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Houston County receives $18,000 federal grant for H1N1 program
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Houston County’s planning and implementation of an impending H1N1 epidemic and vaccination clinics received a boost from the federal government last week. County Public Health Nursing Director Deb Rock informed the county board her department received an additional $18,000 to be used to battle a potential H1N1 outbreak.
Rock told the board at the Oct. 6 commissioners’ meeting that her department would be receiving 100 doses of flu mist later in the week. Those doses were earmarked for EMS workers. She noted the flu mist doses were made with a live virus and were not recommended for pregnant women.
The first batch of regular vaccines should be arriving in Houston County by mid-October.
In other board action:
Personnel Advisory Committee
Human Resources Director Tess Arrick-Kruger recommended reinstating the Personnel Advisory Committee. The committee was terminated in 2009. Arrick-Kruger felt the committee was needed to work with her department regarding personnel affairs.
After reviewing the recommendation, the board agreed to re-establish the committee and have the board chair (Larry Connery) and vice chair (Dave Corcoran) as the two commissioners to serve.
Arrick-Kruger also requested that a personnel Board of Appeals be established. This board would handle individual disputes or appeals.
Commissioner Tom Bjerke felt the county would end up with too many committees if they would create this one. He wondered if this type of committee was something needed in larger counties, and not a smaller county like Houston County.
The board did not take any action on this request.
Web advertising
The board approved a recommendation by County Engineer Brian Pogodzinski to begin advertising for construction bids on the county’s website instead of newspapers.
He explained that for the first six months the county would be required to utilize both print and electronic mediums. But once the six month period was completed, the county would not be required to advertise in newspapers for county highway bids.
Web site administrators
In a related matter, the board approved designating Andy Milde as the county’s web site administrator and Shelia Schroeder as the web site agent. Those designations were needed in order to have bid requests placed on the county’s web site.
Highway 249 project
The county board will be sending letters to the state DNR and also to area state legislators expressing their anger over the lack of progress being made by the DNR concerning the land lease easement needed for the County Road 249 project.
The county needs a small parcel of land owned by the DNR to straighten out a sharp curve in the county road between Freeburg and the Mississippi River. The easement process was to take three weeks. It has now been more than three months since the county submitted the final paperwork to the DNR.
Trailer purchased
The board approved a recommendation by Solid Waste Officer Rick Frank to purchase a used trailer to haul old tires from the county drop sites to a recycling center.
Frank explained that the DOT certification came up on the trailer. When it was inspected it was discovered it would take about $1,000 in repairs to bring the trailer up to code. Further inspection revealed the crossmembers of the trailer were rusted, which compromised the structural strength of it.
Frank said he found a 53-foot long trailer in good condition the county could purchase for $4,000. The county would still need to have that trailer certified, licensed and registered.
The board unanimously approved Frank’s request.
Rates going up
Frank also informed the board that the State of Wisconsin was increasing landfill rates to help balance their state’s budget deficit. He said the increase averaged out to $7.10 per ton.
“The rates will be going to Jan. 1, 2010,” Frank said. “It is a blended rate and will be spread out in the following manner.”
• Burnable garbage that goes to the Excel Energy plant will be increased from $60 per ton to $61 per ton.
• Landfill will increase from $66 per ton to $68 per ton.
• Construction and demolition material will increase from $39 per ton to $48 per ton.
Storage building needed
The board agreed to enter into an agreement to rent half of the dairy barn at the Houston County Fair Grounds to store impounded cars for the Sheriff’s Office.
With the criminal justice center construction, the five-stall garage located just east of the county jail will be razed. The county will rent half of the dairy barn, which will house up to 12 cars for $850.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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