Redistricting, Voit Farm, Budget and PFAS resolution moves forward

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Dear Neighbors,
These are busy days for the County Board. We have almost daily meetings surrounding the budget, redistricting, PFAS and public hearings. In this update, I will cover the new tentative supervisory maps, an amendment in favor of funding a community vision for Voit Farm, the County’s budget proceedings and progress on protecting our community from PFAS resolution.

PFAS Resolution Moves Forward

Resolution 125 in favor of regulating PFAS pollution at the airport and providing the public information about PFAS pollution as it related to airport construction projects has passed both the Airport Commission and the Public Works and Transportation Committee unanimously.

The resolution requests a legal opinion on how the County can regulate airport activities, construction and the work to clean up PFAS discharges through its stormwater ordinances and any other statutory authority the County has. It also provides reporting on:

  • All PFAS tests and results that Dane County has performed or has access to and have been submitted to the DNR. The practice for the testing entities is to submit test results to the DNR.

  • Agendas and minutes of any public meetings at which the topic of PFAS is discussed between County departments, the Wisconsin DNR, the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and any Private Contractors or Companies that are not protected by attorney client privilege.

It has been long road with versions of the resolution going to Airport Commission twice, Public Works twice, Public Protection and Judiciary (PPJ) four times, the Environment, Ag and Natural Resources (EANR) Committee twice and hopefully finally to the County Board. It has been a long haul but I made a promise to our neighbors to protect our drinking water and I won’t take no for an answer.

County Board Recommends Map for Redistricting

Dane County undertook an ambitious redistricting plan led by a commission composed of residents. There were census delays, compressed timelines, specific metrics to ensure the possibility of minority representation, and efforts to keep together communities of interest. The Dane County model serves as a model for not only local government but the for the state as a whole.

I had the honor as a member of the Executive Committee to evaluate three map options A, C and G and was happy to see that map C was recommended by the Executive Committee to the County Board which passed with overwhelming support. The article from WORT-FM does a great job recapping the discussion and path forward:

https://www.wortfm.org/dane-county-approves-new-voting-maps/

In the article, I emphasized:

“These maps were made in such a way to maximize minority representation,” he said. “And when we look across the country, and what typically happens, maps are made to dilute minority power and maintain the status quo.”

My Budget Priorities

There are many worthwhile investments in the County Budget and lots of programs and initiatives that I support. I will highlight a few programs that I want to highlight and bring to your attention:

  • I am fortunate to chair the Land Conservation Committee and be the Vice Chair of EANR. The County is fully funding the 5 phase dredging program for flooding resiliency, land purchases for conservation and flooding prevention, and cover crops to prevent phosphorous pollution. The Land and Water budget is strong and comprehensive and it was an honor to be a part of its passage

  • I have added a 500,000 budget amendment to support the ambitious and well thought out Voit Farm project. This project supports multi-family net-zero housing, urban agriculture, wetlands preservation, and limnology testing outposts. This is a smart land use project that keeps this land as a public asset.

  • There has a been a six percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) proposed in the budget. This is necessary as inflation hits our economy and an acknowledgement of the heroic work that our County employees have done during the pandemic.

    Rather than supporting this COLA as a percentage increase, I support making this an equal flat dollar amount. Inflation hits workers who make less harder. When raises are given as percents, a worker making 100k will receive a 6k increase while an employee making 50k would only receive 3k for example. If we use percent raises in perpetuity, it just creates bigger wage gaps. Let’s combat income inequality here in Dane County by giving all employees the same dollar amount raise.

  • There was a budget amendment passed by PPJ adding an additional 23 million dollars to the astronomically expensive 225 million dollar jail project. I vehemently oppose this additional funding as the cost of the jail has ballooned tremendously without a single shovel being put in the ground. I have had many posts in my neighborhood newsletters stating my opposition to the jail and reasoning behind it. I am hoping this additional funding gets voted down soundly and I will certainly vote and speak out against it.

  • I have worked with other supervisors for years in favor of creating a Mental Health Crisis Center but our amendments for funding and planning were always voted down. These centers can take a “No Wrong Door” approach, where someone can go regardless of how acute or minor their mental health issue is. It allows people to be treated in the least restrictive environment and helps create a separation between public health and criminal justice issues.

    I am happy to see 10 million of dollars of funding included in the budget this year for a Mental Health Crisis Center. Persistence pays off and this is a huge step forward for our community!

I will continue to provide budget updates at neighborhood meetings, through social media, and even if you just see me walking through the neighborhood with my kid and dog. I really appreciate all the efforts that our neighbors have put forth towards creating a budget that reflects our values.