[{"_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",6515311,"mediaKeyId","4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80","parentId",4785522,"title","Votes at a glance: Eau Claire County board approves opioid spending framework, adopts proclamations and ordinances","audioSeconds",1189,"startMs",8334000,"endMs",9523000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80&start=8334&end=9523","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80/thumbnail_8334000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515311/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Votes-at-a-glance-Eau-Claire-County-board-approves-opioid-spending-framework-adopts-proclamations-and-ordinances","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515311-5ebe5632899a0c15edb1ff63d99a7956/orig.mp4?Expires=1773565097&Signature=W7dF5EIuHn05S-xYGdevFt6p4MXjdhd2ko0O5dpbsTn4gCLIVHPkF4X8EKKl3kXx~7TpITYy0DOCzUZpOLPMRxl5-ldRZIRB-OMbocPtA66rB8~fvRFf7jQAlEV0FQoKCY9MDPw~923Pux3uGxNBiYEV5xv1M98TNtLIANXMhI7NI8dsOHydMRIwVAm9L5iK4q8TKFbpdjJjHbYAA5J8bPc0BmDC2E7qj1UKBWWo0zY3i2p3bHXMenVowfWB8cp6CwfW6ONKKHBOJzE7HMossjYBEW0QYjxhiY3LSY-VUU7kue5csydzgiuM7tVgZoLJKeLqD8OysGK1Ev0BQBZ~SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Eau Claire County","date","2025-06-17T19:00:00Z","article","Key outcomes from the Eau Claire County Board meeting on June 17, 2025:

- Opioid settlement framework accepted (amended): Board voted to accept the three-year framework for how the county will use opioid settlement funds (final recorded tally on the amended resolution: 22 yes, 3 no). The board also adopted an amendment to retain the opioid task force as an ongoing oversight body and required that specific hires and spending requests return to the appropriate oversight committees and Finance & Budget for approval.

- Proclamation (ADA anniversary): The board adopted a proclamation recognizing the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (voice vote; tally reported as 25 yes, 0 no).

- Airport ordinance updates: The board adopted an ordinance to amend airport operator/fixed-base-operator standards and related airport-facilities code sections (voice vote; 25 yes, 0 no). The ordinance clarifies minimum commercial operator standards and lease/ramp-use language.

- Highway safety plan: The board adopted an Eau Claire County Highway Safety Action Plan (vote: 25 yes, 0 no). The plan was developed in coordination with neighboring counties and is intended to identify targeted safety improvements.

- Zoning ordinances: The board adopted rezonings for parcels in the towns of Brunswick and Washington (two separate ordinances; both passed, 25 yes, 0 no). Each rezoning had local town approval and was recommended by planning staff.

- Human resources policy referral: A resolution to amend HR policy 209 (performance evaluation) was referred back to the HR Committee for further consideration (vote: 24 yes, 1 no, referral approved).

- Appointments: Various committee and board appointments were approved as listed in the meeting packet (voice vote; approved).

Board notes and process: Supervisors and staff repeatedly emphasized that acceptance of the opioid spending \"framework\" does not itself authorize specific hires or line-item spending; those actions must return to the relevant oversight committees and the Finance & Budget Committee and then to the board via budget amendment if required.

