Human Services Director Search Update

Rich Kammerud's retirement after decades of public service has left Polk County with an opening for a new Human Services Department director.  On Tuesday, May 12, an ad hoc search committee consisting of Andrea Jerrick, Rich Kammerud and myself will recommend an interim director to the full Human Services Committee.  The interim Human Services Director will serve only until a permanent replacement is found.

Interested candidates should submit their name and resume to Andrea Jerrick at Polk County Employee Relations, (715) 485-9270.

Charges Against Deputy Arling Olson Dismissed

The tortured history of felony charges against Polk County Deputy Arling Olson has finally come to a close.  St. Croix County Circuit Judge Eric Lundell decided that there was no evidence presented at the probable cause hearing in February and March of this year that would support a conclusion that Olson had done anything wrong.  

Consequently, Judge Lundell ordered the case against Olson dismissed.

Reading the court's order, one has to wonder what the prosecution was thinking.   This case was beyond thin; it was non-existent.   

Here's an excerpt from Judge Lundell's Order that will give you an idea of what the judge thought of the government's case against Deputy Olson:

While it is uncertain exactly when Olson learned about the existence of the videotape, it is crystal clear that he was unaware of it at the tiem it was recorded and had nothing to do with the recording.  Olson testified truthfully in this regard at Johnson's sentencing hearing and was candid and honest at all times with Agent Pulver in the course of the federal investigation.  The State's interpretation of the chain of custody evidence and its importance to Olson's veracity hinges on semantics and is unpersuasive and lacking in plausibility.  While Olson was adamant in his denial of wrongdoing and always has been, neither Sheriff Moore nor Deputy Joy denied making the recording.  They simply told Agent Sogla that they "didn't remember."  As to Olson's statements in the investigation, Agent Sogla aptly summarized this entire case by conceding that "nothing Arling Olson did obstructed [his] investigation."  There can be no other conclusion at this time."

Thankfully, Deputy Olson can put this behind him.  We wish him well.  It is truly unfortunate that he was forced to defend himself against serious charges when there never was anything to them.  

April 16 Executive Committee Meeting

Consolidation of departments was the key issue addressed at the April 16 Executive Committee meeting.  

The plan is to have a single office do the accounting for every department in the county.  Details of the accounting structure are yet to be determined.  It was hoped that centralizing this key function would prove to be a cost-saving measure.   Finance should have a better idea of how well the individual departments are adhering to the budget before the end of the budget year.  

A resolution will be presented at the next meeting of the board merging the Highway Department with the Lime Quarry.

In May, the Executive Committee will have a consolidation resolution combining the Human Services Department with the Health and Aging Departments to promote efficiency, openness and cross-training of employees in both departments, thus saving time and money.

A resolution was prepared that would require all county vehicles to be serviced by Highway Department Employees.

The committee voted to substitute the word "directives" for the word "guidance" in paragraph 6 of Duties and Responsibilities Specific to Executive Committee:  "No later than April 20th, the Executive Committee shall issue staffing and programming (guidance) directives per Policy 881 Staffing, Budget Planning and Position Administration."  The committee felt that the word "guidance" was too soft, and that the committee's conclusions should be more than mere suggestions, since the Executive Committee has the authority to manage the budget process and approve the budget.  

Letter from Constituent on Lakeshore Buffers

I received the following letter from a constituent a couple of weeks ago.  I couldn't agree more with the sentiments Karsten expresses concerning the importance of lakeshore buffers, so I'm sharing this with my blog readers:

Dear Mrs. Stoneking:

Polk County has been known for its recreational lakes and rivers.  The waterfront housing is the most popular in the area.  Business booms in the local communities for sporting and recreation on the waters.  The local water sources are vital to the county and its communities.

A problem with the lakes and rivers has arisen in the past few years; the local water quality is below average.  This is a dilemma because most of the tourism and tax base of the county relies on the lakes and rivers.  The water sources are also home to many important ecosystems, supporting much of the surrounding wildlife.  The poor water quality is a result of production around the water sources, leading to unnecessary sediment, phosphate, and chemical buildup in the water.  The solution for improving local water quality is to campaign for waterfront properties to have at least a 35 ft. natural buffer to maintain local ecosystems, the local economy, and the health of the citizens of Polk County.

