2013 Budget Highlights

As your County Board Supervisor, I spend the end of summer and most of fall participating in numerous meetings and discussions on the Dane County budget.  The following is a brief summary of the 2013 budget.  Many people testified before the County on their priorities and concerns, and I think the budget is a positive reflection of the needs of the County and the county priorities. 

The overall Dane County budget is approximately $525 million, of which more than half is dedicated to human services needs and another quarter dedicated to public safety needs.  The budget also includes provisions that give the county a strong reserve fund of approximately $12 million should another economic downturn occur. 

With respect to the Human Services programs, the county board approved a number of initiatives directed at the homeless, including funding for a temporary winter daytime shelter for the winter of 2012-13 and funding for a permanent daytime shelter for the fall of 2013.  In addition, the budget includes funding towards Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing as a permanent solution to homelessness and funding to keep homeless youth off the streets, replacing federal grant dollars that ceased. 

The county budget also includes funding for our youth in the form of an Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program with expansion to Sun Prairie, funding to help expand the “Birth to four year old kindergarten” to Leopold School (South Madison / Fitchburg), three additional child protective services positions and a new juvenile delinquency social worker. 

Recognizing and honoring our veterans was also a priority for the county board, and to that the budget increases emergency aid to address homelessness,  provides access to bus passes and improves access to services by streamlining access to benefits and updating technology.   We also included funding for the DAIS housing vouchers for those fleeing domestic violence and reduced the waitlist for developmental disabilities support .  Locally, we were able to help the East Madison and Monona Coalition for the Aging so they can continue their valuable service to our community.

To support our public safety mission, we added funding for four additional drug court slots and expanded it to ensure racial diversity within drug court, we expanded the restorative justice programs to 3 middle schools to keep youth out of criminal justice system, expanded the Alcohol and Other Drug Additions (AODA) programs and updated the Sheriff’s Departments squad car video cameras. 

Other economic and community program support came in the form of funding for Partners for Recreation and Conservation (PARC) grants for municipalities and organizations to improve infrastructure and public spaces for recreation,  funding for BUILD grants which help communities and businesses by fostering job and economic development  and are supporting municipalities throughout the county by providing matching funds for new voter machines throughout the county. 

As a member of the Alliant Energy Center Commission, the Task force for the Expansion of the Aliant Energy Center and as Chair of the Public Works Committee, I am very proud of the support this budget brings to enhance the Alliant Energy Center and move it forward as an economic driver for the area.  To that end, the budget includes funding that will be combined with State and other private partner funding for an expanded animal barn, and funding for improvements to the Coliseum to allow for more intimate concert venues.  Lastly, the budget includes funding (along with funding from the City of Madison and the Greater Madison Visitor and Convention Bureau) to conduct a “visioning” for the future of the AEC.

Lastly, the County budget maintains critical funding for continued environmental improvements, such as efforts to remove carp as part of the County Board’s “Clear Lakes” initiative, adds funding to expand the county fleet that is fueled from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) generated at our landfill, provides funding for county programs to become more sustainable. 

I’m proud of the balance that this budget brings and the priorities that are maintained in the County. 

Soil Vapors

By now many are aware of the Perchloroethylene (PCE) vapors that have seeped into the Monona Grove High School, most likely from PCE contamination found at the adjacent Klinke Cleaners.   While this is undoubtedly a bad situation, in some ways we should consider ourselves fortunate.  I know that’s an odd statement but consider the following:

·          The drycleaner voluntarily investigated their site and is cooperating with the DNR and the School

The Klinke’s voluntarily investigated their site for contamination in 2008, in time to be eligible for the WI Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Fund program.   The contamination they found was reported to the DNR who oversees investigation and cleanup projects.  The DNR also works with responsible parties to establish a schedule for cleaning up sites.  The most logical time to clean up the Klinke site was when the building was being torn down and reconstructed in 2010 and 2011, giving the Klinke’s more access to remove contaminated soil beneath the building. 

