Still waiting for open records request regarding County Board Budget

By
Brenda Konkel
-

Who decides what is in the Dane County Budget amendment that takes all the county board supervisor amendments to the budget, and some news ones and decides what is in, what is out and what gets modified?  Don’t you want to know?

Honestly, how hard can it be to answer that question?  What politician doesn’t want to take credit for their work?  And scarier yet, if they don’t want to take credit for their work . . . then what are they hiding?  This shouldn’t have taken more than 3 months to find out.

BACKGROUND

Since November, 14 and a half weeks ago, for over three months I’ve been trying to find out what goes on behind closed doors (and who is behind them) between the presentations of the budget amendments to the Personnel and Finance Committee and the magical uber amendment that is unanimously approved with virtually no discussion.

If you’ve been following along on the journey, I’ll get you caught up on the latest.  If you’re new or just tuning in here’s some other articles to help you get caught up.

RESPONSE TO THE RE-SUBMITTED REQUEST

So, on January 12th I resubmitted the request that was denied, as they requested.

Two people from absolute ends of the political spectrum on the county board replied.

Yogesh Chawla – a left-leaning but still pretty moderate diehard Hillary Clinton Democrat who represents the, as Eugene Parks would say “hoity-toity” near east side in the 6th district.  He sent me three emails.  No texts or facebook messenger, google chat or What’s App or any other electronic communications which one might expect he would use.

And Dave Ripp is considered what passes for a conservative on the county board, but he’s an old timer with old-timer ethics.  he represents the 29th District sort of north and west of Waunakee.  He sent me one email.  He was also the only one to respond to my request on the follow up to the secret chair’s meetings. Respect!  But also note the use of personal emails by county board members, which is why the request needs to include personal as well as county supplied email.

No responses from the following:  (Note, it’s entirely possible that I missed an email since I was in and out of the hospital the week after I sent the request but I scanned through 600 emails and didn’t find any others.)

  • Elizabeth Doyle
  • Heidi Wegleitner
  • Analiese Eicher
  • Richard Kilmer
  • Hayley Young
  • Matt Veldran
  • Carousel Bayrd
  • Paul Nelson
  • Jeremy Levin
  • Kelly Danner
  • Paul Rusk
  • Chuck Erickson
  • Huong Nguyen-Hifiger
  • Steven Peters
  • Jamie Kuhn
  • Kristen Audet
  • Michele Ritt
  • Bill Clausius
  • Julie Schwellenbach
  • Andrew Schauer
  • Maureen McCarville
  • Sheila Stubbs
  • Tanya Buckingham
  • Tim Keifer
  • Sharon Corrigan
  • Dorothy Krause
  • Nikole Jones
  • Patrick Downing
  • Jerry Bollig
  • Jason Knoll
  • Ann Degarmo
  • Patrick Miles
  • Carl Cheoweth
  • Melissa Ratcliff
  • Bob Salov
  • Staff, Dane County Risk Manager Daniel Lowndes
  • County Board Staff, Karin Thurlow-Peterson
  • County Controller, Charles Hicklin

SECOND RENEWED REQUEST

This morning I was doing some follow up and realized that its been another 25 days or 3 and a half weeks and still no response.  So I sent the follow up.

Any progress or updates on this request?  I believe I only heard from two supervisors.  Thank you to Supervisors Chawla and Ripp.  If I missed any other responses, please let me know. The request is now three and a half weeks old and no one has discussed with me the alternatives that I proposed or asked me any questions.  There is an attorney interested in taking the case and I was hoping to avoid that, but if it appears I continue to get ignored, I will have no choice.

A prompt reply on the status of the request would be helpful if you cannot actually fulfill the request at this time. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Brenda Konkel
Inquiring with the attorney now.  And setting up a non-profit so people can donate.  I’m sort of just done with the lack of transparency at both the county and school board level.  And the shitty lobbying laws and resulting reports, and poor campaign finance reports and general lack of respect by our local electeds (and in some cases staff) for the public role in the government processes.  Generally speaking, they (not all, but most) expect our vote, endoresements and donations and then they want us to shut up and sit down.  Ahem, that’s not how its supposed to work!  We are the checks and balances on the oh-so-broken system.

CONTENT DISCLOSED BY CHAWLA AND RIPP

So, a few interesting things here.  Note the reference to a text correspondence, but lack of disclosing the text.  Also, note the use of personal emails instead of county emails, which means that any search the county does won’t include searching those personal email accounts.

Yogesh Chawla

  • Email One
    • From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 12:49 PM
      To: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Re: Capital Budget Amendment​Hi Laura,Supes Kilmer and Buckingham are also co-sponsoring. Thanks for answering all the questions last night about the NCS contract.Thanks,

      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

      From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2019 7:13 PM
      To: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Re: Capital Budget Amendment

      ​Supervisors Erickson and Wegleitner are also co-sponsoring.

      Thanks,

      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

      From: Hicklin, Laura
      Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2019 1:43 PM
      To: Chawla, Yogesh
      Subject: RE: Capital Budget Amendment

      Got it.

      Thanks,
      Laura

      From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 3:55 PM
      To: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Capital Budget Amendment

      Hi Laura,

      It was great to see you yesterday. Can you draft the Capital Budget Amendment to add $3million dollars to the flood prevention land acquisition fund (I think I have the official name wrong). In the amendment, it should say that land purchases and wetlands restoration should be prioritized in the Yahara watershed.

      EANR Chair Supervisor Ritt will co-sponsor with me.

      Please let me know how I can assist.

