Chippewa County Board approves DNR grant authority, backs court funding push, sells firearms-range parcel and adopts multiple road ordinances

The Chippewa County Board of Supervisors approved a package of resolutions and ordinances at its recent meeting, including: a standing authorization for the county administrator to apply for and administer Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants; a resolution urging Governor Tony Evers and the state to increase county circuit court funding; acceptance of a high bid to sell the county public firearms range; and three code changes addressing ATV/UTV routes, no-parking zones and speed limits.

The board adopted Resolution 11-25 to authorize the county administrator or a designee to complete administrative requirements and accept financial assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for listed grant programs. County Forest Administrator Matt Hanson told the board he administers most of those grants in practice even though the county administrator is listed as the authorized signer: “I administer most of these grants even though the the county administrator's name is on the grant…a lot of that usually falls to me,” Hanson said during discussion.

Resolution 12-25, urging Governor Evers and the state to support increases to the circuit court cost appropriation, also passed. The resolution expresses the board’s support for the Wisconsin Clerks of Circuit Court Association and the Wisconsin Counties Association in a request to increase state appropriations by $70,000,000 in the 2025–27 biennial budget; county staff and the clerk of court described rising local costs for interpreters, court‑appointed attorneys and other court expenses.

The board approved Resolution 13-25 to accept the county’s highest qualifying bid and award sale of the former Chippewa County public firearms range property to Carrie Michaels for $197,700, subject to the terms of the offer to purchase. Facilities and Parks materials presented to the board noted an appraisal valuing the property at $162,000 and that three qualifying bids were received; the resolution includes a fallback to award the property to the next-highest bidder (Jacob Johnson at $172,657) if the highest bidder fails to close.

On ordinances, the board adopted Ordinance 2-25 to add two new ATV/UTV routes (County F and County M, Town of Sampson). Ordinance 3-25 extends and clarifies existing no‑parking zones on County Trunk Highway C in the Town of Cleveland and County Trunk Highway 00 in the Village of Lake Hallie. Ordinance 4-25 updates several speed-zone descriptions to match current sign locations and reduces the speed limit on County Trunk Highway 00 in the Town of Lake Hallie to 40 mph following an engineering speed study and traffic-safety committee recommendation.

The board also approved administrator appointments to the Housing Authority Commission and approved the consent agenda and monthly claims as presented.

Votes at a glance (items passed): - Resolution 11-25 (DNR grant authority) — motion moved by Omar; second listed as Berger; outcome: approved. - Resolution 12-25 (support increase to circuit court funding) — motion moved by Floyd; seconded by Matt; outcome: approved. - Resolution 13-25 (sale of public firearms range property to Carrie Michaels, $197,700) — outcome: approved. - Ordinance 2-25 (ATV/UTV route additions: County F and County M, Town of Sampson) — outcome: approved. - Ordinance 3-25 (no parking zone amendments: C in Town of Cleveland; 00 in Village of Lake Hallie) — outcome: approved. - Ordinance 4-25 (speed zone updates and reduction to 40 mph on County Trunk Highway 00, Town of Lake Hallie) — outcome: approved. - County administrator appointments to the Housing Authority Commission — outcome: approved.

Board members and staff gave only routine discussion on most items; a few items included brief staff explanations (for example, Hanson on DNR grants and a Facilities and Parks presenter on the property sale). No recorded roll-call tallies or individual roll-call votes were reported in the transcript; the clerk called each vote and announced motions as approved.