Watched it on TiVo . . . wasn’t feeling well so went home. So, you don’t really get the same information as if you are actually there, but here’s what I got out of it.
A. ROLL CALL
And here is one area that watching on TV is difficult as the clerk doesn’t repeat if people are here and you can’t always hear if they say they are here.
It sounded like Gau, Kostelic, Levin, Manning, Matano, Miles, Richmond, Ripp, Solberg, Stubbs, Vedder, Bayrd were gone, Ripp, Gau, Manning and Levin showed up by the end of roll call. In the end, they ended up with 30 present and 7 missing. Vedder and Stubbs were excused, but I don’t know who was absent for sure besides Kostelic, Miles, Matano and Solberg cuz I could see their empty seats – or maybe Solberg was just too short to see? I think Richmond or Bayrd were the other absent people, but I’m not sure. By the time they were voting on things, the 5 missing people in question had shown up.
1. Prayer/Inspirational Message – Supervisor Duranczyk (Supervisor Erickson next)
Hmmm, McDonell called on Downing, but that is not what the agenda said. Downing said that with the economy, it is important to think about in some parts of the world, instead of saying heloo, a common greeting is “have you eaten today”. As we get ready to show thanks in this world of plenty, please join him in the pledge.
2. Pledge of Allegiance – Supervisor Duranczyk
B. SPECIAL MATTERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Res. 183, 2009-2010 – Memorial to Mary Louise Symon
Rusk introduces members of the family and reads the resolution. Moved by Rusk, Seconded by Levin, passes on a voice vote. Rusk says that updating ethics ordinance tonight, says no one more ethical than Mary Louise Symon, and that she treated everyone with equal respect. Also respects that she was elected chair of the Counties Association back in the 80s. Many people wanted her to run for County Executive in mid-1980s after she left the county board, she said “leave me alone”. She had many priorities outside of public life. Her daughter Judy said a few words. Thanks the county board. She enjoyed her 6 terms and proud of being chair for 3 years. Brought home stories of butting heads but always made sure each point of view was heard respectfully. Made many friends and stayed interested in county issues. Some issues she worked on here you are still working on today, but progress has been made. Thanks them.
2. Dane County Poverty Task Force Presentation
Michael Basford and Greta Hansen from the task force do a presentation.
Hansen says extra copies in the back. Read them again and often. Thanks them for taking the issue on. Many challenges and solutions. Thanks staff and supervisors Vedder and Wheeler for working on report. Thanks those who held a listening session in their district.
Basford thanks the staff as well, along with Vedder, Wheeler and those who hosted listening sessions. Says report was worked on since Sept. 2008. 12 meetings, 6 hearings, lists groups they worked with. Started their work with the knowledge that anti-poverty programs work. In a decade after Lyndon Johnson started the War on Poverty in 1964, national poverty rate lowered from 19% to 11.5%. Report was a result of listening, staff and research from individual members. They looked for research as it relates to children, people without health care, hunger and nutrition, public schools, seeking employment, caring for young children and seeking transportation and housing. Talks about work with homeless, homelessness isn’t just about not having a place to stay at the end of the day. It is a struggle to get people into housing and keep them there. Poverty is not just the state of not having enough money, there are other issues that also need to be addressed. Encourages them to look at the data in the report. All of the indicators are on the downturn. Poverty rate in Dane County has gone from 10.9% to 11.5% from 2007 to 2008. .6% might not sound like a big deal, but that is the entire population of the Village of Cross Plains. So think of the entire Village of Cross Plains going into poverty. And that isn’t the full brunt of the economic downturn, we don’t have 2009 numbers yet. Based on everything else we know, those numbers will likely be worse. Says after report, still hearing more. They heard from the Madison Schools yesterday that they have seen a 19% increase in the last year of homeless children attending schools in Madison. Also heard yesterday that the HPRP program (stimulus money to help pay rent and prevent homelessness), in a little over 2 months spent 111,000 of 550,000 available to serve 125 families. They are receiving dozens of phone calls every day. Talks about funding for benefits specialist for homeless and mentally ill people to help them get the SSDI benefits. Dane County is one of most difficult places in the nation to get benefits you are qualified for. [Wait, what? I thought we had Cadillac services that were a magnet for people to move here? Did you know people can’t get benefits that they qualify for? Hmmm . . . interesting myth vs reality moment!] This person helps people fill out the paperwork and do the appeals because almost all initial decisions are rejections. That position started June 1st, received 80 referrals and have a waiting list of 10 people. Inaction is not an option, current levels of poverty are affecting all areas of Dane County with increased strains on government services, municipalities, schools, businesses, non-profits, charities and families. Dane County government responsibility to rise to that challenge.
