Shawano County Sheriff Randy Wright is seeking permission to use $715,000 from the county’s general fund to build a new evidence storage facility.
Wright took his case to the Public Property Committee, which voted unanimously Friday to pass it on to the Finance Committee without a recommendation. The Finance Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 19.
“This resolution came about through a conversation I had with my Public Safety (Committee) chairman, (Mike McClelland),” Wright said. “I have been researching getting some funding for looking into an attorney for sheriff’s authority on this, and when I called him, he questioned why I was looking into sheriff’s authority because this building was approved at a County Board meeting. What I needed to do was research the funding.”
Wright said it would be acceptable to spread the project — and its cost — over two or three years to make it easier on the county finances.
“Maybe we could lay down the groundwork this year before the snow flies, and then next year doing another piece of it,” Wright said. “The building was approved; it’s just the funding.”
Maintenance Director Steve Dreher disagreed with that approach, telling the committee that putting up the building piecemeal would increase the price tag well over $715,000.
“You might as well add a big bunch on top of it,” Dreher said.
Supervisors Robert Krause and Milt Marquardt questioned whether the committee should be hearing the request at all, since the Sheriff’s Department falls under the Public Safety Committee, and the Finance Committee has a key say in how county money is spent.
Wright said McClelland informed him it would not be on the Public Safety Committee’s agenda, and that he was advised by Corporation Counsel Tony Kordus to take it to Public Property first.
County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann, who sits on the Public Property and Finance committees, said he couldn’t guarantee the resolution to tap general funds would remain intact by the time it reaches the board later this month.
However, he indicated the building would get paid for in some way.
“The sheriff will get a building,” Erdmann said.
The price tag for the project has increased by $5,000 amid the county’s ongoing debate, according to Dreher. S.D. Ellenbecker is still interested in being the contractor, he said, but not at the price of its bid in February, bringing the total cost, including Highway Department site work, to $715,000.
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