Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Shawano County will not establish a new committee to oversee its Technology Services Department.
The Administrative Committee voted Monday to postpone indefinitely a resolution establishing the new committee.
The Administrative Committee is the home committee for the Technology Services Department. However, county supervisors expressed concern last month that the department is being allowed too much freedom and lacks accountability.
“It affects everybody. It lacks accountability,” Supervisor Thomas Kautza said at the Feb. 26 board meeting. “We say we need this and we need that, and a couple of months later, it doesn’t work.”
The issue has gained attention recently because of the new emergency communications system purchased for the Sheriff’s Department. Fire departments, especially on the east side of the county, have reported broken communications and loss of radio signals when trying to relay information between emergency crews and sheriff’s dispatchers.
At Monday’s meeting, committee members discussed whether another committee was needed, or if the Administrative Committee needs to establish boundaries for the technology unit.
“We’re the home committee. We need to do a better job,” Supervisor Kathy Luebke said.
Supervisor William Switalla agreed that more oversight by the committee was the best solution. He suggested a representative from Technology Services attend the committee’s meetings, just as other home committees have representatives from the departments they manage.
“We’re probably the only committee who doesn’t do that,” Switalla said.
Supervisor Gene Hoppe said adding another committee to the county’s 30 other committees and boards would be fiscally irresponsible and would not increase transparency.
“I feel, if we add another committee, we would lose $4,500 a year just in committee expenses” through per diems and mileage, Hoppe said. “And what would you have gained? Nothing.”
Steve Hansen, information services director, who was at Monday’s meeting, said he is willing to talk with any county supervisors about technology services, but has no forewarning about many issues, such as the radios.
“If there’s an issue, I usually find out after the fact, after it has gone through the committees,” Hansen said. “I never got any communications ahead of time that they were having issues.”
He also noted that he provides written reports to the committee at least a week before it meets.