Renewable energy task force to be considered
Members of a Marathon County committee floated the idea last week of establishing a task force to look at ways for the county to incorporate renewal energy into its operations.
The Human Resources, Finance and Property Committee, at its Oct. 25 meeting, brought up the idea as part of a larger discussion about the county’s strategic plan, which is continually updated. Supervisor Ann Lemmer, Wausau, said renewable energy is included in the county’s comprehensive plan, but not in the strategic plan.
“The cost of energy is certainly going up, and I know we’re not ready to go to 100 percent renewables, but it seems to me that we really need to start planting seeds,” she said. “It will eventually equal out into a savings.”
Supervisor Kody Hart, Wausau, said adding renewable energy goals would be in line with an existing goal in the strategic plan “to promote cost-effective and high-quality public services.”
“The move for renewable resources is more so we have control over our energy needs, so we’re not at the whims of whenever energy prices fall and increase,” he said. “We have something to stabilize it. And it is going to take an investment, that’s for sure.” Supervisor Alyson Leahy, Wausau, wondered if more work needs to be done to develop specific goals for county facilities.
“It seems like we’re in the research stage, and we’re not ready to put an actual policy into practice,” she said.
Committee chairman John Robinson pointed out that the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act made local units of government eligible for up to 30 percent payments in lieu of tax credits for investing in renewables.
Board chairman Kurt Gibbs said there are so many things to consider when it comes to renewable energy — from electric vehicles to natural gas from solid waste – that it might make sense to form a task force to come up with recommendations.
“Do we put solar panels on top of the courthouse, for example?” he said.
Robinson suggested that the committee take up the task force proposal at a future meeting, for possible consideration by the executive committee and the full county board.
In other business, Hart made a motion to set a goal of reducing the county’s employee turnover rate due to resignations by 35 percent, to make it more in line with the average attrition rate between 2016 and 2020.
Gibbs wondered what strategies the county could use to lower the turnover rate, especially if the causes are beyond the county’s control. If more employees are leaving because of a growing economy, “I don’t know that we can do anything about that,” he said.
Hart mentioned four-day work weeks for some county employees as one example of keeping younger employees who want more flexibility with their hours.
Molly Adzic, county human resource director, said a 10 percent attrition rate is an “industry standard” that she would find acceptable. Hart amended his motion to set the goal at 10 percent turnovers due to resignations.
A vote on the motion was ultimately postponed so Hart and Adzic had more time to work on the exact wording of the goal.
n The committee authorized the corporation counsel to enter into negotiations with the Public Service Commission regarding a utility easement being requested at 1531 Curling Way in Wausau. The PSC is looking to upgrade underground and overhead electrical lines on county-owned land, and the committee inquired about collecting a fee for the easement and adding an indemnity clause.
n The committee approved a new committee work plan with four areas: reviewing American Rescue Plan Act proposals, handling property management, examining TIF districts and promoting cultural competence.
