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Board sets aside $250,000 for veterans honor park and advances letter of intent to buy Highway 63 site
Summary
The board approved transferring $250,000 from the Resource Development Fund to create a veterans honor park budget and voted to bring forward a letter of intent to purchase the former Dairy Queen site on Highway 63 for possible park development; the resolution set funds aside but did not fix a location.
The Sawyer County Board approved a resolution to transfer $250,000 from the Resource Development Fund to seed a Veterans Honor Park, and later considered a separate letter of intent (LOI) to purchase the former Dairy Queen property at 15785 US Highway 63 as a potential site.
Finance committee members presented the transfer as a funding allocation for park development and directed the administration committee to identify a final location and oversee planning. Board members repeatedly emphasized the two‑step nature of the process: the current vote only moves money into a project budget; site acquisition or development decisions will follow committee work and any required further board actions.
During discussion, supervisors asked about remaining balances in the Resource Development Fund and whether pulling funds for the park would affect dam‑repair plans previously proposed. County staff said the fund had an unassigned balance that would be reduced by the planned Fish Trap Dam transfer and by this allocation but that grants could later reimburse eligible park work.
The board then considered a late‑packet resolution to enter a letter of intent to acquire the Highway 63 property. Supervisors debated parking, visibility and the size of the lot for a memorial-style park; proponents said visibility on Highway 63 made the parcel appealing for a veterans memorial, while others raised concerns about due diligence and negotiation strategy.
The motion to bring the LOI to the floor and to proceed with the resolution carried by recorded votes as read in the transcript. The LOI does not commit the county to a definitive purchase — it initiates negotiations and a definitive agreement would return to the board for approval.
What’s next: The administration committee will examine site options and any definitive purchase agreement would be presented to the County Board for approval. The $250,000 allocation is intended to fund planning and initial work but does not obligate the county to a specific site.
