* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:26] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IT'S SIX O'CLOCK. I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ORDER. UM, WE ARE ALL PRESENT HERE WITH PAM CONRAD ON ZOOM. UM, THIS MEETING WAS POSTED BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE APPROPRIATELY, UH, WILL RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER. UM, SCOTT SCHMIDT, WHO YOU ALL KNOW, LOST HIS MOTHER THIS WEEKEND OR LAST WEEK, AND LONGTIME SUPERVISOR DAN STUFFLE LOST HIS WIFE ALSO. SO LET'S HAVE A MOMENT FOR THEIR FAMILIES. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. FOR ALL THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING, WERE IN YOUR PACKET. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS? THERE BEING NONE? WE'LL LEAVE THEM AS RECORDED. UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THERE'S A SURVEY ON YOUR DESK. WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER BOARD RETREAT IN JANUARY, AND THIS IS A VEHICLE FOR YOU TO MAKE, THINK ABOUT IT AND MAKE COMMENTS FOR THINGS YOU THINK MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS. SO PLEASE FILL THEM OUT OR TARA WILL BE MAD AT YOU. UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE FAIR PARK ANNUAL REPORT. OH, I GOT YOU. HELLO, GOOD EVENING. UM, I'M GOING TO JUST START THIS ITEM. STACEY HOLLAND, WHO IS THE CEO OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR PARK, IS WITHIN MINUTES FROM, FROM GETTING HERE. SO, UM, I WANTED TO, I GUESS, UH, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TONIGHT IS IT'S BEEN ABOUT ONE YEAR SINCE, UH, SHE WAS ACTUALLY HIRED OUT AT FAIR PARK, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT. UM, AND SO WANTED TO GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO COME BEFORE YOU AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN A IS UM, SO I'M GONNA KIND OF SKIP PAST THAT AND GIVE A VERY BRIEF LOOK AT THAT. SHE QUEUED UP, YOU'RE UP HERE, STACY. UM, BUT WANTED TO JUST VERY QUICKLY MENTION THAT A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE GOING TO THE LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE RELATED TO THIS IS, IS THEY WILL BE HAVING THIS MONTH, HOPEFULLY A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, NAMING RIGHTS AND SPONSORSHIPS OUT THERE. UM, JUST RELATED TO KIND OF THE POLICIES AND SOME OF THE FACILITIES AND BUILDING NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE. UM, AND THAT GOES IN LINE WITH MOST OF, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING ON A FAIR PARK, UM, AUDIO VISUAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE PROJECT OUT THERE, WHICH IS, UH, SET TO GO TO BID THIS SPRING. UM, AND I KNOW THERE WAS AN, A PRESENTATION SENT OUT TO THE GROUP FOR YOU TO KIND OF TUNE INTO SOME OF THAT. UM, BUT A LOT OF THAT PROJECT, UM, IS TARGETED TO BE, UM, FOR CONSTRUCTION AFTER THIS YEAR'S FAIR. UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S A HUGE INVESTMENT IN THE FACILITIES OUT THERE. SO THAT IS HAPPENING ALONG WITH, UM, SOME OF THE, THE WORK ON THAT. AND THEN WE ALSO DID YESTERDAY, WE ALSO HAVE IN OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW, A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SILVER LINING AMPHITHEATER, UM, WHICH WE HAD A REALLY GOOD MEETING ON THAT YESTERDAY. UM, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS IS SORT OF CULMINATING AND COLLIDING TOGETHER. SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING OUT AT THE FAIR PARK. UM, AND I THINK A IS HAS BEEN, UM, A REALLY STRONG PARTNER THIS PAST YEAR AND IS, AS YOU KIND OF LISTEN AND YOU HEAR THIS, YOU'LL START TO SEE HOW THESE THINGS ARE, ARE GONNA KIND OF COLLIDE HERE AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO STACY HOLLAND AND SHE'S GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH, UM, AN A IS ANNUAL UPDATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. I JUST WANNA DO A QUICK LOGISTICS ON THE SLIDE PRESENTATION. I DID QUEUE THIS UP HERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M, YOU'RE GONNA BE RUNNING IT. PERFECT. I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, UM, WE CAN JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. AND I, I BELIEVE THIS WAS ALSO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, [00:05:01] UH, DISTRIBUTING THIS SHORTLY BEFORE THE MEETING. SO TODAY I'M REALLY GONNA COVER THE 2024 COUNTY FAIR TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EVENTS BUSINESS OUT AT A IS AND THEN JUST GIVE YOU A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ON SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR 2025 TO ENHANCE THE COUNTY FAIR. I ADDRESSED THIS BOARD IN, I BELIEVE, Q1 OF 2024, JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER I STARTED. UM, I DID NOT KNOW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW. UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WOULDN'T, UH, STILL HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING YOU AT, AT THE FIRST PART OF 2024, BUT IT HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY INTERESTING EXPERIENCE OUT AT THE FAIR PARK. UM, I WILL GIVE CREDIT TO BOTH THE COUNTY BOARD, THE LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE A IS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR, UM, JUST TAKING SOME STEPS FORWARD AND MAKING SOME CHANGES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. UM, WHAT I UNCOVERED AND UNVEILED WHILE I WAS THERE, UM, THESE PAST 11 MONTHS HAS BEEN VERY EYE-OPENING. UM, I DEFINITELY SEE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BOTH MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS R THE SHIP AS IT RELATES TO THE EVENTS BUSINESS AT THE FAIR. SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. UM, AND WITH THAT WE CAN JUMP INTO THE 2024 COUNTY FAIR HIGHLIGHTS. UM, SO OVERALL THE COUNTY FAIR, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY IT WAS A SUCCESS JUST BECAUSE, UM, NUMBER ONE, WE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE IT ON A VERY ABBREVIATED AND SHORTENED TIMELINE. AGAIN, I STARTED IN JANUARY AND WHEN I CAME INTO THE ORGANIZATION, I'LL, I'LL SAY VERY LITTLE, ALMOST CLOSE TO NOTHING, UH, HAD BEEN DONE RELATIVE TO PLANNING THE COUNTY FAIR. UM, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING THAT HAD TO BE DONE. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO POST, UH, 11.5% INCREASE IN REVENUE AT THE FAIR COMING IN JUST UNDER 1.5 MILLION. UM, HOWEVER, THE ATTENDANCE AT THE FAIR WAS ACTUALLY DOWN JUST ABOUT 4%. WE HAD AMAZING WEATHER, SO THAT WORKED IN OUR FAVOR. UM, BUT WE ALSO HAD A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT NORMALLY ARE NOT DURING THE SAME TIME. THE COUNTY FAIR WAS NAMELY, NAMELY HARLEY FEST. NORMALLY THAT'S THE WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED TO GET SHIFTED DUE TO THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. WE ALSO WERE UP AGAINST THE EEA FLY-IN, WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S ANNUALLY THE SAME TIME AS THE COUNTY FAIR. GERMAN FEST WAS THE SAME WEEKEND AS WAS THE MILWAUKEE AIR AND WATER SHOW. SO WE HAD A LOT THAT WE WERE COMPETING WITH. I THINK THE GOOD WEATHER HELPED US FOR SURE. UH, THE HIGHER REVENUES WAS REALLY A FUNCTION OF HIGHER TICKET PRICES ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY, AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN BEVERAGE REVENUE PRICES AT THE FAIR. SO, UM, AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN PRIOR TO ME STARTING AT THE ORGANIZATION, BUT I THINK THEY WERE MUCH NEEDED AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT ALWAYS INCREASING COSTS RELATIVE TO