The Price County Health and Human Services Board met November 11 for a 33-minute session dominated by a measles update that put neighboring counties on notice and a family planning grant that will reshape next year’s budget.
Board Chair Paula Houdek called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. in the Courthouse County Board Room. Members present included Joe Baratka, Robert Kopisch, Patricia Stephan, Dennis Wartgow, Nicole Kulwicki, and Stacy Pomeroy. Sally Huml did not respond to roll call and was marked absent. Gerald Swenson was excused.
Quick Answer
- Measles: 551 Wisconsin cases in 2026, up from 36 in all of 2025. 99.3% were unvaccinated. Clark, Marathon, and Taylor counties have confirmed cases. Price County has purchased private-pay MMR vaccine doses (~$150 each) for anyone who wants one.
- Family planning grant: An extra $800,000 in federal Title 10 funding flowed through Price County this year as fiscal agent for three other agencies. The county will drop its fiscal agent role for the next grant cycle, citing new liability language. A budget amendment will be needed.
- High-cost placement: One individual transitioned from a $12,000/month behavioral health placement to a $1,300/month arrangement.
- Next meeting: January 13, 2027. No December meeting.
Measles: 551 Cases and Climbing
Tiffany Palecek, who leads the county’s public health unit, delivered the update that drew the most board attention. Wisconsin has recorded 551 measles cases so far in 2026 — a fifteenfold increase from the 36 cases reported in all of 2025. Of those 551 cases, 547 (99.3%) were in unvaccinated individuals.
The geographic spread is closing in on Price County. Clark County, Marathon County, and Taylor County have all announced cases. State Epidemiologist Dr. Westergaard released guidance last week allowing health departments to vaccinate infants under one year of age in high-risk outbreak settings, though that dose would not replace the standard schedule of shots at ages one and four.
Palecek said the county’s nurses participated in a state-run training forum on Monday that walked through measles response in school and clinic settings, including contact tracing protocols. The health department already stocks VFA and VFC vaccine (for uninsured and underinsured patients) and this week purchased 10 doses of private-pay MMR vaccine at roughly $1,200 total. With a $25 administration fee, the out-of-pocket cost per dose will be about $150. Once the shipment arrives later this week, the department plans to publicize availability to any county resident who wants the vaccine.
The standard MMR vaccine is required for school attendance in Wisconsin, though families can sign a waiver for religious or personal conviction reasons. Board members recalled a prior meeting — likely during a pertussis outbreak — where vaccine waiver policy was discussed, but could not confirm what action, if any, was taken. Houdek asked board staff to look up the record.
After two doses of the MMR vaccine, immunity coverage runs about 97%.
Title 10 Grant: $800,000 Extra, But Fiscal Agent Role Ending
A budget discrepancy flagged by Joe Baratka at Tuesday’s county board meeting drew a detailed explanation from the HHS financial side.
Price County serves as fiscal agent for three other reproductive health clinics under the federal Title 10 family planning grant. When the 2026 budget was built, grant funding had been clawed back, so projections were low. Mid-cycle, Title 10 notified the county of a significant funding increase — roughly $800,000 — that had to be spent between January and March because the grant year ends March 31.
The result: actual revenues and expenditures for family planning came in around $1.7 million instead of the budgeted $990,000. Most of that money passes through to the partner agencies; only a small portion stays in Price County. The county charges a fiscal agent fee to cover administrative time.
For the 2027 grant cycle, Price County will not continue as fiscal agent. Palecek said new subcontracting language in the grant application increased responsibility — and potential liability — for the fiscal agent, and the department decided the risk was no longer worth it. Next year’s budget will show less Title 10 money, but the change is structural, not a funding cut for local services.
A year-end budget amendment will be needed to reflect the extra grant revenue.
Senior Services: Meal Sites, Transportation, Rate Increase
Kris Mabie presented the quarterly report covering July through September:
- Meals: 67 home-delivered meal participants and 141 congregate meal participants, totaling 9,567 meals served. Park Falls averages 30 meals per day; Brantwood and Kennan each average 10.
- Transportation: Five volunteer drivers logged 9,520 miles and 325 volunteer hours across 979 trips.
- Programming: VA outreach event, cookie decorating in Kennan and Brantwood for July 4th, NTC technology visits to Kennan, Ogema, and Brantwood, and memory screens in Ogema and Brantwood.
The Nutrition Advisory Council voted to recommend increasing the suggested contribution from $5.25 to $5.50 for congregate meals and from $5.75 to $6.00 for home-delivered meals, effective with final approval from the Commission on Aging. The council surveyed 158 participants (71 congregate and 42 home-delivered responses returned).
Dennis Wartgow noted that Park Falls meal numbers dipped during the site manager turnover but should recover under the new manager, Michelle. “She’s very meticulous,” he said. “She’s making sure things are getting cared for.”
The county’s 2027 application for the state’s 85.21 specialized transportation grant — worth $79,889 — was reviewed as part of the public hearing that opened the meeting. No one from the public attended or called in.
High-Cost Placement: A Win
Keri Hammond reported that one individual in a behavioral health placement costing roughly $12,000 per month has transitioned to a $1,300-per-month arrangement. The savings won’t appear on the books until November or December, she said, but the transition is a positive outcome for both the individual and the county budget.
Personnel: Two Retirements, Three Open Positions
Director Sarah Reese-Socha reported two upcoming retirements: Amy Neussberger in March and Rhonda Murray-Makowski, the adult protective services social worker, on January 2. The department conducted interviews this week for an economic support position and a fiscal admin position and expects to make offers soon.
Three positions remain open: a part-time foster care role and two behavioral health positions. Reese-Socha said the mental health unit is under particular strain with high caseloads, and she hopes December graduations may bring new social work applicants.
Youth and Family Engagement
Public health staff attended Phillips Trunk-or-Treat in October, reaching 277 children. The department distributed 70 “snack boxes” purchased with maternal and child health grant funding — each containing education materials on mental health support, alcohol’s effects on the developing brain, and the community health needs survey. Forty vaccination-themed children’s books (English and Spanish) were also distributed. Staff plan to attend the Prentice school outreach event on November 13.
Meeting Flow
The board approved vouchers and October 14 minutes unanimously. No public comment was offered in person or online. The next meeting is scheduled for January 13, 2027 — the board will not meet in December, a change from the agenda which listed December 9.
Source: Price County HHS Board meeting, November 11, 2026. Video available on the Price County YouTube channel. Agenda posted at co.price.wi.us/AgendaCenter.