County Board remembers Bob Mercord

Posted 1/4/22

By Sarah Nigbor In memory of former Pierce County Board Supervisor Robert Mercord, who died Dec. 10, Pierce County Clerk Jamie Feuerhelm read a memorial resolution at the Dec. 28 meeting, which will …

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County Board remembers Bob Mercord

Posted

By Sarah Nigbor

In memory of former Pierce County Board Supervisor Robert Mercord, who died Dec. 10, Pierce County Clerk Jamie Feuerhelm read a memorial resolution at the Dec. 28 meeting, which will be given to the Mercord family.

“Robert Mercord was a dedicated member of the Pierce County Board of Supervisors for eight years, serving on numerous committees to include ADRC, Human Services, Fair, Housing, and Library and his great relationship with staff and peers had contributed to the success of services for the citizens of Pierce County and the county will enjoy the benefits of his service well beyond his time here,” Feuerhelm read.

According to Mercord’s obituary, “strangers were just friends you hadn’t met yet.” He knew how to make everyone feel special, whether it was while working at the Prescott Public Library or acknowledging a child. Mercord and his wife, Alice, enjoyed daily car rides through the pandemic, his obituary states.

“Bob and Alice would get in the car, turn on the radio to Willie’s Roadhouse. Drives were all over Pierce and St. Croix County; if you heard a double honk outside your home, it was Bob driving by saying ‘hello.’” Other business

The board approved the following resolutions on first reading:

•To ratify the Wisconsin Professional Police Association Sheriff’s Department – patrol, investigators subunit collective bargaining agreement.

•To ratify WPPA Sheriff’s Department – jail subunit collective bargaining agreement.

•To authorize new Sheriff’s Office positions for 2022 (substitute), which include an Office Specialist position at $90,833 per year and a jail lieutenant at $99,367 per year.

The cost for the office position is offset by the elimination of the secretary/ deputy/jailer position from the collective bargaining unit. The cost for the lieutenant position will be paid for using existing budgeted funds and fund from current position vacancies.

•A resolution to transfer no more than $100,712 from the General Fund to the Maintenance Department for the Seyforth Building roof insulation project, which costs a total of $159,200. The building sustained hail damage in 2018, and insurance proceeds will be used to replace the roof. However, other insulation and roofing substrate concerns need to be fixed first.

•A resolution to adopt the Prime Choice Qualified Retirement Plan, offered by Precision Retirement Group, administered by Pelion Benefits. Inc.

•A resolution to purchase property in the Town of Spring Lake. The property is an easement (0.53 acres of vacant farm land) owned by Merlin and Virginia Place. It will allow the county to access its property on which a communications tower is operated. The cost is $4,000, plus $1,571 in closing costs.

•A resolution authorizing Pierce County to enter into the settlement agreements with McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisource-Bergren Corp, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc.; agree to terms of the Memorandum of Understanding allocation settlement proceeds; and authorize entry into the MOU with the attorney general.

The next county board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25.