To start, buffers would reduce the pollution into ecosystems that are important to the county.  The water ecosystems support the surrounding wildlife and produce fish that are pursued by outdoorsmen.  If the sediment input increases, it will create a buildup of fine sediment, also known as muck.  The increase in sediment makes it difficult for fish to breed, as many of the game fish need a gravel bottom to lay eggs.  The fine sediment on the lake bottom will reduce the number of fish and have a large impact on the ecosystem.  The overflow of phosphate from fertilizers and agricultural areas also impact the ecosystem.  The increase in phosphate directly increases aquatic plant growth, causing a steep imbalance of organisms in the ecosystem and frequent algae blooms.  The chemicals entering the water such as insecticides can kill many fish and other organisms, creating a larger disturbance in the ecosystem.  Mr. Steve Schieffer, a science teacher at Amery High School and a local water quality specialist, stated the importance of natural buffers in that they reduce the sediment and phosphate input up to 50%.  The buffers could also reduce the chemicals entering local bodies of water as well.  These buffers will help improve the ecosystems and the natural environment.  The local aquatic ecosystems are important as part of Polk County's natural habitat and are indicators of how humans are treating local water resources.

The local ecosystems can also indirectly affect the citizens of our county.  If the water quality is poor due to the increase of chemicals and minerals entering the water, it could adversely affect the local economy.  If phosphate is halted by buffers, plant growth and algae blooms will be reduced and increase recreation in the area.  the decrease in sediment from buffers will promote fish breeding and increase the amount of fishermen traveling to Polk County.  This will create more customers at local businesses, such as gas stations and convenience stores, outdoor stores, and restaurants.  If the aquatic plants are reduced and the fish are more abundant, the lake will be more desirable, and property and the county's tax revenue will increase.  The EPA Office of Water informs that waterfront properties sell for much migher, with potential of several times list value when the water near the property is clean.  The implementation of buffers will increase the revenue of local businesses, and the county will acquire more money for important projects.  Helping the local ecosystems is also helping the local economy.

The buffers help reduce the most critical pollutant, chemicals.  By keeping out dangerous chemicals from the water, it will help the health of local citizens.  The buffers prevent an excess of chemicals from entering lakes and rivers.  If there is excess, the chemicals could seep into the water table, invading the drinking water of citizens.  Reducing chemicals into the water sources in Polk County also reduces the chances of cancer from water.  Another problem with chemicals in thelocal water is that the water eventually flows into larger bodies of water, and the chemicals from Polk County may end up  being the problem of someone else.  The buffers protect the most important things for people, health and life.

The implementation of natural buffers may reduce the view from lakefront property, but a nice lawn and view are inadequate if the lake looks polluted and infested with algae.  Installing buffers may seem like a lot of work, but the health of the ecosystem and humans is certainly worth the effort.  It may seem difficult to get everyone to make a buffer, but if people stat doing this, others will see the positive results and act accordingly.

Establishing buffers on waterfront properties protects the local environment, boosts the local economy, and ensures the health of humans.  Keep Polk County's water sources popular by keeping them clean.  The local ecosystems will stay healthy, the county and local businesses will receive more money, and cancer will be reduced or prevented from local water sources.  Campaign for natural buffers on the waterfront!

Sincerely,

Karsten Rimestad

Duana Bremer Declines Offer to Join County Board

Board Chair Bryan Beseler had asked Duana Bremer to replace Supervisor Pat Messicci, who resigned from the Board in March, for the remainder of Ms. Messicci's term.  However, Mr. Beseler confirmed on Friday that Ms. Bremer has declined the appointment.  

Most will recall that former Board Chair Larry Jepsen appointed Ms. Bremer to serve the remainder of Supervisor Jerry Neuville's term in the fall of 2007 after the seat became vacant following Mr. Neuville's move out of District 12.   

Ms. Bremer had campaigned unsuccessfully to retain the seat against Pat Messicci in the spring 2008 election.  

Ms. Bremer proved to be a polarizing figure in the controversy surrounding the abortive sale of the Golden Age Manor during her short time on the Board.   Supervisor Bremer cast the deciding vote in favor of the sale.  Most had expected her to support Golden Age, and her vote to sell the facility came as a surprise.  The vote to sell the Golden Age Manor carried by a 12-11 margin.

