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Washington Co. weekly update by Joshua Schoemann

   WI Town’s Association Meeting – I was invited to the Washington County Town’s Association meeting on Monday to discuss the STH 60 Reliever Route project.  In addition to providing the group an update on the project I also shared the highlights of the proposed (now approved) 2017 budget.  After my presentation there was another presentation from the ‘No Reliever Route’ citizen group, providing their concerns and perspective on the project.  Overall I think the meeting went very well, with a civil discussion of the facts of the project, as well as the pros and cons which the Board will be considering.

·         2017 Budget – The recommended 2017 Budget was approved by the County Board on Thursday evening at the 7:00 pm public hearing.   We committed to a number of significant goals in 2017 including maintaining the tax rate, reducing the need to access fund balance (County reserves) to balance the budget, replenishing the health insurance fund, and funding a 3rd consecutive pay plan adjustment for our employees. Not only did we accomplish all of these goals but we took a major step forward in transitioning our budgeting to align dollars with priorities through the use of priority based budgeting. We developed, and utilized for the first time, our “fiscal health tool” during the budget process to demonstrate the impact of 2017 budget decisions on the long term fiscal health of Washington County.  A HUGE Thank you to all staff involved with this lengthy process.

·         Town Hall Meeting – The last two Town Hall meetings were held on Tuesday, November 1.  These semi-annual meetings are extremely valuable for me to give and receive information and feedback from staff.  Still, in an effort toward continual improvement we will be taking a look at the efficacy of the Town Hall structure.  We noticed that attendance was down significantly, and want to be sure that we are providing the important feedback loop in an effective way.  As such, in the coming weeks we are considering following up survey to better understand how best to facilitate communication with our Team.  Please keep an eye out, and make an effort to participate in this important survey.

·         Quarterly Breakfast – This week I held another quarterly breakfast with staff that were nominated for the Core Value awards.  I truly enjoy the opportunity to meet individually with the staff members that have been nominated for their outstanding work. This time we had the chance to thank Chris Ohlis, Dave Multhauf, Sue Gutschenritter, Bruce Krueger and Roy Hartmann for their hard work and dedication to Washington County, demonstrated by living our organizations values as described by their coworkers!  Thank you to each one of you!

·         Security and Facilities Meeting – On a quarterly basis we have this meeting, chaired by Judge James Pouros and attended by a number of key players in the operation of the Justice Center.  Topics of discussion for this meeting included a review of the updated Security Manual, Security activity, and Safety of Jury Members.

·         EDWC Meeting – On Wednesday I met with Christian from EDWC we had a great discussion regarding some exciting projects that are working their way through our economic development pipeline.  We also planned for EDWC’s semi-annual update, which will occur at the November 15 Executive Committee meeting, where Christian will provide a snapshot of our existing Revolving Loan Fund portfolio.

·         UWWC – Thursday I had lunch with Jackie Joseph Silverstein, Regional Executive Officer and Dean.  We continue to have occasional lunch meetings to stay up to date with how things are at the UW-WC campus.  UW-WC is currently contemplating how best to attract and retain students, and maintain enrollment at a sustainable level.

·         Executive Committee – The committee met on Thursday evening prior to the County Board meeting to discuss the Economic Impact Analysis Study for the Hwy 60 Reliever Route. The committee approved the funding of the study by the City of Hartford.  Staff informed the committee that for operational clarity the County will front the expense of the study as the lead agency, and will then bill back the full cost to the City.

·         Purchasing Office Relocation – In an effort to free up space for the new Onsite Health Clinic the Purchasing Office will be moving from its current location into the Facilities Office.  They expect to be moved into the new location by December 2.  During that time there may be some lag time between requisitions and PO’s.  Please hold your non-essential PO requests until after the move.  A Sincere THANK YOU to Facilities and Purchasing Staff members for working cooperatively on this transition!

·         Out of Office – I will be out of the office starting Friday, November 4 until Monday, November 14. I will be available via cell phone and e-mail, but may not be able to immediately respond.  In my absence Jamie Ludovic should be the contact for any issues of immediate concern. W

Active Recruitments

  • Resource Specialist – ADRC
  • Activity Aide, CNA,  Dietary Aide, RN  – Samaritan
  • Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Technician, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker – Human Services Department
  • Accounting Clerk, Administrative Secretary, Corrections Officer – Sheriff’s Department
  • Environmental Health Specialist, Public Health Nurse – Health Department
  • Child Support Specialist – County Attorney

WELCOME!!

·         Stephanie Rojas – Human Services Department

·         Karen Graf – Human Services Department

MOVING ON…

Kayla Callies, Samaritan Health Center – Resigning

CONGRATULATIONS to the following employees for their years of service at the County!!

5 YEARS

Gina Duck – County Clerk’s Office

Jodi Knoblauch – Samaritan Health Center

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