Ashland County committee endorses interview team's pick for agricultural technician as funding and conflict issues discussed

The Ashland County Land Conservation Committee signaled support for offering its agricultural technician position to the interview committee's top candidate and spent much of the meeting outlining how that and other staff roles are funded.

Mary Jo, the county conservationist, told the committee the office received six applicants and interviewed two. "Tim Micah was our first choice unanimously. I would like to offer him the position," she said, noting one finalist had 40 years of farming experience and local relationships while the other was a recent college graduate with internship experience.

Committee members discussed both staffing and possible conflicts. George Boussay suggested a motion that would not name an individual but instead "express confidence in the administration and the interview committee" to make the hire so the committee could avoid direct votes on a candidate with family ties to current staff. Dan (county administration) said the committee does not make the formal hiring decision and that "Mary Jo and I would make" that administrative decision; he also reminded the committee of handbook policies on family relationships.

Pat Kinney, who participated in interviews, said he "fully concur[s] with what Mary Jo said" and supported hiring the top candidate while noting the second candidate would be a strong alternative if the first declined. Charlie Ortman and Jerry Richardson also expressed support for hiring the experienced candidate, citing his past county work and local relationships.

Committee members also reviewed how the agriculture technician position and other staff roles are funded. Mary Jo said the agriculture technician is currently funded through a National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) grant that provides "100% reimbursement" and is an annual, competitive grant the county has received for four consecutive years. She said other staff funding mixes include the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for the county conservationist position, Wisconsin DNR grants and county levy dollars for a land-and-water specialist, and a Great Lakes Restoration grant for a watershed project coordinator. Mary Jo said she is pursuing a multi-year NRCS cooperative agreement as a more stable, noncompetitive option but noted NRCS money also stems from federal sources that could change.

Committee members asked about operational details if the top candidate is hired: training needs for a recent graduate, the role's responsibilities (including administration of the wildlife damage program and invoicing), and the timeline for setting up a new hire's equipment. Mary Jo said the ag technician position will be on an annual NACD grant and the county may use salary savings from the current vacancy to extend funding in the short term.

No formal roll-call vote to appoint an individual was recorded in the meeting transcript. Instead, the record shows committee members accepting the interview committee's recommendation and deferring the formal hiring step to county administration under existing personnel policies.

The committee also briefly discussed recognizing the previous ag tech, Matt Bolin, with a letter of appreciation or recommendation; members expressed caution about setting a precedent for formal resolutions but agreed a departing-employee letter from the county conservationist would be appropriate.

What happens next: county administration will proceed with the hiring process consistent with personnel rules and the interview committee's recommendation; public records and future minutes will show the formal appointment when it occurs.