Notes from the Administrator

It is hard to believe that fall is almost upon us. Summer went by fast, but a lot was accomplished by the Richland County Board. Here are a few of their highlights.

An Ad Hoc EMS District Formation Committee was started. The goal of the committee is to support the municipalities in the creation of their district. This will be accomplished through the following:

Engage with the municipalities to explain the why via face-to-face meetings and a letter to be sent by the county board chair.
Host a Town Hall to present and listen.
Prepare taking points for the board members to use when engaging with the community.
Attend town board meetings/council meetings upon request.
Provide a draft resolution to the municipalities outlining their intent to engage in the creation of the district.
Gather a list of municipalities who are interested in being a part of the district and work with them to create a steering committee.
Appoint two members as liaison committee members, if requested.

The Committee has already held two committee meetings and had one meeting with the municipalities. A second meeting with the municipalities is scheduled for the first week of September.

The Board also created an Ad Hoc Jail Committee. The purpose of this committee is to discuss the future of the Richland County Jail. Each year our jail is inspected and over the past few years, the State has found there are considerable operational challenges due to the facility layout and the age of the building. The committee will be provided information about our jail and the deficiencies of the facility and then explore options for how to correct them. Before the Board would consider building a new jail, it is important that all other options are explored.

The 765 kV Transmission line has been a topic of discussion at multiple committee meetings and at the full county board meeting in August. The Board recognizes this line will have a significant impact on the community and on their residents. A resolution was sent to the company constructing the line, MGS, asking for additional information. A deadline of September 14, 2026 was provided to them to give responses to the questions. A previous resolution was completed in March of 2026 and sent to MGS and although a response was received in July, it did not answer all of the questions in the resolution. This topic will continue to be on agendas moving forward. Additionally, the county has added a page on our website with information on the line. To find it, click on the I Want To…section on the upper right corner of the home page and then click on the link “Gather Information on the Potential 765 kV Transmission Line.” Steve Carrow has been appointed the point of contract for the county. He can be reached via email at steve.carrow@co.richland.wi.us.

Two new members were added to the county board in July. Randy Schmidt was appointed by the board as the member from District 19 and Duane McElvain was appointed as the member from District 20. This is the first time since I have been the administrator that we have had a full board. I look forward to working with them.

At the August County Board meeting the board approved a comprehensive facilities improvement plan. For years the county has deferred maintenance on many of their facilities. This plan outlined the work to be done over a period of 6 years starting in 2027. Bonding will need to be done to accomplish the work. This list was created by the Ad Hoc County Facilities Planning Committee. For over four months, the committee met and gathered information from department heads and from Venture Architects, who did assessments on our buildings. In the end a list was created of what could be done within existing budgets and what would need to be done through bonding. The goal is to provide safe, functional facilities that meet the needs of our employees and serve the public effectively.

Work continues on the demolition of the campus buildings. The board approved the demolition of Science, Library, Classroom and Student Center buildings. Prior to them being torn down, the county engaged with the public to liquidate the items in the buildings. We are also in the final stages of transferring the Gymnasium and Melvill Hall to the Richland School District, along with the soccer field and adjoining land.

The Administrator’s office has focused a lot of time on the 2027 budget over the past few months. A draft budget was present to Executive and Finance in August. The budget was unbalanced and we are working on ways to be able to present a balanced budget at the next meeting. Department Heads have worked very closely with this office to put together the budget.

Richland County hired an Ambulance Director in August. Brian Heisz started on August 10. Since starting, he has been meeting with staff and engaging with the public. He is taking the time to understand the budget and the services we provide while developing ideas to support long-term sustainability.

Don’t forget—the Richland County Fair is next week! We encourage everyone to take some time to come out, enjoy the festivities, and support our local youth as they showcase their hard work and dedication through their fair entries.

Be sure to check out the Tractor Pull on Friday night and the Demo Derby on Saturday night. We hope to see you there supporting our community and our youth!