County approves police contract that guarantees double pay for festival shifts amid debate over festival costs and large-assembly rules

The Chippewa County Board of Supervisors on March 11 approved the 07/01/2025–12/31/2027 collective bargaining agreement between Chippewa County and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association that guarantees enhanced overtime pay for covered deputies working large public events.

The vote ratified pay provisions the union sought during negotiations, including a provision that pays certain covered employees double time for hours worked at mass-gathering events. The decision prompted extended public comment from festival organizers and a lengthy board discussion about staffing, public-safety needs and whether county ordinance changes or transitional funding should lessen the effect on event promoters.

Why it matters: the change increases wages for covered employees who staff summer festivals but shifts immediate additional costs to event promoters billed for law-enforcement staffing under the county—ode. Promoters warned the new language could add thousands of dollars per event and asked the board to delay or exempt festivals while the county rewrites its large-assembly ordinance.

Festival organizers speaking during public comment said the increase threatens festival budgets. "Last year for ... just 2 festivals, we paid a hundred and $80,000 to the sheriff's department," said Wade Asher, general manager of Chippewa Valley Music Festivals. Asher urged the board to "pull out the double time piece or table it or if you must pass it, I ask that you carve the festivals out so we stay at the same rate we're currently paying."

Ally Strishinski, administrative assistant for OneFest, said her nonprofit moved venues in 2024 and saw a large rise in required county staffing costs. "The substantial increase in cost of required county staff compared to nothing while we were at the fairgrounds is something that our young nonprofit could barely manage," she said, and asked the board "to not increase the rate that we pay or that you at least allow us to adjust the ordinance requirements for the number of county staff that need to be on-site for events."

Sheriff's Office leaders and union representatives said the change reflects recruitment and safety concerns. Chief Deputy Kurt Dutton described the provision as a "recruitment and retention decision" the union proposed because festival work falls in a condensed period and increases staffing demands. Dutton explained the county's current large-assembly staffing formula: "for the first thousand people you have there, there has to be 2 law enforcement officers ... If there's alcohol being served it's 1 for 1 per 800. If there's no alcohol being served ... it's 1 for every 1,600."

County staff presented estimates of the fiscal impact on promoters. Mark Hollister, a union steward who collected hours from deputies, provided figures showing an added payroll cost of roughly $7,963 for Country Fest and about $7,966 for Rock Fest under the contract language; the sheriff nd staff said that estimate aligned with their calculations. Dutton warned the board that on some festival shifts "every single officer is on a call" and defended the staffing levels on public-safety grounds: "we're running a pretty tight ship up there and we're keeping people in control."

Board members weighed competing priorities: some urged protecting festivals that bring tourism and local economic activity; others pressed that the contract negotiation should not be reopened on the floor. Several supervisors suggested a separate, subsequent agenda item could explore temporary county assistance or an ordinance rewrite to allow alternative security staffing arrangements. Supervisor Shoebridge specifically proposed considering a one-year county subsidy for promoters already under contract; staff and other supervisors replied that any subsidy or ordinance change would need to be handled as a separate board action and would not alter the negotiated contract without returning to the bargaining table.

The collective bargaining agreement itself was presented to the full board after executive-committee review; county attorneys said removing provisions now risked reverting the matter back to negotiations. After public comment and discussion, the board voted to approve the agreement. The meeting record shows the contract was approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript for that item.

What happens next: county staff and the sheriff re working on proposed amendments to the large-assembly ordinance to clarify when private security can substitute for county officers and how staffing is scheduled. Several supervisors asked staff to return with options for phased implementation or short-term financial relief for events with existing contracts.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 8-25: Ratify the 07/01/2025–12/31/2027 collective bargaining agreement between Chippewa County and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association — Approved by the board (voice vote; roll-call not recorded in transcript). - Resolution 7-25: Allow claim of Caitlin Witt (snowplow damage claim) — Approved. - Resolution 9-25: Create one part-time administrative assistant to benefits specialist position in the Aging and Disability Resource Center (funded by state/federal grants and county levy; motion amended to allow county administrator to eliminate position if grant funding is reduced) — Approved as amended. - Resolution 10-25: Appoint Andrew Alvarado as Chippewa County Administrator, term beginning 04/28/2025, starting salary $150,000 — Approved (vote recorded later in meeting as 16–4).

First readings and nonfinal items - Several ordinances (ATV/UTV route openings on County F and M; no-parking expansions; speed-zone adjustments on multiple county roads) received first readings and staff presentations; these items require further board action before taking effect.

Ending note: County staff said work to craft targeted ordinance language and possible short-term support for already-contracted events is underway; supervisors asked for follow-up reports so the board can consider options outside the collective bargaining process.