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Sheboygan County sheriff's office urges replacement of aging marine motor to maintain search-and-rescue capability
Summary
The Sheboygan County sheriff's office asked the subcommittee to fund a replacement outboard motor after the current 2016 Evinrude recorded about 6,600 hours and is past typical commercial life; the office emphasized response times during peak summer tourism.
Rep. Cavett introduced Sheboygan County's request for a replacement outboard motor for a marine patrol vessel and said Sheriff Todd Ross and Sergeant Earl (via Zoom) could elaborate. Sergeant Earl described the existing motor as a 2016 Evinrude E-Tech with about 6,600 hours, well beyond the 3,000'4,000-hour commercial life expectancy he cited, and said the county wants a newer Mercury motor to improve reliability and serviceability at local marinas.
"If the motor was to break down one day, we're just concerned that we'd be responding to an emergency and unable to assist," Sergeant Earl said, describing search-and-rescue duties, drownings and summer population influx that increase demand for marine patrols. Committee members asked about plan B and staffing. The sergeant said the county might appropriate funds or rely on county support if the appropriation is not awarded and added that marinas in the area service Mercury engines.
Committee members also asked about fleet size and coverage. The speaker said the sheriff's office operates five boats and two personal watercraft across dozens of inland lakes and the Great Lakes shoreline; one additional boat to cover Black Lake was described as a future need. No formal vote was taken on the equipment request during the hearing.
