[{"_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",6166421,"mediaKeyId","5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5","parentId",5415551,"title","Public works reports Fair Park horse-arenas repairs complete","audioSeconds",25,"startMs",212000,"endMs",237000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5&start=212&end=237","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5/thumbnail_212000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6166421/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Public-works-reports-Fair-Park-horse-arenas-repairs-complete","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6166421-29442c5fa6bd43942d7b35a93fa3910f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770513626&Signature=OsYbp1MqutepqGSN03603PneGPKb8A9IUoRoylWTefaUUn2YcLegvLNOy-zp15vjntaVLeIgxtyw6tlFo9wV-s2z4M0z~gpUnzJKvHHBy1SP4iM-5pNDyNIK2lWM2uFKMgUQyaOZSUsZ1lVxgMwgJy0QOwLM58sZwzpLa56ZLlYUeNHUdHlh4w-2g6e8qU6b0ldUVpzHMSPBBsp~KMkm08k6OotJ3oa6sHZmU5jYD3iz1Qjg1VAEd31tV15B4ySRQ30SwSSMhg8Apd8t2Cmkqysn05ECB~n4tFW7ZPcoeJH~xQq3Ibej91zC5tqZ8~kEYzf0cEpo5q6TU9bCdrsUxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County, WI","date","2025-07-18T03:40:13.77Z","article","WASHINGTON COUNTY — The executive committee received a brief status report on repairs to the Fair Park horse arenas.
A public-works official told the committee the project is complete, that the final cost figures were included in the meeting packet and that staff had received positive feedback on the work. “There is a report that the high public work chief public works officer put in your packet regarding the kind of the status of the project...the work was completed and the final cost of that work,” a staff member said at the meeting.
The committee did not take formal action on the item; the update closed without further questions and staff moved on to the next agenda item.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Executive Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","County public-works staff told the executive committee that repairs at the Fair Park horse arenas are finished, the work went well and final costs were provided in the meeting packet.","taxTitle","Washington County, Wisconsin","taxId",5137,"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},6166423,"County board members debate modest pay increases, ask staff to draft proposal",160,2702000,2862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5&start=2702&end=2862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5/thumbnail_2702000.jpg","/articles/6166423/Washington-County/Wisconsin/County-board-members-debate-modest-pay-increases-ask-staff-to-draft-proposal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6166423-032f0871d26cea26a2606b62c808e771/orig.mp4?Expires=1770513626&Signature=U1NRXa9c344gQWRIxOPqXsF6cML9tRGDTCwLUTJ1Il67P-bPHgkTIwFll9h6W18trEaCASu5AqkhR1Wb2ri88yKu9Okz5o8qzf-FvaijYZrTypZ1aeNHBJt4TGlQn2Vk6iGgpOVM4mR57n4YNlfxGk9yz7pz~Q9s-qs0206N9vDzJHtMLvXt1epL~sP0rOCMItnOlFGrL5sgX3n1vSMVz~fjlnBpHu712NrcSfi6pWV9np2y6GD0cqgOS-QdwBx6QYYzo~m6dmX90VcjdoR5~KITlcTF5v6zkmeeJHD0SYWQxno-WpHe9uvFNNN4lwQnT2kjqGG~nCyiCqg-locZnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WASHINGTON COUNTY — Washington County supervisors on Tuesday discussed raising the monthly county-board stipend for the first time in decades, with opinions split on timing and method but general agreement to have staff prepare a formal proposal for full-board consideration.
Chairman David Schleif opened the discussion by noting the last change in county-board pay was in 1999 and presenting inflation-based calculations. \"If the county board had salary had been kept in line with inflation, the monthly salary would now be just over $10.60 dollars per month,\" Schleif said as an illustration of the disparity; he recommended considering modest, regular adjustments tied to an annual April inflation review.
Why it matters: Supervisors said modest increases could broaden the candidate pool — especially working-class residents who must take time off work to attend meetings — and make the chair role open to a wider set of applicants. Critics said an increase during tight budget years could be politically difficult and requested careful timing.
Arguments for and against: Supervisor Kelly strongly supported a raise tied to biannual budget cycles and urged indexing increases to inflation on a regular schedule, adding that modest cost to the county budget would help recruit more working-class candidates. \"When I got on this board day 1, I was all about that. I love our retirees...Working class people, however, have a much more difficult time because they have to take time off the work,\" Kelly said.
Supervisor Scholtes and others expressed concern about the timing and asked whether raises should wait until staff and county budget pressures are clearer. Supervisor Shodran said he would be willing to let the full board decide and emphasized he is neutral on the proposal.
Next steps and direction: Chairman Schleif and another supervisor said they will work with county staff to draft a pay proposal — including suggested amounts, whether to add committee or chair stipends and whether to tie changes to inflation or the budget cycle — and bring it to the full board for discussion. No pay change was adopted at the executive committee meeting; the item was discussion only.
