Neighbors,

First - Don’t forget to vote on or before Tuesday, April 1, the spring election. Find all information including sample ballot and your polling location at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/. There are contested statewide races for Supreme Court and Superintendent at the Department of Public Instruction, and a constitutional amendment about voter ID. There are also local race, such as County Exec, Alder, and School Board. I voted in person absentee at Sequoya Library on Saturday and there were lots of folks voting – very exciting for a typical low turnout spring election, but one with a lot of national attention this year due to significant big spending and implications for the WI court ideological majority and future potential rulings on Congressional maps.  

This newsletter provides information regarding:

• Call for state action on gun reform

• Enhanced treatment for individuals in the jail with substance use disorders

• Additional public land in Blue Mounds

• Regional Housing Strategy efforts and forum on April 10

• Community gardening survey responses due 3/31

• Federal Funding Uncertainty

• Women Pay Equity and Celebrating Local Leaders

Calling for Gun Reform – While this resolution has no immediate practical effect, it calls for reasonable reforms at the state level, partially in response to the local tragedy in December at Abundant Life. Unfortunately, local jurisdictions are pre-empted by state legislation to do much at all about gun safety issues.

                                       
Enhancing Medication Assisted Treatment in the jail – Dane County is making considerable strides forward supporting individuals with substance use disorders in the justice system. This resolution outlines further investments from the Sheriff’s Office for individuals in custody, and the information below highlights efforts to-date from a press release in 2024.

The Dane County Jail’s Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT) program continued to grow in 2023. During the year, 2,637 people received some service from the program. This could include screening, consultation, referrals, or medication. A total of 524 people received either Vivitrol or Buprenorphine/Subutex medications.

The MAT program was started in the spring of 2022, to offer a continuation of care to anyone entering the jail who is currently on a MAT program in the community. The medications are prescribed to treat opioid use disorder, which in turn helps people stop using illicit opioids and improves their health, with the goal of reducing recidivism. Our in-house medical staff administers the medications in a controlled environment. During the program's first year, 269 residents were issued the medicines.

Dane County Secures Two National Grants for Justice Reform – The Dane County Office of Justice Reform and the Dane County Community Justice Council have secured two important national grants to enhance the effectiveness, safety, and equity of the criminal justice system:

1. Intersection of Justice and Behavioral Health: Dane County has been awarded a technical assistance grant to develop integrated strategies for identifying and addressing the needs of justice-involved adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. As part of this effort, Dane County stakeholders will participate in the Sequential Intercept Model Mapping workshop, led by Policy Research, Inc. (PRI) in Troy, New York. This workshop is designed to help communities identify existing resources, pinpoint service gaps, and improve coordination and communication among mental health, substance use, and criminal justice professionals. Key agency leaders, staff, and peer advocates from Dane County’s behavioral health, substance use, housing, EMS, and criminal justice will participate in the Sequential Intercept Model training in early summer 2025.

2. Housing Solutions: Dane County has also been selected for the 2025 Housing Justice Peer Network, out of a large pool of candidates. This 16-month initiative is supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It brings together housing and criminal justice stakeholders from various jurisdictions to strengthen partnerships and initiatives aimed at increasing housing access for justice-involved individuals. Dane County is one of just eight jurisdictions chosen for this prestigious opportunity. The Center for Justice Innovation, in collaboration with the Housing Solutions Lab at the NYU Furman Center, will offer peer learning, technical assistance, and policy guidance to participating agencies.

The Dane County Community Justice Council serves as a platform for ongoing discussions and the development of innovative frameworks and practices aimed at improving the justice system, including the two key awards above. For more information about the Community Justice Council of Dane County, please see: https://cjc.danecounty.gov/. I am so proud to serve on the CJC as the Chair of the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee and commend the work of all partners in securing this important funding.

2024 Res 324 sets aside an additional 77 acres of land for conservation and recreation in the town of Blue Mounds. It will provide a home for an abundance of wildlife and create opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, snowshoeing, and more. Funding from the Knowles Nelson Stewardship grant will also provide project support, however, funding through that state program is in jeopardy due to authority fights between the legislator and Governor.

Regional Housing Strategy: Dane County continues to advance collaborative efforts on a regional housing strategy and I agree that housing access and affordability is one of the top pressing issues our community needs to prioritize. We need approximately 7,000 housing units per year to

address existing needs and keep up with growth. The County Board will host a public meeting on the Regional Housing Strategy on April 10 at 6PM (watch https://dane.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=24546&GUID=47B83AA5-532A-477C-B668-578F3A9BC371&Mode=MainBody for the meeting details).

The Dane County Planning Division recently launched the Housing Chapter Update (HCU) program, a new technical assistance program for municipalities updating the housing chapter of their comprehensive plan. The program supports cities and villages in identifying housing challenges, solutions and tools, and highlighting each community’s unique housing needs, capacity, and priorities. This service is provided at no cost through the Regional Housing Strategy (RHS).

