[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6277393,"mediaKeyId","2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33","parentId",2655416,"title","Finance staff proposes formal service contracts for Hayward Lakes VCB, EDC, Senior Resource Center and fair","audioSeconds",277,"startMs",4113000,"endMs",4390000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33&start=4113&end=4390","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33/thumbnail_4113000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277393/Sawyer-County/Wisconsin/Finance-staff-proposes-formal-service-contracts-for-Hayward-Lakes-VCB-EDC-Senior-Resource-Center-and-fair","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277393-bba977608c7b52b13535ccd95b2bf417/orig.mp4?Expires=1776149405&Signature=LYo3S6DY7qC~DmT7VfRtTy5zdHyUS-l28FEIQeC7VgW12ZR~HTMZITLYJGTu4ZG2Nrqz4hDp4F73r17wEidZC4tXkykuAJ4aZomJ6lIg4lRP87QSLI-EVkfQfJD~fkezUpAcc5mNkHGnnktYC9o66CieQAmrHjTK4vCc8lBMFGQpddn8GYJqZJFhB86OdaNX8owwBx5-iuIx2zSvIW7d5T-x3Ex-srMmav-g8AmdTX1vfUXs6pAtnSJfVW2qnObCjn7I3w953Etea23B5XjBImNT1H5nK7g1RfuuW6op-g43bsFx-bkydeKrQ4Y18ddChrfdoRWA3M0NZgrb-REC~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sawyer County, WI","date","2025-03-14T17:05:15Z","article","Sawyer County Finance staff on March 13 introduced draft service-contract templates for several external organizations the county funds, including the Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau (VCB), the LCO Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Senior Resource Center and the county fair organization.

Staff said the templates convert what has often appeared as discretionary payments into explicit contracts listing services and deliverables—visitor guides, marketing, visitor‑center operation (for the VCB), business outreach and attraction tasks (for the EDC), and a set of expectations for operating the fair on county grounds. The proposal does not affect organizations covered by statute or established intergovernmental agreements (for example, the library and certain transit/regional authorities), which already have bylaws or state guidance.

The presenter said the intent is to make expectations clear at budget time and to make the county’s funding decisions more transparent: instead of giving an apparent “donation,” the county would pay for defined services. Staff distributed draft templates to the organizations and intends to meet with them to refine the appendices before returning to the committee. There was no committee action; members asked for continued discussion and review of the drafts with the affected agencies.

Ending: Staff will continue to refine the contract templates with the named organizations and return to the committee with revisions prior to budget deliberations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance 2025 03 13","oneSentenceSummary","County staff proposed using written contracts that list deliverables for several externally funded organizations to clarify expectations; committee discussed and took no action, directing staff to continue drafting the templates with the agencies.","taxTitle","Sawyer County, Wisconsin","taxId",73055,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6277398,"Finance committee moves ambulance financials to quarterly reporting; EMS collections and staffing update",74,1097000,1171000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33&start=1097&end=1171","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33/thumbnail_1097000.jpg","/articles/6277398/Sawyer-County/Wisconsin/Finance-committee-moves-ambulance-financials-to-quarterly-reporting-EMS-collections-and-staffing-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277398-d5694f444c6e799d91c1d56f588b6741/orig.mp4?Expires=1776149405&Signature=S9JVZ4Cpx3jcCYXf1f2fc2Bl4MP2KQdXqG8Vof5aRT~bGGpwKbge0Qt6jCFLxRetcJ8wzT1QHxptiEXZlDpc7g6oU0bJnh6VQRVWobX81uhua0~tSB8c9BucFHafiamn25WkKGgdVRe6JB8UTcaLrstBh1FumDwVsqPDZnGmzrCZrmi3S3F4bpv1Y13hoQbg5q71EX0tCWIb4YrKiAVHe-t-UyElrnnnLq-Bb1Ziiy8i2qK3RSWSNMXiDUFYurQKb5pV65~Aj4McsNRP6gp6-TU4r0W9~YeGpiudIwIc0jbftZmnugmweMa8k-n826ILPMzsudBXxBRw4OzQWidiAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sawyer County Finance Committee on March 13 agreed to move its ambulance financial reporting from monthly to a quarterly schedule and reviewed a detailed EMSMC (ambulance billing manager) report that ties charges to collections by run.