","Washington County supervisors debated whether and how to raise supervisor pay for the first time since 1999, with supporters citing recruitment and equity and others urging caution given budget pressures; the chairman and staff will draft a proposal for full-board consideration.",{"_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},6166428,"County staff to monitor proposed TIDs in West Bend and Slinger; board raises fiscal, land-use concerns",783,1555000,2338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5&start=1555&end=2338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5/thumbnail_1555000.jpg","/articles/6166428/Washington-County/Wisconsin/County-staff-to-monitor-proposed-TIDs-in-West-Bend-and-Slinger-board-raises-fiscal-land-use-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6166428-be3281a9a73e61a94121188de2454e12/orig.mp4?Expires=1770513626&Signature=TGfvPdE~a1WzK4YjPv1zA7AGvchTnxrRJi2EUMjCjP4k~6Dg2BDuu2GEvfCgVVIii3NDCL2uH0BjyU4vC3zKQLTdwe1medEf7t24zYnEECvZpr6ToM8MMyxepr7tyqIhUr-cwkMBaqhRyMpOYqSOGY-w8JxeqjjMa3eo84kOk7fi2uODtOLRr4boF5c~ZTTEnAcWH-kMxtSy-f7B3db9VetOthvj05HPhFjotoCQvxX7JrZtHyIuHo4hVf-Lyj1DU0Ff8lNS197q0-vRmhRzBxwd2O4SZPEi6BeLk8oSOXUK0UQC6HIcpp-9Qd-jg3F93rl7hEQKLOYrBuyRS-OU7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WASHINGTON COUNTY — County staff briefed the executive committee on a proposed Tax Incremental District (TID) in West Bend and two amendments in the Village of Slinger and sought guidance for the county’s participation on joint review boards.
Aaron Dahl, a county staff member, described West Bend’s proposed TID No. 18 along Rusco Road between River Road and County Highway P. The proposal included a large residential component — Dahl said the plan proposes about 315 owner-occupied next-generation housing units — and an industrial component with roughly 860,000 square feet of industrial project plan area. Road reconstruction on Rusco Road and roundabouts were listed as primary infrastructure costs; one roundabout would require county involvement because it sits on a county-controlled road.
Why it matters: TIDs use future property-tax increment to finance infrastructure and incentives. Supervisors asked whether a residential-heavy buildout would generate sufficient increment if industrial development does not materialize and whether the county should be comfortable with potential fiscal risk.
Key points from the West Bend briefing: County staff said the city proposes owner-occupied next-generation housing (single-family, ranch, duplex and townhome models) and is considering paying $20,000 per owner-occupied unit with repayment spread over 20 years through the TID. Deb Silski of the Economic Development Washington County (EDWC) said specifics and formal applications are still outstanding and that EDWC and the city will return with phasing and design details.
Slinger amendments: Dahl described two amendments affecting TID Nos. 8 and 4 in the Village of Slinger. The changes largely reassign parcels between districts so the village can finance incentives across a longer schedule; the county heard that the amendments are not being used to rescue financially distressed districts but to lengthen the life of certain parcels to spread annual impacts. One amendment would make TID No. 4 eligible to act as a donor district and transfer increment to TID No. 6 to support downtown redevelopment on a parcel that had been a funeral home. Dahl said the proposed downtown project includes roughly 39 housing units (about 30 apartments and nine townhomes), first-floor commercial space and below-grade parking. The village identified the incentive amount at about 11.5% of project cost, within the 10%–15% range county staff said they commonly see.
Board concerns and guidance: Several supervisors voiced fiscal caution. Supervisor Kelly asked whether residential increment alone would cover costs if the industrial portion fails to develop and noted the county is already nearing the end of the life of multiple TIDs; Kelly asked staff to press developers and the city for realistic market analysis and fiscal safeguards. Supervisor Scholtes asked to confirm that the NextGen units would be owner-occupied (county staff and EDWC said they would). Supervisors also debated the tension between preserving farmland and allowing development in and near existing municipalities; some members noted the parcels in question are already in or near city limits and adjacent to existing industrial uses.
Outcome and next steps: County staff said they would represent the county on joint review boards, ask detailed fiscal questions at the joint-review meetings, and return with additional information on phasing, rail access for industrial sites and the NextGen housing design and incentives. No formal county vote to oppose the TID proposals was taken at the executive committee meeting.