JUST OPERATING THE FAIR. UM, ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THE FAIR IN TOTAL NETTED A SLIGHT PROFIT. UM, IF WE ALLOCATE SOME OF THE OVERHEAD FROM FAIR PARK JUST TO THE EVENT, NAMELY SOME OF THE SALARIES, UM, WE POSTED A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FAVORABLE RELATIVE TO THE OVERALL FAIR. SO I THINK WE ACHIEVED OUR GOAL OF DELIVERING A GREAT PRODUCT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME HEADWINDS ON THE EVENTS. UM, BUT OVERALL I FEEL VERY, VERY GOOD ABOUT HOW THE FAIR ENDED. UM, AGAIN, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF BLIND LUCK. UM, THE SPONSORSHIP NUMBERS, AS YOU CAN SEE, WERE DOWN FOR 2024. UM, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN WITH THAT. WE, AGAIN, HAD A VERY SHORT TIME TO SEEK CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AND FUNDRAISE. AS I LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UM, FOR US TO FUNDRAISE, AND AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025 IN THIS AREA, I THINK WE'LL, WELL POSITIONED TO DO A LOT BETTER NEXT YEAR. AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE COUNTY FOR US TO HAVE OUTREACH TO, TO THE CORPORATE, CORPORATE INDUSTRY WITHIN THE COUNTY AND GET THE SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO HAVE. I MEAN, IT'S AN AMAZING FARE. WE GET AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AT CLOSE TO 70,000 PEOPLE, AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SELL THAT IN A MUCH BETTER WAY, HAVING THE TIME THAT WE HAVE AND THE VISIBILITY THAT WE HAVE. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT ON THE GOOD NEWS FRONT, AND I SEE THIS TREND CONTINUING. UH, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN EXHIBITORS IN, IN YOUTH AND ADULTS THAT DECIDED TO SHOW AT THE FAIR, WHETHER THAT BE IN ANIMALS AND LIVESTOCK OR WHETHER THAT BE IN, IN FOUR HFFA AND OTHER PROJECTS. SO THAT WAS VERY FAVORABLE OUTCOME. AND AGAIN, I THINK THE RELATIONSHIP THERE IS GROWING AND WE HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVE MOMENTUM WITH FOUR H AND ALSO WITH OTHER SIMILAR PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE SCOUTS OR THE PIONEERS OR FFA, SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH, WITH THAT AS WELL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COUNTY FAIR IN 2024? WE KIND OF DIVE INTO [00:10:01] THE EVENTS PIECE OF THE BUSINESS, WHICH I DO THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE DISCUSSION THERE. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, JEFF. SO MARY, THANK YOU STACEY. UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH STACEY IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AFTER SHE'S HAD A YEAR UNDER HER BELT ON THIS THING, SHE'S BEING VERY CANDID AND VERY, I SHOULD SAY GRACIOUS IN SOME OF HER COMMENTS. THE FACT IS SHE STEPPED INTO A WHOLE BUNCH OF LANDMINES THAT NOBODY KNEW WERE OUT THERE, UH, FROM THE STAFF AND OTHER THINGS THAT SHE SAID. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE WITH THE FAIR. AND I THINK YOU AND YOUR STAFF OUT THERE HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN THIS LAST YEAR, GETTING YOURSELF ON BOARD ORGANIZED, GETTING THE FAIR UP TO A GREAT SUCCESS, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING DOWN TO THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CAROL. I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. I WOULD ALSO EXTEND A LOT OF, UM, THANKS TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF, UH, FFA AND PART OF FOUR H. THE OVERALL FAIR COMMUNITY, AS YOU WOULD CALL IT, UH, WAS EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE IN ONBOARDING ME AND BEING PATIENT WITH SOME OF THE, UH, LEARNING CURVE THAT, UH, CERTAINLY I EXPERIENCED IN THAT AREA. SO GREAT CREDIT TO THAT GROUP SUPERVISOR BOSER. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. SO YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, THIS LAST FAIR EARNED ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN PROFITS. NOW WE SOMETIMES HEAR THESE NUMBERS, BUT WE HEAR 'EM A YEAR OR TWO APART. UM, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO HOW THE FAIR DID IN 20 23, 20 22, UH, KIND OF GOING BACK, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE? YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T HAVE THE VISIBILITY TO THE PRODUCT LINE P AND LS THAT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE HAD. UM, THE ORGANIZATION DID A GENERAL LEDGER CONVERSION, AND SO I HAVE NUMBERS IN TOTAL FOR 2023 AND 2022 AS FAR AS A IS ON THE YEAR, BUT I DO NOT HAVE GREAT VISIBILITY TO A NET CONTRIBUTION PROFIT BETWEEN BOTH THE FAIR PARK AND THE EVENTS BACK THAT FAR. SO I DO APOLOGIZE, I'LL SPEAK TO THE A IS IN TOTAL IF I MIGHT. UM, THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS SHORTLY IN TOTAL, WE ARE LOOKING TO, UH, POST APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN, UM, 80,000 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND OPERATING CASH FLOW, OPERATING LOSS, EXCLUDING DEPRECIATION FOR A IS. UM, IN THE PRIOR YEAR THERE WAS ABOUT 150,000. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF ABOUT AT THE SAME POINT WE WERE. AGAIN, I THINK THE FAIR DID A LITTLE BIT BETTER THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR. THAT'S MY GUT FEEL. UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THE TWO PIECES OF OUR OPERATING PROFIT THE YEAR BEFORE WAS QUITE HONESTLY DISGUISED BY A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF PPI MONEY THAT CAME INTO A IS THAT WAS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS THAT POSTED. I THINK WHEN YOU STRIP THAT BACK AGAIN, I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TRUE NET OPERATING CASHFLOW LOSS, IF YOU WILL. AGAIN, EXCLUDING DEPRECIATION AT A IS. SO I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC BREAKOUTS FOR 23 AND 22 RELATIVE TO THE FAIR. OBVIOUSLY MOVING FORWARD, I'D BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BEING SO CANDID ABOUT THAT TOO. OBVIOUSLY YOU STEP INTO AN ORGANIZATION, YOU INHERIT THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT WAS ACCUMULATED PREVIOUSLY AND IT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU WANT OR WHAT YOU WOULD HOPE TO HAVE HAD THERE. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR ABOUT THAT AND ABOUT THE STATUS OF FAIR PARK. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE MOVING IN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, THEN YOU CAN CONTINUE, RIGHT? UM, SO THE, THE OTHER PIECE OF, OF THE ASSIGNMENT THAT WE HAVE AT A IS IS THEN TO RUN THE FACILITY THE OTHER 11 MONTHS OF THE YEAR, IF YOU WILL. UM, THE EVENTS BUSINESS. UH, THIS WAS, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, UM, A A MUCH, YOU KNOW, CAROL MENTIONED SOME LANDMINES. THIS WAS A MUCH, UM, MORE EYE-OPENING ENDEAVOR THAN I BELIEVE THE A IS BOARD WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. UM, UH, THE BOOK OF BUSINESS FOR 2024 WAS ESSENTIALLY FULL. WE DID TAKE ON SOME ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS DURING THE YEAR, UM, BUT STEPPING INTO THE YEAR, A LOT OF THE EVENTS WERE ALREADY SECURED OR UNDER CONTRACT, IF YOU WILL. UM, THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENS AT THE FAIR PARK. UH, FOR INSTANCE, IN 2024, WE HAD CLOSE TO 190 RESERVED SPACE DAYS FOR FOUR H. SO THAT'S VERY POSITIVE. UH, WE HAD ANOTHER 19 EVENTS THAT I WOULD CALL COMMUNITY OR CHARITY RELATED EVENTS OUT THERE. UH, THINGS LIKE THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY, [00:15:01] UM, WE HAVE THE, UH, WEST BEND AND OTHER MUNICIPAL POLICE TRAINING OUT AT THE FAIR PARK SITE. UM, THERE ARE OTHER EVENTS, UH, THE