GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) - Line-by-line, Brown County's administration committee made adjustments to a resolution asking the state to let them keep a $15 million state grant. That grant would help the county develop its port and move coal piles off of riverfront property south of Mason Street. It's in jeopardy after county officials failed to reach an agreement with C. Reiss Company to move the coal piles. "I certainly hope so," said Brown County board chair Patrick Buckley when asked if he thinks the state will give them an extension for the grant. "We've done everything the grant called for when we originally applied for the grant. Some people are saying that we don't want to put a deal together, we are trying to put a deal together." The original resolution argued that the county had negotiated in good faith with C. Reiss Company to come up with a lease agreement to move the coal piles. It said the county had done everything it could to make a deal happen and it was C. Reiss Company that was holding things up. It also said that the Brown County port director will send out a request for information (RFI) so that other organizations can also have an opportunity to bid on the Pulliam Power Plant site (the spot where C. Reiss Company was supposed to move its coal). A Brown County official said they haven't received an update from the state regarding the status of the $15 million grant. He told Local 5 News that they also haven't received an update on a $10 million federal grant that also is at risk of expiring since a deal to move the coal isn't in place. Local 5 News attempted to contact state and federal officials responsible for issuing those grants, but our calls went unanswered. Popular brewery in Wisconsin changing owners, reflects on nine-year legacy At their meeting on Thursday night, Brown County administration committee officials went through the resolution line-by-line making changes as they saw fit. Most of the changes involved softening the language and avoiding overtly blaming C. Reiss Company for a deal not being in place. Ultimately, the administration committee approved the amended resolution three to one. Supervisor Ross Toellner voted no. "I truly feel like it's making it look like the board can't get it's ducks in a line and we're just trying to pass blame onto others," he said. The amended resolution now goes to the full county board of supervisors who will decide its fate. Last month, Brown County supervisors approved a lease proposal to move the coal piles. However, the terms of the lease proposal they approved differed from what had been talked about prior to that meeting. Most notably, the original lease proposal was for up to 75 years and the one approved by county supervisors was for 40 years. C. Reiss officials had suggested prior to the county board's decision, that they wouldn't accept a lease with changes to it. A county official told Local 5 News that any terms discussed with C. Reiss and the county was always contingent upon approval from county supervisors. For full coverage of the county board meeting when supervisors approved the new terms for the lease, please click here. Ashwaubenon Public Safety Chief retiring after over 30 years of serving multiple communities On Thursday in response to the county's new resolution regarding the coal piles, a spokesperson for C. Reiss Company sent the following statement to Local 5 News: “The draft resolution under consideration by the County Board contains several clear and obvious inaccuracies regarding the good faith negotiations between The C. Reiss Company and the County Administration over the past year. “On December 19, the County Board rejected an agreement negotiated by the County Administration and C. Reiss that would have moved the coal piles from their current Mason Street location out to the former Pulliam Power Plant. This new draft resolution appears to be part of an effort to shift blame for the consequences of that decision, which has put at risk some $25 million in state and federal grants for Brown County port infrastructure. "First, the resolution falsely states that C. Reiss somehow increased its demands after learning that the $15 million state grant was contingent on reaching a deal to move the coal piles. All parties knew from the beginning that the grant was given specifically to move the coal piles, as Brown County itself stated in its grant application back in 2021. Further, this $15 million doesn’t go to C. Reiss – it’s dedicated to making capital improvements to turn land that is currently unusable into a site that can handle dry bulk commodities. “Second, throughout this negotiation, C. Reiss has made multiple concessions to achieve a fair and reasonable agreement for all parties. For instance, the new proposed site is actually smaller than the one we currently own and use at Mason Street, causing operational efficiency issues that would increase our operating costs. C. Reiss has also moved from making a purchase offer to a lease, spent some $20,000 of our own money for design work, and agreed to shorten the lease term by 25 percent, among other compromises. “Third, the resolution’s depiction of C. Reiss as a difficult negotiating partner does not reflect reality. In fact, C. Reiss reached at least two agreements with the County’s appointed negotiators, first with Green Bay Port Director Dean Haen in May 2024, which was rejected by the Harbor Commission. The County Executive then placed Corporation Counsel Dave Hemery in charge of negotiations, and C. Reiss reached a deal with him in November 2024. The County Board rejected that agreement last month.” -C. Reiss Company CEO Keith Haselhoff A spokesperson for C. Reiss Company said officials have made efforts to arrange a meeting between C. Reiss Company, Brown County officials, and city of Green Bay officials next week. Brown County board chair Patrick Buckley said this when asked if the county was willing to budge off the current terms they offered for the lease. "It's in pretty close to a final format, I'm not really sure what we would want to change," he said. "We've done everything we can to negotiate in good faith with C. Reiss, and now it's up to them."  Local 5 News reached out to several city of Green Bay officials who said at this time they don't have any further comment on the status of the coal piles.