By Brian Lund
publisher@myrjonline.com
DARLINGTON — The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors met for their monthly meeting Tuesday, June 18 at the Multi-Purpose Building and immediately went into a one-hour closed session.
The description of why the supervisors went into closed session was unclear but the agenda noted: “competitive bargaining reason” and “conferring with legal counsel rendering advice to be adopted by the supervisors with respect to litigation in which it is likely to become involved” and specifically “discussion of the hospital construction project status, construction timeline, and other issues related to hospital project.”
Revenue bond financing for Bug Tussel
Lafayette County Board moved forward by approving the initial step to issuing $14 million in bonds to Bug Tussel Wireless, LLC. The $14 million will be used by Bug Tussel to finance project costs in Lafayette County.
The Bug Tussel project includes acquisition, construction and installation of telecommunication infrastructure, including tower sites by purchasing or leasing of land and equipping the sites with towers and electronics to provide broadband, high speed cellular, emergency communication and point to point data communication.
Many supervisors stated they were lukewarm on the idea.
“I don’t think the Finance Committee was even lukewarm on this,” Supervisor Scott Pedley said. “The committee does believe that broadband is needed in Lafayette County. It will help our county with future viability and will help our place in economic development opportunities to occur. We will be on the hook for $14 million. This requires our attention.”
Lafayette County Economic Development & Tourism Director Allison Taylor said the decision was “definitely” worth moving forward.
“Even if it eventually doesn’t get passed, we will have time to study further,” Taylor said.
Bug Tussel representative Mitch Olson said this is an initial resolution.
“You have to pass two resolutions before you entertain any debt,” Olson said. “This is purely for notice purposes Section two has a laundry list of things that have to be accomplished, before you are committed to the program.”
According to Olson, Bug Tussel is an internet provider headquartered in Green Bay. The footprint in Lafayette County currently includes 15 to 20 towers in Lafayette County, a portion of those have wireless broadband equipment as well as AT&T equipment providing cellular activity for residence in Lafayette County.
“The next step in our development in Lafayette County and state wide is to deploy fiber. The fiber serves a lot of serves including connecting our towers as well as connecting fiber to homes,” Olson said. “This is the way the industry is going. In the simplest terms that I can explain it is we’re asking the county to co-sign on debt for us. We receive a significantly better rate, 4% better, because of the county’s participation in the program.”
There are several other counties in Wisconsin that are considering this same resolution. A final resolution deadline is in August. The current resolution is non-binding.
It was noted that this can be petitioned to be a referendum and be voted on by the electorate of Lafayette County.
“Who regulates you in Wisconsin?” Supervisor Emmett Reilly asked.
Olson answered that fiber optics is largely unregulated.
“For a different right-of-way standpoint it’s whoever has the permit authority on the road,” Olson said.
A motion was by Pedley and seconded by Reilly to adopt Resolution 20-24, Initial resolution approving revenue bond financing for Bug Tussel Wireles, LLC. The motion was approved unanimously.
Other County Board business:
● Approved Resolution 16-24, amending the map of the Lafayette County Zoning Ordinance. Rezoning eight acres for Adam and Ashley Moore from agriculture working lands to agriculture district in Wiota Township.
● Heard a first reading of Lafayette County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.
● Approved amendments to Chapter 6-1 Lafayette County Comprehensive Zoning. The additions and changes include definition of bedroom; added a definition of house; changes in ‘lot access to roads and private roads’; added ‘no lot shall be created that does not meet minimal setbacks’; added a section on ‘disability projects’; corrected spelling errors; adding headlines to sections; other miscellaneous corrections.
● Approved Resolution 14-24, a resolution adopting Lafayette County Chapter 16 — Solar Energy Systems Ordinance.
● Rescinded Resolution 25-20, and approved Resolution 18-24, the resolution updates the retention bonus program and the Lafayette County Manor. The updated retention bonus will be as follows: RN’s — $750 every three months through one year of employment; LPN’s — $500 every three months through one year of employment; CNA’s — $300 every three months through one year of employment.
● Approved Resolution 19-24, a resolution that spends American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds for the trails — up to $4,000 for automatic trail towers at Blackhawk Memorial Park; $3,750 for road repairs also at Blackhawk Memorial Park. This will leave a balance in the ARPA funds at $400,721.