The Juneau County Board of Supervisors took a needed step Tuesday in a proposed project to build a county community center at Veterans Memorial Park in Mauston.

But the board's 14-6 vote to enter a contract with the state Department of Commerce came after discussion in which some supervisors expressed concern that the deal could leave Juneau County taxpayers on the hook for part of the project costs despite assurances that won't happen.

"What passing this resolution does not do is indebt or leverage Juneau County in any way," Sup. John Hamm said. "Any permanent improvements of the county land will require board action."

At issue Tuesday was a public facilities grant contract with the state that will provide $529,000 in funding to the $3.7 million project.

If completed, the 14,740-square-foot building adjacent the Juneau County Fairgrounds along state Highway 58 would serve all county residents as a multipurpose facility adaptable for trade shows, exhibitions, conventions, athletic tournaments and other events.

A nongovernment entity, the Juneau County Agricultural, Industrial and Recreation Society, or JCAIRS, was previously charged by the County Board to spearhead the project with the goal of funding it with grant money and private donations.

JCAIRS is governed by a board of directors that includes Hamm and other representatives from government, but the group is a private, not-for-profit corporation.

The contract endorsed by supervisors Tuesday is between the state and the county, not JCAIRS.

The $529,000 state grant was announced late last year but required board action to become official.

Supervisors John Wenum, Lynn Willard, David Arnold, Dennis Kolba, Joan Koscal and Margaret Marchetti voted against the resolution to enter the contract. Sup. Orville Robinson did not attend the meeting.

The board's vote came after supervisors endorsed an amendment to the resolution, introduced by Sup. Ray Feldman, designed to make it clear that JCAIRS, not Juneau County taxpayers, will provide all of the county's matching funds, which are required by the grant.

Feldman's amendment passed on an 18-2 vote, with Willard and Marchetti voting against.

Marchetti said she was concerned about language in the grant contract that suggests that taxpayers could eventually be asked to foot part of the project bill. "This bothers me," Marchetti said.

Sup. Jerry Niles, who is a member of JCAIRS, said that terms of the agreement stipulate that the County Board has final approval of any building project.

"We do not foresee having to ask for any more money," Sup. Jerry Niles said. "But if it ever comes to that you would have a chance to say no."

Niles told fellow supervisors that a no vote would "cut the hands" from people now seeking private donations to complete the project.

"If the county does not feel that this is a good project, why would you ask somebody out there to donate $100,000 for something the county does not feel is a good project?" Niles said.

Hamm said endorsing the contract with the state would open the door to other grant money and demonstrate to private donors that the county was a reliable and stable project partner.

"Reliable partners is what donors and community groups must have if they're to support this project with their hard-earned dollars," Hamm said.

Several citizen members of JCAIRS also spoke before Tuesday's vote, as did Ethan Giebel, a Mauston High School senior involved with local chapters of the 4-H Club and the National FFA Organization.

"This project would benefit the youth of Juneau County, and I believe that voting in favor of the resolution would bring it one step toward reality," Giebel told supervisors.

Login to post your comment. If you don't have an account, you may register for one.