Marquette County to run rural environmental health program; board approves licensing ordinance, budget and staffing plan

Board Chair Judi Nigbor convened the Marquette County Board of Health on March 4, 2025. Health Officer Jayme Sopha told the board Marquette County will serve as fiscal agent for the newly organized Rural Environmental Health Alliance (REHA) after the county withdrew from the Tri-County Consortium in December 2024 and Green Lake County voted in January to join REHA.

Sopha presented a February activity report noting 3 rabies-program contacts, 3 quarantine orders (two released), a staff exposure incident at a primate center during treatment, zero well-water tests and lead contacts, and five housing-related contacts involving lack of water, heating issues, mold and garbage. She also summarized inspections and trainings in February: 14 Marquette County inspections, two re-inspections, one pre-inspection, one Waushara County pre-inspection, one Green Lake County inspection and six trainings.

The board approved three items tied to the county’s assumption of REHA responsibilities. The board adopted a revised Food Safety & Recreational Licensing Ordinance that, according to Sopha, incorporates edits from corporation counsel and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to remove redundant language, update definitions and reflect the new consortium/fiscal-agency arrangement. The motion to adopt the ordinance was made by Mike Raddatz and seconded by Gary Sorenson; the motion carried. The transcript does not specify a vote tally.

The board also approved the proposed REHA budget and fee schedule, which Sopha said includes revenue, expenses and a salary breakdown as well as startup costs for the TNC program; she noted potential startup funding support from Green Lake County and Land & Water. A motion by Raddatz, seconded by Sorenson, carried; the transcript does not record the vote tally.

Finally, members approved the REHA manager job description and the staffing model. Sopha outlined a hiring timeline: hire a manager to start by June 1, hire a first inspector by July 1, and postpone hiring the second inspector for several months pending program start-up. Sopha emphasized these are not new positions but roles previously housed in a partner agency that will transfer when program funding moves to Marquette County. The motion to approve the job description and staffing model was made by Raddatz, seconded by Sorenson, and carried; the vote count is not specified in the transcript.

No budget report was provided by administration; a voucher of February expenses was distributed for board review. The meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.; the next meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2025.