazards Mitigation plan has been approved by FEMA, and a reimbursement check for the county’s work should be coming from the Federal Government soon.

In his report, Sauve told the committee about an incident in Florence County very late on Saturday, Aug. 9, in which an armed man threatened some boaters and then fled into the woods. He also reported on high overtime expenditures during the month of July. The expenses were caused by the loss of Deputy Kevin Solway accepting a job as Marinette County’s Information Services Director and a deputy who is away on Family and Medical Leave Absence. A shooting incident on July 24 in the Town of Wausaukee created a need for more deputies on duty, as well as a writ from the Court to seize, inventory, and properly store the property of a business that deals in wedding dresses.

The Committee wrote off a $35 in non-collectible accounts, corrected a $73.50 error in an account submitted for collection at its July 13 meeting, and sent $37,809.04 in inmate board accounts to the County Finance Department for collection.

Sauve also reported on his work with the new Drug Court, which begins its work this month and is identifying people who might be good candidates. Marinette County will welcome 50 Wisconsin Sheriffs on September 3-5 for the annual Sheriffs’ Conference and Training Session.

Joining Keller, Gustafson, Sauve, Burmeister, Albright, and Bellilse were Commissiners Cheryl Wruk and Mike Behnke, along with Chief Deputy James Hanson and Administrative Assistant Fae Olson. The 1:15 p.m. meeting recessed at 2:33 p.m. for the jail tour and formally adjourned at 3:12 p.m. The committee will meet next on Monday, Sept. 8 at 1:15 p.m. in the Law Enforcement Center Center.

