No response from Dane County to my open records requests

January 10, 2020 8:07 am

So, I’m trying to figure out how the Personnel and Finance Committee hears a whole bunch of information about all kinds of budget amendments then goes away and comes back with a tidy package exactly balanced and has no discussion. Where is that discussion happening?

HOW DOES THE COUNTY BOARD COME UP WITH A PERFECTLY BALANCED BUDGET THAT HAS NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION ONLY ACCOLADES? WHO IS INVOLVED AND WHEN AND WHERE DO THEY DO IT?

I’ve blogged about this in various years. This year’s version is here and here. This year, I decided I’d had enough. Someone, it was an older white guy on the county board and I don’t remember which one, said that it was done in the Chairs meetings. Might have been Dave Ripp or Carl Chenoweth or Paul Nelson or Bill Clausius . . . I don’t recall and I don’t recall if they said it openly in a meeting or before or after a meeting. At the time they were just saying out loud what every knows, but isn’t supposed to say out loud. Anyways, that is what led to my open records requests about the chairs meetings. I was hoping there would be agendas and minutes that would reveal that is what they are doing. Of course, they cleverly made sure they don’t have agendas and minutes. Which I suspected, so I made a second open records request the following day.

INITIAL OPEN RECORDS REQUEST ON COUNTY BUDGET SUB 1

Two months ago I asked the the following:

from:		Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com
to:		Patrick Miles <Miles@co.dane.wi.us>, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, “Hicklin, Charles” <Hicklin@countyofdane.com>
cc:		“Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com>
date:		Nov 6, 2019, 9:35 AM
subject:		Sub 1 – Open Records Request
mailed-by:		gmail.com

Please send all records, electronic or written, including texts, emails, and other correspondence sent through county or personal devices and accounts, regarding the process and content for the substitute resolutions for the Operating and Capital Budgets and the final tax levy resolution. Additionally, please send any records (as described above) related to “revised” amendments that were presented to Personnel and Finance at the November 5th Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

I got no response.

SECOND INQUIRY

from:		Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com
to:		Patrick Miles <Miles@co.dane.wi.us>, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, “Hicklin, Charles” <Hicklin@countyofdane.com>
cc:		“Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com>
date:		Dec 15, 2019, 8:12 AM
subject:		Re: Sub 1 – Open Records Request
mailed-by:		gmail.com

It’s been 5 weeks since I submitted this request. Can you provide me with an update on any progress made or when to expect a response?

Thank you.

Brenda K. Konkel

I got no response.

THIRD INQUIRY

So, when I got the answer to open records request on the chair’s meetings, I asked the following:

from:		Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com
to:		“Lowndes, Daniel” <Lowndes@countyofdane.com>
date:		Jan 4, 2020, 1:04 PM
subject:		Re: Open Records Request
mailed-by:		gmail.com

Could you tell me when I might expect a response to my second open records request sent the day after this one? I asked on December 15th and no one replied.

Thank you!

Again, no response.

FOLLOW UP ON THE CHAIRS MEETINGS INQUIRY

It’s been nearly two weeks and I only got the one response from Dave Ripp that was reported, but no other responses.

from:		Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com
to:		eicher.analiese@countyofdane.com, young.hayley@countyofdane.com, “Nelson, Paul” <nelson.paul@countyofdane.com>, “Rusk, Paul” <rusk@countyofdane.com>, kuhn.jamie@countyofdane.com, “Ritt, Michele” <ritt.michele@countyofdane.com>, mccarville.maureen@countyofdane.com, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, ripp.david@countyofdane.com, bollig.jerry@countyofdane.com, miles@countyofdane.com, “Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com>, Kuhl.Lauren@countyofdane.com, Menard.Lindsay@countyofdane.com, schroeder.josh@countyofdane.com
date:		Dec 28, 2019, 3:10 PM
subject:		Open records request
mailed-by:		gmail.com

Please see the attached schedule of meetings. The attached indicates that you were invited to the meetings. Please confirm which meetings you were actually in attendance and what was discussed at each meeting. Additionally, please send any agendas, minutes, communications or notes either written or electronic (including emails, texts or social media communications from personal or county board accounts) related to the meetings that you attended.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Brenda K. Konkel

The only response was from Dave Ripp on December 30th

Hi Brenda.

I attended all starting with June 13 when I became PW&T Chair. As far as I’ve seen and know, there is no agenda or minutes. We look at the Board agenda for the next week and let the Board Chair know if we feel anything on that agenda is controversial or if we had a lot of discussion on an item in our committee meeting. If there is a controversial item we may ask questions. There are no votes and I’ve never been asked my opinion or how I plan to vote on anything. The Board Chair may let us know if something is coming we are not aware of. I’ve never taken notes or had any communication on anything I’ve heard there. It really is more letting the Board Chair know what is happening so she can plan ahead. Also, it rarely takes an hour.

Dave Ripp

No responses from:

Analiese Eicher – running unopposed, one of two people predicted to be the next county board chair
Hayley Young – retiring
Paul Nelson – retiring
Paul Rusk – running unopposed
Jamie Kuhn – retiring
Michele Ritt – running unopposed
Maureen McCarville – running unopposed
Sharon Corrigan – retiring
Jerry Bollig – is one of two incumbents facing a challenger
Patrick Miles – running unopposed, the second person predicted to be the next county board chair
County Staff
- Karen Thurlow Peterson
- Lauren Kuhl
- Lindsay Menard
- Josh Schroeder