New County Board Sworn In

Judge Todd Ehlers talks to the Door County Board of Supervisors after swearing in the new board at its organizational meeting on April 15. County Administrator Maureen Murphy is on the left.

Door County Circuit Judge Todd Ehlers – minus robes – swore in the new Door County Board of Supervisors at its post-April 1 election organizational meeting on Tuesday, April 15. The 21-member board includes four new members:  Jon Koch, who ran unopposed for the District 4 seat (Gardner Ward 1 and Nasawaupee Ward 3) vacated by Mark Feuerstein; Don Sitte, who ran unopposed for the District 19 seat (Baileys Harbor Ward 2 and Liberty Grove Ward 3) vacated by Hugh Mulliken; John Bur, who defeated David Englebert for the District 1 seat (Union and Brussels Ward 1) vacated by Cletus Fontaine; and Randy Halstead, who defeated incumbent Dale Wiegand for the District 16 seat (Town of Egg Harbor Ward 1 and Jacksonport Ward 1).

The board then voted to retain Dan Austad, who represents District 8 (Wards 3 and 4 of the City of Sturgeon Bay), as chairman of the board, and David Lienau, representing District 20 (Liberty Grove Ward 2 and Sister Bay), kept his position as vice chairman.

The board then voted 11 to 10 for a proposal from Supervisor Leo Zipperer, representing District 14 (Sevastopol Wards 2 – 4), to add two members each – from five to seven members – to five committees, including Airport & Parks, EMS, Information Systems, Law Enforcement and Property. The proposal also called for increasing the Negotiating Committee from four to five members.

Zipperer said his reasoning was that more people could participate in decision-making at the committee level.

Since supervisors are paid to attend meetings, Supervisor Susan Kohout asked, “I wonder what kind of financial impact this will have.” She and several other supervisors were in favor of sending Zipperer’s idea to the Administrative Committee to look at the idea more closely.

It was also suggested that the Airport & Parks Committee be split into two separate committees because the monthly meetings can become marathon sessions. Joel Gunnlaugsson, representing Washington Island and also serving as chairman of the Town of Washington, which has its own airport, said it is “foolish” to keep the two very distinct entities – county parks and airports – as one committee.

But when Zipperer called for a vote on his motion to add more members to certain committees, the motion passed and Airport and Parks will continue as one unwieldy committee.

The next item was to vote for the five members of the Highway Committee. Joel Gunnlaugsson will continue to represent Northern Door. John Nienas will continue to represent Southern Door. Ken Fisher will continue to represent Sturgeon Bay. Leo Zipperer retained his spot on the Highway Committee as the Northern Door representative at large, and Roy Englebert was chosen to represent the Southern Door at large position. Nienas also retained chairmanship of the committee in a vote with Ken Fisher. The vice chair will be elected at the committee’s first meeting.

County Administrator Maureen Murphy, Austad and several senior members of the board then convened in private to determine the makeup of the rest of the committees. See ppulse.com for details.