Executive committee approves three‑year housing MOU with county economic development alliance; reporting schedule changed to quarterly

The Walworth County Board Executive Committee approved Resolution 0325 on Monday to authorize a three‑year pilot memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the county economic development alliance to implement a countywide housing strategy, with a committee amendment changing finance reporting to at least quarterly.

County staff described that the MOU charges the alliance to act with the county’s support on program administration and outreach but not to exercise the county’s legislative authority. The committee also specified reporting and financial oversight: programmatic updates at least quarterly to the Executive Committee and financial expenditure reports to the Finance Committee on a quarterly minimum; staff said the Finance Committee can expect more frequent reports if a major spending action occurs.

Mark, a county staff member guiding the draft, said the MOU’s purpose is to implement recommendations made by the earlier task force and to create a steering committee that will provide public guidance and meet as a posted public body. “The MOU intends that we'll see it as responsible and directly reports, operationally to the executive committee and financially to the finance committee and ultimately each renewal is to the county board,” Mark said.

The resolution sets the total program budget previously identified in the county budget at $181,532, while authorizing an additional $125,532 in ARPA funds under the MOU so the program can use previously allocated ARPA monies before drawing from the county’s general fund. County staff said those funds are intended to cover personnel and program activities including promotion and consulting.

Supervisor Sheila Reif explained that the task force considered, and then rejected, a standing directive that the county purchase land for development. “It was not the county’s responsibility to buy property for a development,” Reif said, and the committee confirmed that explicit language limiting expectations of county tax levy support for land acquisition should remain in the document. One motion by Supervisor Al Stanek to remove the clause referencing provision of land did not receive a second and therefore was not adopted.

Committee members added a requirement that the steering committee include at least one county board member as a non‑voting participant and that steering‑committee meetings be publicly posted. Staff also clarified that if WEDC/WEDA or the alliance proposes contracts or other major expenditures, the Finance Committee will receive expenditure details and may require further review.

After discussion, the committee voted to adopt Resolution 0325 with the amendment changing the finance reporting minimum from monthly to quarterly. The motion carried.