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The search for a new Oneida County Department on Aging facility is on hold and a new 11-person committee has been authorized to study whether Oneida County should remain part of the tri-county Human Service Center (HSC).

The decision to create an HSC workgroup was made after the board listened to an hour-long presentation conducted by consultants who recently completed an in-depth study of the HSC. The consultants, from The Management Group, identified three options for the county to consider in relation to its human services future.

The county can either continue in the three-county consortium with Vilas and Forest counties, break away and create its own human services department or join a larger regional consortium.

The work group, which will be made up of three county board supervisors and eight county employees representing county departments affected by a possible change, will be charged with deciding which option to recommend to the county board.

A facilitator will be hired at a cost of up to $25,000 to provide an unbiased voice and help the group stay on task.

The workgroup, which could meet for as long as 18 months, will have to provide the board with progress reports every three months.

In the meantime, the board decided it serves no purpose for the Department on Aging building committee to resume its work.

“The building committee hasn’t been meeting. It was going to start up again but there’s no point in doing that until this group (the county board) determines what direction we’re going in terms of the delivery of services to people in Oneida County,” said Ted Cushing, chairman of the finance committee.

The HSC provides services to those with mental illnesses, those battling alcohol and other drug addiction, and adults and children with developmental disabilities. The county must also implement the state’s new Family Care program, which affects the consumers of both the HSC and the Department on Aging.

The board voted unanimously to suspend the search for the department on aging facility but was less receptive to the idea of creating an 11-person committee to study a subject that was just studied by the consultants at a cost of $100,000.

Supervisor Charles Wickman wanted to know why 11 people are needed to participate in the workgroup and several supervisors questioned whether a facilitator is necessary.

Cushing said only three members of the committee (the county board supervisors) will have voting rights. He said the other eight people are necessary because the finance committee wants every department that could be affected by a change to have a voice.

“This is a massive undertaking,” he said.

Cushing also said the facilitator should be able to keep the process from becoming political. When asked if the facilitator might be “someone who spoke today,” Cushing responded, “Could be.”

The new committee was authorized by unanimous vote.

The board also passed a resolution informing the other members of the HSC that it is considering leaving the consortium.

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Comments »

Trisha wrote on Sep 21, 2008 7:34 PM:

" Tamara Feest and Ann Cleereman are the HSC employees to be working on this Work Group. Cleereman of all people? The root of the problems at the HSC?! And Andy Smith is APPOINTING the people who will be representing the county... Smith, a major problem the tax payors have. Oh, but I'm sure he will appoint a couple good old boys to represent his best (political) interests. Can someone tell us who everyone is on this county footed work group? "

SCOTT COUNTER wrote on Sep 17, 2008 5:20 PM:

" MY QUESTION TO THE COUNTY BOARD. YOU JUST SPENT 100,00 ON A STUDY TO TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED A COMMITEE TO HOLD ANOTHER STUDY AND THAN STICK THE TAX PAYERS WITH ANOTHER 25,000 BILL TO HIRE SOMEONE TO KEEP 11 ADULTS ON TASK. AND THIS PERSON MAY BE ONE OF THE PERSONS FROM THE FIRM THAT JUST SOAKED THE COUNTY FOR 100,00. GIVE ME THE 25,000 ILL BABY SIT FOR THAT AND WHEN THEY MISS BEHAVE ILL GIVE THEM ALL A TIME OUT. MAY BE WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOMEONE TO WATCH THE COUNTY BOARD IF ANYONE IS OFF TASK IT IS ALL OF ARE ELECTED PERSONS ON THE BOARD FOR COMING UP WITH AN IDEA LIKE THIS. MAYBE LET THE TAX PAYERS DECIDE WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTY. LET THEM VOICE THEIR CONCERNS TO YOU THE ONE THAT WORK FOR US NOT A CONSULTING FIRM. "

Concerned wrote on Sep 17, 2008 12:03 PM:

" During this time of economic unrest any plan to combine efforts and reduce overhead should be the first option. The HSC has been a sinking ship for ten years or so The agency has been plagued with spineless leadership. The current E.D. has taken the agency to a new low. The first step to correcting this agency is to remove the E.D. "

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