County executive outlines campus reuse plans, shoreland zoning transition, planetarium finances and sheltering needs
February 25, 2026 | Oshkosh City, Winnebago County, Wisconsin
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At the Winnebago County Board meeting the county executive briefed supervisors on several operational priorities and planning items, including campus reuse, a shoreland zoning transition, the Barlow Planetarium’s financial performance, cold-weather sheltering coordination and recent suicide and overdose statistics.
On campus reuse, the county executive said Faith Technologies concluded a 90‑day due-diligence period and declined to make a formal offer because rehabilitation costs and the distance from a national training-center market made the project infeasible. The county will now pursue an entertainment-management company to evaluate the communication arts center and field house, continue outreach to nonprofits and interested businesses, and create a community visioning process before a market assessment.
The executive reviewed an upcoming transfer of authority under county code chapter 27: effective April 1, 2026, towns that adopt required general zoning or follow state statute-prescribed criteria will assume responsibility for shoreland general zoning; next steps include town resolutions and a special Planning and Zoning Committee meeting scheduled for March 9.
On operations, the executive said electronic employment applications launched Feb. 12 and 79 online applications had been received to date. He noted the revolving loan fund RFP was posted Feb. 18 and that the industrial development board will help evaluate proposals.
The county’s takeover of Barlow Planetarium operations showed mixed results: combined 2025 operations across UW Oshkosh and the county recorded $172,000 in revenue against $279,000 in expenses; the county’s portion of revenue was $79,669 (about 9.3% higher than the same period in 2024). January 2026 brought roughly $26,000 in revenue against about $27,000 in expenses, and February was tracking ahead of 2025.
The executive described coordination with partners during extended cold weather, including shelters and daytime warming locations (Day by Day, Salvation Army, State Street Day Center), motels and faith-based groups, and said partners are stretched thin; the county will work over the next nine months to develop standardized, operational sheltering plans.
On public-health outcomes, he said Winnebago County recorded 27 deaths by suicide in 2025 and, as of the prior Friday, nine suicides had occurred in 2026 — a higher-than-expected rate for this point in the year. Overdose deaths in 2025 numbered 26 with one pending; as of the report there were zero confirmed overdose deaths in 2026 with three cases pending. The executive authorized a project position to increase medical examiner staffing while an employee is absent.
Supervisors asked follow-up questions on veteran-specific suicide data, breakdowns for planetarium revenue and what Faith Technologies found during its review. The executive committed to supplying additional detail to supervisors and staff at subsequent meetings.
What’s next: Staff will share requested revenue and demographic breakdowns and continue community engagement for campus reuse options; the county will operationalize a sheltering plan and monitor medical examiner workloads.
On campus reuse, the county executive said Faith Technologies concluded a 90‑day due-diligence period and declined to make a formal offer because rehabilitation costs and the distance from a national training-center market made the project infeasible. The county will now pursue an entertainment-management company to evaluate the communication arts center and field house, continue outreach to nonprofits and interested businesses, and create a community visioning process before a market assessment.
The executive reviewed an upcoming transfer of authority under county code chapter 27: effective April 1, 2026, towns that adopt required general zoning or follow state statute-prescribed criteria will assume responsibility for shoreland general zoning; next steps include town resolutions and a special Planning and Zoning Committee meeting scheduled for March 9.
On operations, the executive said electronic employment applications launched Feb. 12 and 79 online applications had been received to date. He noted the revolving loan fund RFP was posted Feb. 18 and that the industrial development board will help evaluate proposals.
The county’s takeover of Barlow Planetarium operations showed mixed results: combined 2025 operations across UW Oshkosh and the county recorded $172,000 in revenue against $279,000 in expenses; the county’s portion of revenue was $79,669 (about 9.3% higher than the same period in 2024). January 2026 brought roughly $26,000 in revenue against about $27,000 in expenses, and February was tracking ahead of 2025.
The executive described coordination with partners during extended cold weather, including shelters and daytime warming locations (Day by Day, Salvation Army, State Street Day Center), motels and faith-based groups, and said partners are stretched thin; the county will work over the next nine months to develop standardized, operational sheltering plans.
On public-health outcomes, he said Winnebago County recorded 27 deaths by suicide in 2025 and, as of the prior Friday, nine suicides had occurred in 2026 — a higher-than-expected rate for this point in the year. Overdose deaths in 2025 numbered 26 with one pending; as of the report there were zero confirmed overdose deaths in 2026 with three cases pending. The executive authorized a project position to increase medical examiner staffing while an employee is absent.
Supervisors asked follow-up questions on veteran-specific suicide data, breakdowns for planetarium revenue and what Faith Technologies found during its review. The executive committed to supplying additional detail to supervisors and staff at subsequent meetings.
What’s next: Staff will share requested revenue and demographic breakdowns and continue community engagement for campus reuse options; the county will operationalize a sheltering plan and monitor medical examiner workloads.
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