·         The drycleaner has the resources available to take the immediate actions needed to protect the school

The Klinke’s have the resources available to hire an experienced consultant and continue their investigation and cleanup of this site.  As their sampling data showed more extensive contamination, they were also directed to investigate potential vapor impacts to the school.   Investigating contamination is an iterative process, in which you expand and refocus your efforts as new data becomes available.   Once vapors were found in the soils under the school, air in the school was immediately sampled and actions were taken to decrease those levels to ensure they were below the health-based standards.

·         Soil vapor intrusion is an emerging issue and WI DNR and DHS are requiring more investigations

Wisconsin is one of a growing number of states that now recognize the potential threats associated with vapors from contaminated soil or groundwater, and as such more frequently requires soil vapor monitoring at sites where the nature of the contamination is of concern (especially when there are nearby residences or other occupied buildings).   In the past, this pathway was not often investigated and people were unknowingly left exposed to contamination.  In fact, New York State has re-assessed contamination sites that were closed without investigating the vapor pathway, with very interesting results (see http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/51715.html). 

So with that I say we’re fortunate because you also have to consider the following:

·         Given the nature of the chemicals and the standard drycleaning practices that were used in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s and even into the 1990’s, almost all drycleaners operating in that timeframe have some level of contamination.  This means there are hundreds if not thousands of drycleaners throughout the state – many closed and abandoned – where contaminants are likely to be found. 

·         While there is a program in WI to address contamination from those drycleaners who like the Klinke’s voluntarily investigated their sites, the fund is a reimbursement fund and a long wait-list exists for those paybacks.    

·         There is currently no federal or state program to identify where historic drycleaning facilities have operated and systematically assess the risks from those facilities (including soil vapor risks). 

The ultimate responsibility for cleaning up contaminated properties in WI is the party which caused the contamination and/ or the landowner.  In many cases, the current land owner may not have even been aware that the property once housed a drycleaning facility and the party causing the contamination is long gone.  Many landowners lack the resources to conduct lengthy investigations and there are inadequate funds at the state, county or city level for investigating or addressing abandoned facilities. 

I am concerned that no one taking a systematic approach to identify which of the known contaminated sites throughout the county are adjacent to schools, daycare centers or residences nor is there adequate funding for a systematic approach to assessing the potential impacts of soil vapors from those sites. 

So yes, this is a bad situation at the high school, but it could be so much worse.   My thanks to the Klinke’s for working cooperatively with the DNR and collaborating with the school to take action to prevent the vapors from getting into the school.   I am confident that they will continue with that cooperation throughout the entire investigation and cleanup process at their site. 

Lastly, I note that for those who wish to understand more about contamination from drycleaning sites, the States Coalition for the Remediation of Drycleaners has a document titled “A Citizens Guide to Drycleaner Cleanup”, which can be downloaded from this site http://drycleancoalition.org/pubs.cfm.

Note:  from 1997 – 2004, I was the DNR Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Team Leader, writing the rules for the program, staffing the Governor’s Council for the Dry Cleaner Environmental Response program and representing WI on the States Coalition for the Remediation of Drycleaners. 

Public Comment sought for Yahara Lakes Advisory Group Recommendations

Public Comments are now being sought on the recommendations drafted by the Yahara Lakes Advisory Group II – or YLAG2.   Appointed by County Executive Parisi, I joined other city, village, town, county and regional planning representatives, user groups, lake associations' representatives and University of Wisconsin educators in carrying out our charge to examine the operation, physical constraints, and changing hydrology of the Yahara chain of lakes and make water level recommendations that balance public and private interests. Public interests include navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality and natural scenic beauty. Private and cultural interests include historic values, riparian and business access and economic development. 

We spent 12 months learning from experts about various topics affecting lake level management – from hazard mitigation to cultural heritage to wetlands and wildlife habitats to hydraulics – to help us carry out our charge.   In the end, we agreed on 41 different recommendations in categories that include water levels, watershed management, in-lake management, analyses and information/education. 

