Membership increase proposed on Law Enforcement Committee

Increased interest by supervisors to serve on the Barron County's Law Enforcement Committee prompted the Executive Committee, at its Wednesday morning meeting, to propose increasing membership from five to seven.

Corporation counsel John Muench informed them it would take two readings and a two-thirds vote by the County Board for a seven-member committee to become official.

Following April's reorganizational meeting, committee assignments are being considered by County Administrator Jeff French and County Board Chairman Louie Okey, who will determine who is placed on the committees. Then appointments are up for approval at the County Board's May 20 meeting.

Supervisors who have just completed a two-year term on the Law Enforcement Committee are Robert Anderson, Roberta Mosentine, Peter Olson and Craig Turcott, and outgoing Supervisor Stan Buchanan.

"There's a lot of interest in Law Enforcement," Okey told the Executive Committee. He said an increase from five to seven members would also increase the quorum from three to four.

After the meeting, Okey said, "Jeff and I will be recommending three new members to the Law Enforcement Committee. They are Pete Schneider, Stacey Wenzel and Charles Bergeron. Fourteen people requested to be on that committee. I do not know why the interest is piqued this year."

Job reclassifications

Longtime parks/maintenance coordinator Ken Beranek is retiring at the end of May, which has prompted maintenance director Steve Olson to request a position upgrade and reclassification.

Olson has proposed the parks/maintenance coordinator position become a building maintenance technician. Currently the county's maintenance department has the director, two building maintenance techs and one coordinator.

French said Olson is looking for someone with certification so he can use all three of them interchangeably. Committee members approved the request.

Speaking of Beranek, Cook remarked, "That guy's a jack of all trades. Good luck filling his shoes."

Health and Human Services Director Stacey Frolik also requested two upgrades and one downgrade in her department due to a reshuffling of responsibilities caused by a retirement. She asked that two administrative assistant I positions be upgraded to an administrative assistant II position while a position with the Women, Infants, Children decrease in grade by one level. The committee approved the request.