paula brandmeier
I graduated from SUNY at Stony Brook with a BS in Computer Science as well as a Commercial pilot’s license from the local flight school. My first job after college was as a software engineer, but it didn’t take long to realize I felt more at home in the sky than behind a desk. So, I joined the United States Air Force Reserves, where I flew C-141 cargo planes around the world as a pilot and aircraft commander.
That experience led me to a 40-year career with United Airlines, where I flew internationally as a wide-body Captain. Along the way, I experienced the ups and downs of the airline industry—after 9/11, when many airlines struggled, I even spent a few years working as a realtor in the Madison area.
More than 25 years ago, my family and I chose Windsor as the place to call home and raise our three daughters. All three attended DeForest schools and went on to graduate from UW–Madison.
Giving back to my community has always been important to me. For over 16 years, I’ve served on the Token Creek Conservancy Committee, helping care for the land and waters that make our area so special. I’ve also spent more than a decade as a stream monitor with the Rock River Coalition, collecting water samples from Token Creek to support local conservation efforts. I serve as an election worker and have volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the McKenzie Center, and our local schools.
Today, I’m honored to be serving my first term as County Supervisor. I’m committed to listening, working hard, and doing my best to represent the people of this community.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me in the garden, in the kitchen trying a new recipe, traveling, visiting family, scuba diving, skiing, on a yoga mat, or perhaps on the stage, trying my hand at singing and dancing in my new found interest in local theater.
Hello and welcome to my first blog!
My goal is to provide periodic updates on the activities of Dane County government and the Dane County Board. With this blog, I hope to keep you informed about notable events, important resolutions, policy decisions, and other developments that affect our county. I'll also share my thoughts on various other topics along the way. Thanks for following along!
It has been a whirlwind since being sworn-in in April. I have been appointed to the following committees: Vice Chairman of the Environment Agriculture Natural Resource(EANR) Committee, the Land Conservation Committee(LCC), the City-County Homeless Issues Committee, the Airport Commission and the Food Council.
I've been going on a few tours to get a closer, more in-depth look at the different Dane County departments and the systems that keep our community running.
Along with a few other new Supervisors, I had an interesting first visit to the Court Houses where they administer justice for everything from traffic tickets to criminal cases. They also do all the record keeping- filing and storing of 150 years of court records. That’s a lot of records! It was also interesting to see how the jury duty process works, since I have yet to be called for in-person jury duty( oops, I probably jinxed that now).
Next, was a reminiscent tour of the Alliant Energy Center Campus. So many memories of county fairs, face to face visits with cows, Girl Scout sleep overs...I'll always remember my first time at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum back in 2000, just after we first moved to Madison. My young daughters came home from school with free circus tickets. We hopped in the car and were sitting ringside within 20 minutes, balloons and popcorn in hand. I remember thinking, wow--I really love this town. The iconic coliseum is showing signs of age after all these years. Although the planning phase is not yet complete or approved, the redevelopment of the Alliant Campus and the rehabilitation of the Veteran's Coliseum through a public-private partnership with Frank Productions/Live Nation is forward-thinking and innovative. It will bring more music, entertainment, economic development and revenue to Dane County.
This week I went on an eye opening tour of the County jail. The new south tower should be open at the end of the year. Next will be the renovation of the public safety building that was built in the early 1990s. Eventually, the very tired, very depressing old 1950s section located in the City Council building will be permanently closed. The new jail will hold fewer people but it will have greater space for mental health care, more recreational space, more tech, and cells which will be designed for direct supervision, solid doors instead of bars, which is safer for both jail residents and those who attend to them. It will be a much better environment for those incarcerated, as well as the employees who work there.
I also had a heart warming visit to the Dane County Humane Society on the day that the first group of Ridglan beagles arrived. After a quick vet checkup, I had the opportunity to snuggle with one of the beagles. She was scared, but sweet. Soon, her tail started to tentatively wag just a little bit. It was so joyful and sad to see her step in grass for the first time ever with her baby soft paws.
Now, for some happenings in governance:
The County Budget deficit, while still significant, is down from 30million to 15million. The reason being that the surplus (ie funds allocated but unspent), will be larger than anticipated. Still lots of work to do...
The Sheriff's department ended the contract with the company Flock, for the ALPR( automatice liscense plate reader) cameras. The cameras are covered, awaiting Flock's permanent removal of them. The cost to fund an alternative company is back in the Sheriff's budget. However, any new company will be required to have maximum privacy and security controls and the strictest limitations on data access, privacy, security and no unauthorized third party access. To be continued...
The County, in partnership with Groundswell Conservancy and the HoChunk Nation purchased approximately 165 acres of land from the Herro family Trust. This parcel is located near Babcock Park by Lake Waubesa and Lower Mud Lake. Significant archeological sites from the HoChunks have been found there and will be protected through public ownership. The land will be held in a conservation easement that prohibits development, has use restrictions and allows public use. The intent is to donate this land to the HoChunk Nation. This is an important addition to the preservation of historic lands.
I am happy to say that a resolution calling on UW Health to resume providing gender affirming care to transgender youths passed unanimously. Many prominent medical associations support access, have established standards of care for this type of healthcare and oppose legislative bans. We all see the world through our own lens, but sometimes understanding begins when we make an effort to look through someone else's. I believe that parents and individuals know what's best for their children, not the government.
An 18 month moratorium on hyperscale ( greater than 10,000sf or 5k servers) was implemented this month. This moratorium applies to areas that are subject to Dane County zoning and not towns and villages that have their own zoning rules. The pause will allow time to study the impacts of data centers on the environment, economy, health and safety. In my opinion, I believe that the immense use of land and resources required by data centers will necessitate rapid innovation and will render the hyperscale data center model obsolete in the not so distant future. The lure of easy money in exchange for land and resources is irreversible. I hope we remember that.
On a personal note, I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania for a safari and cultural tour. If you ever get the chance, do it! Travel is so important because you realize people are the same everywhere. We may have different cultures and life experiences, but we all want the same thing- a happy life, free from worry, with a loving family, good friends, safe communities and tasty food. And it does my heart good to know that there are still places on this planet where zebras, elephants, giraffes and lions can roam freely, living their best animal lives. We also visited one of the four schools founded by the hardworking owner of our safari company, Lucas Minh. The schools were built in large part with proceeds from his company. The kids were awesome! If you are interested in donating, or learing more, here's the link:
https://www.americanfriendsofmeali.org
That's it for now. Thanks for reading!
