Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors Meeting - August 18, 2026
Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors Meeting - August 18, 2026
The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM CDT. Nineteen supervisors were present, with four excused (Madigan, Deer, Rodman, Yankee). The meeting covered routine approvals, appointments, recognitions, reports, and a presentation on economic development.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of July 21, 2026: Approved 20-0 (motion by Supervisor Simon, second by Supervisor Van Heizen).
- Mileage, Per Diem, and Expenses Report for July 2026: Approved 21-0. Totals: $1,200 per diem, $1,000.34 mileage, $2,200.34 total claimed and allowed.
Appointments and Committee Assignments
- Appointment of Jeffrey N. Montsma to County Board District 5: Recommended by the Committee on Committees. Approved 20-0. Oath of office administered by County Clerk Lisa Freiberg.
- Appointment to Highway, Airport and Facilities Committee: Supervisor Brault moved to substitute Tom Herlache for the recommended appointee (Montsma), arguing that Herlache had seniority and relevant experience (trucking company owner). The amendment was debated: Supervisor Ryan opposed, citing the value of Montsma's experience as a town chairman and the need for continuity. Supervisor Hayes supported the amendment, noting that Herlache lives in the City of Fond du Lac and could provide a city perspective. The amendment failed 8-12-1 (with Supervisor Montsma abstaining). The original appointment of Montsma was then approved 19-1-1 (Supervisor Hayes opposed, Supervisor Montsma abstained).
Recognitions and Proclamations
- Resolution No. 28-26 (Retirees): Recognizing Tammy Burns (29.5 years, correctional officer), Terry Dietzel (34 years, director of land information), Chris Luckow (30 years, social worker), and Kathy O'Brien (33 years, social worker). Approved 21-0. Remarks were made by colleagues; Terry Dietzel was praised for his role in parks and trails.
- Resolution No. 29-26 (Former Supervisor Sarah Ann Smith): Recognizing 12 years of service (2014-2026) on multiple committees. Approved 21-0. Smith gave brief remarks, noting her 13 years of service and good-naturedly commenting on committee assignments.
- Proclamation – National Preparedness Month (September 2026): Designating September as Preparedness Month. Approved 21-0. Don (Emergency Management) spoke about upcoming activities: media releases, a presentation at the Center on First Street, and a county employee newsletter article.
- Proclamation – Altrusa International 75th Anniversary: Recognizing over 75 years of service and literacy promotion. Approved 21-0. Terry Lair, president, accepted and noted the group's coordination of the mobile meals program for 55 years.
Communication
- Disallowance of Claim – Roy Derksen: Corporation Counsel Meggin McNamara recommended disallowance of a claim for property damage allegedly caused by a law enforcement response. The claim was not itemized, and the county's insurance carrier recommended denial. Approved 21-0. Disallowance shortens the time for the claimant to sue to six months.
Reports
- 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report: Presented by David Minch of KerberRose. The county received an unmodified opinion with no instances of noncompliance or internal control deficiencies. General fund balance: $34.1 million (decrease of $5.7 million due to carryover spending). Unassigned fund balance: $13.7 million (18.24% of expenditures). Outstanding general obligation debt: $50.1 million; legal debt limit is $649 million. Discussion included trends and risks: fraud risk due to turnover, and challenges of stagnant revenues and levy limits. County Executive Sam Kaufman noted that a large project (e.g., jail) would not immediately harm the bond rating but could affect future borrowing. Supervisor Hayes questioned large increases in subscription liabilities (from $738,000 to $2.45 million due to a new ERP system) and a line item in Human Services (administration and fiscal expenditures from $547,000 budget to $5.175 million actual, attributed to new accounting system and capital expenses).
- 2025 Annual Report of the Highway Commission: Presented by Commissioner Thomas J. Janke. Highlighted employee retention challenges (over half of employees have 5 or fewer years of service), competition with private sector, and the efficiency of the county's auto body shop (34% of shop time for sheriff's department accident repairs). Equipment operations netted $1.3 million. Janke noted that the department is 30-40% cheaper than private contractors for state projects.
