HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.20.2025 BOARD MINUTESUNIFIED COMMUNITY SERVICES
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 6:00 PM
Iowa County Health & Human Services Building Community Room
303 West Chapel Street Dodgeville WI 53533
1. CALL TO ORDER: 6:11 PM
2. OPEN MEETINGS LAW CERTIFICATION: Meeting notice was sent to six newspapers,
including Grant County Herald Independent, and two radio stations in Grant and Iowa
Counties; posted in four public locations (two offices of Unified Community Services and
both County buildings), and on Grant and Iowa Counties, and Unified Community Services’
websites. Notice given that meeting will be conducted in person and via electronic
videoconferencing. Verified by Ben Biddick.
3. ROLL CALL:
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Beals, John Beinborn, Janelle Carroll, Joan Davis, Nancy
Howard, Dawn Kendrick, Amy Kite via Zoom, Steven Obershaw, Gary Ranum, Mike
Tiber. Quorum present.
MEMBERS EXCUSED: Justin O’Brien.
OTHERS PRESENT: Holly Knapp, David Stephens, Jon Hochkammber (Interim Iowa
County Administrator), Lori Brice, Nate Dreckman, Robert Keeney, John Meyers, Robin
Rosemeyer, Abigail Trainor, Sue Mahaney, Lorena Severson, Don Lehman, Dawn
Millard, Ben Biddick. Via Zoom: Bruce Paull, Tonya White, and Jamie Gould.
4. AGENDA: Steven Obershaw moved to approve the agenda for August 20, 2025 meeting as
printed. Motion seconded by Mike Tiber and passed unanimously.
5. MINUTES: John Beinborn moved to approve the minutes for June 18, 2025 meeting as
presented. The Unified Community Services Board Meeting in July 2025 was canceled. Motion
seconded by Gary Ranum and passed unanimously.
6. INTRODUCTIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
7. PAYMENT OF THE BILLS: Holly Knapp provided report on the payment of the bills for
June and July 2025. Motion by Dawn Kendrick to pay bills. Motion seconded by Janelle Carroll
and passed unanimously.
8. REPORTS:
DIRECTORS REPORT: Holly Knapp provided report.
UNIFIED COMMUNITY SERVICES
DIRECTORS REPORT- JULY/AUGUST 2025
Workload: Demand, caseloads, workloads have been extremely high across all departments.
Staff are stepping up and in to innovatively support the agency’s mission during this time and
helping everywhere they can. We thank them for their hard work and commitment to our clients
and our communities.
2023 Fiscal Audit- 2023 Audit is done and we are working on prep for the 2024 audit and 2026
budget.
Excellent work from all involved this has been and will continue to be a huge project.
2026 Budget- We are starting internal prep work and conversations about our 2026 Budget. We
will be meeting with Nate Dreckman September 2nd. We are working to pull all numbers
together and finalize our Carlson Dettman project in time to present you all our budget in
September/October.
UCS/Social Services- A lot of collaboration, communication and support happening between
UCS and Social Services departments in Grant and Iowa County the last 2 months as we work to
collaboratively serve clients and clarify roles in the gray areas between our departments due to
how we are structured to ensure funding and clients do not fall between the cracks.
Central Wisconsin Center- Working collaboratively with Iowa County Social Services re
referrals and funding for children who need placement at the center. Grateful for Iowa County
and others at DHS who have stepped in to assist us in navigating this.
Carlson Dettmann- We continue to work with Carlson Dettmann on this project and make
progress weekly. Carlson and Dettmann is finishing work on the market review with goal to
finalize the project in time for our Budget process/approvals. We are looking forward to
providing formal updates as we have them.
Office Space- Met with Garry Plumer Grant County Maintenance to walk through our UCS
Lancaster building and project any needs/projects as he plans his 2026 budget in anticipation of
Grant County purchasing the building January 2026.
State Opioid Response Grant- VITAL STRATEGIES- Unified Community Services did not
receive the VITAL STRATEGIES GRANT and will be retuning awarded Grant and Iowa
County Opioid Settlement funds requested. We are waiting results for a few other grants we
submitted and expect to hear back in the next 1-2 months. We will continue to look for funding
and grant opportunities as we continue to serve.
PERSONNEL REPORT: Personnel report provided by Ben Biddick.
FINANCIAL REPORT: Jessica Munson was not able to attend the meeting. Holly Knapp
provided an update about UCS finances, 2023/2024 Audit.
CHAIRPERSONS REPORT: Nothing Reported.
REPORTS FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS: None.
Motion to accept the reports and place them on file by Steven Obershaw. Motion seconded by
Dawn Kendrick and passed unanimously.
9. Presentation from Unified Community Services Behavioral Health Team: Abbi Trainor.
Abbi Trainor and Sue Mahaney provided overview of services, data and information
provided by Unified Community Services Behavioral Health department. Clients came and
shared with the board about their personal stories and services received by Unified
Community Services. Board members had opportunity to ask questions.
10. Policy updates/reviews: Informed Consent for Treatment, Clozaril, Telehealth Policy. Joan
Davis made a motion to for the following updates to be made and implemented: Motion was
seconded by Dawn Kendrick and passed unanimously.
11. Unified Community Services Draft Agreement Update. Update, review and power point
presentation was provided by Grant County Administrator Nate Dreckman. It was decided all
would review the document and provide feedback in a rapid manner due to impending time
constraints associated with budget planning for 2026 and upcoming elections. No action
taken at this time. Board Members are asked to get feedback re the agreement to Grant
County prior to discussion at next UCS board meeting.
12. ADJOURNMENT and NEXT MEETING: At 9:03pm, Steven Obershaw made a motion to
adjourn. Motion seconded by Dawn Kendrick and passed unanimously. Adjournment
pursuant to
• Unified Community Services Personnel Committee Meeting on 9/16/2025 at 5:00 PM at
Iowa County Health & Human Services Building Community Room 1001 West Chapel
Street, Dodgeville WI 53533.
• Unified Community Services Finance Committee Meeting on 9/17/2025 at 5:00 PM at
Grant County Administration Building, County Board Room, 111 S Jefferson Street,
Lancaster, Wisconsin 53813.
• The next Unified Community Services General Board meeting- September 17, 2025 at
6:30 PM- Grant County Administration Building, County Board Room, 111 S Jefferson
Street, Lancaster, Wisconsin 53813.
Ben Biddick, Recorder