Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration Budget Records topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County department heads discuss budgets, records policy draft, shredder purchase and conservation per-capita check confusion
Summary
Department heads reviewed the draft budget letter, discussed a proposed open-records request form and fees, considered buying an in-house shredder to replace off-site service, and reported confusion over a conservation per-capita check that may have been mailed in error.
Winnebago County department heads used part of the board meeting to review administrative matters including the budget letter, a draft open-records request policy, a proposed purchase of an office shredder, and questions about a conservation per-capita payment from the state.
The clerk’s office presented a draft budget letter and said budgets would be placed in supervisors’ boxes; staff reminded the board to account for House File 718 restrictions when preparing budgets. A department head noted recent changes in health insurance and that the office is planning conservatively for budget projections.
Records and public‑records handling: County staff said they have drafted an open records/records request policy and a companion fee schedule (copy cost 50¢ was mentioned). The draft is being refined and will be circulated to departments for local customization before countywide adoption.
Shredder purchase: Staff reported the commercial shredder box service price rose from $45 to $63 and recommended purchasing a cross‑cut shredder for office use instead of continuing the off‑site service. The presenters said a quality shredder (estimated $300–$500) would likely pay for itself in about a year and reduce handling delays and security risks from paper stacking. Staff noted city recycling pickups would handle the shredded paper and that maintenance is expected to be manageable.
Conservation per-capita check: A department head raised an apparent mailing error from the state conservation office: Winnebago County received a stack of letters and one letter stated the county did not qualify for the per-capita payment. Staff said the packet included checks intended for multiple counties and that a clerical error may have caused confusion. The county will follow up with the state contact (Kathleen with the BNR) to resolve whether the county is owed a per-capita payment and whether any retroactive payment will be issued.
Other administrative items discussed included safety reminders (snow‑removal equipment checks, EAP availability) and personnel updates noted in the engineer’s report.
Provenance: The items above were discussed during the department head portion of the meeting; minutes show the records policy, shredder discussion, and conservation check issues were raised by department staff and placed on the board’s information track.