County staff said ambulance operations finished 2024 with a profit of about $53,000 that was placed into an assigned fund balance. For 2025 staff reported early-year gross charges and a net collection pattern that lags by several months — staff warned March’s current-month collection percentages are lower because insurance payments commonly arrive three months after billing. As a result, staff said cash-flow graphs should be read on a rolling, multi-month basis rather than by single-month snapshots.

Staff and the third‑party EMSMC representative explained key billing terms to the committee: gross charges, contra‑allowance (insurer-negotiated reductions that typically remove roughly one-third of gross charges), net charges and the net collection rate. The packet showed Medicare and Medicaid constitute much of the payer mix; patient/self-pay and private insurance make up a smaller portion and have lower collection percentages.

On staffing, staff reported the ambulance service had filled all but one paramedic position in late winter and had promoted and certified three AMTs to paramedic status; the county was actively backfilling the resulting vacancies. Staff said increased staffing improves availability (the county is aiming to staff three rigs rather than two) and helps reduce reliance on external transfer contractors.

The committee accepted EMSMC-style reporting on a quarterly basis and asked staff to continue monitoring billing/collection timing and transfer activity.

Ending: Staff will provide quarterly EMS financials and continue targeted quarterly monitoring of transfers and collections.","Committee accepted a shift to quarterly ambulance reporting and reviewed EMS financials showing a small 2024 profit, early 2025 revenue timing issues and near-full staffing of paramedics.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6277403,"Committee flags rising HHS costs, large out‑of‑county youth placements driving deficit",538,2421000,2959000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33&start=2421&end=2959","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33/thumbnail_2421000.jpg","/articles/6277403/Sawyer-County/Wisconsin/Committee-flags-rising-HHS-costs-large-outofcounty-youth-placements-driving-deficit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277403-9d7f1f91a72c2fe6f6fcdb19f163fdaf/orig.mp4?Expires=1776149405&Signature=ZJMme3tJkRG9rWBj3yXat7hNrRFSKAgzJxyElaKWikERKcfxnPgwwC96Mifw4hJxT3miMJtfzIyn3AJQRmxK2HDbxfEWyYiWMExBYc0JdahfC0cF5DeOYqPSwZCQI9C43pIeIfcl~8y9FYQkruPcSSGafKZX-xju4gnOqP0tRE1dVmsxUx32-mCloOhAsTjYuA2UvU36V-ON9JDZK2CBa8k5~rM3ll16h4UhrREbYKG6inOqAtlh~Xmjd7T6kh0VRwOpz8lovxIxa48KnnPxJd8E7QYP31ueI6c7JoTF9sYQH4NG5TtaAKYn2igblG98GY-y~3MSattDDzGPJK0LnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee staff told the Sawyer County Finance Committee on March 13 that Health and Human Services (HHS) finished 2024 with a deficit of about $1,566,000 and recommended a $1.3 million transfer from general fund surplus to reduce pressure on HHS fund balance.

The committee heard that a principal driver of the HHS shortfall in 2023–24 was rising youth justice costs and the county’s use of out-of-county residential placements. Staff said contracted residential placements and mental-health facility placements can cost thousands per person per month and that transport costs for placements are also significant. The HHS packet projected contracted mental-health placements could total about $2,700,000 in the year shown in the report.

Presenters identified several placement types and facilities used for residents from Sawyer County, including adult family homes (AFH), community-based residential facilities (CBRF), and larger secured facilities such as Winnebago and Trempealeau. Staff noted that local options are limited — for example, there are 10 beds in Ashland — and that increasing local capacity would reduce transport time and cost, but the county lacks control over availability at those facilities.

Staff and committee members discussed juvenile justice case counts and cost trends. A year-by-year analysis in the packet showed juvenile justice costs were relatively low through 2022 and then rose sharply in 2023 and again in 2024; staff said several factors contributed, including increased referrals and added placements that were not previously occurring. Committee members asked whether state reimbursement or Medicaid covered placement costs; staff said Medicaid may cover some placements if the client is eligible, but many costs are borne by the county.

Committee staff said HHS has improved monthly reporting to its Human Services Committee and will bring more detailed placement-level information on high-cost cases when requested. Staff and committee members discussed strategies to address the structural deficit: maximizing billing and Medicaid claims, pursuing grants that align with existing services, reducing duplicated services where appropriate, and, as a last resort, considering levy increases.

