Ellsworth City Administrator Scott Moore met with the Ellsworth County commissioners Monday to determine the future of a 10 feet-wide by 150 feetlong strip of county-owned ground known as the north half of Lot 22 in Block 15 in the City of Ellsworth.

Moore said Ellsworth is working with the North Central Regional Planning Commission in Beloit on the next round of rehabilitation and demolitions of properties in town.

In the process of getting those properties cleaned up, the piece of county-owned land was identified.

He requested the commissioners do what was necessary with that strip of ground.

Commissioners discussed the strip of ground a week ago, but tabled the matter until they could discuss it with Moore.

County attorney Paul J. Kasper said the ground was purchased by the county during a 1943 tax sale.

“Because it was purchased at a tax sale, and county funds, in theory, were expended to purchase this property, we’ve got to be careful gifting it to anybody,” Kasper said.

Kasper said it would be easier for the county to work with the city and have the city work with the landowners.

“Let’s just get everybody on the same page from the beginning,” he said.

Kasper will work with Ellsworth City Attorney Patrick Hoffman to resolve the matter.

In other business:

• No action was taken after a 15 minute executive session with Kasper, Moore and Stacie Schmidt, executive director of the Ellsworth County Economic Development, for a preliminary discussion of acquiring property.

• Teresa Shute, director of the county noxious weed department, landfill and recycling program, said she received just a $170.47 settlement from insurance for recent hail damage on her buildings.

“I’m not happy,” she said.“$170 won’t even pay for the paint.”

Shute presented commissioners with pictures of the damage to the buildings.

“That’s got to be more damage than $170,” said Commissioner Dennis Rolfs.

Commissioners asked Shute to have the adjuster come back and reexamine the damage.

• Andrew Bair, chief executive officer at Ellsworth County Medical Center, said he has restructured the organization to level out the field. While nobody lost their job, Bair said now there is no duplication of duties.

“We think we lined them up where their real talents lie,” he said.

Bair said Beth Vallier’s last day was Friday, Sept. 27. She was in charge of recruiting, marketing, emergency preparedness and community coordination.

Vallier is now the emergency preparedness coordinator for a region of 13 hospitals, including ECMC.

Bair said he plans to talk to the medical staff about lessening the number of patient transfers.

“We need to keep more people in our community,” he said.“It’s important.”

Bair said he thinks ECMC is heading in the right direction.

• L&M Contractors, Inc. was presented a notice of award on the project to demolish and rebuild bridge No. 640 on Old Highway 40.

• County clerk Shelly Vopat double-checked and the commissioners agreed, to have the county pay the $25 flu shot clinic fee for part-time county employees. Atnea, the county’s health insurance provider, will pay the fee for all full-time county employees as a preventative measure.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners is at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at the county courthouse.