[Call to Order, Roll Call, Affidavit of Posting, A Moment of Silent Prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance]
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IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK ON THE 14TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2026, NOTICE WAS SENT TO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY DAILY NEWS, THE EXPRESS NEWS, W-I-B-D-W-M-B-Z RADIO, WTKM RADIO, MY COMMUNITY.
NOW THE HARTFORD TIMES PRESS, THE KI WASUM STATESMAN AND THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.
WE WILL RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE PLAY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[a. Minutes of August 19, 2026]
THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 19TH, 2026 MEETING, WERE PART OF THE PACKET.ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS BESIDE MY NAME BEING SPELLED A FEW TIMES WRONG? BOY, THERE'S AN ECHO IN HERE.
SO OUR FIRST, UH, ITEM IS THE REVIEW AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TAX DEED PROPERTIES.
AND THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY OUR CLERK, ASHLEY ERT.
SO THE FIRST ITEM WILL BE JUST REVIEWING THE NEW PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY TAKEN.
UM, I WILL SAY, UH, JUST TO GET YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCESS, THIS PROCESS STARTS WHEN PROPERTY OWNERS DO NOT PAY THEIR TAXES FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND ON THE FIFTH YEAR, THEN THE TREASURER PROVIDES THE LIST OF PROPERTIES FOLLOWING MANY, MANY NOTICES TO THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHERE WE THEN PROCEED WITH THE TAX DEED PROCESS, WHICH HAS CHANGED, UM, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THERE WAS A RECENT STATUTE CHANGE, AND SO THIS PROCESS, UH, THIS TIME AROUND WILL BE THE FIRST ONE FOLLOWING THE NEW, UH, LAW REGARDING THE TAX DEED SALES.
UM, SO THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS JUST REVIEWING THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE NEW TO US, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE A FEW THAT WE DID TAKE A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WE WILL BE SETTING THE MINIMUM BIDS FOR, BUT ON THE ATTACHMENT THAT HAS A SPREADSHEET, IT'S COLOR CODED, UM, IN YOUR PACKET, THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS, THOSE ONES WE ACTUALLY ARE ALREADY OWNING, UM, THEY'RE IN GREEN, SO THOSE WE'LL NOT BE TALKING ABOUT AT THE MOMENT.
UM, THERE ARE TWO PROPERTIES IN RED.
UH, THOSE TWO PROPERTIES ARE DELINQUENT, BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING NOT
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TAKING OR PROCEEDING WITH THOSE TAX DEED PROPERTIES.UM, AND THEN EVERYTHING IN ORANGE IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UM, I WILL SAY THERE ARE PROPERTIES, IT STARTS NUMBER 12 THROUGH 42 ON MY SPREADSHEET.
UM, THOSE PROPERTIES WILL GET THOSE OUT OF THE WAY RIGHT AWAY.
THEY'RE OWNED BY NORTHERN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, LLC.
THEY ARE FOOTINGS TO A CONDO, AND AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING, UM, TAKING THOSE AS TAX DEEDS.
UH, BUT WE DO RECOMMEND MONITORING THEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND DOING ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON THOSE, UM, PARCELS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE? DO WE NEED TO TAKE A SEPARATE MOTION TO NO.
I THINK, I THINK AS LONG AS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OKAY WITH IT, WE WILL JUST MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE THE PROPERTIES AND EXCLUDE THOSE TAX KEY NUMBERS FROM THAT MOTION VERY WELL.
UM, SO THEN ON THE LIST, IT STARTS WITH, UM, NUMBER SIX, IF YOU HAVE THAT SPREADSHEET UP.
UM, THAT IS 0.33 ACRES WITH NO STRUCTURES ON HIGHWAY U.
UM, AND THAT IS IN THE TOWN OF HARTFORD.
AND THEN THE NEXT PROPERTY IS IN THE TOWN OF POLK, UM, ON FONTANA BEACH ROAD.
AND THAT AGAIN IS ABOUT 0.35 ACRES, UH, WITH NO STRUCTURES.
THE NEXT PROPERTY IS IN THE CITY OF WEST BEND, AND THAT ONE DOES HAVE A HOME ON IT.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY IS ON SOUTH SHORE DRIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF RICHFIELD.
THERE ARE NO STRUCTURES ON THAT PROPERTY EITHER.