The HCU program helps communities meet eligibility requirements for millions of dollars in funding from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) for affordable and senior housing, infrastructure development, and redevelopment. WHEDA’s loan programs, the Infrastructure Access Loan, Restore Main Street Loan, and Vacancy-to-Vitality Loan Program. All of these require municipalities to have a housing element adopted within five years from the date of the loan application. The RHS team is working with the Village of Cottage Grove, and discussing technical assistance opportunities with several other communities including Black Earth. Want to learn more? Please view our HCU Program Fact Sheet.

The Dane County Board Requests Your Ideas and Input Regarding Access to and Experience with Community Gardening in Dane County. The Dane County Board Office has created a community survey to gather input from Dane County residents regarding their interest in and access to community gardening programs. We are seeking information on community members’ experiences with community gardening in Dane County, including any barriers to accessing these gardens, and ideas for improvements to promote the benefits of community gardening for more people in Dane County (e.g., affordable food, cultural exchange, winter activities, community building). The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YJ92KTK  It is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Arabic. The last day to fill out the survey is March 31, 2025.

This survey is in response to recent research conducted by the Dane County Board Office, including a community engagement conducted in 2024 by the nINA Collective that identified year-round community gardening as a priority issue for residents and an opportunity to meet community needs. One recommendation highlighted by the report was to increase opportunities and create spaces for residents of Dane County to build community during the winter. The results of this survey will further inform policymakers about community needs and potential new opportunities, policy initiatives, and investments.  

Federal Funding: This is a significant area of concern and risk for the County and our services because of uncertainty about federal funding and grant restrictions from the new administration. For example, our efforts to start a new Community Court are funded through a federal Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, and many of the dollars flowing through the county are tied to Medicaid programs. I will keep you in the loop as we learn about practical implications for the county but in the meantime: The Department of Administration has inventoried county programs, projects, and staff positions for which the county receives federal funding. The county receives between $100 to $120 million in federal funding. The funding falls into two categories:

1. Purpose-Driven Grants: These are ongoing programs in which federal funds or grants are routinely renewed. The funds are sometimes obscured by the fact that they are passed through the State. Examples of such funding are for programs including CDBG and HOME. Some of the funds in this category are used to pay for permanent positions, as with Homeland Security planning grants used by Emergency Management. The category includes mandated services for which the federal government reimburses a percentage of the costs, such as child support services for which the county receives 60% reimbursement.

2. Specific Project Grants: These are grants to pay for the completion of specific, short-term projects. A few examples include a U.S. DOT GRANT to expand public electric vehicle charging across the county (Res-223), a U.S. Bureau Of Justice Assistance Grant to establish a community court (2022 Res-218), and U.S. DOT Great Sauk-Walking Iron Trail bridge over the Wisconsin River (Res 267).

Clearly, the county needs to remain vigilant in monitoring federal legislation and DOGE actions and assess the risks to Dane County. To that end, Controller Chuck Hicklin will provide the Personnel & Finance Committee updates as needed. Strategies the Administration is employing to mitigate risk include:

• Accelerate reimbursement cycles (e.g., monthly instead of quarterly or semi-annual draws).

• Continual tracking of changes to federal funding sources.

• Tracking the reconciliation process both for funding reductions and policy requirements for which the county may need to determine whether we can and are willing to comply.

• Assess risks for the few project-specific grants and positions that haven’t started or for which positions have not been hired. We may need to pause hiring for project-specific positions until funding certainty improves. Again, these are few; most project positions have been posted and/or filled.

• Develop contingency plans for essential or mandated services if funding is reduced; determine if and how we might fund that need with GPR, for example.

• Keep people informed so the Board and the public can advocate for these crucial services and funding.

• Be prepared to challenge unfavorable policy conditions and violations of funding agreements legally.

The County Board recently authorized the county’s attorneys, Corporation Counsel, to respond quickly with legal action and to initiate or participate in legal action on behalf of Dane County to safeguard the interests of Dane County.

Local Leaders: Woman's History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions women have made throughout history, and recognize the ongoing work needed for gender equality. 2024 RES-368 highlights the outstanding achievements of Dane County leaders Milele Chikasa Anana, Ellen Bravo, Carin Clauss, and Lucía Nuñez. March 25th is Equal Pay Day, marking how far into the next year women must work to match the median income men earned the previous year. On average, white women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, with Black and Latina women earning 66.5 and 57.5 cents, respectively. This pay gap creates long-term financial disadvantages, affecting earnings, benefits, and generational wealth.

Thank you, and as always please reach out if you have questions, want to connect on a county issue, or get more involved. HAPPY VOTING!!!

In service,

Richelle Andrae

Dane County Board Supervisor District 11

Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com