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Suamico village staff appreciation dinner cancelled due to COVID-19

By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer


SUAMCIO – Instead of holding a staff appreciation dinner for the village’s full-time employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they will instead receive extra money to close out the year.

The Suamico village board passed a motion last month to add $50 to their final paychecks of 2020.

Village Administrator Alex Kaker said he wouldn’t recommend holding the dinner this year, which the village usually hosts annually in December, due to public health concerns.

With $1,500 budgeted in 2020 for the event, Kaker initially suggested a $50 gift card to all 23 full-time employees and the three Brown County Sheriff’s Office directed enforcement officers (DEOs) assigned to the village for total cost of $1,300.

However, because a gift card would have limited use as to where it could be spent and also be taxable, board members instead favored putting additional money in the employees’ end-of-year paychecks.

“A gift card’s going to be more limiting,” said Trustee Sky Van Rossum. “If you give them $50, they can use it for whatever.”

Finance Director Jessica Legois said something with a cash-equivalent value, such as a gift card, would be taxable, while it would be the easiest for accounting purposes to provide a monetary gift through payroll in some form.

Because the DEOs work for the county, Kaker said the village will figure out how to provide them with a $50 gift.

EAB update

The board heard an update from Recreation Director Leah Hackmaster on ash tree infestation by the Emerald Ash Borer at Idlewild Park.

Hackmaster said ash trees that appeared to be compromised by EAB have been taken down, while most of the remaining ash trees at the park are in a swampy area that poses no safety risk, even if they were to fall.

With no evidence showing EAB infestation is capable of spreading to other types of trees, she said the village has been planting new trees in the park the past five-plus years by working with First Downs for Trees, a cost-share program with the Green Bay Packers, SCA Tissue and Green Bay Packaging.

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