Informal procedures and a perceived conflict of interest raised eyebrows at the Oct. 2 Shawano County Ag and Extension Committee meeting.
“We understand you guys are not county employees; however, we have to follow that (county rules),” Supervisor Joe Miller said when addressing several members of the Shawano Area Ag Society board. “When requests for appropriations come to us, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable expectation to get some uniformity.”
Ag society members at the meeting were agreeable to the suggestion.
The ag society, which operates the county fairgrounds and the Shawano County Fair, often has maintenance projects paid for by the county. Those are the projects under scrutiny by the committee.
“We don’t have a bid policy. We have a procedure … and that varies as well,” Ag society member Bob Krause said.
Bids are sometimes opened at meetings. Other times, they are opened outside of a meeting.
“We don’t use sealed bids,” he said.
“Our concern, and I’ll lay it right out on the table here — Scott soliciting bids, and Scott also submitting a bid,” Miller said. “It raises some eyebrows, and I think understandably so.”
Miller was referring to Ag society member Scott Breitrick.
Four dead ash trees and their stumps had to be removed from the fairgrounds earlier this year. Breitrick solicited bids, and his company, K&S Landscaping, Bowler, provided the lowest bid of $3,250.
Supervisor Lynn Tober-Steinke said that can lead to an appearance of a conflict of interest.
“It’s not saying there is, but it gives that vibe,” she said.
Breitrick noted that he did complete the tree removal project, and then he donated the funds back to the fairgrounds.
“Understood, but who all sees that?” asked Miller.
The county’s bid policy will be forwarded to the ag society.
Krause clarified that the county policy will be for projects in which the county pays the costs. For projects paid for by the ag society itself, the nonprofit group is free to use any policy or procedure it chooses.
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