Trempealeau County Admin. wants changes to WTCO for upcoming budget
WHITEHALL - Trempealeau County Administrator Rebecca Glewen, backing down on a proposal to eliminate the county's cable TV channel WTCO, instead wants the channel to focus on county promotion for economic and communication. She commented on the situation in her report to the Trempealeau County Board's August meeting back on the 19th.
The channel was budgeted $167,000 in 2024 and Glewen said the channel needs to change its programming to justify its very existence after recently proposing eliminate the station's staff and its existing programming. Board members stated that communication from constituents through calls and emails indicated support to keep the channel from the public. However, Glewen stated that low to non-existent ratings for the current programming can't justify the costs in production and personnel. Adjusting her proposal, she called for eliminating the current positions at the stations to be replaced by a single communication and media position focused on county promotion.
"You just can't deny it, cable TV viewing is declining considerably," Glewen said. "It's a high cost, low rate of return form of communication. We need broader media reach that has measurable, cost-effective outcomes."
Glewen also stated that new positions in the county, as some departments have requested, will not be hired in 2025 unless there is outside funding in terms of grants for example, to pay for it. She also proposed eliminating two positions in the UW Extension office, including horticulture educator and community devlopment and split the time of the current UW Extension office manager, half with UW Extension and Half with the county DA's office as an office assistant.
The Board went into closed session to confer with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved regarding disallowance of claim from Holzer Estate. The claim states the estate of Billie Jo Holzer and Michael Holzer have sustained damages resulting from actions taken by the Trempealeau County Highway Department and/or Trempealeau County agents and employees. After Corporation Counsel's review of the matter, it was recommended that this claim be denied. Coming out of a closed session based on predicted litigation from the Holzer Estate against the county, the Board officially denied the claim by unanimous vote.
In other county news, the county has filed a motion in U.S. District Court to have a lawsuit against the county and former Human Services Department Director Deb Suchla for malice towards former employee Victoria Pearson along with unlawful behavior be dismissed. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Sept. 16.
