County administrator reports storm impacts; resident raises complaint about Register of Deeds office

The county administrator told the council the jurisdiction experienced a wind and rain event that prompted activation of the Emergency Operations Center to Level 2 (Opcom 2). Staff reported about 3 inches of rainfall in parts of the county, 55 mph gusts with sustained winds of 25—235 mph in some areas, nearly 4,000 customers without power at peak, and three to four homes damaged by fallen trees. The administrator said some areas in neighboring counties remained without power and the county is monitoring Hurricane Milton for possible impacts later in the week.

Council Member Washington publicly commended Black River (utility) for quickly restoring power to many customers.

During the public comment period, Peggy Brooks Parks identified herself, thanked an assistant manager for timely help but raised three specific complaints about the Register of Deeds office: a staff member's conduct and appearance during a visit, difficulty getting accurate information about registration fees, and repeated attempts to contact staff that ended without a timely callback from "Mr. Shaw." Brooks Parks said she has property in another state and may register there if service is not improved, and asked the council to take action to improve customer service and phone responsiveness. The chair closed public comment after her remarks.

Why this matters: the storm update signals ongoing emergency-management attention and resource demands; the public comment highlights constituent concerns about access to county services and responsiveness.

Next steps: emergency operations and utility restoration efforts will continue as needed; the transcript does not record a council response to the public comment or a commitment for follow-up from the Register of Deeds office.