County could receive $20M from federal relief package

Ryan Patterson, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·4 min read

Mar. 10—EAU CLAIRE — Eau Claire County could receive around $20 million to help it recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding would be part of the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill expected to be approved today by Congress.

County Administrator Kathryn Schauf provided this update to the Eau Claire County Administration Committee during its meeting Tuesday. Schauf said the county would receive the first $10 million within 60 days of the bill's approval. It would receive the remaining $10 million in 2022.

If approved, the money would be a significant boon to the community, but it would also require substantial effort from the county regarding how to allocate the funds.

"It is a huge stewardship lift for our community," Schauf said.

Schauf said areas the money can be spent on include, among other things, households; small businesses; employers in industries most affected by the pandemic like tourism and hospitality; government services; and investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

The bill has not been signed into law yet, so Schauf said much work needs to occur before the county spends the money. That includes applying for the money and determining how and on what to spend the funds.

"It's very large, it's very expansive, (and) we don't know what the parameters are," Schauf said.

Highway purchase

The Administration Committee approved the purchase of 6.87 acres of land along U.S. 53 and Otter Creek Road for a cost of $220,000. The parcel is next to about 42 acres the county owns that will be the site of the eight-figure County Highway Department facility set to be constructed over about the next two years.

The land would provide an additional entrance and exit to the future facility, which Highway Commissioner Jon Johnson said is "crucial for traffic flow."

The purchase requires final approval from the County Board during its meeting next week.

Landfill

The committee received information on the County Board's role related to the potential Seven Mile Creek Landfill expansion process.

Negotiations on the expansion proposal, which began in 2019 and would increase the landfill's dumping area by 1.52 million square feet, are ongoing between GFL Environmental, a private company that owns the landfill; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and the Seven Mile Creek Landfill Siting Committee.

Supervisor Ray Henning, a member of the Administration Committee and Landfill Siting Committee, said the siting committee is waiting to receive an updated proposal from GFL before beginning additional negotiations.

"When we get proposals from the landfill, then we'll act further on it," Henning said.

If a landfill expansion proposal is eventually approved, it would require final approval from the County Board, Seymour Town Board and Eau Claire City Council.

"We have part of the final say," County Board Chairman Nick Smiar said.

Supervisor Colleen Bates agreed but noted that county supervisors have an important role in the process.

"We certainly contribute to what the final product is," Bates said.

EDI update

The committee received information about the new city-county equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator position. A person has not been hired yet to fill the role, which will be a shared position between the city and county of Eau Claire.

Schauf said the coordinator will help the county "do some very difficult work, and very detailed work, that will need to be done for us from a cultural and organizational perspective to begin looking at the issues that we work in."

The coordinator will meet with county staff to review policies, practices and processes through the lens of equity and social justice, which will take time and entail challenges.

"There's going to be a lot of learning that occurs," Schauf said. "It's an exciting time; it's an optimistic time ... We, as government providers of services, have an influence on the culture of our communities, and that puts us in a position where ... we have to make sure that all of those interactions are done with inclusion (and) ensure that we don't have biases built into those processes."

Other business

The committee passed a proclamation making April 12-16 Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The next Administration Committee meeting is scheduled for April 13.