Here’s the the lovely details of the few amendments made from the floor. . . they passed their operating budget in 35 minutes. No public testimony.
ROLL CALL
They started off with one absence, Kurt Schlicht, which Scott McDonell announced may be late.
INSPIRATIONAL AND PLEDGE
Dianne Hesselbein says it was her first year of being Personnel and Finance Chair and she thanks everyone who worked on the budget process with her.
OPERATING BUDGET
Chair Scott McDonell goes over the process with the county board. He says they have a sheet that is the order of Operating Budget considerations. There is a separate sheet for Capital. They go through the budget in that order. Once they pass an item, they do not go back. If you have an item that fits in two categories, bring it up the first time and then they will decide when they should discuss it. They will do the same with the capital budget and then they will do the ordinances that affect the budget and then they will set the levy.
General Government Activities – General County, County Board Office, County Executive, Clerk, Administration, Treasurer, Corporation Council, Register of Deeds and Miscellaneous. pages 33 – 130
No amendments.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice – Clerk of Court, Miscellaneous Criminal Justice (including law clerks), Family Court Counseling, Coroner/Medical Examiner, District Attorney, Sheriff, Public Safety, Emergency Management, Juvenile Court Programs. page 131
No amendments.
Health and Human Needs Activities – Human Services, p 210 – 296, Public Health, p 297 – 301, Veterans Services, page 302
Willett has an amendment, but makes general comments, he’s disappointed in the budget, people spoke in the last elections, foreclosures are up but we’re raising taxes. We found $700K at the last minute and we spent it. We went through the first part of the budget and 37 supervisors have no comment. It was over 2.4M in suggestions in cut and we were all quiet. He says he has one little amendment. $48K to Planned Parenthood, we have a contract that says they don’t spend money on campaign flyers, etc, he has a problem with the group and he thinks we shouldn’t give money to a group that spends money on political flyers, whether it comes from a different account or not. He doesn’t believe it. We don’t have the money. CareNet does the same thing and we don’t give them any money. Most of the supervisors don’t even know that money is there, because we do the same thing every year and its buried in a line item.
Duane Gau seconds. Carousel Bayrd defends by explaining the STD programs for women and men, through referrals from schools and Dane County social workers. This is not something we can get for nothing. They provide treatment and follow up care for those that have no access to health care. When the money is gone, they still take the referrals, they have money to serve 370, but serve 450. She points out that Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood WI are different.
Hesselbein hands out the outline of what they do for Dane County and points out language that they shall not use the money for political or advocacy. She points out that CareNet does some similar services, no public funds, they are not licensed medical centers. Planned Parenthood do have licensed medical staff.
Robin Schmidt says she has teens and they have health care, but many do not, its very important.
Sheila Stubbs says that this was turned down in Health and Human Needs, staff explained that they don’t use the funds for political activity. With the economy the way it is, why would you take this money away from those who need it.
Willett says that CareNet says they do comprehensive STI work, (he rips on the others who said STD cuz it is no longer a disease but an infection) they have doctors, they do all these things, this wouldn’t direct money elsewhere, it just wouldn’t spend it.
Kyle Richmond says this is one of the most important things that they could put in the budget. Mom was a Planned Parenthood nurse in the 60’s, its important work. Echos others comments
Roll Call:
Aye: Imhoff, Jensen, Martz, O’Loughlin, Ripp, Salov, Wiggie, Willett, Claussius, Farrell, Gau
No: Hesselbein, Hulsey, Levin, Matano, Miles, Richmond, Rusk, Sargeant, Schmidt, Solberg, Stoebig, Stubbs, Vedder, Veldran, Bayrd, Bruskewitz, Corrigan, deFelice, Downing, Duranczyk, Eicher, Erickson, Hampton, Hendrick, McDonell
Absent: Schlicht
12 ayes, 24 nos was announced, but I double checked my count with the tape and it was different
Conservation and Economic Development Activities – Planning Department on page 307, Land Information Office, 326, Solid Waste, 330
Ripp has an amendment he says he couldn’t bring to personnel and finance but I didn’t understand why, something about and email and something after he left. There are long pauses as the amendments are handed out, not given to the public before the meetign starts, so there could be surprises on items that you might are about.
Martz seconds.
Ripp explains his amendment he says the last night of personnel and finance they put another $5000 on Solid Waste for weed cutting budget. Says it is not legal, state statute says can only charges for services people are getting, has to be connected to the landfill. They have a corporation council opinion saying not legal to do this. County Exec got a clarification, saying that all weeds go to the landfill. That isn’t true, if you work for the county exec and that is what she tells you, that is what you believe. Says it is not legal and not ethical.
John Hendrick speaks against, Ripp is right that the action was at the end of the process and this is the time to respond, but if you look at the opinion it says you can’t do 100%, but 5000 is a small portion or a huge program.
Dave deFelice supports it because it is tied to getting two barges being seaworthy, we have 8, we don’t need to fund the whole fleet. He says the legality of this, look at second to last sentence, the program cannot be funded by landfill tipping fees.
Cynda Solberg asks Corporation Council opinion.
Marcia MacKenzie says that there was a former opinion by Gault, she doesn’t have a copy of what Ripp handed out, struggling to recall what happened. They table it and give her time to look at the information.
Culture, Education, Recreation Activities – Library, Alliant Energy Center, Henry Vilas Zoo, Land and Water Resources, University Extension and Miscellaneous Appropriations.
No amendments.
Public Works Activities – Public Works, Highway and Transportation page 417 – 451 and Airport pages 452 – 473.
No amendments.
Debt Service p 474
No amendments.
Back to Ripp Amendment
MacKenzie says her opinion was based on two things. First if weeks were solid waste. There is no definition in the statute, a court could decide either way. Assuming the court finds they are solid waste, then solid waste management would apply to them, and the landfill statute speaks to that. She thought all weed disposed of in landfill or compost sites of the county. Ripp has given her different information now, she’d need to go back and look into it more.
Ripp says he has the print out from parks.
MacKenzie says she’d have to go back and look at the law and issue another opinion. She doesn’t have all the data she needs.
Solberg and Miles remove from the table. She says that she is in support because $5,000, would rather do it correctly and fix next year, but she notes this doesn’t remove the money, just takes it from another place.
Ripp says that understands that this is last minute, this isn’t just $5,000, its $154,000.
Motion passes on a voice vote.
Final vote on Operating Budget
Aye: Hesselbein, Hulsey, Levin, Matano, Miles, O’Loughlin, Richmond, Rusk, Salov, Sargeant, Schmidt, Solberg, Stoebig, Stubbs, Vedder, Veldran, Bayrd, Claussius, Corrigan, deFelice, Downing, Duranczyk, Eicher, Erickson, Hampton, Hendrick, McDonell
No: Imhoff, Jensen, Martz, Ripp, Wiggie, Willet, Bruskewitz, Ferrell, Gau,
Absent: Schlicht
Passes 27 – 9 with one absent.