Ending: Committee directed staff to include clearer placement and billing detail in future reports and to monitor HHS costs closely as the county moves toward finalizing the recommended transfer to HHS.","Finance staff told the committee HHS ran a $1.566 million deficit in 2024, driven in part by higher youth justice placements and out‑of‑county residential costs; committee agreed to track placements and billing more closely.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6277408,"Finance committee approves resolution designating roughly $2.35 million in fund balance, sends to full board",68,774000,842000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33&start=774&end=842","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2655416-1ec0f2ad422b2b58fd6e9265fae95d33/thumbnail_774000.jpg","/articles/6277408/Sawyer-County/Wisconsin/Finance-committee-approves-resolution-designating-roughly-235-million-in-fund-balance-sends-to-full-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277408-c9f4d2a07aea7240a68c03001cd4419a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776149405&Signature=N1BHnvhHxzwRZWoN9ykugncF2UzsiEf1uKzZy035uTiJCsuVJuxXzESDWrWCMYFV0Edjgzgtfpa24SX~aAyTDqeG5SVMC5f7GkTmlvTU4tVMwE8SGZtDGdcfngbgA2Ipw63R3liAkJdEGTRM4BcfuCD89VOn3frij14vZ74WZ92PWWUMfTUVt7e3hY7MgQmA1ylRVB3bIRn6sA2EVj7kAmcETy71TvvqBlrLAv2vS4OJ0dQq8u0iOwVRRF2MpqI0phFBVY1DdzegPrNwgn55wLGEb8LUWgbW4~uG6nYJApTrvLUbMfymg~aM5dM0tpkjpjsIS9R~eKhq0T4fS9isTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sawyer County Finance Committee on March 13 voted to send a resolution to the full county board that would designate roughly $2,350,000 of the county's general fund surplus into assigned balances and transfers, including a proposed $1.3 million transfer to the Health and Human Services (HHS) fund.

The resolution sets aside sales tax and ambulance profits into assigned fund balances and moves funds to address highway depreciation and HHS operating deficits, and to cover a county share of a bridge purchase. Committee members approved forwarding the resolution by voice vote after a motion and second.

Committee staff presented the recommended designations and transfers as a package intended to preserve the general fund at an established policy level. The presenter described the components as (1) assigning sales tax surplus to an assigned sales-tax fund, (2) assigning ambulance profits to an ambulance fund to offset future levy, and (3) transferring funds to highway, HHS and resource development accounts to address timing and structural shortfalls.

Key numbers discussed in the committee packet and presentation included a $1,566,000 2024 deficit in HHS, a recommendation to transfer $1,300,000 from the general fund to HHS, roughly $450,000 in anticipated highway depreciation (and an effort to remedy a roughly $300,000 negative unassigned highway fund balance), and an $85,000 county share to cover the bridge purchase previously authorized. The total of the recommended assignments and transfers was presented as approximately $2,350,000, which the presenter said would leave a modest remaining general fund surplus (about $90,000) subject to final close-out adjustments.

Committee member Jeff Haney made the motion to forward the resolution; Mark Helwig seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Committee discussion that preceded the motion emphasized HHS spending pressures, particularly costs tied to youth justice and out-of-county placements, and the need to preserve a policy target for the general fund (the packet referenced maintaining the general fund at 25–30 percent). Staff said the transfers are intended to smooth cash needs and prevent ad-hoc borrowing between funds later in the year.

The committee forwarded the resolution to the full board for final action. The committee did not adopt the transfers itself; it voted only to bring the resolution forward to the county board for approval.

Ending: The full board will consider the resolution at a future meeting; the committee packet and presenter noted small close-out items could change final amounts before the county board acts.","Sawyer County Finance Committee voted to forward a resolution to the full board that designates general fund surplus and transfers approximately $2.35 million to specific accounts, including a $1.3 million transfer to Health & Human Services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Finance staff proposes formal service contracts for Hayward Lakes VCB, EDC, Senior Resource Center and fair

Finance committee moves ambulance financials to quarterly reporting; EMS collections and staffing update

Committee flags rising HHS costs, large out‑of‑county youth placements driving deficit

Finance committee approves resolution designating roughly $2.35 million in fund balance, sends to full board