A new jail/ corrections center, along with more than 50 other projects, are being given a hard look within the county’s strategic plan. (Stock photo)

More than $60 million in projects brought before county leaders

By Brandi Makuski

Portage County Executive Patty Dreier on Thursday announced broad-sweeping proposals for county improvement totaling more than $60 million.

Dozens of projects were presented to the committee during an early morning meeting, many of which had already been approved in the 2015-2020 Capital Improvement Plan, including a new health care center costing nearly $20 million. But some were new additions to the plan, including including a newly constructed county justice center, several rural bridge replacements, a $300K disaster recovery center for the Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office and land acquisition in the towns of Eau Pleine and Sharon.

Portage Co. Board Chairman Phil Idsvoog said no one on the board had prior knowledge of the new plans.

“We all got the same information at the start of that meeting,” he said.

If the Board approves all of the projects, the cost comes to nearly $20 million through 2015, with at least $60 million in projects over the next five years.

Dreier unveiled the projects at a 7:15 AM meeting of the Capital Improvement Plan and Economic Development Committee.

More than 50 projects were presented to committee members, who have until August to review, discuss and amend the plans before sending recommendations to the full County Board for approval.

Dreier told the committee she wanted the health care center and proposed new jail/correction center to be given the same high priority. This despite the Board having passed two resolutions in as many years making a new corrections center the county’s top priority.

The county has already spent what Dreier calls “probably several thousands of dollars” on a number of studies on the Portage Co. Jail, but she said a design needs to be agreed upon down before county leaders can determine how much it will cost to operate. Operational costs, she said, typically total 90 percent of annual expenses.

“Until you know what your design concept is going to be, you don’t know how many staff posts you need and so forth,” Dreier said. “I’d like to know that before we can decide if operationally, we can afford what the design would be. I don’t know what the best balance is, but at least we’re moving forward. It’s time to move forward, we’ve been dancing too long.” 

The early hour of the meeting wasn’t lost on some Board Members, who said such large proposals should have been more widely publicized, and the projects should have been presented during a more appropriate hour for public input.

“I don’t know how you’re going to get public input at 7 AM,” said Idsvoog.

Board Member Tom Mallison also said he wasn’t happy with the vague meeting agenda or the early hour.

“I wasn’t too pleased that there wasn’t really anything on the agenda; nobody knew about that until the meeting started and the binders were handed out. It’s kinda hard to get public input when the meeting is at 7 AM. I almost didn’t go- I had to get a babysitter,” Mallison said.