Hansen goes over the recommendations, asks them to put them in their heart and look at how it affects your life and people you know and the constituents in your district. They ask that when they make policy decisions to consider how it impacts people in poverty. If you’re going to make a decision that negatively impacts people in poverty, at least do it with your eyes open. [No wonder they didn’t want to hear about this report until after the budget was over . . . and they raised the sheriff’s fees for evictions and cut struggling non-profits serving struggling people by 3% and spreading more of the pain to them than unions and their measly 3% pay cut or the slight increase in taxes.] Know what the impact is going to be so you can make plans to remedy the impact, if you want to. She says that they had an opportunity to restore the cuts . . .
Interrupted, McDonell calls on Hendrick to suspend rules to let them continue, they give them 5 more minutes. No one objects . . .
Hansen says they encouraged them and still recommend that they restore the cuts to human services. Next year you will be doing it again, you can address the cuts throughout the year and we don’t want you to let that go by the wayside. Part of the way would be to make the task force a permanent commission to keep poverty on the agenda and on your radar. When life is good and poverty is gone, then you should disband it, but until that time you need citizens to partner with you on this work. She says that they should collaborate with municipal and school leaders, look at transportation in outlying communities who have few resources and how they get to resources, especially barriers for seniors. She says people who turned out care more about their neighbors than they do about themselves. That is a very telling value, that you probably already know and it was inspiring. Community and pantry gardens, common in city of Madison is growing in Dane County and think they need to look at it because of growing issue of access to local food. Asks them to look at the Elder Economic Security Index and look at how Dane County ranks. There are many self-sufficiency matrices that are used to measure poverty in various communities and we can use them to measure if we are making a difference. She thanks them, they want to continue working on the issue.
Stoebig asks about if you could separate the data by single family households vs two parent households and if they saw differences. He says he didn’t see that in the data. He says that too often single parent households and average family households contribute to poverty throughout the nation.
Basford says the last 12 months stats for 2008 and in the back of teh report and that might be the best reference to answer the question. He says there are other areas of data in areas like housing that he can send to them, but that is a good starting point.
Stoebig asks about the transportation planning for senior service and was wondering if they worked with Human Services staff to better understand how county distributes specialized transportation money from the federal government and if they got any input from the county’s mobility manager who is supposed to look at state and federal dollars and make sure options were available.
Hansen says that they did hear from staff, but they heard at the listening sessions that there are services, but we need to fine tune them, they are not working as well as they should and they are isolating and marginalizing people in the outer areas of the committee.
Basford says to look at the listening sessions notes, especially the ones from Sun Prairie, Stoughton and Mazomanie, you’ll get alot of stories of the need for gas and transportation vouchers.
Hampton asks if the commission would be permanent, what would be your next objective.
Hansen says that part of what they learned, many systems operating to address poverty at some level, there is a need for greater communication, coordination and cooperation. A commission looking at poverty and how to address it can be a way to get people to the table to talk about common concerns and assets, but people in poverty are not getting what they need to move towards greater self sufficiency. Permanent commission would help move in that direction.
Veldran says hasn’t read the report, asks about Dane County being one of the hardest places to get the benefits available to them.
Basford says to look at page 7. For Dane County residents with disabilities they are clearly eligible through SSDI, rejected, re-rejected and re-rejected. Wisconsin State Journal Article from September 20th of this year spells it out.
