DARLINGTON — A meeting of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors was held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 in the County Board room. 

The County Board tackled an amendment to Rule 3A of the rules of the Lafayette County Board, regarding committee structure. The change would be to combine the Land Conservation Committee and The Planning and Zoning Committee into one committee.

The change requires 2/3 approval of the board.

Both committees and the Executive Committee approved the action and sent it to this county board meeting.

After the resolution was read, Chairman Jack Sauer asked for comments or discussion on the resolution.

Supervisor Dan Morrisey asked Chairman Sauer what his feelings were on this.

“They’ve changed a lot over the years, I think the two departments could work together. Sometimes change is good. I don’t have a problem trying it,” Sauer said.

The vote went 7-yes to 7-no, so the amendment failed.

“I’m going to make a statement and I don’t care if any of you like it or not. Some of you don’t know what you’re voting on. I think John does, but I don’t think anybody else does. I don’t care if you like that statement or not,” Sauer said.

Supervisor John Reichling said he voted no at the committee level, voted no at the executive level, and voted no again at the supervisor level.

Multiple supervisors said they had studied the amendment change and voted no based on that.

Other business:

●  Heard a zoom presentation from Bakertilly on the Lafayette County 2022 financial audit. All facets of the county accounting practices were reviewed. Some items of interest include: Lafayette Manor recorded an operating loss of $1,988,314 in 2022, double what they lost in the previous years. The Manor’s income from the county includes general property taxes — $637,788, Intergovernmental grants — $895,897, misc. $156, plus monies from the general fund — $671,414; Lafayette County Highway had an operating loss of $3,156,547, about $740,219 more then the previous year. Highway’s levy is $1,778,067, from the general fund Highway received $480,000 (reoccurring for truck purchases); Lafayette County EMS had an operating loss of $71,290, with a levy of $170,590, income of $99,300.

●  Heard a presentation from Pattern Wind Farm, who have plans on building a wind farm in Lafayette County, Iowa County and a little in Grant County. The size of the new project is approximately seven times larger then Quilt Wind Farm.

●  Items of interest: Revenue spent in county is $2.4 million per year for four years, projected to be $96 million into the local economy; will take 450 construction jobs to build the development; will have 40-year contracts with land owners; construction will begin mid 2025 and be operational in 2027; will create 12-18 permanent jobs; will be the first wind farm to go through the public service commission requirements; want to be good neighbors.

Several questions were asked and answered.

●  Heard a presentation from Troy Maggied, Executive Director of Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SWWRPC) regarding 2023 services. 

●  Approved resolution 25-23, a resolution adopting the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

●  Approved Resolution 27-23, a resolution authorizing the submission of an application for a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Community Development Investment Grant. The recipient of the grant is Driver Opera House for up to $250,000.

●  Approved a resolution appointing the Republican Journal as the Official County Newspaper.

●  Approved Resolution 30-23, a resolution creating a cook position, with a wage of $17 per hour at the Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County.