Marinette County To Get Payouts From Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

The future of River Cities Pool in Marinette, proposals to charge for use of Marinette County recreational trails, filling the full time Diversion Coordinator position sought by District Attorney DeShea Morrow, and payouts in the Opioid lawsuits  were among the main topics of discussion at the Marinette County Board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

During his report to the board, County Administrator John LeFebvre reminded supervisors that in 2017 Marinette County had become part of a state-wide lawsuit against seven pharmaceutical companies blamed for helping cause the opioid addiction crisis. Through that settlement the county will receive a total payout of $1.13 million over a period of 18 years. Now five more companies have settled, LeFebvre said, and in two months there will be action by County Board to become part of that settlement, which will bring another $850,000 to the county during the 18-year period provided none of the companies go out of business. There are restrictions on how the settlement money can be spent, mainly that it is to be used only for dealing with the opioid pandemic and the social problems it causes. The City of Marinette is also a party to this suit and will be getting about $237,667 for 2022.

County Board Chair John Guarisco announced that Crivitz Recreation Association and Marinette County’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism have partnered with  a company called Fishing University to produce a TV show on fishing in Marinette County that will be aired the Outdoor Channel five times during the week of Feb. 6, and on four more times on Channel WFN four. The Outdoor Channel showings will be on Monday, Feb. 6 at 9:30 a.m.; Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 a.m., and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The show also includes segments on education for outdoor careers that was filmed at Crivitz High School.

During time for public comment Ann Dallmann and Mare Hare spoke about the benefits of swimming at the River Cities Pool in what now is the UW Field House and gym, and urged the board to do whatever is needed to keep the pool open.

During his report that followed, LeFebvre acknowledged that numerous rumors have been circulating, but assured the board that only they will be determining the future of the pool and the field house. He said the UW-board has agreed that as of July 1, the lease with UWGB will be terminated, and after that, “...any decisions regarding that pool and the building will be a decision of this County Board and nobody else.” He said he is developing options, and will be bringing them forward in the next few months. There have also been meetings with the YMCA and the City of Marinette on future operation of the pool. Meanwhile, River Cities Pool Association, which has run the pool for 14 years,  has made no decision as to its future and has not served notice of intent to leave. He said fund raisers like the upcoming Yooper Plunge will raise money to keep it going for another year, and the community is putting together a task force to benefit the pool and the swimming programs held there.

Months ago District Attorney De Shea Morrow had proposed creating a diversion program for her office, similar to the highly successful TAD program, through which minor offenders could undergo intensive treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse rather than go to court and then to jail. Morrow said successful operation of that program would require a full time Diversion Coordinator, and in April of 2022 County Board had approved her request to create that position. However, citing budget difficulties, LeFebvre had declined to fill it.

Raising the participation fee for that program from $200 to $500 was on the County Board agenda, and LeFebvre was asked to clarify the status of the Diversion Coordinator Program. At its January meeting the Public Services Committee  was advised that Morrow had received donations of $10,000 each from Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Waupaca Foundry to help fund the vacant Diversion Coordinator position, and with carryover of $45,000, increasing user fees, and finding other funding from grants in the future they could now pay for the full time coordinator.

LeFebvre said Morrow had collected some generous donations, and with funding now in place he had lifted his hold on hiring. On Monday, Feb. 6, Stephanie Timblin, who currently is a corrections officer at the Marinette County Jail, will be working from the District Attorney’s office as the full time Diversion Coordinator.

Supervisor Gail Wanek asked if some of the payout from the opioid lawsuits could go to pay for the DA’s Diversion program, and LeFebvre said it could, and they are also looking at a TAD grant and other funding possibilities.

After being assured that offenders who want to take advantage of this opportunity to keep their records clean by opting for diversion rather than conviction will be given time to pay the fee, all 26 of the supervisors present approved increasing the Diversion Program fee from $200 to $500.

The board approved creating a $25 annual fee for camping in designated equestrian campgrounds on county property, effective immediately. This differs from the $25 fee for a two-week camping permit anywhere in the vast Marinette County Forest. The Equestrian Clubs built the two campgrounds affected by the $25 annual fee.

Supervisor Denise Oleszak again voiced her belief that the county should charge for recreational trail use, particularly the expensive mountain bike trail that is currently being build. LeFebvre argued against trail fees due to difficulty of enforcement. He said the trails more than pay for themselves in terms of sales taxes generated by people who use the trails, and said the Mountain Bike Association volunteers will be maintaining that trail system.

Veterans Service Officer Tom Doyle and Kalynn Van Ermen, who serves as both Medical Examiner and Teen Court Coordinator for Marinette County, reported on activities for their departments in 2022.

Van Ermen said her office had due to a federal program that pays for burial expenses of anyone who dies of COVID, she and LeFebvre had worked out a policy through everyone who dies in Marinette County of what appears to be a natural death is tested for COVID.

Her office investigated 230 total deaths in 2022, including five traffic fatalities in Marinette County and one in Menominee County.  The sole homicide was at the Trolley Station apartments in Marinette in early December. There were 12 suicides, one fatal UTV accident on private property in the northern part of the county in April of 2022, and six drug overdose deaths, most of them involving at leas some fentanyl.

Van Ermen said she hopes to find more volunteers for the Teen Court panel. In 2022 Teen Court judged four juvenile defendants, all charged with recreational type violations such as non-registration, riding on non-approved ATV routes, or driving fast in no wake zones on lakes.

So far in 2023 there have been three juvenile defendants, one for possession of drugs, one for being a minor in possession of tobacco and one for disorderly conduct. All three are currently going through their sanctions.

Typical sanctions given out were 30 or more hours of community service to be performed in the community the offender resides in, posters on the effects of drugs and/or alcohol, presentations on a career path you are hoping to purse, apology letters to schools/officers and/or parents, essays, etc.

There is no limit to what can be assigned as a sanction.

The mission of the Marinette County Teen Court is to benefit youth and the community by providing an alternative method of adjudicating first time juvenile offenses, giving youth the opportunity to become accountable for their actions.

Doyle said the Veterans Service office helps veterans obtain the benefits they are entitled to, including assists in appealing Veterans Administration decisions. He said there are 3,700 veterans in Marinette County, and they were paid a total of more than $54.8 million in Federal Veterans’ benefit dollars. He said Marinette County ranks 17th of the 72 counties in Wisconsin in terms of pension amounts received by veterans.

The board approved appointment of Supervisor Tom Mandli to the Lake Noquebay Rehabilitation District Board of directors; Kelly Balzola to the County Library Board and its Planning committee, Michael Cassidy of Goodman to the Elderly Services Board and Sheriff Randy Miller to the 911 User Committee, and authorized Guarisco to send a letter of support for the nomination of Supervisor Robert Hoyer to the NWTC Board of Directors.

The DNR list of fire wardens was approved as requested.

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