A public meeting was held in late March to start the public input process, and the recommendations are now available for public comment on the web at http://www.countyofdane.com/lwrd/landconservation/ylag.aspx.  Comments will be accepted between April 12 – April 26th.    All public input will be considered by the group and final recommendations will be forwarded to the WI DNR – the agency charged with establishing lake levels for the Yahara chain of lakes.   

I have asked the County to also include on their web page information about lake levels and management strategies so that we can understand what actions they are taking to best manage lake levels.   That information is posted at: http://www.countyofdane.com/lwrd/landconservation/lakelevelpg.aspx.

I always encourage constituents to contact Kevin directly at 224-3731 if they have concerns about the lakes  and of course, they are always welcome to contact me as well at 221-0514. 

District 24 Boundaries

In April, 2012 the boundaries for District 24 are changing and portions of the Districts currently represented by Supervisor Tom Stoebig and Supervisor Dave de Felice will become part of District 24.

Every 10 years when the US Census data is released, local governments adjust their political boundaries to reflect changes in population over that time and to better group communities of interest. Following the recommended process, the Dane County Board redefined many district boundaries to take into account these population
changes and communities of interest.

As the District 24 Supervisor since 2008, I am eager to earn the trust and gain the support for those new to District 24. As second-vice Chair of the Board, I currently work closely with both Supervisor Stoebig and Supervisor de Felice, and am pleased to have both of their endorsements for the spring election.

You will find that I am a strong advocate for
· protecting our most vulnerable populations
· supporting our parks and open spaces
· cleaning up our lakes
· keeping our communities safe
· continuing the Dane County waywhere we treat our workers with respect, value our families and work together to make Dane County the best place to live, raise a family and keep our economy vital and thriving with good paying jobs. Here is a link to the new District 24 boundary:

http://www.countyofdane.com/board/supervisory_district.aspx

April 3, 2012 Election

As a longtime resident with a history of community service, I am proud to
represent District 24 on the Dane County Board.

In the last two years, I worked to:

· Protect our most vulnerable with a new drop-in mental health facility and maintain funding for the Dane County Job Center to connect unemployed residents with job opportunities;
· Bring fiscal responsibility while respecting our employees by renegotiating contracts to reduce health care costs saving taxpayers more than $1 million annually;
· Enhance our lakes and lands with the Clear Lakes Initiative, supporting the purchase of critical lands to protect endangered species and establishing permanent pharmaceutical drop-off locations to keep unused pharmaceuticals out of our landfill and water;
· Support public safety with continued 911 upgrades and fully staffing the 911 center, completing radio interoperability so emergency responders from all over the county can talk with each other, passing an ordinance keeping guns out of County-owned facilities and implementing efficiencies to the criminal justice system to save taxpayers millions; and
· Give Dane County voters a voice by putting a referendum on the Dane County ballot asking whether employees should have the right to collectively bargain for fair pay and safe working conditions.

I am honored to have the endorsements of County Executive Joe Parisi, County Board Chair Scott McDonell and Sheriff Dave Mahoney. I am also pleased to have the endorsement and confidence of the two Supervisors who have represented portions of the new District 24 - Supervisor Tom Stoebig and Supervisor Dave de Felice. Lastly, I have been endorsed by the Fire Fighters Local 311 as well as the Dane County Deputies Association.

During recent times we have come to realize just how important it is to know the values and priorities of those seeking elected office. As the District 24 Supervisor, I will strive to make my votes transparent and to always be accountable to my constituents. Dane County has much to offer to all of us – a healthy environment, strong local economy, a variety of parks and open spaces, safe communities and support for our most vulnerable.

As your County Supervisor, I will continue to work hard on your behalf. I take pride in promptly responding to constituent concerns and updating neighborhoods on County activities.

Robin