St Croix County Public Protection October 1st, 2026

The St. Croix County Public Protection Committee meeting, titled October 1, 2026 (recorded in metadata on October 2), reviewed the financial report through August and received circuit court updates. The committee discussed forming an ad hoc committee to review the approximately $20 million jail project and report back by May 2027, timed to the next capital improvement cycle. After amending the resolution’s wording on who may serve in the county board chair’s place, the committee approved the resolution 4–1. Members raised concerns about the project’s cost, committee representation, and possible delays; the resolution will also go before the full county board.

The committee also received an update on a planned public-safety communications system procurement. Staff are finalizing a site agreement with St. Croix Electric and confirming a proposed tower location at the Katy salt shed. The county expects to bid for microwave links and related equipment, with bid development, solicitation, and vendor selection expected to take about nine months; procuring sites may take at least another year. Staff are surveying departments to estimate radio needs—about 420 radios in county department fleets, with roughly 1,400 across fire and EMS departments—and noted that some departments are using existing funds and grants to purchase radios. No vendor award or specific procurement amount was reported for this communications project.