by Emmitt B. Feldner
for The Beacon

SHEBOYGAN — The County Board heard from several constituents on topics ranging from COVID precautions to the Second Amendment Tuesday April 20.

Speakers raised a series of topics to the board during the public address section of the agenda.

Judi Pool of Sheboygan, revisited a topic she has raised to the board several times during the pandemic shutdown of the past year – “The need for the board to come back to work as essential workers.”

Pool, speaking to the board in a teleconference meeting, decried the fact that the board is still not meeting in person.

“It’s not possible to serve your community if you’re hiding in your basement, home office or Florida room,” Pool claimed.

She stated that the web address on the board’s printed agenda to sign into the teleconference was confusing and did not work properly – she stated that one attempt to copy the address into her browser connected her to a porn site.

The printed agenda did contain a phone number, meeting ID and passcode that could be used to access the meeting by telephone, and the same meeting ID and passcode were used by The Review to access the video teleconference of the meeting.

Pool also attacked the federal and state aid the county has used to meet COVID-related extra expenses.

“Whether that is county, state or federal, the government has no money – it’s all taxpayer dollars,” Pool said of the relief funds. “It doesn’t matter whether it comes from my left pocket or my right pocket.”

Phillip Jones of Sheboygan addressed the board to urge the county to become a “Second Amendment sanctuary community.”

The gun rights advocate explained that communities that the sanctuary designation opposed the enforcement of certain federal gun regulations.

“Local governments have the right to refuse to comply with federal laws,” affecting the gun rights of citizens, Jones claimed.

“These laws always seem to fall on the shoulders of law-abiding citizens,” he added.

Jones noted that 16 Wisconsin counties, along with one city (Merrill) and one township (Grantsburg in Burnett County) have adopted such resolutions.

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In his monthly report to the board, County Administrator Adam Payne reported that, by June, 60 percent of Sheboygan County residents should be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Payne cited the large number of local medical and business leaders who have been leading the push to get as many people in the county vaccinated as possible.

“Rely on your own local health care provider and hear what they have to say,” about the efficacy and safety of the COVID vaccines, Payne stated.

As for board meetings, Payne said that as the coronavirus situation eases, a return to normal should be in the near future.

“Hopefully, in another month or two, we will be back meeting together in public,” Payne concluded.