County board OKs sale of Winnebago Street building; Campbell sworn in

The Oneida County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to sell the county-owned building at 1991 W. Winnebago St. — home to Koinonia, a residential substance abuse treatment center — to Decorah Properties, LLC.

Terms of the sale

Decorah Properties offered $718,000 for the nearly 9.6-acre property, below a county-ordered appraisal that valued it between $725,000 and $740,000. County code allows the board to waive the appraised value, which it did; supervisors said the reduced price accounts for the estimated cost of replacing damaged basement carpeting.

The purchase offer sets a closing date on or before Dec. 31, 2026, and states the building will continue operating as a residential substance abuse treatment center for adults under Decorah Properties' ownership. The Land Records Committee's resolution echoes that commitment, but it isn't a permanent deed restriction — it holds only as long as Decorah Properties owns the building.

Board debate

Supervisor Mary Roth Burns questioned relying on a non-permanent commitment, calling Koinonia "such an important resource for this county" given how many court-ordered treatment referrals depend on it. She noted new development along the Winnebago Street corridor and warned the building could change hands again without the same guarantee.

Board Chair Scott Holewinski countered that Koinonia is a private business renting from the county on a yearly lease, not a county operation — meaning the county could lose the tenant regardless of who owns the building.

Bruce Decorah, who signed the offer for Decorah Properties, told the board his wife, a credentialed therapist, plans to run the facility for at least another decade before eventually passing it to a family member now completing a master's degree in substance abuse treatment. 

The board went into closed session to discuss the county's negotiating position, citing competitive bargaining concerns, then returned to open session and voted to finalize the sale.

In other business,  Matthew Campbell was sworn in as District 1 supervisor, filling a previously vacant seat. A full story on the sale will be published in our next edition.