AND THEN ANOTHER PROPERTY, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF WEST BEND, UM, ON 10TH AVENUE.
AND THEN IF YOU GO DOWN TO NUMBER 43, UH, THERE'S A PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF HARTFORD, UM, WITH A STRUCTURE, I BELIEVE THAT'S A HOME.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO PROPERTIES IN THE VILLAGE OF KI WASUM, UM, WITH STRUCTURES AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL, UM, WITH A STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY WITH HALF AN ACRE, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY IN KI WASUM ON RIVERVIEW WITH NO STRUCTURE.
UM, AND THAT IS IT FOR AS OF RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING THROUGH THE APPRAISED VALUE, JUST THE PROPERTIES AT HAND.
AND I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION FOR THOSE PROPERTIES EXCLUDING, UM, THE TAX KEY NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH NORTHERN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
LLC, YOU SPOKE OF TWO PROPERTIES IN SCU AND THEN ANOTHER ONE, BUT WHAT THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY 1, 2, 3, 4.
DOES THAT HAVE A DWELLING ON IT TOO? YEP.
THEY ALL HAVE STRUCTURES, I THINK, I GUESS.
NO, THE LAST ONE DOES NOT HAVE A STRUCTURE.
SO THERE'S THREE WITH STRUCTURES.
ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? WELL THEN, UH, LET'S MAKE A MOTION SOMEONE A MOTION MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SHARUN.
AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM RELATED TO THE TAX DEED PROPERTIES.
UM, THIS IS WHERE WE WILL BE SETTING THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNT.
IF YOU REMEMBER HISTORICALLY, WE WOULD SET THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNT TYPICALLY BASED ON JUST WHAT WE WERE OWED, UM, IN BACK TAXES, INTEREST AND PENALTIES, UH, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THAT SPREADSHEET.
I DO HAVE THAT TOTAL DUE, UM, WHICH IS TOTAL DUE TO THE COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, AS FAR AS SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS GO WITH, YOU KNOW, MOWING THE LAWN OR PLOWING THE DRIVEWAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR IF THEY HAD TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY IN ANY OTHER WAY.
UM, SO WITH THE RECENT, UH, STATE STATUTE CHANGE, WE NO LONGER CAN SET THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNT AT ANY AMOUNT THAT WE DEEM APPROPRIATE FOR THE FIRST, UH, GO AT A SALE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO OBTAIN AN APPRAISAL, WHICH IN YOUR PACKET, THAT IS WHAT ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS ARE FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
UM, THEY ARE ACTUAL APPRAISALS AND THAT IS IN THE COLUMN ON THE SPREADSHEET, UM, FARTHER TO THE RIGHT THAT SAYS VALUE OPINION FROM JEWEL, AND THAT IS THE APPRAISED VALUE.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE FOUR FIRST ITEMS THAT ARE IN GREEN.
THOSE PROPERTIES, WE ACTUALLY ALREADY OWN THEIR DEEDED IN WASHINGTON COUNTY'S NAME, UM, AND HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, WE HAD SET MINIMUM BIDS AS YOU CAN SEE.
UM, BUT WE ARE NOW ASKING TO CHANGE THOSE MINIMUM BID AMOUNTS
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TO THE VALUE FROM THE APPRAISER, UM, WHICH YOU CAN SEE TO THE RIGHT OF THAT.UM, SO FOLLOWING THAT, ANY OF THE NEW PROPERTIES THAT YOU JUST ALLOWED FOR THE COUNTY TO TAKE BY TAX DEED? UM, SO SIX THROUGH 8, 10, 11, AND THEN 43 THROUGH 47.
UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING SETTING THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNT AT, UM, THAT APPRAISED VALUE THAT IS IN THAT VALUE OPINION FROM JEWEL COLUMN.
KELLY? UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE OF THIS.
I DID NOT GET THIS, UH, LAST NIGHT, SO I HAVE JUST WENT THROUGH THE PROPERTIES INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, SO THESE IN GREEN, WERE THESE ALREADY PUT UP ON BID? NO.
SO THOSE, WE HAD THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, UM, I HAD REQUESTED THEM TO TAKE THE PROPERTIES OKAY.
AND TO SET THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNTS, BUT THEN THE LAW CHANGED.