3. Announcements
Supervisor Levin introduces 4 resolutions since Stubbs is not here. Contracts for 2010.
Downing says resolution for giving prioritized zoning code revisions another term, it was extended once and sunsets at the end of the year. They have had 5 ordinance amendments, its been years and well into second list of priorities. He has another resolution about Planned Unit Developments this evening.
Richmond says a week ago event around Charter for Compassion, while talking about Poverty Task Force and cuts to human services, he would like them to read the charter and think about signing it if you agree with it. Now, with the economy, it is something to keep in mind every day.
Rusk says that Treasurer asked him to announce to check to make sure they are getting the Lottery Credit. You can save $70 – 100 on your tax bill. You can go to the Treasurer’s website and check to see if you are there based on your last name. If you are, you need to send a form to the treasurer’s office before Thanksgiving.
C. APPROVAL OF BILLS & ACCOUNTS
1. Claims Recommended for Approval
Moved by Stoebig, seconded by Ferrell. No discussion. Passes on a voice vote.
2. Claims Recommended for Denial
Moved by Schlicht, seconded by Kostelic. No discussion. Passes on a voice vote.
E. CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Ord. Amdt. 25, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 17, Adopting Flood Storage District Maps (Adopt)
2. Res. 148, 09-10 – Resolution for Safer Beaches and Cleaner Lakes (Adopt)
3. Res. 161, 09-10 – County Executive Appointments (Adopt)
4. Res. 163, 09-10 – Authorizing Public Health-Madison and Dane County to Accept a Public Health
Emergency Response Grant Related to the H1N1 Response (Adopt)
5. Res. 169, 09-10 – Amending Supervisory District Boundaries 35 and 36 City of Stoughton
Ordinance #0-16-09 (Adopt)
6. Res. 170, 09-10 – Adopting the 2009 Update of Dane County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
(Adopt)
7. Res. 182, 09-10 – County Executive Appointments (Adopt)
Hendrick separates item 6. McDonell says he will record it as unanimous approval on items E 1 – 5 & 7. No objection and they are recorded as unanimous.
Hendrick says he wanted to speak in favor of this plan and although it is a multi-hazard plan, he wanted to emphasize flood mitigation aspects. In 2008 there were more claims for flood damage in hydric soils areas than in the flood plains and that includes the 100 year flood plains which they regulate and the 500 year flood plains. 134 complaints in flood plains but 150 complaints outside that area. These hydric soils were formed by flooding in the past and are a good way to predict future flooding. One of mitigation efforts that they should do it prevent building on hydric soils so they don’t have the expensive flood plains. We won’t want to buy houses because they continue to be flooded.
Hulsey asks staff how many homes are in 100 year flood plains. Staff doesn’t know. Hulsey says its 665, staff agrees it is close. [One might ask, if he knew the answer, why he asked? I’m surprised he didn’t have a chart for that. :)] He says that in the last budget they had a hazard buy out budget of $200,000. The staff says that is in another department budget. Hulsey says that he didn’t see the total value of the houses in the 100 year flood plain. He says trying to mitigate losses in Belle Isle area but we need to prioritize.
McDonell says that they should try to make sure that they are asking questions. He says he seems to know the answers better than staff. [My point, exactly.[
Passes on a voice vote.
G. REPORTS ON ZONING PETITIONS
a. Map of Dane County
b. Summary of Grant as Modified Petitions
1. Petition 10082 – Town of Springfield – Springfield Highlands LLC (Grant as Modified)
2. Petition 10084 – Town of Cross Plains – John Kalscheur (Grant as Modified)
3. Petition 10107 – Town of Sun Prairie – Homburg Equipment Inc (Grant as Modified)
4. Petition 10109 – Town of Dunkirk – Richard Hagen (Grant as Modified)
5. Petition 10111 – Town of Rutland – Tim and Chris Properties LLC (Grant)
Richmond separates G1. On G2 – G5 they had registrants. Andrew and Chris Homberg registering in support and available to answer questions.
