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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Portage County Executive is in Public Employees' Corner


PORTAGE COUNTY
Patty Dreier 
March 11, 2011 
Dear Portage County Supervisors: 



OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE
County Executive 

We've got to get moving. There is much to do to address the challenges before us. The
state turmoil has, in large part, caused paralysis in Portage County over the last couple of
months. We can wait no longer. Each day, I find myself wondering what next bizarre
actions will take place in Wisconsin as state leaders continue to divide our communities. 
Through listening sessions across county departments, I've learned that our Portage County
employees feel they have been left in the dark, in an unfair holding pattern .... demoralized,
devalued, and wondering what this will mean in their own lives and in their future. 
Going forward, I believe Portage County will have to reinvent itself to a large degree-and
we had begun some great work on this together-you, me, Portage County employees
and elected officials, and our community over the last 10 months. This reinvention will
require that we converge on solutions from all angles and from all levels in our
organization. Our county staff members at ALL levels are smart, innovative, and
committed to helping our community through this. But before they can most effectively
assist us in moving forward, they need stability in their workplace. They deserve to know
where they stand with our county's policy makers-you-in the context of an incredibly
different new world and quickly evolving county organization. 
We made promises to Portage County workers when we hired them. I urge you to honor
these promises and steady this rocking boat. Please work to resolve human resource and
bargaining matters as soon as possible and create as level of a playing field as possible for
all employees. Please give us all time to adjust to this "new normal" under the soon-to-be-
signed amended Budget Repair Bill before you consider any additional human resource-
related changes that may contribute to even greater worker unrest and stress. 
So many employees-our human capital-have faithfully dedicated years and decades of
their lives in service to our mission. It's time to honor their dedicated service by acting to
stabilize their workplace. They want to be part of the solution. I urge you to engage
management and labor voices early in the process of forging ahead through our fiscal,
organizational, and social challenges. 
Respectfully
Patty Dreier 
1462 Strongs A venue, Stevens Point. WI 54481 
Phone: (7J5) 346-1997 ~ Fax: (715) 346-1995 ~ ernai': dreierp@Co.portage.wi.us 

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