TASTE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, WHICH IS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, AND AGAIN, ANOTHER DOZEN PLUS OF THOSE KINDS OF EVENTS AT THE FAIR PARK. UH, THOSE EVENTS ARE BELOW COST IN SOME CASES, UH, FOR US TO OPERATE AND AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE MIX OF THOSE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE EVENTS THAT WE ARE DOING IN THAT CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY, UM, FOCUSED RATHER TO OUR, TO OUR MISSION, RIGHT, TO PROVIDE USE OF THE SPACE THAT THE COUNTY HAS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY. UM, BUT THAT MIX OVERALL IS QUITE FRANKLY, IS OUT OF BALANCE BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED BRIEFLY IN MY COMMENTS TO, UM, CHRISTOPHER'S QUESTION, UM, WE'RE RUNNING AT A NET NEGATIVE CASH FLOW FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS EXCLUDING THE PPP MONEY. SO THAT'S AN UNSUSTAINABLE ENDEAVOR. UM, SO WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND WORK WITH SOME OF THESE EVENTS TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM, UH, A BIT MORE BALANCED AND ALSO RATIONALIZE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN LINE WITH BOTH OUR MISSION AND THE RELATIONSHIP AND AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE PIECE OF THE BUSINESS. THE OTHER PIECE OF THE BUSINESS IS, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, THE EXHIBITIONS, SOMETIMES PRIVATE PARTIES, SOME OF THEM BEING WEDDINGS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT WE HAVE OUT AT THE FAIR PARK. UM, THE AVERAGE RENTAL PRICE, LET'S JUST SAY ON AN, ON A AVERAGE DAY OR ON A WEEKEND, IT CAN RANGE FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF $975 FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT FOR A PRIVATE EVENT. WELL BELOW OUR COST TO WHAT I WOULD CALL KIND OF THE BENCHMARK EVENT THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE. AND THE FAIR PARK WOULD AVERAGE BETWEEN RENTAL SPACE AND BEVERAGE JUST UNDER $10,000 FOR A SINGLE DAY ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. SO WE OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE OF THOSE IN THE CATEGORY OF BOOK OF BUSINESS. UM, SO THE MIX THERE THAT THE BUSINESS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN, UM, WAS, YOU KNOW, UNACCEPTABLE IN MY MIND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE FAIR PARK AT A LEVEL THAT'S SUSTAINABLE AND AS WELL ALLOWS ENOUGH ADDITIONAL FUNDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO REINVEST IN ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE TABLES AND OTHER THINGS THAT JUST A NORMAL REPLACEMENT PERIOD WOULD HAVE. SO, UM, TAKING A LOOK AT JUST THE OVERALL, THE CONDITION OF THE BUSINESS, UM, THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT WAS VERY POOR. UH, PRICING HAD NOT BEEN ADJUSTED IN MANY CASES FOR OVER SIX OR SEVEN YEARS. UH, THE OPERATING COST, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE UTILITIES, INSURANCE, PROPERTY INSURANCE, AND GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE AND JUST WAGES. SO KIND OF THE CORE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO RUN THE FACILITY, NO BELLS AND WHISTLES. UM, DEFINITELY NO MONEY IN THERE FOR KIND OF REINVESTMENT OF, OF EQUIPMENT AND REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS. UM, JUST ISN'T IN THE CURRENT BUSINESS MODEL. SO THERE HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OVER THE NEXT YEAR, CHANGES TO OUR PROCESS, CHANGES TO THE BUSINESS THAT WE TARGET AND WHERE WE PRICE THAT BUSINESS. UM, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY COMPETITIVE. UM, WE BENCHMARK AGAINST THE DANE COUNTY COLISEUM, WAUKESHA EXPO, OSHKOSH RENTAL FACILITY, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE STATE FAIR PARK AND IN SOME CASES PERHAPS THE RUSH CENTER. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE ROOM FOR PRICE EXPANSION. WE DO HAVE ROOM TO TAKE ON NEW BUSINESS THAT CAN BRING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM INTO THE COUNTY IF WE REALLY GO OUT THERE AND GET IT. IT HAS NOT BEEN MARKETED, IT HAS NOT BEEN SOLICITED, AND I KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE. SO I'M JUST REALLY TAKING A LOOK AND PIECING THIS APART AND GOING AFTER GOOD PRICED EXHIBITION BUSINESS WHILE KEEPING A MIX OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO AS A COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, A IS AGAIN, AS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CERTAINLY ISN'T HERE TO, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PRICE GOE OR, OR, YOU KNOW, MAKE EXCESS PROFITS, BUT WE DO HAVE TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY ARE IN THE CYCLE. IT'S BEEN A YEAR OF DIFFICULT TURNAROUND. WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE OVER STAFFING. WE'VE HAD TO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH CUSTOMERS. UM, CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US IN SOME CASES, CERTAIN EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY DON'T FIT AT THE FAIR PARK AND THEY'RE NOT A GOOD USE OF THE SPACE IN OUR OBJECTIVE IN TRYING TO BREAK EVEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO WE'LL WORK WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. SOME OF THEM WE'RE GOING THROUGH A MULTI-YEAR PRICE ADJUSTMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY NEED TO FIND A PLACE FOR THEIR EVENT AS WELL. SO WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT EVENTS TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT. UM, BUT IN THE END, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE A FEW DIFFICULT [00:20:01] DECISIONS IN THAT PROCESS. UM, THE OTHER THING I'D, I'D JUST LIKE TO OFFER THERE, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE TO THE FAIR PARK AND THE OPERATIONS, UM, I KNOW IT'S A VERY FORWARD FACING ORGANIZATION AND, AND FOLKS HERE MAY GET FEEDBACK AND THE FAIR PARK HAD OPERATED, UH, QUITE HONESTLY, UH, VERY INFORMALLY A LOT OF TIMES RELATIVE TO CONTRACTS AND, AND AGREEMENTS, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO OPERATE. A LOT OF THINGS WERE, UM, WORD OF MOUTH. UM, WE HAD FIVE EVENTS THAT I CAME ACROSS OVER THE LAST 11 MONTHS WHERE EVENTS WERE DOUBLE SCHEDULED IN THE SAME VENUE. SO THERE WERE JUST REALLY BAD PROCESSES. WE HAD A LOT TO WORK THROUGH TO KINDA GET TO THIS POINT, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN THE PROVERB PROVERBIAL MOUSE THROUGH THE SNAKE, IF YOU WILL. AND I THINK WE'RE COMING OFF ON THE TAIL END OF THAT. WE DO HAVE A FEW YEARS OF CONTRACTS THAT HAVE MULTI-YEAR, UM, AGREEMENTS WITH THEM OR ARRANGEMENTS. SO WE STILL WILL HAVE A LITTLE OF WHAT I CALL THIS UNFAVORABLE BUSINESS TO DEAL WITH IN 2025 AND 2026. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEAR TERM, AGAIN, IT'S REALLY ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL BUILDING, STRONG PROCESSES, HAVING THE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS. AND AT A VERY YEAR POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, MORE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MORE STRATEGIC THINKING OUT AT THE FAIR PARK IN CONJUNCTION WITH NOT ONLY THE NAMING RIGHTS, UM, OTHER CONVERSATIONS OF EVENTS THAT WE CAN HAVE OUT THERE, UM, WHERE WE CAN BE UTILIZING JUST MUCH MORE OF THE SPACE. SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO THERE WILL MARGINALIZE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS AN AMAZING LARGE FACILITY AND WE REALLY COULD BE THINKING BIGGER THERE. UM, AS FAR AS THE OPERATING CHANGES HERE, I THINK I'VE TOUCHED ON A FEW OF THESE THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THE LAST 11 MONTHS WE'VE HAD TO DO A LOT OF THE BLOCKING AND TACKLING. UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY RELATIVE TO THE EVENTS AND THE CONTRACTS AND THE PRICING, BUT JUST QUITE FRANKLY WITHIN A IS WITHIN OUR ORG OWN ORGANIZATION, UH, WE'VE TAKEN SOME ACTIONS TO, UH, PRIORITIZE, UM, OUR BOARD MEMBERSHIP AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE DYNAMICS OF THAT AND TRY TO GET MORE CROSS COUNTY REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD, AS WELL AS SOME THOUGHTFUL, UH, DECISION MAKING AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL, UH, REPRESENTATION ON THE A IS BOARD. I THINK THAT WILL MAKE US STRONGER. WE TOOK A LOOK AT OUR COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE MODIFYING ALL OF THAT, AND THAT WILL BE KICKING OFF IN JANUARY WITH THE NEW YEAR. UH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE PLATFORMS AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE USING THAT WERE JUST ANTIQUATED AND OUTDATED. UH, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE BEING ABLE TO TAKE CREDIT CARDS WHILE INSIDE THE FAIR PARK, UH, THAT HAD NOT BEEN HAPPENING, UM, BY A IS SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, IMMEDIATELY AND WE WILL LOOK TO EXPAND, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF JUST THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO DOING NOWADAYS THAT, UM, HAD NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED THERE. UM, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE MOVING TO MICROSOFT TEAMS ON OUR PHONE SYSTEM. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A 15-YEAR-OLD PHONE SYSTEM, SO WE QUICKLY CHANGED THAT AS WELL. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF LOW HANGING FRUIT AND WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A BUNCH OF THOSE ACTIVITIES AND WE LOOKED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT EARLY IN 2025. UM, AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK AT THE MIX OF THE PROFITABILITY AT THE FAIR PARK AND WE WILL START TO FOCUS ON SOME OF THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES THAT, QUITE HONESTLY, THAT I BELIEVE WHY THE BOARD, UM, ASKED ME TO JOIN THE ORGANIZATION. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ON WITH THOSE. I THINK BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF DO, I COULD HAVE DONE Q AND A AT THE END, BUT IN THIS CASE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN A PRETTY MEATY TOPIC HERE RELATIVE TO THE EVENTS BUSINESS. SO I'LL PAUSE BEFORE WE CAN LOOK FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT THE FUN THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN JULY OF 2025. 'CAUSE I AM EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE SHARED ON THE EVENTS BUSINESS SUPERVISOR KELLY? UM, WELL, KIND OF GOING BACK A LITTLE BIT, UM, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I'M, WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE EVENTS AND THE PROFITABILITY AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S PROPER, AND I, FORGIVE ME IF IT'S NOT, BUT IS A IS ON A SOUND FINANCIAL FOOTING, I MEAN, ARE, ARE WE GONNA GET A SURPRISE THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANT OR CONSIDERING THESE YEARS OF LOSSES? UH, I KNOW THAT THEIR BANK BALANCE HAS NOT BEEN ALL THAT BIG. UH, SO WELL, WELL FIRST I'D SAY AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE COUNTY FOR HAVING THE VISION FOR APPROVING, UM, THE CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT TO HAVE THESE CHANGES MADE. I'M ASSU I'M ASSUMING THE BOARD MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT THE, A IS BOARD, I SHOULD SAY A LITTLE BIT, UM, HESITANT OR RETICENT TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CONDITIONS OUT THERE AT THE FAIR PARK. UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE BOARD DID NOT HAVE THE VISIBILITY TO THE, THE BITS AND PIECES AND THE ELEMENTS AND, AND JUST WHICH [00:25:01] EVENTS WERE WINNERS AND WHICH EVENTS WERE QUITE FRANKLY LOSS LEADERS, UM, TO THE ORGANIZATION. SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER DIRECTION OF MOVING FORWARD. I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE ARE. UM, OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL. UM, AS WE MENTIONED, THE FAIR HAS BEEN COVERING UP THE EVENTS BUSINESS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UM, AND AGAIN, AS LONG AS WE MAKE SOME SMART DECISIONS RELATIVE TO THE JULY 20, 25 FAIR, AS I LOOK AT THE 2025 BUDGET, UM, AND KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A BACK OF THE ENVELOPE NAPKIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL GET TO BREAK EVEN IN 2025, BUT I DO THINK WE CAN GET THERE IN 2026. AND I DO THINK THE FAIR, THE A IS AND THE, THE FAIR PARK, ALONG WITH STRONGER CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, UM, MONIES, WHICH I THINK WE CAN GO AFTER, THEY'RE DEFINITELY THERE. WE'RE GONNA BE OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, 3, 4, 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE, BUT WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT IN THE NEAR TERM. WE'LL GET THERE. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR OLAK. UH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. HI STACY, HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD. HOW ARE YOU, KEN? UH, GREAT. UH, SO, UM, UH, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU WITH REGARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SUBJECTS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP. SO WITH REGARD TO REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ABOUT PICKING UP SOME NEW EVENTS WHERE THERE'S PERHAPS MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE OPPORTUNITY AND AN ABILITY TO DRIVE PROFIT. WHO DO YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO PURSUE THAT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, IN BUSINESS I'VE ALWAYS SAID IT'S TOUGH, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS. I I TEND TO STARVE MY PROBLEMS AND TRY TO FEED MY OPPORTUNITIES. UM, SO WHO WOULD, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD DO THAT? WHO WOULD GO OUT, FOR INSTANCE, FOR CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS, UM, FOR, AND, AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, DURING THE FAIR, BUT I MEAN FOR THE PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITH MAJOR AGRONOMY COMPANIES OR, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES LIKE THAT. WHO DO YOU SEE DOING THAT? OH, THAT IS ME, KEN. OKAY. SO IT IS ALRIGHT, SO ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. UH, YOU KNOW, SO YOU SEE THAT AS A PART OF YOUR ROLE. OKAY, THAT'S GREAT. UH, AND THEN A SECOND OPPORTUNITY THERE WITH REGARD TO, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, AND MAYBE JAMIE CAN SPEAK TO THIS 'CAUSE SHE'S, UH, ON THE A IS BOARD AS WELL, UH, PLANNED GIVING. HAVE WE, DO THEY HAVE A PLANNED GIVING PROGRAM WITH REGARD TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WHEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY PASS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY HAVE A PERCENTAGE SET ASIDE FOR A IS IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING PURSUED OR, YOU KNOW, OR HAS A, IS HAD A, A PROGRAM FOR THAT? THERE'S A SMALLER PROGRAM AND I THINK IT'S REALLY MORE UNDER THE FOUR H BUILD TO BRICK. UM, SO THERE'S MONEY THAT PEOPLE MAY LEAVE IT IN A BEQUEST OR OTHER DONATION. UM, WHEN ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES DIES, THEY WILL MAKE A, A MONETARY DONATION THROUGH THE FOUR H BUILD THE BRICK PROGRAM. THOSE MONIES WE KEEP IN A