Martz asks if it is separated if they can comment? There is one registrant and they will hear from them.
Matano voting no on G4.
G 2 – 5 passes on a voice vote.
They have Roger Bowden available for information on item G1. Martz says the registrant might want to speak. McDonell explains to the registrant they might want to speak so people could ask them questions. [That’s a nice difference between the city and county. The Mayor would have actively discouraged the person from speaking, McDonell, probably realizing it will save time in the long run, encouraged the person to speak.]
He says he doesn’t have a presentation. Says this goes way back, talks about 2020 process, worked on subcommittee after subcommittee to come up with comprehensive plans was the notion to discourage scattered growth there ought to be incentive to develop a rural hamlet and that is what they are trying to do at Springfield Corner. Identified in comprehensive plan as an area to have small area of housing. This is the first phase of that cuz adjacent to the corner.
Richmond asks staff about how many acres being rezoned and how much of the acreage is in flood plains or wetlands? He says it looks like 26 of the 39 acres, is that correct. Yes, he agrees 26 in flood plains and wetlands.
Richmond asks about the page that says natural resources has open water and town comprehensive plan says to keep development away from those areas. Staff says that buildings should not be placed in those areas.
Richmond holds up a map that is gray where there is hydric soils and says that there are lots there that are 3 to 4 acres and they seem to go across a pond and hydric soils. He asks why? Staff says that is a questions for the developer.
McDonell suggests he word the question differently and tells him not to use staff to make a political point – Richmond says he wants to know if it is typical.
Staff says that there are alot of bodies of water in Dane County and its not atypical for property lines to cross streams and small ponds.
Richmond asks about the conservation subdivision and asks what size lots they should have.
Staff says that there is no designated acreage for a conservation subdivision. He says Town of Springfield plan suggests they be kept to 1.5 acres. It could be less than 1.5 if community septic system established.
Richmond confirms it is a unsewered subdivision. Says it sounds like the lots are large, but won’t ask staff the question.
Richmond asks about the culdesac, the town plan seems to discourage that. Staff confirms.
Richmond asks if there would be plans to get rid of it. Staff says Town owns land that they could extend the road, but there was no discussion of that at the committee.
Richmond say bottom of page 95, number 13 says maximize public open space, is this maximizing common open space. Staff says they can’t make that deicison, ZLR committee recommended approval.
Richmond asks if someone wanted to maximize open space, how would one do that, what suggestions would staff make? Staff says to look at town and county comprehensive plan to see if state or county parks department or if the town would be interested in purchasing that land.
Richmond says there are 12 acres in hydric soil area that is being rezoned ot what? Staff says conservancy? He asks what that means? Could be used by passive recreational area. Owned by? Homeowners association.
Stoebig asks about the working lands initiative conversion fee, is that applicable? 26 going from A-1 to housing. Is there a delayed effective date. Staff says conversion fees only apply after January 1.
Ripp says this is in his district. Hasn’t walked the area for a while but spent time here when a kid. Says the stream is intermittent. There are no buildings or septic systems on hydric soils, they are larger lots, hydric soil in back is a prairie area. Parks could have taken it over if they wanted it, we didn’t take it, didn’t fit in the parks plan. Private park, if town or county interested we can have it. The culdesac, the town has plans for additional development, so they hope it is temporary.
Miles says that they talked about it in committee and the were hoping the culdesac was temporary. On the size of the lots, they are larger to provide an ag feel and accomodate one live stock per acre. On open space, he raised these issues as well, see the letter where they responded ot some of those questions. 3k. addresses the open space question. The outlot in the northwest corner is their open space. All of it will be held privately and that is consistent with the town plan. Regarding the map, there is a 100 year flood plan delineation on there, they required them to get the hydric soils determination and it is more consistent with the 100 year flood plain line, not the full gray area. If you look at G.b. the memorandum highlights the conditions of having no buildings on hydric soils.