Ms. Bremer attempted to change her vote the day after the Board meeting, claiming that the vote had been cast based on misinformation, but the attempt was turned aside because the Rules did not allow her to change her vote after the meeting was adjourned.  The sale process continued, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

County Budgeting Workshop

On March 27, 2009, Polk County Supervisors and Department Heads met for a day-long workshop at Oak Forest, near Frederick to focus on County budgeting issues.  Needless to say, this is a very timely topic these days, with County government feeling the economic pinch along with everyone else.  So, it was good to get together and discuss how Polk County should approach the current situation.  This was by no means a "retreat".  As far as I know, no one brought golf clubs or fishing gear.  If they had, they would have been disappointed, because there was no time to spare all day.

Space does not permit me to go into great detail concerning the many fine observations that were discussed at the workshop.  I predict that there will be changes made because of this workshop, though, and the changes will be positive.

Kate Lawton from the University of Wisconsin spoke on the general issue of the County budgeting process.  She outlined the process and reviewed the statutes that control budgeting at the county level, stressing the need to establish larger, long-range policy goals based on a strategic plan.  

Workshop attendees agreed that the County priorities had to be listed and ordered before starting the budgeting process.

Duane Herbert, the Barron County Administrator, gave us some ideas about how Barron County has faced budget shortages.  When Mr. Herbert spoke, it was apparent that he was an effective leader and well-qualified for his position.  Mr. Herbert certainly made me think that Polk County could use a qualified and experienced professional Administrator to make our county operations run more smoothly.   

Mr. Herbert pointed out that County Board Supervisors are elected to represent the interests of the citizens of the entire county, not particular interests of the Human Services Department, or the Public Safety Department, Highways or of any individual department, when it comes to budgetary issues.   He called this the "silo approach", in which each department stands alone and there is very little, if any, teamwork between the departments.  Mr. Herbert encouraged us to remember that it is everyone's job in county government to focus on the best interests of the entire county.  For example, employees from one department could assist employees of another department, sharing special skills or other county assets, instead of jealously guarding personal turf.

Department Heads, of course, are most familiar with the inner workings of their departments.  Naturally, they will tend to fight for funding for their employees and programs during the budgeting process.  Likewise, when committee assignments are handed out at the County Board, an "ownership" attitude may be created in the mind of the Supervisor assigned to a particular department that may lead a Supervisor to advocate for his/her department needs against the others for funding.  No one is saying that loyalty is a negative quality; however, everyone needs to be reminded of the goal:  We need to come up with a balanced budget.

We divided into groups of five or six Supervisors and Department Heads to discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the budgeting process and brainstorm how we could improve.  Everyone agreed that effective leadership is the key.   Someone asked, "Where does the 'buck stop' in Polk County when it comes to budgeting issues?"  No one seemed to know the answer to that question.  

It was suggested that staggered elections for the County Board would be an improvement over our current system of wholesale replacement of a large percentage of the County Board every two years.  This has led to a steep learning curve while new Supervisors become familiar with Board procedures.  About the time they are up to speed, they are replaced.

I continue to believe that a smaller County Board would be an improvement over what we have now.  The committee structure could be re-examined.  Some committees could merge, paring down the number of committee hearings.  Full-time Supervisors would work with every committee of county government.  A professional Administrator would handle the day-to-day operations of government while the County Board would set the long-range goals and policy agenda.  This would reduce, if not eliminate, the "silo approach" to which Mr. Herbert referred.

The Executive Committee will meet to discuss revisions to the budgeting process in the coming weeks.  High on their list of things to do will be a re-examination of Policy 881, Staffing, Budget Planning and Position Administration.  To view a copy of Policy 881, click here.

Supervisor Pat Schmidt suggested that we look into supplying a sound system with an amplifier and microphones for County Board and Committee meetings, as some members of the public have complained that they have a difficult time hearing during the meetings.  

The workshop on Friday was "rewarding", in the sense that Supervisors and Department Heads, gathered together for open discussion, gained insight into how to improve the budgeting process.  

Margaret Stoneking marries Lucas Koenig in San Diego

Our daughter, Margaret, was married on February 21, 2009, to Rochester, Minnesota, native Lucas Koenig.  Luke is an active-duty Marine currently stationed at MCAS Miramar near San Diego.  His unit is preparing for deployment to Afghanistan later this summer.  Margaret is finishing up her degree in public health education at the University of St. Thomas this semester, and will join her new husband in San Diego after graduation.

It's an exciting time for the kids, and a challenging time, too.

My father was a Marine.  My husband was a Marine.  And now my son-in-law  is a Marine, so the tradition lives on.  

To Blog, or Not to Blog? Is that a question?