SEPARATE FUND, AND THEN WE USE THEM AND REINVEST THEM IN THINGS FOUR H RELATIVE TO THE FAIR PARK. SO IF FOUR H, UM, NEEDS NEW EXHIBITS, UM, IF FOUR H IS LOOKING TO EXPAND OR BUILD SOMETHING OUT AT THE FAIR PARK, WE ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY USE THOSE FUNDS AND DESIGNATE THEM FOR FOUR H RELATED INVESTMENTS AT THE FAIR PARK. SO THERE IS A, A SMALL DONATION, WHAT I WILL SAY RELATIVE TO A IS AS A SOCIETY AND ORGANIZATION. AND WHAT I FOUND, AGAIN, I I I'M GONNA BE QUITE CANDID HERE TO THE BOARD, UM, THE MEMBERSHIP IS EXTREMELY LOW. I THINK WHEN A IS STARTED, THERE WAS A LARGE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN. THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE VOLUNTEERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPER INVOLVED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FAIR. I THINK THERE STILL ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FAIR, BUT 25 YEARS LATER, UM, THE VALUE PROPOSITION OF A IS OF BEING ON THE A IS BOARD OF BEING A VOLUNTEER AT THE COUNTY FAIR, IT REALLY HAS NOT BEEN FOCUSED ON. AND SO THERE IS NOT A LOT OF MEMBERSHIP. IT'S KIND OF THE SAME PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD THINK, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE A IS BOARD MEMBERS WHO WE REQUIRE TO JOIN. UM, SO THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE THERE, KEN, RELATIVE TO CREATING A VALUE PROPOSITION AND WHAT A IS HAS TO OFFER, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE FAIR, WHAT IT MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT MEANS TO WASHINGTON COUNTY AND CREATING THAT EXCITEMENT AROUND IT AGAIN. AND ALSO, I THINK AS IT RELATES TO THE OTHER 11 MONTHS OF THE YEAR, WHICH ARE THOSE EVENTS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ARE SUPPORTING PERHAPS SOMEONE'S PASSION SUCH AS THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY, IF WE CAN CREATE THAT CORRELATION AND WE CAN SEE THAT, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS PLACE OR THESE EVENTS, I MEAN, HAVING THIS EVENT CENTER HERE HAS VALUE TO SOMETHING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT, I THINK WE CAN TRY TO GAIN SOME MOMENTUM THERE. BUT QUITE FRANKLY, UM, IT, IT IS A STRUGGLE AT THE MOMENT. RIGHT. SO, SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR H OKAY. NO. OKAY. YEAH. ALRIGHT, THANKS. GOOD QUESTION. YEAH, YEAH. I'M FULL OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SPOKE, I, I WON'T GET TOO FAR OFF TOPIC, BUT, [00:30:01] UM, UM, WE'VE GOT A NEW EVENT THAT'S COMING IN IN 2026, AND, AND THIS IS A PROMOTER WHO, YOU KNOW, MAKES A LIVING DOING EXHIBITIONS AND IS VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, WITH AN EX EXHIBITION IN MICHIGAN AT, UH, KALAMAZOO'S EXHIBITION CENTER AND WAS LOOKING TO START SOMETHING IN WISCONSIN. SO HE CAME OVER HERE, HE LOOKED AROUND AT, UM, THE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES, SOME OF WHICH I REFERENCED EARLIER, AND HE LANDED ON WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR PARK. UM, I MET WITH HIM SEVERAL TIMES. HE PAID A VISIT, YOU KNOW, UM, HE'S ACTUALLY LOOKING TO DO PERHAPS ANOTHER PROMOTIONAL EVENT HERE. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE TRADE SHOWS ON THE EAST COAST AND EVENTS ON THE EAST COAST THAT WE CAN GO AFTER. UM, QUITE HONESTLY, WE HAVE AN AMAZING FACILITY THAT IS UNKNOWN AND UNDER MARKETED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EXHIBITIONS ONE FOR INSTANCE, THAT USED TO BE AT THE STATE FAIR PARK AND IT GOT TOO PRICEY WITH THE SPACE RENTAL, THE COST TO THE ATTENDEES FOR PARKING, UM, WHAT THEY HAD TO PAY FOR JUST SUPPORT SERVICES FROM THE STATE FAIR. AGAIN, THE STATE FAIR IS A GREAT VENUE FOR CERTAIN EVENTS, BUT THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, ACTUALLY, THERE'S TWO OF THEM THAT MOVED FROM STATE FAIR AT ONE POINT IN THE PAST AND HAVE COME UP TO WASHINGTON COUNTY. SO I THINK THERE'S MARKET SHARE TO BE HAD, AND I ALSO THINK THERE'S MARKET TO BE GROWN, UM, BY LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE OTHER SHOWS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT REGIONS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND IN THE MIDWEST REGION. SO I THINK WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY. IT JUST HAS NOT REALLY BEEN EXPLORED IN THE PAST. GOTCHA. YOU'RE IT, HUH? THAT'S IT. WELL, THANK YOU. I THINK I SPEAK FOR MOST OF THE BOARD WHEN I SAY I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND YOUR APPROACH. SO, WELL, THANK YOU, LUCK. I'M EXCITED LUCK TO HAVE THE CHALLENGE IN FRONT OF ME. THANK YOU. AWESOME. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON EVENTS, I'M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE 2025 WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR, WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT THE 2025 WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR. I CAN'T THINK ABOUT NOTHING BETTER THAN SUMMER ON TODAY'S WEATHER. BLISTERY, UM, UH, SQUA SQUALL OF SNOW DAY. UM, SO FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR, 2025, THE 167TH FAIR, OUR THEME WILL BE WHERE FUN TAKES CENTER STAGE. I WILL NOT GIVE OUT WHO OUR HEADLINERS ARE GOING TO BE. SO THAT IS GOING TO REMAIN A SACRED UNTIL WE MAKE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. I KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS EXCITING. UM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT CONTINUING TO ADD OFFERINGS TO THE FAIR. UM, A SMALL GROUP OF A IS BOARD MEMBERS GOT TOGETHER. TRUST ME, THE IDEAS ARE IMMENSE, BUT WE PRIORITIZE THOSE IDEAS, SOME OF WHICH I'VE SHARED ON THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU ALL HERE. BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MAKE BOTH THE FAIR EXPERIENCE BETTER FOR ATTENDEES? HOW DO WE IMPROVE PARKING? HOW DO WE IMPROVE EMISSIONS? HOW DO WE IMPROVE SECURITY? YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THERE, HOW WE'VE GOTTEN PEOPLE THROUGH THE GATES. UM, YOU KNOW, I LEARNED A LOT LAST YEAR WE HAD TWO NEW PARKING LOTS, SO WE TRIED A FEW NEW THINGS WITH THOSE. WE HAD A JUST ADJUST TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE HAD NEW LOTS, AND WE LEARNED A LOT DURING THAT EXPERIENCE. SO WE'RE GONNA FOCUS BOTH, UM, ON THE, JUST THE OPERATIONS OF THE FAIR AND HOW WE DELIVER THAT EXPERIENCE TO THE ATTENDEES, BUT ALSO THE OFFERING AT THE FAIR, AGAIN, WITH THE FOCUS ON INCREASING INVOLVEMENT IN EXHIBITIONS AND FOUR H. UM, OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT THE ENTERTAINMENT, WHETHER IT BE MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT OR OTHER FREE ENTERTAINMENT THAT WE HAVE AT THE FAIR, AND PUSHING THE ENVELOPE A LITTLE BIT AND SHUFFLING THINGS A LITTLE AND ADDING A FEW THINGS. UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND AGAIN, I'VE SHARED SOME OF THOSE, UM, LIKELY AND POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES AS WE GO OUT TO DO BID ON THOSE. UM, LOOK AT THE COSTS ON THOSE. WE, WE HOPE TO EXECUTE THOSE NEXT YEAR. SO I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S FAIR. WE HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WILL COME AND WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT UP IS ITEM THREE B, WHICH IS A SHORT DISCUSSION BY OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY ON KAYLA'S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AND, AND I HOPE BY NOW YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO, UH, TO MEET, UH, KAYLA OVER THERE IN THE CORNER. UH, SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE'S HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO, I THINK MOST, IF NOT ALL OF YOU. AND