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
06-21-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane/Silver Cliff Host co. Council ACA
06-21-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Wagner Town Board To Attend Sex Offender Meet
06-21-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Prayer Conference at Athelstane Church
06-21-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Part of Pike River, Freele Closed for Run
06-21-2017	Community - Crivitz	Northeast Asphalt Gets Wagner Cold Mix Bid
06-21-2017	Community - Crivitz	Train Derailment in Village Crivitz
06-21-2017	Community - Crivitz	Ladies of Faith Charity Luncheon
06-21-2017	Community - Crivitz	Village Brush Disposal Taken Through June 26
06-21-2017	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-21-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman Fire Department Responds to Structure Fire
06-21-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman Lions To Sponsor Movie June 29
06-21-2017	Community - Coleman	Church Has Booth During Car Show
06-21-2017	Community - Coleman	10th Annual Pound Car Show June 24th
06-21-2017	Perspectives	From our readers
06-21-2017	Front Page	Coleman Founder, Joseph Brault Day Big Success
06-21-2017	Perspectives	From My Window
06-21-2017	Front Page	Expect County Pay Plan To Cost $313,385 In 2017
06-21-2017	Front Page	Town of Peshtigo Names Staudenmaier Vice Chair
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Kenneth B. Prestine
06-21-2017	Obituaries	William Pairon
06-21-2017	Front Page	Marinette County Breakfast on the Farm is June 25th
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Walter T. Multerer
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Richard P. Kordes
06-21-2017	Front Page	Big Day Of Activities at Crivitz Tuesday, July 4th
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Raymond J. Kopish
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Diana Gutmann
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Arthur Godin
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Kenneth J. Dinse
06-21-2017	Obituaries	Faye L. (Harbick) Archambault
06-21-2017	Obituaries	William M. Aman
06-21-2017	Sports	Langlois/Wagner Head Marine All-Conference Selections
06-21-2017	Sports	Jacobson Tops M&O Golf Squad
06-21-2017	Sports	Osterberg Earns Back-to-Back Player of the Year Awards
06-21-2017	Sports	Kotecki/Debriyn Share Most Valuable Player
06-14-2017	Sports	"FORE Their Future" Schedule Announced
06-14-2017	Sports	Peshtigo Youth Fishing Tourney Is Big Success
06-14-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee 5K Run/Walk July 1
06-14-2017	Sports	Area Legion Teams Take to the Diamond
06-14-2017	Community - Wausaukee	SC Auxiliary Discusses Aug. 12 Picnic, Parade
06-14-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Building with Plants at Library June 28
06-14-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Legion, Aux. Holds Meeting
06-14-2017	Community - Coleman	Discussion on GMO Realities at Library
06-14-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman Hosts Wrestling Clinic
06-14-2017	Community - Coleman	Honor Students for Coleman High School
06-14-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman School Board Lists Hirings, Resignations
06-14-2017	Sports	Rangers' Playoff Run Ends in State Semifinal
06-14-2017	Community - Crivitz	PTSD Run for Recovery June 24
06-14-2017	Community - Crivitz	County W Work In Crivitz To Be Finished By July 4
06-14-2017	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-14-2017	Community - Crivitz	Country Gospel Jam is June 16
06-14-2017	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz May Qualify For State Emergency Aid
06-14-2017	Perspectives	From our readers
06-14-2017	Perspectives	From My Window
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Lorraine A. Woulf
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Shirley A. Redmann
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Margarete B. Pichler
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Keith H. Miller
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Francis Kordish
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Charlene V. Heimke
06-14-2017	Obituaries	William V. Handle
06-14-2017	Obituaries	H. David Elmer
06-14-2017	Obituaries	June D. Ziech,
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Virginia R. Wehrman
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Charles J. Stodola
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Lowell D. Rice
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Genevieve E. Mahoney
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Kurt E. Lundgren
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Kay L. Johnson
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Doreen L. Hermsen
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Ruth A. Harmer
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Faye Iva (Parker) Larsen and Curtis Raymond Larsen
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Ralph A. Eastland
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Leonard Dudkiewicz
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Kathryn A. Chevalier
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Kenneth "Pete" Burbey
06-14-2017	Obituaries	Jeanette A. Babik
06-14-2017	Front Page	STORM CLEANUP
06-14-2017	Front Page	Three Towns Could Qualify for Disaster Aid After Storms Cause Power Outages, Damage
06-14-2017	Front Page	Business Owners Interested in Former Porterfield School
06-14-2017	Front Page	Marinette Council Tables Resolution Regarding Proposed Back Forty Mine
06-14-2017	Front Page	Pound To Settle Village Paving Issues In July
06-14-2017	Front Page	Marinette County Forestry Approves $1,353,612 Sale
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Sandra L. Weir
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Crestamari L. Walters
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Rowland P. Trepanier
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Virginia Surk
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Peter Staal
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Lawrence L. Siebers
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Juanita Picard
06-07-2017	Obituaries	John G. Paitl
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Richard W. Netzel
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Roberta F. McKenney
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Tara M. Dennis
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Sandy Berth
06-07-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Blood Drive is June 19
06-07-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Real Communication at Wausaukee Library
06-07-2017	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire Auxiliary To Make Picnic Plans
06-07-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Library Reading Program June 14
06-07-2017	Community - Crivitz	2 Crivitz Teams in State YES! Contest
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Eldean I. E. (Sjoquist) Wilch
06-07-2017	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Legion Gun Show on June 17
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Harold R. Wettanen
06-07-2017	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz School Summer Hours
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Nancy L. Polzin
06-07-2017	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz VFW Unit Raffle Calendar Sale
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Brenda L. Oleson
06-07-2017	Community - Coleman	Benefit Yard Sale at Beaver June 8, 9
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Vallarie Krzych
06-07-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman Utility Board June 12
06-07-2017	Community - Coleman	Coleman Elementary Students Read 100 Million Words During the 2016-17 School Year
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Donald H. Klumb
06-07-2017	Community - Coleman	Live Music at CHS Classes Reunion
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Agnes A. Johnson
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Elorine C. Hubbard
06-07-2017	Front Page	Lemery Brothers Bond Through Storm Chasing
06-07-2017	Obituaries	Harriet E. Beffa
06-07-2017	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-07-2017	Front Page	Peshtigo Accepts Grants, Plans Old Hammes' Building Demolition
06-07-2017	Front Page	Village Coleman Approves Sex Offender Ordinance
06-07-2017	Front Page	Marinette Council Awards Sale of Notes for New Rec Center
06-07-2017	Front Page	Sex Offender Ordinance Passes Pound Town Board
06-07-2017	Perspectives	From My Window
06-07-2017	Sports	WIAA STATE GOLF
06-07-2017	Sports	Cougars Repeat As Division 3 Boys State Champions
06-07-2017	Sports	Wausaukee Makes Fourth State Appearance
06-07-2017	Sports	Coleman & Niagara Bow Out in Sectional Finals
05-31-2017	Sports	WIAA State Track & Field in LaCrosse This Weekend
05-31-2017	Sports	24 Area Athletes Head to State Meet in LaCrosse
05-31-2017	Sports	Wausaukee Last Area Team Left Standing
05-31-2017	Sports	Four Area Teams Advance To Regional Final
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Mary Lou Sommerfeldt
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Mavis L. Patterson
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Dolores K. Morstad
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Faye L. Melka
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Debbie Delfosse
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Susan L. Bunting
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Kevin C. Anderson
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Julie L. Vinson
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Earl J. Skenandore
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Shirley M. Ness
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Victor P. Stankevich Jr.
05-31-2017	Community - Wausaukee	Seek Volunteers for Goodman Music in Park
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Linda Stimac
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Rose M. Senn
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Yvonne Rhude
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Michelle M. Lentz
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Robert Race
05-31-2017	Community - Wausaukee	GMO Realities Talk at Library
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Rita M. LaPlant
05-31-2017	Obituaries	Peter V. DeRossi