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The most immediate challenge is the surprise announcement that HSHS/Prevea are leaving the Eau Claire area. The board passed a resolution asking HSHS/Prevea to use the transition timeline to work collaboratively with the medical community. They responded to a Chamber of Commerce Task Force that they would, but so far their actions show otherwise The county frankly does not have much regulatory clout over decisions a private health company makes, but we should provide any support we can . We can help insure that the county remains the kind of place where health care professionals want to live. The HSHS saga is changing almost daily. Three new companies are stepping in to fill gaps left by HSHS.

Affordable housing is lacking. Eau Claire is the fastest growing county in the state, which is mostly good, but housing hasn't been keeping up. Solutions could involve tweaking zoning to allow more dense housing. Smaller allowable lot sizes. Decreased set back requirements. More public green spaces to compensate for smaller yards. Providing upgrades for existing homes. More townhomes and multi-unit homes. New rental units need to be senior friendly. High interest rates are not helping home sales, but the county board can't do much about that.

Carbon credits. OK, this is probably not the third most important issue facing the county, but it is one of the most interesting ones. It has the potential to bring millions of dollars into the county and those dollars will be earmarked for sustainability projects. In the county forest we cut trees intensively, but we always leave about 2 percent of new growth. Under the carbon credit program, companies who are trying to reduce their net carbon footprint can purchase carbon credits representing the carbon sequestered in that new growth. As a two-term member of the Parks and Forest Committee I've been involved in this project from the start and I'm interested in seeing how it will work out. We could begin receiving checks in 2025. For more details see joeknightoutoors.com

The exit of Sacred Heart Hospital and a loss of psychiatric beds in the community is going to mean extra costs for the county (DHS) as people are transported 180 miles for further for care. For the short term we may have to dip into the contingency fund for up to $1 million to cover this gap. The county is holding job vacancies open in anticipation of unanticipated costs. The long-term solution is more psychiatric beds locally. Maybe a northwestern WI treatment center. A second priority for me is to use the few ARPA funds we have remaining on worthy nonprofits which were strongly affected by COVID, and not for highway maintenance or other routine expenses.