Neighbors –

Happy Primary Election Day! I hope you’ve had a chance to cast your ballot in today’s election. I’m sharing updates on a few timely updates in this summer blog post, including:

• Moving forward with an investigation at the Henry Vilas Zoo
• Gun Buyback Program and other criminal justice updates
• Election official protections and election security report

County meetings are being held virtually for the moment during increased COVID spread, but are likely to return to hybrid again soon as the County has moved from “high” to “medium again in the last 2 weeks. As always, please reach out if you’d like to connect on an issue or share ideas. Thank you,

Richelle Andrae

Dane County Board Supervisor District 11

Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com

Board Action

The County is gearing up for budget season, but has had a busy summer. A few highlights:

• The Dane County Board approved a thirdparty investigation of the climate at the Henry Vilas Zoo, which is managed by the County. A retired judge was selected to run the investigation; see details here: https://www.countyofdane.com/PressDetail/11133. I was a bit skeptical about the approach for the investigation, but know that we need to continue to hold our staff and county services at the highest standard, and believe this investigation will help us get there. There was also recent reporting about issues at the Dane County Medical Examiner’s office, which I take very seriously and am learning more about now.
• In July, the County Board passed a resolution in support of access to abortion. While the resolution is nonbinding, it is an important statement of our values. It was powerful to hear from literally dozens of young advocates who are calling on elected officials to do all we can to support access to abortion and reproductive health. Many of these advocates shared their personal stories, including of violence and trauma, and I encourage anyone who has an hour to listen to their experiences. A recording of that meeting is here, with this item beginning at about the 2’40” point: More coverage here: https://captimes.com/news/government/madisonand-dane-county-push-back-on-wisconsin-s-1849-abortion-ban/article_6975ca32-72d7-597a-b8d3-efc189f93fb0.html. That evening, we also approved questions for the November election related to abortion and marijuana, you’ll see those on your General Election ballots.
• The County recently updated its disorderly conduct ordinance. The ordinance only applies to unincorporated areas, as municipalities have jurisdiction over their own policies. The ordinance is updated specifically to provide protections for election officials. You can review a local July report on election official harassment and elections safety here which clearly outlines the experiences of local clerks, and the rise in threats they’ve experienced in the last several years:  https://www.wpr.org/sites/default/files/report_of_the_dane_county_election_security_review_committee_final_for_approval.pdf. This ordinance change is an important step in protecting our democratic processes.  

Justice System

I’m providing several criminal justice system updates in today’s post. I recently facilitated a joint meeting with our Human Services Committee to learn more about the intersection of criminal justice and mental health/social services. It was a fascinating conversation, and I’m thankful for the complex and challenging work of our county staff and service partners. A recording of that meeting is available here.

• The County Board recently approved funding for a Gun Buyback Program (details here), which will be held at the Alliant Energy Center this weekend.
• The County Jail has been in the news a bit recently for a few different reasons. First, the Sheriff determined that due to severe staffing shortages and a rapidly deteriorating facility, 65 jail inmates will be transferred to other counties. See coverage here: https://captimes.com/news/government/danecounty-closes-portion-of-jail-due-to-safety-concerns/article_0f377c0a-0875-5e4e-9509-90e6305d7e71.html. There are both human and fiscal impacts of this decision which we will be evaluating in the weeks and months ahead. Second, a new proposal is being considered for the ongoing Jail Consolidation Project. I anticiapte that the proposal will reach the Board next week. It would further reduce the size of the facility by another floor; I have not weighed in on the proposal yet but anticipate many questions will be raised and addressed in the next week or so. My goal is to see a building move forward that meets operational needs, increases safety, and provides space for us to include important programming and health services. 
• Dane County has been accepted into a national program to help us reduce frequent utilization of the justice system, known as the Familiar Faces initiative: https://www.countyofdane.com/PressDetail/11128. The County is also implementing a regular Population Review Workgroup including representatives from the Judiciary, Sheriff’s Office, and District Attorney staff to help reduce length of stay and move individuals through the system more quickly.

Need more?

Dane County in the News: Flood mitigation efforts https://www.wisn.com/article/taming-surge-communities-race-contain-climate-fueled-floodwaters/40734153.