      Thanks,

      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

  • Email two (note that he refers to a text, but did not provide it)
    • From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Monday, October 21, 2019 9:25 AM
      To: Salov, Robert
      Subject: Fw: Silverwood Park – Capital Budget Amendments

      Hi Bob,

      Thanks for the text. Below is the details on the Silverwood Park agroforestry amendment. It would be great to have you as a co-sponsor.

      Thanks,

      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

      From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2019 8:57 PM
      To: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Silverwood Park – Capital Budget Amendments

      ​Hi Director Hicklin,

      I have details on the budget amendment for Silverwood Park. Many of these projects were presented in committee when the Friends of Silverwood Park presented details of the Agroforestry, Organic Farming and Heirloom Orchard. Would you be able to draft an amendment with these details?

      Here is a detailed breakdown of the $35,850 amendment:

      AGROFORESTRY PROJECTS
      Riparian Buffer Demonstration
      Cover crop seed & equipment $1,500.00
      Chestnut & Elderberry plants $2,000.00
      Row Cropping Demonstration
      Tree & Shrub Replanting         $4,000.00
      Mulch – labor and equipment $1,000.00
      Tasting Orchard repair/protect. $1,500.00
      Interpretive Education Signage $4,000.00
      Total: $14,000.00
      ORGANIC FARMING SECURITY
      2000 ft. windbreak / field border protection
      between organic & nonorganic fields at Park boundary $6,800.00
      5.2 acres of insectary strips for native pest control
      between crop fields $12,500.00
      Total: $19,300.00
      HEIRLOOM APPLE ORCHARD
      1000 trees x $25 each $25,000.00 (IN KIND – Dan Bussey)
      1000 tree metal tree tags $300.00 (IN KIND – Dan Bussey)
      160 consulting hours x $50 $8,000.00 (IN KIND – Dan Bussey)
      Tree wraps – vinyl         $750.00
      Installation – contract labor $700.00
      Maintenance – contract labor $400.00
      Root dip, fungicide, fertilizer $700.00
      Total: $2,550.00
      GRAND TOTAL: $35,850.00

      Thanks,
      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

  • Email Three
    • From: Hicklin, Charles
      Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:32 AM
      To: Chawla, Yogesh
      Cc: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: RE: Capital Amends 10-24-19.pdfHere is what they look like so far

      From: Chawla, Yogesh <Chawla.Yogesh@countyofdane.com>
      Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:26 AM
      To: Hicklin, Charles <Hicklin@countyofdane.com>
      Cc: Hicklin, Laura <hicklin.laura@countyofdane.com>
      Subject: Re: Capital Amends 10-24-19.pdf

      ​Hi Chuck and Laura,

      I have some supervisors asking to review my capital budget amendments before Thursday. Do you know when they will updated/posted to the agenda?

      Thanks for all the work you are doing during budget time. I realize you both must be very busy.

      Thanks,
      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

      From: Chawla, Yogesh
      Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 4:46 PM
      To: Hicklin, Charles
      Cc: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Re: Capital Amends 10-24-19.pdf

      Thanks Chuck!

      I appreciate you turning this around so fast. I have a couple of minor corrections:

      1) Can you correct the spelling of my last name on C-02?

      2) The description on C-02 looks like a copy/paste error:

      In 2019, the county issued an RFP for $6 million funding for the affordable housing development fund. Responses totalled over $15 million. There is strong demand for affordable housing in Dane County, and additional funding from the county will allow more projects to move forward. ​

      Thanks,
      Yogesh Chawla
      Dane County Board District 6
      608 438 5965
      Secretary Land Conservation Committee
      Secretary Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
      Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission
      Pronouns: He, Him, His
      https://yogeshchawla.com/d6-updates/

      From: Hicklin, Charles
      Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 2:54 PM
      To: Chawla, Yogesh
      Cc: Hicklin, Laura
      Subject: Capital Amends 10-24-19.pdf

      Here are drafts of your three capital amendments for next week.

      Attachments area

Capital Amends 10-24-19

Dave Ripp

From: “Patrick Miles” <Miles@countyofdane.com>
To: “Dave Ripp” <lindave@tds.net>
Cc: “Sharon Corrigan” <Corrigan@countyofdane.com>, “Paul Nelson” <Nelson.Paul@countyofdane.com>, “Carl Chenoweth” <Chenoweth.Carl@countyofdane.com>, “Chuck Erickson” <erickson.Chuck@countyofdane.com>, “Shelia Stubbs” <Stubbs@countyofdane.com>, “Bill Clausius” <yautumn@netvigator.com>, “Analiese Eicher” <eicher.analiese@countyofdane.com>, “Melissa Ratcliff” <ratcliff.melissa@countyofdane.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2019 9:37:50 PM
Subject: Re: PWT O-1

Thank you for the thought. Just a reminder to committee members, do not reply all with reflections on this to avoid a walking quorum or violation of open meetings law.

Patrick.

On Tue, Oct 29, 2019, 8:10 PM Dave Ripp <lindave@tds.net> wrote:
CAUTION: External Email – Beware of unknown links and attachments. Contact Helpdesk at 266-4440 if unsure
Personel & Finance Committee.
I do not know how tight the operating budget is this year.  If possible, I have a suggestion on PWT O-1.  After our vote on PW&T members of Local 65 said that the Zoo getting the animal care manager and them getting an additional janitor would be a win-win situation.   Everyone agrees that we need an additional janitor during the summer months.  It would be a good compromise to leave the positions requested by the Zoo Director in the budget and add an additional janitor position.  This would satisfy the needs of the Zoo and the Union.
Dave Ripp

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