Vilas County exits current Tri-County Human Services Board agreement

The Vilas County Board of Supervisors last week approved a resolution authorizing the county’s withdrawal from participation in the Tri-County Human Services Board.

Formal action to do the same by the county boards of the other two counties in the partnership — Oneida and Forest — was taken prior to the Oct. 24 Vilas County board meeting. 

The Oneida County Board of Supervisors passed its withdrawal resolution on Sept. 26 and the Forest County board approved its resolution at its Oct. 17 meeting.

The Vilas County resolution states the withdrawal will take effect on Dec. 31, 2024. 

“This is a significant development in a longstanding relationship that the county has had relative to social work that also encompasses significant work by the sheriff’s department to help with the process to serve clients,” county supervisor Marv Anderson explained. 

Anderson is the chairman of the county board’s social services committee. 

“It has been realized ... that the current structure provided by the Human Service Center (HSC) has caused a number of issues relative to the number of people through social services in collaboration with the sheriff’s department serve,” Anderson said. “In other words, their structure is not working very well for many clients and documented in a number of ways and in a number of situations. So, this is the reason for the resolution that you see in front of you to withdraw from that arrangement.”

Anderson stressed there was nothing contractual involved. 

“It’s an MOU (memorandum of understanding) that’s been in place for a lot of years,” Anderson said. 

Vilas County social services director Kate Gardner told the county board she started with the agency in 2007 and was named director in 2010. 

“As long as I can remember, we’ve struggled with this structure,” she said. “We’ve attempted on many occasions to find ways to make it work.”

Gardner mentioned a 2008 study conducted by Oneida County “that looked at the structure and what needed to happen.”

“There were several recommendations made but I think the issue with getting those recommendations implemented is, again, the structure,” she said. “It’s a barrier for our counties working together.”

Gardner said there was another study completed more recently by the Human Service Center itself.

“And yet, we still struggle,” she said. “For me, it’s not a question of the people providing the services, it’s a question of how to organize and how we might be a little more closely aligned with each other in a different format to make the most of the resources that we do have.”

County supervisor Bob Hanson asked if there was an “alternative structure” that was being proposed. 

Gardner said that was being worked on as requests for proposals for consultants have been issued. 

The resolution, as passed by the county board last week, states a recommendation for a new HSC structure is to be presented to the county board “no later than March 31, 2024.”

“We have some ideas as to general ways we might structure ourselves,” she said. “There are several examples throughout the state of counties who have done different tings and we certainly want to look at what’s the best of them for our area ... we want to make sure what we do fits.”

In addition to making sure of that, Gardner said the goal for a different structure would allow the HSC to “up our game, so to speak and make all of our stakeholders just a little more happy with the services we provide.”

Before the vote and after Vilas County Sheriff Joe Fath told county board chairman Jerry Burkett he supported the concept, Burkett commented on the resolution.

“Sometimes, you have to break something down to rebuild,” he said. “We want our clients, the people of Vilas County, served. I look forward to a discussion in the future with the other county chairs. I look forward to ideas and I look forward to growth.”

After the unanimous vote, county supervisor Joseph Wildcat, Sr., a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and a former tribal president, read a letter signed by tribal president John Johnson, Sr. regarding the matter. 

“From the tribe’s perspective, any reasonable alternative to the Tri-County Human Services Board will be an improvement,” Wildcat read.

HSC executive director Tamara Feest told The Lakeland Times last week as that alternative, or a new HSC structure, is sought, the agency will continue “providing services as we always have.”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].