","Washington County executive committee members discussed guidance for joint review board participation on a proposed West Bend tax incremental district and amendments in Slinger, raising questions about fiscal sustainability, farmland loss and incentives for downtown redevelopment.",{"_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},6166433,"County advances assessment and planning for Praefke Bridal brownfield in West Bend",328,261000,589000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5&start=261&end=589","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5415551-4256920bb38ae9b4b8782017daefcdd5/thumbnail_261000.jpg","/articles/6166433/Washington-County/Wisconsin/County-advances-assessment-and-planning-for-Praefke-Bridal-brownfield-in-West-Bend","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6166433-f470da4bfb43141319d28ee99ea5db12/orig.mp4?Expires=1770513626&Signature=JGcAd4tQ2acdCnlIJYiJ8O~ZLQZYqpvz4bRFaXiB9GIDUDp1QZevB~C4DtxAoQHt82cHvEazhJ9hFSFK5DMoy-MZrUGi2knaMG2-weYg~MjafBjJBqKV1GhxIE~9eObMHow2ORElyYRUIo1PS3O6XCy9ENA5dSboaKjDoo1jqA9yXaE85Ki7TMfZtFvdo7GrdCTEFixy7xakXeam6uF1gIY~TxR3pUryB507fkWT~2KAdFTwxHN99jw3JMsH1d64cNgeyD9E4Rf61MkGX5Ws1d28m~rr3DRCUVQWnTtWLwxz-Ho1K2V4QTy9gcnfwI6-b1ilpWk-MIIeWpjY148fAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WASHINGTON COUNTY — Washington County executive committee members on Tuesday reviewed a multi-part plan to assess and ready the Praefke Bridal Site in West Bend for redevelopment and to seek an extension of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revolving loan fund (RLF) support.
The county’s overview said the RLF award tied to the site dates to 2020 and is due to expire in September; staff described the fund as a loan program that supports remediation and requires a community involvement plan and public meetings. “The revolving loan fund grant is actually, kind of a tough nut to crack in terms of finding the right site to use the funds,” Aaron Dahl, a county staff member, told the committee.
Why it matters: The Praefke site sits next to the Eisenbahn Trail and within a residential area that local officials have identified as a priority redevelopment parcel. The county and the city of West Bend are assembling assessment, cleanup and reuse plans so the site can move to private redevelopment without leaving remediation costs for future owners.
What the committee heard: County staff said the Site Redevelopment Committee (SRC) approved funding for a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) that is under $10,000. The county has two requests before the executive committee: a) a match to a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) site assessment grant (a $150,000 grant that carries a 33.33% local match requirement), and b) $47,500 for reuse planning and market analysis to guide eventual redevelopment concepts.
Aaron Dahl explained the match arrangement: the total local match request is $50,000, with the county providing $40,000 and the city of West Bend $10,000. Dahl said the city has agreed to return 20% of its match to the county if the grant is awarded. The committee approved the county match by voice vote.
County staff also reported SRC preliminary recommendations to the revolving-loan committee: up to $580,000 in an RLF loan for abatement, demolition, subsurface remediation and reporting, and SRC-authorized funding not to exceed about $16,000 to prepare an eligibility determination, community involvement plan and cleanup analysis needed to apply for the RLF loan.
On contamination and prior work: County staff said assessments and cleanup work were done in the 1980s and 1990s and that more recent efforts removed substantial stored materials and some asbestos. “The eighties and the work is to confirm the assessment work from the eighties and nineties because there is different regulations,” Adam, a county staff member, said, adding that another plume on the site was previously identified but not fully assessed.
Redevelopment planning: The reuse-planning request would fund concept plans, site analysis and a market analysis to show feasible end uses and to support future funding applications. Staff said reuse planning is typically used by a developer to inform design and that having public involvement and concepts in place can help with later funding applications, including RLF financing.
Committee action and next steps: The committee approved the county’s $40,000 contribution for the WEDC site-assessment grant match and approved the $47,500 reuse-planning request (county share $38,000, city share $9,500) by voice votes. Staff will proceed with the Phase I ESA already funded by SRC and continue preparing the RLF application materials and community involvement plan.
Background and context: County staff said the site entered receivership via court action to allow assessment and cleanup work after an owner convicted for illegally storing hazardous material; Waste Management and the EPA removed some materials and asbestos under DNR and EPA involvement, but additional assessment and remediation remain. The county emphasized that RLF loans are repaid and that forgiveness is a remote possibility that would be discussed later if applicable.
The committee did not authorize any RLF loans; SRC provided a preliminary recommendation that will go to the revolving loan committee for action.
Less critical: The reuse plan deliverables include concept drawings and a market analysis; the county noted that final redevelopment will likely require city zoning and land-use changes before private developers assume the site.
","Washington County staff briefed the executive committee on a multi-step plan to assess, clean up and plan reuse of the Praefke Bridal Site in West Bend, including requests for matching funds, reuse planning money and a preliminary recommendation for an EPA revolving loan to cover remediation costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public works reports Fair Park horse-arenas repairs complete

County board members debate modest pay increases, ask staff to draft proposal

County staff to monitor proposed TIDs in West Bend and Slinger; board raises fiscal, land-use concerns

County advances assessment and planning for Praefke Bridal brownfield in West Bend