Richland County Board approves multiple rezones, adopts public-comment form, backs NG911 grant applications

The Richland County Board of Supervisors on June 10 approved a series of land-use rezonings, adopted a new public-comment form, authorized applications for next-generation 9-1-1 grants, approved a countywide vehicle-use policy and accepted a bid to replace courthouse boilers.

Votes at a glance: the board adopted four rezoning ordinances offered by the Natural Resources Standing Committee that reclassify parcels from forestry to residential use; approved Resolution 2546 adopting a standardized public-comment form; approved two grant-related resolutions to apply for and accept Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs NG9-1-1 grants (one PSAP grant up to $750,000 with a required minimum 10% local match, and one NG9-1-1 GIS grant with the maximum allowable award and a 10% local match); adopted a countywide vehicle-use/leasing policy (excludes the sheriff’s department, which keeps its own policy); and accepted a bid from Precision to replace two courthouse boilers, with funds to come from account 7592. The board also confirmed appointments to county advisory bodies: Monica Deaver, Kevin Nolan and David Rasmussen to the Nutrition Advisory Council, and Anne Pax to the ADRC.

Motion and vote details (as read at the meeting): - Rezoning ordinances: four separate ordinances offered by the Natural Resources Standing Committee were moved and seconded as read and each was adopted by voice vote. Movers/seconds recorded in the meeting record include: Ordinance (parcel ~49.7 acres) motion by McKee, second by Manning; Ordinance (7.99-acre parcel) motion by Gill, second by Cooey; Ordinance (10.2-acre parcel) motion by Cooley, second by Fleming; Ordinance (13.943-acre parcel) motion by Manning, second by Hendricks. Vote tallies were recorded by voice as “aye” with no roll-call counts provided in the transcript. - Appointments (to advisory bodies): motion by McKinney, second by Cooey; adopted by voice vote. - Resolution 2546 (public-comment form): motion by Manning, second by Cooney; adopted by voice vote. - PSAP NG9-1-1 grant resolution (Resolution 25-47 as read at the meeting): motion by Cooley, second by McKee; adopted by voice vote. The resolution authorizes MIS to apply for and accept a PSAP grant from the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs to fund equipment upgrades and training for next-generation 9-1-1; the resolution as presented sets a grant maximum of $750,000 and requires a minimum 10% local match. - NG9-1-1 GIS grant resolution (Resolution 25-48 as read at the meeting): motion by Manning, second by Severson; adopted by voice vote. The resolution authorizes MIS and Land Information to apply for and accept an NG9-1-1 GIS grant from the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs; the resolution specifies a minimum 10% local match and states the award amount will be the maximum allowable under the grant program (exact maximum not specified in the meeting transcript). - County vehicle-use/leasing policy (Resolution 25-50 as read at the meeting): motion by Severson, second by Cooley; adopted by voice vote. The policy covers county departments’ vehicle use except for the sheriff’s department, which retains a separate policy. - Courthouse boiler replacement (Resolution accepting bid, read as Resolution 25-49 in the meeting): motion by Gill, second by Kramer; adopted by voice vote. The board accepted a bid from Precision to replace two courthouse boilers; the meeting record identifies the bid amount as $97,171 and states funds will come from account 7592.

What the actions mean: the rezones move specific parcels from forestry classifications to residential districts as described in the ordinances presented in the packet; the grant resolutions allow county departments to seek state funds for next-generation 9-1-1 upgrades and establish the county’s commitment to the minimum local match required by the grants; the vehicle policy creates a countywide standard (with a sheriff-department exception); and the boiler bid acceptance authorizes replacement work and commits CIP funds from account 7592.

The meeting record shows these items passed by voice vote with limited debate in each case. Several items were noted as having been recommended by standing committees (Natural Resources; Executive & Finance; Public Works; Public Safety).