The County Board will define its direction through a strategic planning process, beginning with goal-setting and eventually addressing spending practices that have drained the county’s resources in recent years.
The county used nearly $4 million from its reserve funds to balance its 2015 budget, a practice county Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann warned is unsustainable.
The county will use reserves of $2 million for day-to-day operations and $1.85 million for one-time items for 2015.
To prepare for the future, $5,000 was allocated in the 2015 budget for a strategic planning process involving the department heads and County Board supervisors.
On Thursday, the County Board scrapped a recommendation presented by the Finance and Insurance Committee to meet Feb. 26 and March 26 at Red Maple Country Club in Suring.
It also scrapped the agenda for the Feb. 26 meeting, which opened with a presentation describing the fiscal realities of the county, followed by a discussion of cost-saving measures. The March 26 agenda incorporated a survey, which covered various financial issues, to be completed by department heads.
Supervisor Diane Nichols disagreed with the committee’s recommendation. She said supervisors would jump to the middle of the strategic planning process by looking at money issues first.
“I believe that you have to start with setting goals, deciding what are the common core values that this County Board needs to be upheld, and then, one of the last things you do is talk about resources and where are we going to get the money,” she said.
Facilitator Paul Ehrfurth, director of Oconto County Economic Development Corporation, said his process is flexible.
“We want to add a session on goals and priorities, that’s a no-brainer for me to do, and I can easily do that. The first thing we’ll do is that discussion,” Ehrfurth said.
Ehrfurth has led strategic planning sessions for about 20 years. Assisting him will be Dale Mohr, University of Wisconsin-Extension community, natural resource and economic development agent.
Supervisors left the strategic planning process open-ended beyond the kick-off meeting Feb. 19, which will follow the monthly County Board meeting. The first session, held either at the courthouse or a local church hall, will last about three hours and include a working lunch.
After the initial meeting, supervisors will decide how to move ahead with the process and where to meet.
Supervisor Alan Sleeter said the strategic planning sessions he has attended have been off-location, where participants can work and socialize.
“Some of the best planning and best ideas come from when you break out to have coffee or have lunch. I don’t think we want to miss that,” he said.
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