THERE'S SOME MEETINGS, UH, SCHEDULED IN THE WEEKS AHEAD WITH SOME OF YOU AS WELL. AND WE WANTED TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT AND TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER POSITION AND HOW IT'S EVOLVING AND HOW SHE'S GONNA BE OF, UH, SOME GREAT SERVICE TO ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM. UM, AND, UH, ABOUT A FEW OF THE CHANGES THAT, UH, THE POSITION ENTAILS, UH, AND SOME [00:35:01] THINGS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW. UH, HER POSITION NOW FALLS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH IS WHY, UH, THE CHAIRMAN HAS ASKED ME TO SPEAK JUST FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES THIS EVENING. AND THAT'S A CHANGE FROM THE OLD SYSTEM. UM, BUT SHE WILL BE, UH, UH, WORKING UNDER, UH, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. BUT, UH, THE CHAIRMAN WILL BE HER DIRECT, UH, SUPERVISOR, SO SHE'LL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CHAIRMAN. BUT, UH, ULTIMATELY I'LL BE, UH, HER DEPARTMENT HEAD. UH, HER OFFICE WILL REMAIN IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SUITE. THAT'S WHERE MY OFFICE USED TO BE. I'M, OF COURSE NOW IN THE OLD PROBATE, UH, UH, OFFICES IN THE, UH, COURTHOUSE SIDE OF THINGS. BUT KAYLA'S OFFICE WILL BE IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER JUST ABOVE US HERE. UH, HER ROLE IS GOING TO INCLUDE, UH, PREPARING AGENDAS AND NOTICES, TAKING MINUTES AT MEETINGS, SO SHE'LL BE DOING THAT FOR YOU. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP ON REQUESTS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR INFORMATION, UM, UH, FACILITATING COMMUNICATION, UH, BETWEEN SUPERVISORS, YOURSELVES AND THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND ALSO, UH, AND I THINK THIS WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO YOU. SHE'S ALSO GONNA BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IN, UH, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND SOLVING HOPEFULLY, UH, ISSUES THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS MIGHT BRING BEFORE YOU. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALONE. IF YOU GET A CALL OR AN EMAIL FROM SOMEBODY, YOU HAVE TO SHOULDER THAT YOURSELF. KAYLA WILL BE A RESOURCE THAT YOU CAN TURN TO. IF A CONSTITUENT HAS A QUESTION AND YOU WANNA TRY TO GATHER SOME INFORMATION OR HELP SOLVE A PROBLEM, SHE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT FOR YOU AS WELL. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. UH, SHE'LL BE A PARLIAMENTARIAN AT MEETINGS THAT MY OFFICE DOESN'T IN, UH, ATTENDS. WE'RE TRAINING HER ON THOSE THINGS. AND, UM, SHE'LL BE ALSO ARRANGING MEETINGS BETWEEN, UH, SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP. SO IF THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT YOU WANNA MEET WITH, UH, SHE CAN SET THAT UP FOR YOU. IF THERE'S A, A MEMBER OF THE CABINET OR A DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU, SHE'LL ALSO FACILITATE THAT. SO SHE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IN THAT REGARD. UH, SHE WILL ALSO BE SPENDING ABOUT 10 HOURS PER WEEK OR LESS, UH, WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE, ASSISTING THEM WITH VARIOUS PROJECTS. WON'T BE ANYTHING THAT COULD PUT HER IN CONFLICT WITH THE COUNTY BOARD. IT'LL BE THINGS WHERE PERHAPS TARA NEEDS SOME HELP GETTING SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED, A PROJECT DONE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT SHE WILL BE HELPING OUT IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE. AND WE ARE ALSO TRAINING HER ON, UH, OPEN MEETINGS LAWS, OPEN RECORDS LAWS, UH, SO THAT IF ANYTHING COMES BEFORE YOU, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU, UH, WANNA TALK TO HER ABOUT, UH, SHE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IN THOSE THINGS AS WELL. UM, AND SO, UH, SHE'LL BE THERE FOR YOU ALSO, IF YOU CAN'T REACH HER, UH, SHE'S ON VACATION OR HAS A DAY OFF OR SOMETHING, YOU CAN CALL MY OFFICE. SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO A BENEFIT BECAUSE UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM, I THINK IF YOU COULDN'T REACH MIKE, EITHER YOU GOT HIS VOICEMAIL OR MAYBE YOU CALLED HIM AT HOME OR SOMETHING ON A DAY OFF, YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO CALL MY OFFICE AND WE CAN STEP IN AND HELP WITH SOME THINGS IF KAYLA'S NOT AROUND OR CALL ME, OR OF COURSE, THE CHAIRMAN AS WELL. UM, AS FAR AS THE CABINET GOES, THE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S CABINET CABINET MEMBERS WILL BE FREE TO CONTACT COMMITTEE CHAIRS DIRECTLY AS NEEDED. I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. UH, BUT CABINET MEMBERS WHO WANNA SPEAK TO SUPERVISORS WILL COORDINATE THAT AGAIN THROUGH KAYLA, SO THAT THERE'S JUST A CENTRAL PLACE YOU CAN GO AND THEY CAN GO TO COORDINATE ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS. SO CALLS AREN'T LEFT UNANSWERED OR EMAILS AREN'T LEFT UNSEEN, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO SHE'LL HELP YOU, UH, WITH, WITH THAT. UM, IF AT ANY POINT IN TIME YOU MEET WITH A CABINET MEMBER OR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE, UH, SHE WILL BE ADVISED OF THAT. PERHAPS SHE'LL SIT IN IF YOU NEED, BUT SHE CAN ALSO ARRANGE IN GETTING THOSE THINGS PUT TOGETHER. UH, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP HER INVOLVED AND AWARE OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. SO SHE'S A GOOD RESOURCE FOR ALL OF YOU TO HAVE. WE REALLY WANT HER TO BE SOMEBODY THAT MAKES YOUR JOB MORE EFFICIENT AND GIVES YOU A PLACE TO GO FOR INFORMATION. SO YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT COMING TO MEETINGS, FEELING UNPREPARED, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU NEED ACCOMPLISHED, WE CAN TRY TO GET THAT DONE FOR YOU. SO I WANTED TO SORT OF JUST RUN THROUGH THAT WITH EVERYBODY TONIGHT SO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH WHAT HER ROLE IS. IT IS ALWAYS A CHANGING AND EVOLVING ROLE. SO I ASKED HER TODAY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT SHE WOULD, UH, THAT SHE SEES CHANGING OR DEVELOPING, SHE'D LIKE TO MENTION, SHE SAID, NO, SO FAR SO GOOD, KAYLA, IS THAT TRUE? OKAY. UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU HAVE, YOU CAN ALSO CALL ME DIRECTLY AS WELL. SO, AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA GIVE HER A, GIVE YOU GUYS A GOOD RESOURCE SUPERVISOR, KELLY. SO, UM, SHE, UH, MIKE FODY, OUR OTHER WAS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COUNTY CLERK, CLERK'S OFFICE. UH, HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT WHERE SHE'S NOW UNDER YOU? I MEAN, THIS OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T COME THROUGH US, RIGHT? WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE AND THE COUNTY BOARD. UH, WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ESSENTIALLY HOW TO BOTH BE ABLE TO MAKE USE OF THAT POSITION [00:40:01] WITHOUT THERE BEING A, A, A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND ALSO KNOWING THAT IF SHE WORKS STRICTLY FOR THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR, HE'S NOT IN A POSITION, NECESSARILY A SUPERVISOR DAILY, AND ALSO NOT IN A POSITION TO GIVE HER HER GENERAL REVIEW AND THAT KIND OF THING. SO IT MADE SENSE AT THAT POINT TO SAY, WELL, UH, WE CAN TAKE HER UNDER A, A DIVISION OF OUR OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THERE'S SOMEONE IN MY OFFICE WHO CAN TEACH FOR ALL THE THINGS SHE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT COUNTY BOARD OPERATIONS, THAT KIND OF THING. COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE OPERATIONS, WHO CAN OVERSEE HER DAY TO DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS, WE CAN ANSWER THOSE THINGS AND SOLVE THOSE THINGS. AND ALSO MAKE SURE SHE'S ABLE TO, TO OPERATE WITHOUT BEING, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, IN A POSITION WHERE SHE COULD HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST SERVING TWO MASTERS. SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS BEST. UM, AND SO SHE'S UNDER MY DEPARTMENT FOR THAT REASON, AND THAT'S HOW THAT CAME ABOUT. AND ACTUALLY, THE MIKE'S POSITION WAS UNDER THE COUNTY BOARD AS OF THIS BUDGET. SO IT HAD BEEN CHANGING, AND THEN WHEN WE MOVED UPSTAIRS, IT WASN'T VERY EASY FOR HIM TO BE WORKING IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND WORKING UPSTAIRS. SO IT'S KIND OF BEEN A TRANSITION OVER TIME. BUT WOULDN'T THIS, I MEAN, STRUCTURALLY BECAUSE SHE, EXCUSE ME FOR USING THE PRONOUN, BUT, UH, SO SHE'S HERE, UH, WORKING FOR THE COUNTY BOARD, UH, STRUCTURALLY THAT'S A CHANGE. SHOULDN'T THAT HAVE BECOME, COME BEFORE THE COUNTY BOARD? THE POSITION REALLY HASN'T CHANGED IN TERMS OF WHAT HER DUTIES ARE, ALTHOUGH, BUT THE OVERSIGHT, I MEANT THE OVERSIGHT. YEAH. BUT THE OVERSIGHT HAS BEEN, THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM. THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH OVERSIGHT FOR MIKE, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME THAT HE WAS NOT BEING MADE USE OF, THERE'S A LOT OF TIME HE WAS SITTING IN THE OFFICE, THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME HE WAS BEING CALLED AFTER HOURS AT HOME, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. IT, AND IT WAS A PROBLEM. YEAH. AND THEN, AND PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. NO, I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY AGAINST THE IDEA, RIGHT? MM-HMM . UH, ONLY THE GENESIS OF IT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A BOARD, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET OUR RULES, AND THIS SEEMS LIKE A RULE THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE SET BY THE BOARD. UM, AS, AS FAR AS WHAT I SEE NOW, IF I'M WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME, YOU KNOW, UH, AGAIN, I'M NOT AGAINST IT. I THINK IT'S, NO, IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATIVELY SPEAKING, UH, SHE WORKS FOR ALL OF YOU, AND IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, NOT BEEN ASKED THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT, THAT WE, WE SAW TOO IN, IN SOME OF THIS STUFF WAS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POSITION, UM, SHE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE WAY MIKE WAS, WAS UTILIZED, UM, AND JOSH USED TO KIND OF TEASE MIKE. HE'D SAY, WELL, YOU'VE GOT 21 BOSSES. AND, UH, HE SAID, I HAD 21 BOSSES WHEN I WAS AN ADMINISTRATOR, FOR EXAMPLE. AND FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY WORK. UH, YOU CAN'T HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, SUPERVISOR KEL CALLING AND ASKING SOMETHING, UH, THAT MIGHT BE CONTRARY TO A SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW, UH, CONRAD MIGHT WANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND, AND WHO, WHO DOES SHE SERVE? WHO DOES SHE ANSWER TO IN THAT REGARD? SO THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THAT THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR NEEDS TO OVERSEE THAT POSITION. HE'S THE DIRECT SUPERVISOR, OR IN THE FUTURE, SHE WOULD BE THE DIRECT SUPERVISOR OF THAT POSITION. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR ISN'T HERE EVERY DAY. IT'S A PART-TIME POSITION. CAN'T BE HERE EVERY DAY, CAN'T REALLY OVERSEE, CAN'T REALLY WATCH. SO THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT MY OFFICE, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S CLOSELY RELATED TO WHAT SHE DOES FOR YOU AND WHAT SHE'LL DO FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE, THAT I AT LEAST AM HERE EVERY DAY. I CAN DO THE TRAINING, I CAN OVERSEE, I CAN DO THE REVIEW, BUT DAILY, THE ACTUAL DAILY SUPERVISION FALLS UNDER THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR. SO THAT WAS SORT OF THE, THE GENESIS OF IT, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT AGAINST THE CONCEPT. UM, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I MEAN, BUT IT ALL KIND OF, IT'S JUST COMING AT ME RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A CHANCE TO EVEN CONSIDER IT OR THINK ABOUT IT. UM, WHICH LEAVES ME A LITTLE UNEASY IF I'M BEING HONEST, UH, BECAUSE AS I STATE THIS BOARD, UH, HAS A, A PERSON UNDER, ITS, ITS AUSPICE. AND I, YOU KNOW, A CHANGE LIKE THAT TO ME, UH, SHOULD REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL. UM, NOT CALLING FOR THAT NECESSARILY, BUT I, I, I'M A LITTLE, JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. UNDERSTOOD. AND I'LL ALSO INTERJECT THAT AS YOU KNOW, MIKE WORKED QUITE A BIT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THEY SHARE, PARDON? IT WAS JUST IN THE BEGINNING. YEAH. MM-HMM . BUT AT THE END TOO, IT, [00:45:01] IT GOT WHERE THERE WAS FIGHTING OVER HIS TIME, NOT SERIOUS FIGHTING, BUT NOBODY NAME , AND WE FEEL THIS IS A BETTER FIT. SO, UM, SUPERVISOR BOSER, UM, SO SIMILAR TO SUPERVISOR KEL. UM, I CONCEPTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WANNA MAXIMIZE OUR USE OF KAYLA'S TIME. UM, I MIGHT STRUGGLE WITH THE RIGHT WORDS HERE BECAUSE I'M KIND OF THINKING THIS THROUGH BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST WE'RE HEARING OF IT. UM, FROM A GOOD GOVERNMENT APPROACH, I THINK AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS CLEARLY AND COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH THAT WE CAN RELY ON TO BE INDEPENDENT. UM, I WANT, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT INDEPENDENCE THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, JOSH, WE HAVE A LOT OF TRUST IN JOSH. I'M NOT TRYING TO IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BE SMART, JOSH. UM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT JOSH IS GONNA BE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOREVER. UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN PLACE THE PROPER CONTROLS AND THE PROPER INDEPENDENCE SO THAT WE CAN OPERATE INDEPENDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE BA BRANCH, BE A PROPER TEAM MEMBER TO THEM, BUT ALSO BE A PROPER CHECK AND BALANCE WHEN THE TIME'S APPROPRIATE. I WANNA MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN THAT. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF HESITATION WITH THIS, SIMILAR TO SUPERVISOR KEL. YEAH. AND I, I'VE BEEN POUNDING THAT DRUM FOR A LONG TIME, THAT, THAT THE BRANCHES NEED TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM ONE ANOTHER, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS EARLY ON WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WHEN MIKE WAS LEAVING AND WHAT THE POSITION WAS GONNA BECOME, BECAUSE I KNEW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SOME USE OF THAT POSITION. AND I, IT WAS CONCERNED FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT IF SHE'S TO BE USED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE IN ANY CAPACITY, IT HAS TO BE FOR THINGS LIKE, AND I DON'T WANT TO DOWNPLAY IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LUNCH SERVICE THAT GOES ON, UH, HERE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHERE IF TARA NEEDS A HAND WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER BODY YOU CAN HELP OUT. BUT I WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT I, I DON'T WANT HER IN A SITUATION WHERE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS COMING UP WITH SOME PLAN OR SOME PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT COULD PUT HIS OFFICE AT ODDS WITH THE COUNTY BOARD. AND SO I'VE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING THAT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S NOT INVOLVED IN THAT KIND OF THING, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE LEGISLATIVE CLERK POSITION IS TO SERVE AND ASSIST THE COUNTY BOARD. ABSOLUTELY, A HUNDRED PERCENT. UM, GOING BACK TO HOW THIS KIND OF CAME ABOUT, THERE'S SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT OCCURRED WHERE THE ISSUE WAS, UH, THE, THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR JUST ISN'T HERE EVERY DAY AND ISN'T ABLE, IT'S NOT A FULL-TIME JOB TO SUPERVISE THAT POSITION EVERY DAY. AND SO, UH, WHAT MADE THE MOST SENSE IN TERMS OF OVERSEEING THAT POSITION GLOBALLY, WHILE THE DIRECT REPORT IS THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR. SO IT MADE SENSE TO SAY, WELL, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHO GENERALLY DOES A LOT OF THAT KIND OF WORK OR CAN ASSIST WITH THAT KIND OF WORK WOULD BE THE DEPARTMENT THAT THAT POSITION FALLS UNDER. BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE DAILY SUPERVISION. IS IS THE COUNTY BOARD AND IS THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIR. SO HOPEFULLY THAT EASES YOUR MIND A LITTLE BIT. BUT THAT WAS KIND OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS. BUT I'M VERY MINDFUL OF THAT, AND I'VE SAID IN MANY MEETINGS, EVEN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTY BOARD UNDERSTANDS IT IS AN INDEPENDENT BODY, AND IT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH CERTAIN THINGS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MAY BRING FORWARD. IT'S OKAY TO DISAGREE AND ARGUE. UM, AND THOSE, AND THOSE, AND YOU MAY AGREE MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF LIKE-MINDED POLITICAL POINTS OF VIEW IN THIS ROOM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT INDEPENDENCE REMAINS. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. THANK YOU. AND I, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY EXACTLY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO STAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME, SUPERVISOR. MARY? YES. IF, IF SOMEONE COULD EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN, BRAD, YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUPERVISORS AND CONTACTING THE CABINET MEMBERS, DOES THIS MEAN I CAN'T JUST CALL JAMIE AND SAY, HEY, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION, OR IS THERE AN INTERMEDIARY NOW BEFORE THAT CAN HAPPEN? NO, I WOULD NEVER TELL YOU THAT I, I, I, WE, UH, THE CHAIRMAN AND I TALKED TODAY AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE LAYERS OF RED TAPE THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU ALL TO DO YOUR JOBS. WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING, IS GIVING YOU A RESOURCE THAT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER AT TIMES, SO THAT, LIKE I SAY, MESSAGES AREN'T LEFT UNREAD OR PHONE CALLS AREN'T RETURNED, OR THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE, UH, TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF EACH OTHER AND IT'S RUNNING IN CIRCLES. UH, IF YOU WANT [00:50:01] TO CALL SOMEBODY DIRECTLY, I WOULD NEVER TELL YOU YOU CAN'T DO THAT. AND I THINK THE CHAIRMAN WOULD AGREE THAT THE IDEA IS, IS THAT FROM KAYLA'S POINT OF VIEW, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE'S THERE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE, OR IF YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY REACHING SOMEBODY OR YOU WANT SOME INFORMATION, THAT KIND OF THING, SHE'LL BE THERE FOR YOU TO HELP YOU. YEAH. BUT I WOULD NEVER TELL YOU NOT TO CALL SOMEBODY DIRECTLY. NO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU. MOVING ON, UH, REATION 43 COMMENDATION OF PAMELA FRANK MOTION. AND A SECOND PLEASE. SUPERVISOR SHARIN, SUPERVISOR ALEK. WHEREAS PAMELA FRANK HAS [a. 2024 Resolution 43: Commendation of Pamela Frank] CONTRIBUTED 21 YEARS OF LOYAL SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY. AND WHEREAS PAMELA FRANK HAS CHOSEN TO RETIRE FROM HER PRESENT POSITION OF LEAD CASE MANAGER WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PAUSE IN ITS DELIBERATIONS TO PAY TRIBUTE AND TO COMMEND PAMELA FRANK FOR HER 21 YEARS OF MERITORIOUS SERVICE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT ON BEHALF OF ALL CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, THIS BODY DOES HEREWITH EXTEND TO HER HEARTFELT THANKS FOR HER MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SUCCESSES, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION BE FORWARDED TO PAMELA FRANK AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION ON THE PART OF THIS BOARD. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, RESOLUTION 44 COMMENDATION OF THEODORE COOGLER MOTION. AND A SECOND, PLEASE, SUPERVISOR KEL, SUPERVISOR HARTWIG. WHEREAS THEODORE KUGLER HAS CONTRIBUTED 31 YEARS OF LOYAL SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, AND WHEREAS THEODORE KUGLER HAS CHOSEN TO RETIRE FROM HIS PRESENT POSITION OF FOREMAN WITH THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PAUSE IN ITS DELIBERATIONS TO PAY TRIBUTE AND TO COMMEND THEODORE KLER FOR HIS 31 YEARS OF MERITORIOUS SERVICE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT ON BEHALF OF ALL CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, THIS BODY DOES HEAR WITH EXTEND TO HIM HEARTFELT THANKS FOR AS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SUCCESSES BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION BE FORWARDED TO THEODORE KUGLER AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION ON THE PART OF THIS BOARD. OUR NEXT ITEM IS RESOLUTION 45. AUTHORIZED IN THE WASHINGTON COUNTY GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE GIS SERVICES TO THE CITY OF HARTFORD AS PART OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SHARED REVENUE GRANT PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, BOSER SUPERVISOR. MARY, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? WE HAVE MR. DAMCO HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUERIES THERE BEING NONE. THIS IS A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE. ARE YOU READY? YEP. WE'LL VOTE ELECTRONICALLY. DID YOU GET PAM UNANIMOUS? YEP. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT UP IS RESOLUTION 46 TO DISCONTINUE EXCESS RIGHT OF WAY AND AUTHORIZE SALE TO ADJOINING LANDOWNER. UM, MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE. SUPERVISOR GALL. SUPERVISOR SCHWAB, UH, WE HAVE TED GOM DOMKE FROM THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT HERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THERE BEING NONE, WE'LL VOTE ELECTRONICALLY. THIS IS ALSO A SIMPLE MAJORITY. THANK YOU. TED . JUST, WHAT'S THAT? CAN YOU ASK PAM TO JUST GIVE THE THUMBS UP? OKAY. THANK YOU, PAM. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE RESOLUTION 47 VOIDING STALE CHECKS. [00:55:02] MOTION TO SECOND SUPERVISOR, SICE SUPERVISOR PRIDE MORGUE. ANY DISCUSSION THERE? BEING NONE? ARE YOU READY TO VOTE? NO. FOR SOME REASON IT'S NOT READY. OUR ELECTRONICS ARE, HOLD ON. WE'RE GOOD NOW. YES. GO AHEAD AND VOTE ELECTRONICALLY. OKAY, UNANIM PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR NEXT MEETING DATE IS JANUARY 8TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON AND, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PAID TOWARDS THE EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION. BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE UH, PAY ME OR KAYLA WHEN YOU CAN. THESE MEETINGS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.