County Board Approves Job Reassignments To Finance

After some spirited discussion and some unsuccessful attempts to table the issue, Marinette County Board by 22 to 7 vote on Tuesday, June 26 approved reorganization of the Finance Department that will bring about some far reaching changes in how business is conducted in Marinette County government.

Departments affected, in addition to Finance, are Parks and Forestry, Highway, and the Sheriff’s Department. Several positions were eliminated, and a number of new positions were created by the action. Overall, the board was told, there will be a reduction of one full time position. The changes can begin taking place effective Monday, July 2, but according to the enabling motion will be implemented “as determined appropriate by Administration.”

County Administrator Ellen Sorensen and Finance Director Pat Kass said the changes will lead to a leaner, more efficient county government, tighter financial control, purchasing economies of scale, and improved follow through on grant projects. Several of those who objected to the changes were concerned about centering too much control in the hands of Kass and the Finance Department and loss of some direct department and parent committee oversight.

The action eliminated the positions of accountant, payroll coordinator, accounting coordinator and business manager in the Sheriff’s department; office manager and administrative assistant in the Highway Department; administrative secretary in the Forestry Department and Parks clerk typist in the Parks and Forestry Department.

Positions created are assistant finance director; accountant, public works; accountant - purchasing/grant coordinator; accountant - general ledger; accountant - payroll and accounting - clerk, and administrative assistant for the Parks and Forestry Department.

Job description for a new Parks and Forestry Administrative Assistant post, which is expected to be retained by Forestry’s current administrative secretary, was approved by the Personnel Committee at a special 8:30 a.m. meeting preceding the 9 a.m. meeting of the County Board, and subsequently by the full County Board. That position will assist with Highway and Maintenance secretarial duties by answering their telephone calls and perhaps sometimes handling secretarial duties, but will in general remain in the Parks and Forestry office and will continue to have Parks and Forestry Administrator John Scott and/or his replacement as her supervisor. The position formerly handled some payroll and accounting duties for the department, and those jobs are now transferred to the Finance Department.

Kass said he had gotten some ideas for the department model at a “LEAN” seminar, and said a big point for everyone to remember is that regardless which office they are assigned to, everyone is supposed to be working for Marinette County. Part of the reorganization is aimed at cross training so hopefully secretaries and assistants will be able to move seamlessly between offices.

Votes against the reorganization were cast by supervisors Paul Gustafson, Alice Baumgarten, and Ted Sauve, all of Marinette; Robert Holley, Beaver; Al Sauld, Niagara; Clancy Whiting, Beecher/Pembine and Cheryl Wruk, Town of Stephenson. Supervisor Ken Mattison of Amberg was absent. That vote came after a motion to table failed, with only supervisors Sauve, Wruk, Gustafson and Holley voting in favor.

In her arguments against the proposed reassignments, Wruk pointed out a few years ago they had tried combining the Highway, Forestry and Parks, and Maintenance departments into one Department of Public Works. That experiment was unsuccessful, and the original configuration of the departments was restored earlier this year. She declared this proposal had many similarities, and would also most likely not be workable. Sauve also argued strongly against the proposed reorganization. Several supervisors expressed doubt, but suggested they should give Sorensen’s idea at least a trial period. County board Chair Vilas Schroeder, who also chairs the Finance Committee, stepped down from the chair to argue strongly in favor of the proposal. While he resumed his seat on the floor, Vice Chair Kathy Just ran the meeting.

By vote of 27 to one, with Supervisor Mike Cassidy opposed, the board approved a three way land trade through which the county receives a cash payment of $15,000 and ownership a 37.4 acre wooded parcel with a quarter mile of frontage on the Peshtigo River near Wilson Rapids in the Town of Silver Cliff in exchange for 119 acres of county forest land being acquired by the state Land Commission. The new county property, formerly owned by Jerold Kiesow, is completely surrounded by County Forest, and is beautifully wooded with ash and balsam, according to County Forest Administrator John Scott. Negotiations on the transaction have been going on for nearly three years, Scott said. The Silver Cliff Town Board had voiced no serious objections to remove more property from their tax roll.

