Chippewa County board authorizes DNR grant signatory power, urges court funding, sells firearms range and adopts traffic ordinances

The Chippewa County Board of Supervisors approved a set of administrative and land-use measures and adopted several traffic ordinances at its meeting, including a resolution giving the county administrator standing authority to apply for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grants, a resolution urging increased state funding for county circuit courts, the sale of the county'owned firearms range, and amendments to local traffic ordinances.

The actions affect county grant administration, court operations funding advocacy, county property ownership and disposition, and local road rules for ATVs/UTVs and motor vehicles.

The board unanimously approved Resolution 11-25 to renew standing authority for the county administrator or a designee to prepare and submit applications and to sign documents for grants from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Matt Hanson, the Chippewa County Forest Administrator, told the board the county routinely administers those grants and that the state requires renewal of the authorization every two years. "I'm Matt Hanson. I'm the County Forest Administrator. I, administer most of these grants even though the County Administrator's name is on the grant or his designee," Hanson said, explaining that much of the administrative work typically falls to his office. The resolution was forwarded by the Land Conservation and Forest Management Committee and will remain in effect until the county board rescinds it.

The board also approved Resolution 12-25 urging Governor Tony Evers and state lawmakers to increase the circuit court costs appropriation by $70 million in the 2025-27 biennial…