Amending Chapter 17 of the Sauk County Code of Ordinances Pertaining to Highway Department Purchasing and Commissioner Terms

For the construction and maintenance of highways, including the removal and control of snow and ice, it becomes necessary from time to time to purchase equipment, the nature and necessity for which cannot be accurately anticipated.  Sauk County Financial Policy 4-94 states that bids/proposals are required to be submitted for equipment purchases in excess of $10,000 with an exception to this requirement for the Highway Department, whose limit is $30,000 before County Board action is required.  Given the need to replace many various pieces of equipment annually in order to maintain a safe, reliable, and cost effective fleet and the fact that equipment costs have increased substantially over past years, this amendment will set the Highway Department’s equipment purchasing threshold requiring no County Board action be required for a single unit of equipment costing $50,000 or less.  After the previous Highway Commissioner had been in his role for eight years (four two-year terms), the County Board amended the ordinance to allow for an indefinite term. Wis. Stat. § 83.01 provides "(2) Term. (a) Unless the county board establishes a different term of service by ordinance, the county highway commissioner shall serve for a term of 2 years, except as provided in par.(b).  (b) Unless the county board establishes a different term of service under par. (a), upon his or her first election or appointment the county highway commissioner shall serve until the first Monday in January of the 2nd year succeeding the year of the election or appointment." This ordinance amends the indefinite term and returns the term to the statutory term.