The Pierce County Board voted to send a resolution concerning a proposed partnership between SwiftCurrent Connect (SCC) and the Pierce County Fairgrounds for internet service back to the Finance & Personnel Committee for clarification.

Last month during the first reading, Chair Jon Aubart took issue with wording in the proposal that called it a “donation.” At this month’s second reading, that wording had not changed.

According to a presentation by Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Director of Marketing & Growth Dave French in July, SCC would provide all the infrastructure, equipment and labor required to construct and operate high-speed fiber internet service at the Fairgrounds. SCC would pay for the initial estimated investment of $200,000, which includes network design, materials, equipment, construction and installation labor, in exchange for naming PPCS the single presenting sponsor and naming rights at all agreed upon locations, such as the Grandstand, entry gates, social media channels and more. The agreement would be a 10-year contract ending after the 2037 Fair; the annual sponsorship value to PPCS is listed as $20,000; and the annual operational expense budget provided by PPCS to Pierce County would be a $5,000 allowance to be applied towards maintenance, including but not limited to routine performance monitoring, pre-approved maintenance and equipment repair or replacement, warranty-related repairs, and onsite troubleshooting; any charges beyond the allowance would be Pierce County's responsibility, billed at $135 per hour.

Supervisor Frank During (District 8) also questioned it truly being a donation if naming rights/sponsorship are wanted in return. Aubart asked Pierce County Fair Manager Liz Dietsche why no further information on the proposal’s specifics had been provided as requested. She said she’d been busy with the fair, held Aug. 13-17.

“The slide presentation is not in the packet. We’re just getting dumped on here,” Aubart said.

“The equipment will be given to us at the end of it, and we would acknowledge it with the signage around the fair,” Dietsche explained.

Aubart wanted to know what the signage is worth and how that’s figured out.

“We have all the things that this can do, and it will give us some future value. However, currently, when we think about the signage, it’s probably worth about $5,000 or $6,000 as far as what we would normally charge,” Dietsche said.

Supervisor Mel Pittman (District 17) said he is in support of the resolution but wants the donation language changed. Aubart also questioned whether the work would need to be bid out, since the value of the infrastructure is supposedly $200,000.

“Does it need to come under a bid? Another company could say ‘hey, we didn’t get that opportunity’ and we could end up in a lawsuit. I’m not saying there would be, but that’s a possibility. If it’s not a donation and it fall under the bidding process that’s problematic.”

Corporation Counsel Brad Lawrence said it wasn’t a bad idea to send it back to F&P for clarification. French said moving it back further could make it so the internet service would not be ready in time for the 2027 fair, which is the goal.

Supervisor Barry Barringer (District 16) said the Pierce Pepin board may rescind the proposal if they think the county doesn’t appreciate it.

“I think we’re really splitting hairs here,” he said.

Public comment

• Kay Kashian, town of El Paso, informed the board of GROWW’s court case victory against Ridge Breeze Dairy in the town of Salem. A judge ruled that a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) permit for the expansion of Ridge Breeze Dairy from approximately 1,700 cows to up to 9,000 failed to adequately protect groundwater from pollution. The judge ordered the permit sent back to the DNR, requiring it to add safeguards capable of detecting violations of Wisconsin’s groundwater protection standards.

“The permit did not provide meaningful safeguards for the waters of Pierce County,” Kashian said. “The job of [monitoring] extractive industries should not be the responsibility of individuals. It should be the job of our elected officials.”

• Elmwood Public Library Director Nick Andrews provided the board with an update on county libraries’ activities, including a subscription to NewsBank, which provides free access to thousands of newspapers with a library card.
• Greg Miller of Cascade Primary Care in River Falls spoke about challenges in affording good healthcare. He also asked why Cascade Primary Care wasn’t invited to the discussion on the county’s insurance choices.
• Gina Most, nursing supervisor for the Free Clinic of Pierce & St. Croix counties, had a letter read on her behalf about BadgerCare and Medicaid requirements and how the Free Clinic is helping people. “I am seeing people go without care for cancer because they do not have the financial means to pay for treatment,” she said.
• Supervisor Kris Sampson (District 1, Prescott) spoke about her efforts to promote Great River Road tourism at the Wisconsin State Fair alongside Discover Wisconsin and the new Great River Road tourism website wigrr.com

Other business

• On first reading, the board approved a new Human Services economic support specialist position with an annual salary/benefits of $88,592, paid for completely by state and federal funds. The state issued new mandates for the FoodShare Program’s quality assurance in an effort to keep Wisconsin's error rate below 6 percent. If error rates are above 6 percent, the federal government will impose fiscal penalties.
• The board approved an unbudgeted $20,910 expenditure from the Land Records Modernization Fund for the mid-year migration to the Catalis land information portal. The software used by the Land Management Department for the issuance and tracking of land use and private on-site wastewater treatment systems permits is sunsetting.
• The board approved a resolution amending compensation for the Pierce County Board of Canvassers/election officials. Board of Canvassers will be paid $21 per hour; election officials' compensation will be $18 per hour, plus mileage.
• The boar approved an increase to marriage license and domestic partnership fees to $90 per permit, $20 per waiver.
• The board approved appointing Jason Akey, town of Clifton, to the Board of Adjustment as a second alternate from Aug. 25, 2026 to June 30, 2029.