- Envision Greater Fond du Lac Update: Presented by President/CEO Sadie Howell. The organization serves 650 members, holds 112 events annually, and supports 145 startups. The five-year strategic plan focuses on unifying stakeholders, empowering entrepreneurs, and developing a future-ready workforce. Howell highlighted the "Make My Move" talent attraction program: 987 applicants in pipeline, 32 families moved with an annual economic impact of $1.5 million (direct spending, taxes, etc.). The program offers $5,500 cash and up to $4,000 in experience add-ons. A video showcased Fond du Lac County's amenities. Howell also discussed housing advocacy, noting a "missing middle" gap for workforce housing. A housing committee is working on phased proposals. Howell addressed community criticism of the incentive program, stating it is no different from other state or employer incentives and that the program has been highly successful. Supervisor Hayes asked about potential partnerships like Sheboygan County's workforce housing model; Howell responded that replicating that model is not appropriate for Fond du Lac County and that smaller-scale, community-specific solutions are being pursued.
Resolutions
- Resolution No. 30-26 (Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2): Adopting amendment number two to the Fond du Lac County 2020-2024 Comprehensive Plan. Approved 21-0.
Key Outcomes
- All votes passed with strong majorities (20-0 or 21-0) except the amendment on committee appointment, which failed 8-12-1.
- The board approved the appointment of Jeffrey N. Montsma to the County Board and to the Highway, Airport and Facilities Committee over a motion to substitute Tom Herlache.
- The board disallowed a claim from Roy Derksen, shortening the period for potential litigation.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 6:00 PM CDT.
Meeting Transcript
Whenever you really have a lot of people. Thank you, gentlemen. Okay, roll call this evening. We have nineteen supervisors present with supervisors Madigan, Deer, Rodman, and Yankee excused. And hopefully two more here shortly. Nice. Is there a motion to approve? Motion by Supervisor Simon, second by Supervisor Van Heizen. Are there any errors, omissions, or corrections to the minutes? Simon and Van Heisen. Okay. All right. We'll move to the vote. All those in favor, press your button aye. Oppose nay. The minutes have been approved, twenty in favor and none opposed. Our next agenda item is an appointment. We have a recommendation by the committee on committees for the appointment of Jeffrey and Monsma to represent Vonelac County Board Supervisory District Five. Okay, is there a motion to approve the appointment? Motion by Supervisor Ryan, second by Supervisor Mike Will. Starting to start discussion, um this is uh doesn't happen very often. Uh I think we average every three, four years. Uh we have to appoint somebody. State statute says that the appointments happened uh by the county board chair. Our history um precedent is that we do it by committee on committees. Um that really hasn't changed. Um so we just I what I did do do though is I talked to several other counties and they all do it a little bit different. However, the one thing I took away from those discussions was um it's never an issue because they typically are lucky if they get one person applying for the position. So we did have three people apply for the position, all very qualified, and uh the committee on committees uh interviewed them and made the motion to uh appoint uh Jeff Monsma to that position. So are there any questions or comments on the appointment? Questions or comments. I don't see oh, Supervisor Griffith. Order to ask um if we could learn just a little bit about this new person. I mean, just uh so we can know something, or is that not okay? Yeah, you had the resumes. Uh they were all sent to you. So I mean, when Jeff, if we see him, then I'll let him if he wants to say a few words, I guess I'll leave that up to him. But any other questions or comments. I don't see any, so we'll move to the vote. All those in favor, press your button. Aye, oppose, nay. Uh the appointment has been approved, twenty in favor and none opposed. Jeff, would you come down and uh uh at Lisa will administer the oath of office? Kind of make all right. I'll need you to raise your right hand, please. Aye, please state your name. I Jeffrey Norman Monsma. Haven't been appointed to the office of haven't been appointed to the office of County Board Supervisor District Five. County Board District Supervisor Five. I swear that I will support the Constitution.
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