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County outlines strategic‑planning timeline as presenters flag statewide demographic and workforce shifts
Summary
UW Extension consultants previewed a crux‑based strategic planning process for Eau Claire County and briefed supervisors on demographic trends showing slowing population growth, an aging workforce and persistent job openings.
Eau Claire County leaders heard a two‑part briefing Jan. 21 that set a strategic planning timeline and summarized demographic trends county officials will need to address in coming years.
Garrett Zastepal, community and leadership development educator with UW Extension, outlined a three‑phase, problem‑focused process the county will use to craft strategy. "This becomes more of a problem‑solving exercise rather than a laundry list," Zastepal said, describing a diagnosis phase in February, policy guidance in March and departmental action‑planning to return for finalization in May.
County staff and committee members agreed to use the framework during meetings in February through May; department heads will draft implementation plans once the board sets guiding priorities.
A separate presentation by Carl Green of UW Extension's Local Government Education Program reviewed statewide population and workforce trends that will shape local planning. Green highlighted a long‑term slowdown in population growth across Wisconsin, with births declining and deaths rising as the population ages. He said the state's prime working‑age cohort (ages 25–54) has fallen since 2010 and noted the region's relative strength: Eau Claire has seen modest working‑age population increases compared with many rural counties, a trend Green attributed to regional economic links and the presence of university campuses.
Green said labor demand remains exceptionally high statewide, with job openings often outnumbering unemployed job seekers. "It’s not unemployment that is the problem — there are jobs — it’s matching workers to jobs," he told supervisors. Green recommended county strategies that consider housing, childcare, and workforce supports as part of long‑term planning.
Board members asked that the strategic‑planning process emphasize realistic constraints — including budget and staffing — and requested that the county provide data briefings to committees as the process unfolds.
