I’ll try to make a long story short . . . speak tonight or forever hold your peace. Or email, email, email and call your elected officials, because after tonight, even though they haven’t finished the budget, there is no more chances to speak! (And even tonight I’m not sure you can speak on everything in the budget, it might just be certain items.)
Last Monday (11/2) they heard testimony on these amendments.
THE COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS’ BUDGETS AT THIS MEETING. SEE THE NOVEMBER 4, 2015 AGENDA FOR REMAINING DEPARTMENTS AND THE NOVEMBER 9, 2015 AGENDA FOR ACTION ON BUDGET AMENDMENTS, BUDGET RESOLUTIONS AND BUDGET RELATED ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS.
Executive Committee Oversight
• County Board Office (pages 39-41)
• County Executive (pages 42-61)
• County Clerk (pages 62-67)Personnel & Finance Committee Oversight
• County Treasurer (pages 102-105)
• Department of Administration (pages 68-101)
• Library (pages 317-320)
• Land Information (pages 293-295)
• Community Development Block Grant (pages 50-59)
• Debt Service (pages 440-443)
• Miscellaneous Appropriations (pages 120-124 and 382-384)Zoning & Land Regulation Committee Oversight
• Register of Deeds (pages 114-119)
• Planning & Development (pages 284-292)Health and Human Needs oversight
• Veterans Services (pages 281-283)
• Badger Prairie Health Care Center (pages 257-261)
• Human Services Department (pages 200-256 and 262-277)
Today, they are hearing testimony on these amendments.
Operating
Capital
THE COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS’ BUDGETS AT THIS MEETING. SEE THE NOVEMBER 4, 2015 AGENDA FOR REMAINING DEPARTMENTS AND THE NOVEMBER 9, 2015 AGENDA FOR ACTION ON BUDGET AMENDMENTS, BUDGET RESOLUTIONS AND BUDGET RELATED ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS.
Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources oversight
• Land & Water Resources (pages 365-385)
• Extension (pages 386-388)Public Works & Transportation Committee Oversight
• Public Works, Highway & Transportation (pages 419-423)
• Solid Waste (pages 306-327)
• Facilities Management (pages 81-89)
• Alliant Energy Center (pages 333-359)
• Airport (pages 424-444)
• Zoo (pages 360-364)Public Protection & Judiciary oversight
• Corporation Counsel (pages 110-118)
• Clerk of Courts (pages 130-138)
• Criminal Justice- Law Clerks (pages 139-141)
• Family Court Services (pages 142-144)
• Medical Examiner (pages 145-148)
• District Attorney (pages 149-159)
• Sheriff (pages 160-177)
• Public Safety Communications (pages 178-185)
• Emergency Management (pages 186-193)
• Juvenile Court (pages 194-202)
SUOPER-AMENDMENT
Next Wednesday (I think) they will be considering and discussing all the amendments, with one likely “super amendment” that will balance everything out. Probably submitted at 10am the day before an hopefully out for the public to see 24 hours in advance. The schedule still has them scheduled for meeting on Monday and Tuesday, but I’m quite certain they decided to meet on Wednesday. At least that is what Lynn Green reported to the Homeless Services Consotrtium and I’m assuming (my bad) that she knows what she is talking about – I spaced out during that part of the meeting or someone was talking to me.
How can the public have input into the super-amendment? What happens if you want to comment on it?
Attempt to contact your elected officials.
county_board_recipients@countyofdane.com
Make sure to include your address so they know if you are a constituent.
If you want more specific info on elected officials, see here.
Here’s some amendments you might be interested in tonight. And Tenant Resource Center amendment is P&F-0-8.
PP&J-O-3 — Solitary Confinement reports by Sheriff
Testify to strongly support, and greatly increase frequency of the Sheriff’s public reporting about solitary confinement — ideally increase to every month, or if not, then every other month, or quarterly. Additionally, demand that data reported be responsive to community advocates’ requests in terms of what data is reported and how it is presented (see proposal sent to the Board last week).
Amendment would: Request that the Sheriff report to the PP&J committee “at least yearly” about the Sheriff’s use of solitary confinement. Create a template of data to be reported.HHN-C-1 — Affordable Housing for People Leaving Incarceration
Testify to strongly support, and increase funding beyond $2M and target larger % toward people leaving incarceration. This is funding that will “build community resources” rather than increasing money sunk into jail facilities.
Amendment would: Increase funding by $2M for affordable housing, including “at least 20%” (>$400,000) for housing needs of people leaving jail or prison.HHN-O-14 — Small fund for services to support people leaving jail.
Testify to strongly support, and to increase funding. Small fund to support community-based orgs.
Amendment would: Provide $39,500 for case management services to support people leaving the County jail. Community-based orgs would submit proposals through an RFP process, so this is money that could go to new orgs.HHN-O-8 — Small minigrants to support community-based alternatives.
Testify to support, and greatly increase proposed funding. A very small first step toward funding community-based alternatives.
Amendment would: Create $25,000 fund to make mini-grants to community organizations working to reduce racial disparities.PP&J-O1 — Staffing for data analysis and reporting on racial equity in criminal justice.
Testify to strongly support, and to double proposed staffing levels so that more energy can be focused on criminal justice.
Amendment would: Create a full-time Research Analyst position to focus on collection and analysis of racial equity data in relation to the criminal justice system, and the County’s overall racial equity efforts. The staff person’s time would be split between the two areas: criminal justice, and general racial equity in County gov policies.PP&J-O-2 — Work Group on racial equity in diversion programs
Testify to strongly support, and to propose adding at least two community members to the 11-person work group.
Amendment would: Create an 11-person work group to conduct a review of diversion programs’ criteria for admission and completion, with a focus on racial equity and suggestions for reform.HHN-O-7 — Staffing for affordable housing efforts
Testify to re-instate this amendment. It was voted down by HHN committee.
Amendment would: Create a full-time County staff position to support to support affordable housing projects the County has funded (using the $2M from last year, and proposed $2M from this year), and pursue new grant funding.PP&J-O-4 — Public reporting on bail and initial appearance policies.
Testify to support.
Amendment would: Requests that Criminal Justice Council provide a briefing to PP&J committee regarding bail policy, signature bond policy, and initial appearance practice, in the first quarter of 2016.EXEC-O-3 — Pursue grants to fund implicit bias and other training for County staff.
Testify to support, and increase funding. Intended to implement several of the Work Groups’ recommendations, but is only a small first step toward those goals (LOS #2; Alternatives #5; and MH/SC #5 and #6)
Amendment would: Require the County to pursue grant funding to provide implicit bias, racial justice, and trauma-informed training to criminal justice and human service staff.EXEC-O-4 — Pursue grants to expand restorative justice alternatives.
Testify to support. Intended to implement recommendations #2 and #3 from the Work Group on Alternatives; but is only a small first step.
Amendment would: Require the County to pursue grant funding to expand the Community Restorative Court and youth restorative justice programs.P&F-O-7 — Small fund to support development of pretrial services.
Testify to support, and increase funding. A very small step toward pursuing the development of pretrial services.
Amendment would: Transfer ~$7,000 to the fund for pretrial services work of the Criminal Justice Council, including allowing the hiring of temporary staff and consultants to move pretrial services work forward.