AND SO THEN WHILE WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MEANT FOR THE COUNTY AND HOW WE COULD SELL THE PROPERTIES APPROPRIATELY, WE HELD THEM.
UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES AND WE HAVE A GRASP ON WHAT THE LAW MEANS TO US AS A COUNTY IN REGARDS TO TAX DEED PROPERTIES, UM, WE'RE BRINGING THEM BACK AND SETTING THE MINIMUM BID APPROPRIATELY.
AND THOSE MINIMUM BIDS THEN ARE ALSO BASED ON THE APPRAISED VALUE? UM, SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO SET ALL MINIMUM BIDS AT THE APPRAISED VALUE, NOT ANY MORE THAN THE APPRAISED VALUE.
AND IF YOU RECALL, UM, HOW WE SELL THE PROPERTIES WE UTILIZE, UM, WISCONSIN SURPLUS AND WE WILL END UP, UM, FOLLOWING IN MY COMMITTEE REPORT, I DID MENTION THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL SEND OUT ONE LAST LETTER FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO REDEEM THEIR PROPERTY BY PAYING IN FULL WHAT IS OWED.
UM, AND IF THEY DO NOT DO THAT BY THE DEADLINE, THEN WE WILL LIST THEM ON WISCONSIN SURPLUS FOR BIDDING.
TYPICALLY WE PUT IT OUT FOR ABOUT A WEEK TO A WEEK AND A HALF.
UM, IF WE DO NOT SELL THEM WITH THAT MINIMUM BID AMOUNT OF THE APPRAISED VALUE, THEN, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY STERN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO THEN COME BACK AND SET THE MINIMUM BID AMOUNT FOR SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
UM, WHEN I LOOK AT, SAY THE LAST GREEN ONE ON GOLDEN ROD CIRCLE YEP.
THERE WAS A MINIMUM BID OF 700.
BUT THE VALUE OPINION IS 15,500.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING.
WE HAVE TO SET THEM AT THE APPRAISED VALUE.
SO THOSE MINIMUM BID AMOUNTS ARE WHAT YOU VOTED ON TWO YEARS AGO? YES.
AND SO WE'RE, I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU DID APPROVE THOSE MINIMUM BID AMOUNTS AND WE ARE CHANGING THEM.
WE NEVER PUT THOSE UP FOR BID THOUGH.
WE JUST BEEN HANGING ONTO 'EM.
UNTIL WE RESOLVED THIS WHOLE ISSUE WITH THE STATE AND MADE SURE WE HAD OUR DUCKS RIGHT.
SO ACTUALLY THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD EXTRA TIME THEN, CORRECT? CONSIDERABLY, ACTUALLY.
SO HEARING THAT, I MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, ACCEPT THOSE MINIMUM BIDS AS YOU HAVE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AMONG THOSE PRESENT.
AND ITEM THREE C IS A REQUEST TO FUND THE FORMER PREKI BAKES BRAKE SITE FOR, UH,
[c. Request to Fund the former Praefke Brake site for ACM/LBP/RWI Survey utilizing up to $9,980 from the Washington County Brownfields Assessment Fund]
VARIOUS SURVEYS ON POLLUTANTS.SO YEAH, THE REQUEST FOR FUND, UM, THE FORMER BRAKE PR KEY BRAKE SITE IN WEST BEND.
UH, IT'S FOR THE COMPLETION OF SOME HAZARD, UH, TESTING, UH, ASBESTOS TESTING, LEAD BASED PAINT TESTING, RESTRICTED WASTE INVENTORY.
UM, THE REQUEST IS FOR $12,475, UM, FOR THE BROWNFIELDS ASSESSMENT FUND, UH, WITH THE CITY OF WEST BEND, UH, PAYING 20% MATCH.
UH, SO THE TOTAL FUNDING REQUEST IN THE END WOULD BE $9,980.
AND THE ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO, UM, TALK ABOUT IS THAT, UH, AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, UM, IS THE FUNDING, UM, AVAILABLE FOR THE COUNTY, UH, BROWNFIELDS
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FUND? UM, RIGHT NOW THE TOTAL BUDGET, UM, THAT WE HAD WAS 1.1 MILLION.UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE $90,195, UM, IN THE FUND.
