The Barron County Board of Supervisors held a business‑heavy meeting on Oct. 20 that included several recorded votes on budget, zoning and procurement items. Most measures passed by majority vote of members present; two items required and received supermajority approval.

Votes at a glance

- Legal opinion for Motorola lease financing: The board approved a motion to appropriate $3,000 to Quarles & Brady to draft a general obligation note to underlie proposed Motorola lease payments. Motion by Supervisor Marv Thompson; second by Supervisor Randy Cook. Vote: 27 yes, 2 absent. (Two‑thirds of full membership required and met.)

- Deputy patrol boat replacement: The board approved a resolution authorizing expenditure of $80,000 from a special revenue fund for a deputy patrol boat replacement. Motion by Supervisor Moen; second by Supervisor Olsen. Vote: 27 yes, 2 absent. (Two‑thirds required and met.)

- Zoning and land‑use resolutions: The board approved multiple zoning items recorded in the packet, including a rezoning in the Town of Sue Creek and a recommendation to deny a separate petition for rezoning (Isaacs). Vote tallies for zoning motions were recorded as 26 yes and 3 absent for items that appeared together on the agenda.

- Farmland plan amendment and grant resolutions: The board adopted a Barron County farmland plan map amendment for the towns of Barron and Cedar Lake; approved a Marion County Lake Monitoring and Protection Network AIS grant application; and authorized an outdoor recreation plan update. These passed by majority vote of members present (typical recorded tallies: 26 yes, 3 absent).

- Minutes and routine procedural items: The agenda and the Sept. 15 minutes were approved earlier in the meeting by voice vote (27 yes, 2 absent for agenda; 27 yes, 2 absent for minutes).

- Appointment: The board appointed Carla Pott Schufelt as the county’s next Health and Human Services director effective after the current director’s retirement. Motion by Supervisor Olsen; second by Patty Anderson. Vote: 26 yes, 3 absent.

Budget presentation: County staff presented the published draft of the 2026 budget and explained changes since the September packet, fund balance assumptions and levy calculations. The presentation was informational; no final adoption vote occurred Oct. 20. Staff showed an example mill‑rate impact and explained how fund balance could be used to cover an initial Motorola payment if the board chose to proceed.

Next steps and scheduling: County administrator and staff asked board members to reserve Monday, Dec. 8 for a possible special meeting to consider the Motorola purchase if the legal opinion and final financing documents are ready before the vendor’s stated acceptance deadline.

Tally reporting conventions: Many votes were recorded as counts (for example, “27 yes and 2 absent” or “26 yes and 3 absent”) without roll‑call lists of individual votes in the public transcript. The article reports tallies as recorded in the meeting minutes and transcript.