The day after I posted my first entry on this blog, I rushed to see whether anyone had read what I had written and had felt the need to comment.  I was excited to receive my first comment a couple of days later.  I have read every one since that first one, whether the comment was positive or in some cases, maybe not-so-positive, and I have appreciated each and every one of them.  

I received a comment this week from a person who chose to remain anonymous, to the effect that I shouldn't have a blog if I never posted on it.  Point taken.

When I started this blog, I wondered whether I would have adequate time to devote to the task.  Jeff Peterson, who obviously does a great job with his blog, was my blogging inspiration.  When Jeff was not re-elected, I thought I would give it a try.  I never aspired to the standard of excellence that Jeff Peterson achieved, but I had hoped to generate some discussion about county issues, sort of a public forum for the exchange of ideas, so I named my blog the "Sounding Board".  In other words, it was never intended to be a soapbox for me; rather, it was my hope that everyone with an interest in county issues would join in.   A few have joined in the discussion and made valuable contributions.

Yes, there is plenty going on in our county.  As a supervisor, I am working to do my best to represent my constituents.  Writing a blog is not something required of County Board Supervisors.  I am not about to make excuses, especially for not living up to someone else's expectations for a volunteer position as an amateur blogger.  Representing my District has been my priority, and will continue to be my priority, of course along with family and personal commitments.

There have been times in the past year when I have ached to write about subjects that have come up, but felt that my spouting off on the blog would not be appropriate or helpful to county interests.  In those cases, I have kept my opinions to myself.  Sometimes I have changed my mind before the vote as more information became available.  As a participant in the process, it is not always appropriate to "think out loud" on pending votes or controversies.    

Open Meeting Law Violations...or not

In his Amery Free Press column this week, Bob Zank takes the entire County Board to task for going into closed session to discuss negotiation strategy for the sale of Golden Age Manor.
Mr. Zank does not mention in his column that Corporation Counsel Fuge, along with private counsel from the Riley firm in Eau Claire, advised the Board that the closed session was appropriate and legal. When a person (or the County Board) hires a lawyer to give advice, the best course for the client is to follow the lawyers' professional guidance. I'm a teacher, not a lawyer. I assumed then, and I assume now, that Mr. Fuge's advice, as well as the concurrence from the Eau Claire lawyer, was given in good faith, and that we would not be breaking the law by going into closed session.
Polk County Board members acted on advice of counsel when we went into closed session, and that's why the court today declined to impose any forfeiture for any Supervisor in this case.
I'll be looking forward to Mr. Zank's column next week, when he explains the court's ruling. Mr. Zank was there when Judge Harrington announced that we Supervisors had a right to rely on legal advice, and that forfeitures would be inappropriate because there was no intent to violate the Open Meeting Law.
I've been on the Board now for three years. By and large, it is, as Mr. Zank points out in his column, a pretty thankless job. But the occasional opportunity to make a difference and do something positive to help bring better government to Polk County makes it worthwhile for me. I'll continue to do my best, and although I probably have not made my last mistake, I pledge to work hard for the best interests of the citizens of Polk County.
In the meantime, Mr. Zank, as well as other concerned citizens, should attend a committee meeting once in awhile. The committes are where the County Board grunt work is done. Bob should drop by Land and Water, Lime Quarry and Extension Committee meeting. Human Services is another committee, which I chair, that addresses issues important to the County. Citizen attendance at these meetings is unusual. An observer who attends only the County Board meeting each month does not get a true picture of how the Board functions.
Some people run for office thinking that they're going to cut taxes and improve the roads at the same time. After they're elected, they find out how difficult it is to balance a budget. There are things I'd like to see changed in the County Board. I think we have too many Supervisors. I think we need a full-time Administrator. There are some people in County government who should be gone. Overall, though, the County is blessed to have hard-working people who are dedicated to the best interests of the citizens of Polk County.
New candidates for office are not encouraged when they read in the Amery Free Press how everyone on the County Board is essentially either an unrepentant criminal or incompetent. I don't think holding everyone on the Board up for public ridicule is a particularly effective way to drum up qualified candidates in the next election. There are several excellent Supervisors who should be re-elected, if they choose to run again. I hope that the negativity in Mr. Zank's column doesn't convince them that they should decide to spend more quality time with their family instead of shouldering the responsibility of public office, especially when that public service includes tar and feathers, courtesy of Mr. Zank.