When Keith Marquardt, director of the Shawano County parks department, needs official approval for anything, he goes to the highway and parks committee. That could soon change.
Supervisor Al Kuhn, a member of the highway and parks committee, recently brought up the idea of moving oversight of the parks department to the public property committee. Kuhn is also a member of that committee.
The change in who the parks director reports to has been debated on and off the past several years.
Kuhn said that in his mind, the parks are public property, so it makes sense to have the public property committee oversee those operations.
“It seems like there’s more decisions being made for the parks department that are coming through public property rather than highway department,” said Julie Hasser, director of human resources, at the Sept. 3 public property committee meeting.
County Administrator Stacey Cicero agreed. She noted that recent discussions about building a cold storage building and office at the Shawano Lake County Park and a museum building at Heritage Park both went through public property, and not highway and parks, for approval.
Supervisor Tom Kautza said Marquardt is considering retirement, which might be a good time to make the change.
Hasser said making the change now would give committee members a chance to learn about the parks before a new director comes aboard.
Public property committee members voted to make the change and forward their decision to the rules committee for consideration.
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