Ending: Board-chair and staff thanked presenters and members of county task forces for their work and asked for continued interdepartmental coordination and public outreach on major items.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Eau Claire County - County Board of Supervisors - June 17, 2025 - Jun 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County board accepted the opioid settlement framework and took multiple votes on proclamations, ordinances and committee referrals; individual budget or hiring actions referred to oversight committees and Finance & Budget for approval before funds are spent.","taxTitle","Eau Claire County, Wisconsin","taxId",4139,"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},6515315,"Local child-care provider warns county board that temporary $13-per-hour wage boost faces July cutoff",327,364000,691000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80&start=364&end=691","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80/thumbnail_364000.jpg","/articles/6515315/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Local-child-care-provider-warns-county-board-that-temporary-13-per-hour-wage-boost-faces-July-cutoff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515315-becd3dd0e61b15484854904e7fd4ebdf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773565097&Signature=Iud5SS9h4w4BXug7ApKQJfs7pC4P1uXHPZwRLSF5C7gY-iSH78yKYX6sRYYx2xiOImiuSbDlokeperLuU4IzaePxxTgm5q48zc7bDeW1BeKUBQL8l54VFFuGizU-Oc8-zM~LiRFTQl7TuiSZPwGW4yb64aVGzIyV79pasNTsH3v1oVr-e8g6McYMR09PwfMiB6~mU8nt3gPlHKUkvU8pZX6sQxeH7oqFmV7lwmwEd~FYotHCkC0gJvI--DODANJ61DUIxGDb8ClOhmNFewylkwWgDu31X6zMQoG83e3i3~0Udqo~FIN2YlgAhJytvTgTuKgKf-UtsRwSTxPRBgwCHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julia Benkert, a home-based early childhood teacher from Eau Claire, urged the county board during public comment to consider the consequences if temporary pandemic-era wage supports for child-care staff are not extended at the state level.

\"Right now, teachers are making $13 an hour average, with the funding that's supporting it,\" Benkert said, adding that without the funding the average had been about $10 an hour before pandemic supplements. She told the board the funding that sustained the higher wages is scheduled to end and that the state Joint Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on the issue later in the week; she urged officials to track the issue and flagged local organizing and events.

Benkert said current county data she cited shows about 1.8 children for every available child-care slot in Eau Claire County and that slots will shrink starting in August if the funding is not renewed. She said centers and family providers are already considering closures and rate increases: in her comments she reported figures of \"23% of childcare centers in Eau Claire County will be closing in August\" and that \"43% will be raising their rates,\" a characterization she presented as based on local surveys and advocacy outreach. Benkert warned families could pay a much larger share of household income for care or leave the workforce if capacity falls.

She invited board members to a rally and informational presentations on July 19: a rally at 10:00 a.m. at Phoenix Park and a formal presentation at 4:00 p.m. at the Eau Claire Public Library, both listed in her remarks.

The board heard Benkert as part of the public-comment period; supervisors thanked her and other attendees and referred questions on state funding to advocacy channels while noting the county's limited direct authority over state budget decisions.

Ending: Benkert said advocacy will continue and urged local officials to watch the state committee action and local events; supervisors acknowledged the issue but noted county action would be limited without state or other funding sources.

","An Eau Claire child-care provider told the county board that temporary pandemic-related wage supplements that raised many child-care workers' pay to about $13 per hour are due to end, and warned the loss could shrink child-care slots and push families out of the workforce; she invited supervisors to local rallies and events.",{"_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},6515319,"Eau Claire Area EDC warns county is running out of industrial land while courting major projects",1743,718000,2461000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80&start=718&end=2461","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80/thumbnail_718000.jpg","/articles/6515319/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Eau-Claire-Area-EDC-warns-county-is-running-out-of-industrial-land-while-courting-major-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515319-0d2acb0d75e9e6b2c5baf282402ca692/orig.mp4?Expires=1773565097&Signature=YHwNlpPb0AXf0ufK9XsWQIJBJvBaGe3QtsjfxUzEBjUnLRCXxG6sVCnj9TxW721C09nz7UMUiZm5uuylgHDFUaE~iz1WdPDvPo2V9tGPBuLMGCD0wYq8dJetVE7fE0pKhRL17NyDcpNp8SiG5M73CfI-GpbEAeDYpRNNb8MXLKNchP7CQ3aXbPsiVUSdrOEIJ60rUolNSVweDehM~O9g7v0PcpdqnTqRBwo0sc2bQCLzz6X9kLODL04duvUsTnqFVh7D9kyQO85lkso206-dTFonD1cjsHCNPOleAL9-dEJOd2Jks-varEtnJb252AWLvkFKi4rqneBA7plwICaRsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Luke Hanson, executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC), briefed Eau Claire County supervisors on the organization's work and warned that the county is rapidly running out of shovel-ready industrial land.

