Two of the three agenda items at the regular meeting of the Washington County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 10 were tabled at the opening and the third, dealing with a $250 budget increase, was tabled after a 20-minute discussion, pending further review and calculations.

The $250 was an increase (reflecting current inflation problems) in the annual $5,000 set side fund for possible future closure of the county recycling and solid waste service on Lexington Blvd. The increase was not in the fiscal 2022-23 budget, which could be handled with a budget amendment. However, the DNR permit for the facility was set to expire May 19, not allowing sufficient time to follow the required procedures for a budget amendment.

County Auditor Dan Widmer told the board that the DNR had just issued a 30-day extension for the permit, making June 19 the new deadline, which may or may not be enough time to meet requirements for advertising, holding a public hearing and approving the budget amendment via the required resolution.

The center is operated by WEMIGA on an annual contract with the county. If the facility has to close, even temporarily, the county could make arrangements with SEMICO in Jefferson County.

Widmer stressed that the DNR representative “had been very helpful,” but “told me there were rules” that must be followed. The extension granted to the county followed sending the DNR a draft of the proposed budget amendment.

The board deferred action to the May 17 meeting, allowing time for the county engineer, who had done the initial analysis for the $250 increase, to consult with other county engineers about the issue and possibly recalculate the amount.

The other two items about modifying the Ambulance services handbook and the report of the county Safety Commission were tabled to May 17, the latter due to employee illness.