Richmond says he highlighted on his map the hydric soils and if trying to preserve that area, why not make the lots the area the size that you can build instead of having them go across the pond.
Miles says that the size of the lots is to allow one livestock per acre. If they reduced it to lots outside the 100 year flood plain, they would have lost one of the lots and would have had to change the zoning so they could have no livestock.
Richmond asks if the intent is to have livestock? If so, what kind. [It was kind of cute, he’s trying to get answers, but can only ask questions of the chair, so he’s hypothetically tossing out questions that Miles can or might not answer. McDonell is answering some of them as they go along. Seems a little silly and prohibiting a dialog, but it is Robert’s Rules which they adhere to strictly.]
Miles says they are debating what kind of livestock, it will be in the homeowners association agreement. McDonell says probably not loud animals. [Talking and jokes off mic I couldn’t hear.]
Richmond talks again. [McDonell losing his patience . . . the tacos are probably getting cold . . . 🙂 . . . they have their budget party planned for after the meeting.] McDonell notes he has spoken many times, Richmond says he is asking questions but now is ready to debate. He says he hasn’t been following it, understands Miles assurance about the culdesac and it doesn’t make sense to him considering what the town plan says. He is voting against, hopes that other will consider that. Supervisor Miles says it has been discussed for a while, but reading through staff analysis, knowing this is a wetland area, that there is going to be livestock and the way it is platted, doesn’t make sense.
ROLL CALL
AYE: Downing, Druancyzk, Ferrell, Gau, hampton, Hesselbein, Jensen, Kostelic, Levin, Martz, Miles, O’Laughlin, Opitz, Ripp, Salov, Schlicht, Schmidt, Solberg, Stoebig, Veldran, Wheeler, Wiggie, Willett, Bayrd, Bruskewitz, [more liberal than Tammy Baldwin)deFelice, DeSmidt, McDonell
NO: Erickson, Hendrick, Hulsey, Manning, Matano, Richmond, Rusk
ABSENT: Vedder, Stubbs
Passes 28 -7 – 2
H. ORDINANCES
1. Ord. Amdt. 36, 08-09 – Amending Chapter 9, Updating the Dane County Ethics Code (Adopt Sub.2 with Amdts.)
Rusk says basically on consent agenda, but major update. Thanks the ethics board. Unusual process, they raise questions to be sent to the ethics board and they have been deciding what they think is best and agreed with them in almost every case. Wanted it ready by Dec 1 when people take out nomination papers.
– Clarified prohibition on use of county equipment for electoral purposes. – Pictures is a big thing, if a picture is taken in the public domain, you can’t regulate that, if you are supervisor DeSmidt and you decide you want a picture with nurse friends and go out there and have a picture taken, that would not be appropriate. If want to take a picture on county property is should not be in areas that the public does not have access to.
– They added immediate family members to the section on prohibiting fees and expenses.
– New provision on statement of economic interests, clerk will be sending a list to ethics board of those folks who don’t submit it and they can be fined.
– Complaint process has been revamped with deadlines and requirements, they are not happy when unfounded or frivolous complaints come at election time and they had that in mind when they made these changes.
Urges support.
Salov asks about public property, is it just Dane County property, does it include town hall etc.
Rusk says it is county property.
Passes on a voice vote.
I. AWARD OF CONTRACTS
1. Res. 136, 09-10 – Approving the Sale of the Surplus Cross Plains Highway Garage (Adopt Sub. 1)
No discussion. Voice vote with a bunch of nos. Wiggie, Martz, Gue, Ferrell, Schlict, Gau and Bruskewitz want to be recorded as voting no. Motion carries.
2. Res. 158, 09-10 – Authorizing Addendum of Agreement #2 with Strang, Inc. for Job Center Remodel (Adopt)
No discussion. Passes on a voice vote.
3. *Res. 175, 09-10 – Award of Contract for Site Excavation at Saddlebrook Storage Facility ( )
Passed finance unanimously earlier this evening. 6-0 and adoption 4-0 in Public Works and Transportation. Sub 1 is before them.