Hanson said the county's premier Gateway Northwest Industrial Park has been the primary site for industrial development for roughly 30 years. He said maps that show about 250 acres technically available include parcels under purchase agreement and other encumbrances; in practical terms Hanson said the EDC now counts \"just under 50 acres\" of viable, unspoken-for industrial land and identified additional privately owned blocks that are unlikely to be sold. \"Right now, our our big focus is we're running out of land to sell, and we we wanna continue to grow,\" Hanson said.

Hanson told supervisors the EDC recorded 48 requests for information from prospective companies in 2024, of which 18 were from local firms considering expansion. He said the Gateway park alone supports more than 20 businesses and about 2,100 jobs. He described ongoing negotiations for several parcels in smaller business parks, interest in residential or mixed-use development on a large Bush Beans-owned tract near Augusta, and active conversations with a major prospect he characterized as a $250 million project that has been in negotiation for the better part of three years.

Hanson also said the EDC is exploring redevelopment opportunities for existing vacant industrial buildings, including an opportunity to redevelop a 720,000-square-foot HTI TDK facility; that single facility could rival the largest projects the county has seen, Hanson said, and he described it as a potential source of about 1,000 jobs if a buyer proceeds. He added that redevelopment incentives are more limited than incentives for new construction, complicating negotiations for reuse of existing facilities.

Supervisors asked Hanson about workforce and quality-of-life constraints that affect recruitment: child care availability and staff wages, housing affordability and broadband. Hanson said childcare and housing are persistent constraints and acknowledged that companies sometimes request incentives to help staff recruitment and retention. He said the EDC works with municipalities, the chamber of commerce and other partners to address those needs and to support retention and expansion of existing businesses.

Hanson asked the board and community to alert the EDC if private parcels became available and described the EDC's work with towns and cities on placemaking and entrepreneur support. He closed by asking supervisors to continue supporting EDC efforts to attract and retain businesses.

Ending: The EDC report highlighted several active opportunities the county could capture if land and infrastructure are available, and it reinforced staff and supervisors' focus on housing, child care and infrastructure as barriers to future industrial recruitment.

","Luke Hanson, executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation, told the county board that available industrial land is scarce, highlighted recruitment and expansion work and described several potential projects including a possible $250 million development and interest in the 720,000-square-foot HTI TDK facility.",{"_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},6515323,"Eau Claire County board accepts three-year plan for opioid settlement funds, keeps task force intact",2340,2463000,4803000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80&start=2463&end=4803","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4785522-13102eeb6c6c16487497c498bb989b80/thumbnail_2463000.jpg","/articles/6515323/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Eau-Claire-County-board-accepts-three-year-plan-for-opioid-settlement-funds-keeps-task-force-intact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515323-fe71193702d6f3612aa6a52e2fc46be0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773565097&Signature=A~UFwcQRpKLJm62pT-x46IftmQtkMzW1g4NAM9KxSmG8p5CLDfH1ULjc~nbXKjrOWa8IJKtF~uZQ8ZmrzofifXZjcffMdxRVXaXQ461qXyM0ut2muoZWg8GcmV2fAArsskzthYfeYkcY0FVHkCh6Zd1T~aeR77KhWRnUDtsF--ABmpMK-PGP8TeScDbyWkVG0Qjx5cpWU2ZkW-1AwvLAmTSKIvbTHSQX3ikJypthqv4guCJUnfUVHADkNBjmsTM44Emy0J3gSXb-ImKQBM-SYVOvhjR2FYFJSx4ZBV~yi-wLicQobt1zTs1gR908b~kAO5nyBR4IQhcQubMULZKvfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eau Claire County supervisors on Tuesday accepted a three-year framework for spending roughly $5.1 million in opioid settlement funds, approving a plan that prioritizes harm reduction, youth prevention in schools, community outreach, law-enforcement training, expanded jail programs and recovery supports.

