Portage County is in a state of unrest, and it is time to break free from it, make and stick to decisions, and move forward peacefully, according to Portage County Executive Patty Dreier.

In her State of the County address Tuesday, July 19, Dreier spoke of a recent trip to Europe and Normandy for a World War II tour and the impact that seeing the flags and peaceful, supportive messages written throughout towns had on her.

She spoke of the realization in her trip to Normandy after viewing beaches, cemeteries where thousands were laid to rest and the war crime sites that the tour wasn’t one of remembering war but rather highlighting peace.

“Peace happened and stability returned to Europe in the 1940s because American leaders made decisions,” she said. “What if they had waited longer or hadn’t made a decision at all? What if they had focused their energies on looking back or second guessing decisions that had already been made instead of gathering information to prepare for the next set of decisions?”

Portage County certainly is different than what the world was like and encountered 70 years ago, she said, but looking at history can help the county with its future.

“Portage County is at a crossroads,” Dreier said. “Some important decisions need to be made so that we can clarify directions: for the future of our nursing home services, for courthouse and jail security, for our human resources in county government.

“More than one answer is ‘right’ at every decision point. The only wrong decision is no decision because it prevents everyone from knowing where we are headed and puts our resources more at risk,” she said. “We must position ourselves to manage by design – which requires us to keep the bigger picture in mind at all times and not get mired in details too soon.”

The county faces decisions in the next several weeks through the Capital Improvements Plan, which includes $10 million in 2017 for a health care continuum partnership with the Sisters of St. Joseph Third Order of St. Francis, more than $5 million to start the process of designing and determining more precise costs for a proposed $78.5 million Government Center and funds to begin repairs and updates at the current County-City Building.

The County Board Tuesday – right after the State of the County address – voted for a new salary schedule for non-represented employees to bring them up to the average market wage for each position, which will touch on the human resources item Dreier referenced.

But other issues are getting hung up at committee level with committee members questioning costs, plans and designs, and different involvement or lack thereof in proposed projects. Still others attending those meetings are questioning the process through verbal attacks on staff.

“I went home from one meeting last week and literally threw up in disgust that it was allowed to be so uncivil,” she said in her address. “At another recent meeting I was appalled by the poor display of leadership which had prevented anything worthwhile from occurring.”

That lack of civility breeds stress which spills into day-to-day operations and ultimately affects staff, she said.

“Through their jobs and professions, they help keep the wheels of government turning so that our community is stable and therefore safer,” Dreier said.

“You can’t keep second guessing, you can’t keep starting over,” she said in a separate interview Wednesday. “We have people who don’t accept a decision has been made by the county board, the body voted … Let’s get on with the show but do it peacefully … not fight about what the path is. We don’t have all the answers, but we need a direction.

“The unrest must be put to rest with decisions that give our county direction so that we can plan for 2017 and beyond,” she said in her address. “There is no way to please everyone, but we can keep peace close at heart.”