Richmond asks about the facility, is it being knocked down? McDonell says they are just redoing the floor.
Ripp says it was a horse facility, large arena with large doors, but have to grade the area and then they can store the vehicles inside.
Passes on a voice vote.
J. RESOLUTIONS
1. Res. 27, 09-10 – Authorizing the Marketing of Land in County Property in the Town of Westport for Mineral Extraction (Adopt/Deny/Adopt with Amdts.)
Several registrants in support, all AFSCME representatives.
One registrant in opposition but won’t speak cuz they are postponing.
Hulsey moves to postpone to next meeting, deFelice seconds.
Downing wants to move denial. It would be appropriate now, but they could discuss that next time. Some parliamentary confusion about motions . . . but the motion to postpone to the next meeting passes.
K. ITEMS THAT REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY FOR PASSAGE
1. Res. 114, 09-10 – Authorizing Acceptance of Wisconsin Department of Commerce Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program Funds and Awarding of a Professional Services Contract Department of Human Services – CDBG (Adopt)
2. Res. 155, 09-10 – Transfer Between Information Technology (IT) Funds Human Services Administration and Badger Prairie Administration (Adopt)
3. Res. 160, 09-10 – Authorizing an Agreement to Accept the Highway Safety Grant Funds for a Community Traffic Safety Project “Alcohol Enforcement Project 2010” (No
Recommendation”/Adopt)
There is no requests for separation. Bayrd clarifies on 3 them motion is adoption. No objections to recording a unanimous vote.
L. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 2010 BUDGET DELIBERATIONS IF NEEDED
1. Res. 145, 09-10 – 2010 Dane County Operating Budget Appropriations Resolution (Adopt Sub. 1)
2. Res. 146, 09-10 – 2010 Dane County Capital Budget Appropriations Resolution (Adopt Sub. 1)
3. Ord. Amdt. 26, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 12, Establishing a Farmland Preservation Zoning Conversion Fee (Adopt)
4. Ord. Amdt. 27, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 12, Regarding Zoning Fees (Adopt)
5. Ord. Amdt. 28, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 62, Adjusting Fees Charged by Family Court Counseling Service (Adopt)
6. Ord. Amdt. 29, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 35, Huber Law Prisoner Fees (Adopt Sub. 1)
7. Ord. Amdt. 30, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 62, Increasing The Cremation Certificate Fee (Adopt)
8. Ord. Amdt. 31, 09-10 – Amending Chapters 45 & 46, Revising Fees Charged for Environmental Health Service (Adopt)
9. Ord. Amdt. 32, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 54, Regarding Parking Fees at the Alliant Energy Center (Adopt with Amdts./Adopt)
10. *Ord. Amdt. 33, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 62, Imposing a County Vehicle Registration Fee (“No Recommendation”)
11. Ord. Amdt. 34, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 62, Regarding Fees Charged by the Sheriff for Seizure of Property or Evictions (Adopt)
12. Ord. Amdt. 37, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 67, Airport Terminal Rent and Landing Fees (Adopt)
13. Ord. Amdt. 38, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 46, Regarding Collection of Fees for Private Sewage System (Adopt)
14. Ord. Amdt. 41, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 62, Regarding Fees for Deferred Prosecution Program (Adopt)
15. Ord. Amdt. 42, 09-10 – Amending Chapter 70, Increasing Fees at the Dane County Parking Ramp Consistent with the 2010 Budget (Adopt)
16. Res. 147, 09-10 – Setting the 2009 Tax Levy (Adopt)
These items were taken care of on Monday and so they were skipped.
M. SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS THE COUNTY BOARD IS AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT BY LAW
McDonell invites them to the Essen Haus for an after budget party.
Downing wants to know what happened to his resolution he was circulating, McDonell asks them not to steal it.
N. ADJOURNMENT – Until Thursday, December 3, 2009, 7:00PM, Or Call of Chair
Move by Opitz, seconded Gau. Passes
8:15. They’re outta here.