The plan, developed by the county's opioid task force after a countywide needs assessment, was presented by Sarah Dilvin Pospicell, who facilitated the assessment, and by staff from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the public health department. The county has already received $1,500,000 for 2022'2024 and staff estimated another $3,400,000 will arrive between 2025 and 2038, for a projected total of $5,100,000 to be held in a segregated account and spent only on the approved strategies under state guidance.

The task force said the plan focuses on the full continuum of care, from prevention and harm reduction through treatment and recovery. It recommends countywide distribution of naloxone (Narcan), continued sharps-disposal boxes, school-based prevention programs and peer-support services, a community outreach and stabilization program to respond to nonfatal overdoses, two part-time peer court navigators for justice-involved people, expanded jail crisis staffing and other pilot programs meant to increase access to treatment and reduce future court or jail involvement.

\"We want this funding to get out into the community as soon as possible. We wanna save lives,\" Sarah Dilvin Pospicell said during the presentation.

The plan assigns lead agencies to program areas so work can proceed through existing county departments or by contract; for example, the health department is identified as lead for youth prevention and harm-reduction efforts, and criminal-justice services is identified as lead for jail-related programs. DHS described a staffing proposal that would add a social worker and peer support specialist for community outreach, and one additional crisis worker in the jail to supplement an existing crisis worker who currently serves about 500 unique jail entrants annually. DHS staff emphasized those hires would follow traditional hiring processes and require subsequent committee and budget approvals before funds are released.

The task force and staff stressed that some spending has already been approved and implemented (peer-support training, harm-reduction items and a sharps-disposal rollout were cited as examples), and that the plan is intended as a living document. A major theme of the presentations and discussion was that the settlement dollars cannot be used to substitute for existing budget items and must align with state law and the approved strategies (referred to in the presentation as \"Exhibit E\").

Supervisors clarified several operational points during Q&A: the plan aims to respond quickly to nonfatal overdoses but set 72 hours as a pragmatic maximum target for outreach because of weekends and staffing realities; stabilization funds would be available to help people enter treatment (for needs such as transportation or short-term child care); and a medication-assisted treatment program in the jail (MAT) is currently funded with state opioid dollars rather than the county's settlement funds.

An amendment was adopted to retain the opioid task force as an ongoing oversight body rather than disbanding it after the plan was delivered; the board then voted to approve the amended framework. Supervisors were explicit that individual program expenditures, hiring and any budget amendments would return to the relevant oversight committees (Human Services, Criminal Justice, etc.) and Finance & Budget for approval before county funds are spent.

The board approved the amended plan by recorded voice vote after committee routing and discussion (final vote on the amended framework: 22 yes, 3 no). Several supervisors urged timely implementation; staff reiterated an ongoing commitment to seek complementary grants and to evaluate results.

The presentation included regional and local data the task force used to set priorities: the county lost 76 residents to fatal opioid overdose from 2018'2023; ambulance services reported 668 nonfatal overdoses from 2018'2024; hospitals recorded about 1,900 opioid-related encounters in that same period; and recent weeks in June 2025 included multiple suspected nonfatal overdoses, which presenters cited to underscore urgency.

The board directed staff to proceed with the plan and to route future staffing and spending requests through the usual committee and budget processes before any settlement funds are disbursed.

Ending: County staff said they will begin grant applications and targeted program rollouts where permitted under state guidance and would return to oversight committees before any additional spending decisions.

","County board voted to accept a three-year framework for spending opioid settlement dollars focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery; plan outlines pilot programs, lead agencies and hires and sets funding to return for committee-level approval before spending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Eau Claire County board approves opioid spending framework, adopts proclamations and ordinances

Local child-care provider warns county board that temporary $13-per-hour wage boost faces July cutoff

Eau Claire Area EDC warns county is running out of industrial land while courting major projects

Eau Claire County board accepts three-year plan for opioid settlement funds, keeps task force intact