The board also approved resolutions authorizing participation in the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Land Acquisition Grant program if the opportunity arises, as well as membership in a Northeast Wisconsin Housing Consortium with Brown County as the lead county in a program designed to acquire Community Development Block Grant funds to assist with housing for low and moderate income households. Supervisors Shirley Kaufman of Marinette and Gilbert Engel of Niagara voted against the consortium and all others voted in favor. Counties involved in addition to Marinette and Brown are Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Winnebago. They will operate as the Northeast Wisconsin Housing Consortium. According to a fiscal impact prepared by Kass there will be no fiscal impact to Marinette County.

As recommended by the Highway Committee, the board approved an agreement with Northeast Asphalt to provide hot mix asphalt for the 2012 local road improvement projects; approved an agreement with the state for reconstruction of the Little River Bridge on County BB for $862,000, with the county to pay 20 percent, and the state and federal governments 80 percent.

A permit was approved for Jim Wender and contractors he works with to haul stone on County R from ISP Minerals to Hwy. 141 on multi-axle trucks with a gross weight of not more than 154.000 pounds. Permit fee is $500, and the permit expires on Dec. 31. To questions from the floor, Highway Committee Chair Russ Bousley said the stone is going to build a breakwater on the lake shore at Grand Marais, Mich.

A 5-year contract with Time Warner Cable for internet services at a cost of $672 per month was approved after an explanation by Information Services Administrator Larry Schultz. Schultz said the price is up slightly, but he had negotiated to double the capacity provided.

Also on recommendation of Schultz, County Board approved an agreement with Unitrends to purchase an Information Services Backup and Recovery system for $77,968 plus two additional years of service for an additional $22,804, bringing the total cost to $100,772. In response to questions, the board was told the internal “audit” of IS needs is still going on, but the county’s main frame computer was in immediate danger of failure and needs to be replaced at once.

Transfer of $41,260 from the IS fund balance for purchase, installation and conversion services connected with acquiring a new AS400 main frame computer was also approved.

Revisions to the county’s investment policy as recommended by Kass and approved by the Finance committee were also approved by County Board, with Supervisor Connie Seefledt casting the sole dissenting vote. As a member of the Finance Committee she also had objected to some provisions of the new policy

Despite concerns expressed by Engel and Kaufman, the board approved a budget policy for 2013 as proposed by Sorensen, and also approved the proposed Five Year Capital Improvement Plan as presented, with Kaufman casting the sole opposing vote. Engel was concerned the budget policy might be too restrictive, with his main objection being to the statement that new county services will be considered “only if state or federal laws specifically mandate such action with corresponding financial commitment.” It was pointed out by Supervisor Tom Mailand that another statement in the policy allows the new services or other changes if approved by the Finance Committee under some specific conditions. Sorensen explained they need to be careful with spending because there is a flat budget levy, meaning no tax increase is allowed, and implementation of any new initiatives will need to be delayed until it can be “made cost legal”.

Seefeldt was concerned about road improvement projects that were listed in the old highway improvement plan for the county. The work was not done during that 5-year span, and now some of the work about which people had contacted her is not even listed in the new plan.

Cassidy said County F was supposed to be redone 20 years ago. It was the worst road in the county then, he said, and nothing has been done to improve it. Cassidy wondered about costs. He said Forest County is doing their portion of County C for about what the Marinette County project will cost, and it covers a portion of road that is twice as long.

Bousley said the real problem with Marinette County “is that we’ve been doing about half the blacktopping we should do every year for the last 20 years.”

Al Mans recalled a “crash program” done some years ago to improve county roads that cost a lot of money and it turned out the work done was “mostly cosmetic.”

Refreshments for the meeting were served in honor of June Dairy Month, courtesy of Marinette County Dairy Promotions, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Marinette County Dairy Farmers. Seefeldt, who serves on the Milk Marketing Board, reported 3,500 people enjoyed the Sunday, June 24 Breakfast on the Farm. She presented some impressive figures on the economic importance of dairy farming in Marinette County.

Tourism Director Jamie Darge presented impressive figures on the increase of tourism in Marinette County. Sauve noted the City of Marinette will have no fireworks on July 4 this year, and asked her to compile information on other places in the county people can go to enjoy Independence Day fireworks. Darge agreed to do that.

There also were annual reports by Veterans Service Officer Bill Kowalski and Health and Human Services Director Robin Elsner, and the 2012 Staffing Agreement for operation of the Marinette County Jail was unanimously approved.

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