Ashland County committee moves to proceed with Madeline Island shoreline work pending federal funds review

Ashland County Highway Committee members voted to move forward with preparations to bid a riprap shoreline protection project on Madeline Island while seeking legal safeguards in case federal funding is withdrawn.

The committee was told the project has a $900,000 FEMA grant, that engineering is under way with SEH as the designer, and that the county has budgeted a county contribution and construction engineering costs. Committee members instructed staff to ask the county attorney to include a clause in bidding/contract documents that would allow the county to withdraw if federal funds are rescinded.

Why it matters: the riprap work is meant to protect shoreline areas damaged by waves and storms. With FEMA funding uncertain at the federal level, committee members said they want to avoid committing the county to multimillion-dollar construction costs without a clear funding guarantee.

Details and committee discussion - Funding: Committee members said a $900,000 FEMA grant is in place; county engineering and matching funds have been budgeted. The highway department reported it has committed design and some construction engineering resources and that roughly $75,000 in engineering costs would be incurred whether the project proceeds this year or later. - Permits and schedule: The project design is with SEH and the permit application was with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at the time of the meeting. Staff said they hoped to put the project to bid in May if DNR permitting is finalized. - Federal uncertainty: Staff reported ongoing communication with Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) but no definitive guarantee that the FEMA dollars will remain available. That uncertainty prompted the committee to seek a contractual option to withdraw if the federal funds are rescinded. - Legal review: Committee members asked staff to have the county attorney review recommended contract language to reduce the risk of a contractor claim if bids are issued and federal funding is later pulled. - Additional funding efforts: Staff noted an appropriations request was submitted to Senator Baldwin’s office for a larger, related shoreline project; staff said further appropriations decisions are not yet known.

What the committee decided Committee member Marty moved, and Tom Reimer seconded, that staff proceed to apply and move the project forward provided the county attorney confirms the county can include a withdrawal clause if federal funding is rescinded. The motion passed.

Implementation notes Staff said that even if the county does not proceed with construction this year, the engineering work will remain available for future funding cycles. The committee asked staff to continue monitoring WEM and to return to finance or the committee if the legal review requires further action by the county board.

Ending Staff will seek the attorney’s written recommendation about contract language and report back to the committee; DNR permitting remains a precondition to bidding.