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Committee approves salary funding, several human‑services positions, disallows two claims and removes official newspaper designation
Summary
The committee approved levy funding for wage adjustments, created several Medicaid‑funded human‑services positions, adopted two claim‑disallowance resolutions and voted to remove the county's official newspaper designation in order to rely on courthouse posting and the county website.
The Chippewa County executive committee approved a package of budget and staffing measures and took several procedural actions during its meeting.
Salary and levy funding: The committee approved Resolution 32‑24 to include $225,000 of levy funding in the 2025 proposed county budget to support across‑the‑board wage adjustments effective July 1, 2025. Staff explained the authorization allows a 0–3% across‑the‑board adjustment and a 1% increase to the salary schedule (the grid) so that newly hired or entry‑level employees see an adjusted minimum. The resolution passed.
Human‑services staffing: The committee approved several resolutions to create positions in the Department of Human Services, including a full‑time supervisor in the Children’s Long Term Support (CLTS) program, a supervisor in Children’s Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), and a clinician in Recovery & Wellness to provide clinical supervision for children’s CCS. Presenters said the roles are expected to be funded primarily by Medicaid revenue generated by the positions and by CCS reconciliation processes; a contingency in each resolution allows the county administrator to eliminate the position if state or federal funding is reduced significantly. Staff described high caseloads (roughly 35 children per worker in CLTS in some cases) and the programmatic benefits of avoiding institutional placements.
Claims and legal procedure: The committee adopted resolutions to disallow claims filed by Rolling Hills Equine, Inc. and Carlson Consultants. Legal staff explained the disallowance shortens the filing window to six months under statute and does not resolve the underlying dispute; it is a procedural step recommended by counsel and the county’s insurance carrier. Two supervisors announced they would abstain from the vote on Carlson Consultants because of potential conflicts of interest; the resolution was adopted.
Ordinance on official newspaper: Committee members approved an ordinance to amend chapter 2, section 3 to remove the designation of an official newspaper (Chippewa Herald). Staff said repeated failures to publish required notices prompted the change and that the county will use courthouse posting and electronic posting on the county website as minimum notice methods unless the law requires otherwise. The committee waived the second reading by the required two‑thirds vote and approved the ordinance.
Next steps: Human Services staff will move forward with hiring as funding allows and payroll/finance will implement the salary adjustments through the 2025 budget process. Legal staff will serve notice of disallowance to claimants as required.