IF THIS, UH, PROPOSAL IS, UM, APPROVED TODAY, UM, WITH THE INTENT THAT, UM, I WOULD CONTINUE TO UTILIZE, UH, THE COUNTY ASSESSMENT FUND AND DRAW THOSE FUNDS DOWN, UM, UNTIL, UM, WE ARE READY TO UTILIZE THE U-S-E-P-A ASSESSMENT GRANT THAT WE JUST RECEIVED, UM, FOR $1.5 MILLION, UM, THAT WE ARE WAITING ON THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FROM THE EPA, WHICH I EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE RECEIVING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, THEN WE'LL BE PUTTING THAT OUT FOR RFP, UH, TO HIRE A QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL THAT WE'LL BE UTILIZING.
UM, SO I ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE FUNDS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE, UM, BY THE BEGINNING OF 2027.
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? SUPERVISOR KELLY? UM, TO REFRESH MY MEMORY, UH, I SEEM TO RECALL THIS PRGE COMING BEFORE US BEFORE MM-HMM
WHAT WERE WE, WHAT DID WE DO? CAN YOU TELL ME SOME OF THE HISTORY? YEP, YEP.
SO THAT WAS, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, WE FUNDED A PHASE ONE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO FUNDED THE CITY MATCH TO A STATE SEGA GRANT, A SITE ASSESSMENT GRANT, UM, THROUGH THE STATE.
SO THERE WAS A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED.
WHY DID WE FUND THE CITY MATCH? UM, WE'VE DONE THAT IN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, UM, WHERE IT'S, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, MATCH WHAT THE CITY, SO THE, THE CITY RECEIVED AS A STATE GRANT AND THERE WAS A MATCH THAT THE CITY NEEDED FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, FUNDING, UM, FOR THAT MATCH.
AND THEN THE CITY PAYS US THAT 20%.
THAT
SO SPOT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IN WEST BEND.
SO YEAH, IT'S CLEANING UP IS BEEN OVERDUE.
IT'S BEEN A, A HIGH PRIORITY SITE FOR THE COUNTY BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND, AND I GUESS THAT'S WHY I HAD THE QUESTION.
I MEAN, ARE WE GETTING SOMEWHERE
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID FUND THAT I JUST, UH, RECALLED IS THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING.
SO ONCE WE FINISH THE PHASE TWO ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT AND THESE, UH, THE HAZARD MITIGATION, UM, TESTING, UH, THEN WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE WORKING WITH VANDERWELL AND ASSOCIATES, UM, TO DO A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THE INTENT IS THAT THIS, UM, SITE GETS COMPLETELY REDEVELOPED AND BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS, BUT WE FIRST WE HAVE TO DISCOVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT CONTAMINATION IS STILL OUT THERE.
AND THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO CLEAN IT UP? HAS IT BEEN REMEDIATED? UM, IT HASN'T BEEN FIC.
THE, THE, THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL PART OF IT HAS NOT BEEN, UH, THERE WAS, UM, SOME, UM, MATERIALS THAT WERE STORED IN THE BUILDINGS AND THOSE HAVE BEEN REMOVED, BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT OF IT.
BECAUSE THERE IS QUITE A HISTORY THERE WHEN WE READ THROUGH IT.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION SUPERVISOR? I, BUT HE ASKED EVERY QUESTION I WAS GONNA ASK.
CAN I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, SUPERVISOR CHADRON? SUPERVISOR KELLY? ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[a. Entertain a motion to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(d) for the purpose of considering strategy for crime detection or prevention, specifically to review security measures employed as a result of the relocation of the offices of County Clerk, Treasurer, and Register of Deeds. ]
SO NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CONVENE AND CLOSE SESSION PURSUANT TO WISCONSIN STATUTE 19.85 SLASH ONE SLASH D FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING STRATEGY FOR CRIME DETECTION OR PREVENTION, SPECIFICALLY TO REVIEW SECURITY MEASURES EMPLOYED AT[00:20:01]
A RESULT OF THE RELOCATION OF THE OFFICES OF COUNTY CLERK TREASURER AND REGISTER OF DEEDS.MOTION TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR SECURITY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
I CAN SECOND THAT WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR KEL, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SHARIN.
WE'LL DO A ROLL, ROLL CALL, VOTE.
SUPERVISOR NEWMAN IS HERE AS WELL.