sarah smith
After growing up in rural western Wisconsin, Sarah moved to Dane County to attend UW-Madison and fell in love with the community. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and went on to graduate with a Master’s in Educational Policy from UW-Madison as well. She has been active in volunteer organizations during her time in Dane County, including running a group of volunteers for the Quality Assurance division while she worked at Epic. Sarah has also organized with the Women’s March and served as State Chair for the Young Democrats of Wisconsin. She currently volunteers as a member of the City of Monona Sustainability Committee.
Sarah has previously served as Chief of Staff to State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and as Communication Director for former state Senator Patty Schachtner. She is now the Director of Public Affairs at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Sarah has represented District 24 on the Dane County Board of Supervisors since April 2020.
Good evening,
Since the last edition, the County Board has taken several important actions including funding a local food pantry, preserving more land for the Waakikižu Natural Resource Area, and denying an appointment to the Human Services Director position. I hope this blog helps make the work of the County Board and Dane County departments more transparent and accessible.
Thank you for reading,
Sarah
LAST CHANCE: Vote on San Damiano Concept Plans
The San Damiano Steering Committee needs your help in deciding the future of this beloved property and their survey closes Monday, May 22. Three exciting concept plans have been drafted, and the committee wants to know which plan San Damiano users would like the most. Your input will help them make an informed decision that reflects the community's interests and needs.
View Concept Plans here and watch a presentation about these concept plans here, and finally take their survey here.
Youth in Governance Program- Accepting Applications!
Dane County’s Youth Governance Program (YGP) is now accepting applications through May 30 for the 2023-2024 school year. The YGP program provides an opportunity for Dane County high school students to serve on Dane County committees while also developing life skills and youth-adult partnerships.
After Extension Dane County staff conduct an initial applicant screening, Dane County Extension Committee supervisors, including myself, collaborate to conduct brief interviews with screened applicants, and vote to approve up to 12-18 YGP applicant finalists. Youth members that are accepted into the program undergo program orientation and get appointed to County Board standing committees in the fall.
Find out more at fyi.extension.wisc.edu/youthgovernanceprogram/to-apply/.
Whose Heart will you Save?
Before our May 19 County Board meeting, Dane County EMS trained County Supervisors on hands-only CPR so we are equipped to provide life-saving assistance to somebody suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1,000 deaths per day. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person's chance of survival. Dane County EMS encourages everyone to download PulsePoint Respond so everyday citizens like you and me can help save someone’s heart. The app uses location-based technology to alert users when someone within their immediate area is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest and in need of help. The alert comes through the 911 Center the same time a call goes out to local EMS and fire agencies to all public locations.
Download PulsePoint and then refresh your CPR training with one of the classes available in Dane County.
Human Services Director Position
In mid-April, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced in a press conference that he would be appointing Representative Shelia Stubbs to serve as the Dane County Director of Human Services. The Dane County Department of Human Services is an agency with a budget of more than $240 million with 800 staff that provide critical services to our most vulnerable neighbors. The Health and Human Needs Committee and the Personnel and Finance Committee each unanimously rejected the appointment due to concerns about Rep. Stubbs past experience and qualifications, as well as a lack of transparency regarding her plans to continue to serve as a state representative while simultaneously serving as director.
During the debate over this appointment, harmful rhetoric and disturbing tactics were directed at the County Board and primarily at our county’s three Black County Board Supervisors. In particular, a supporter of Representative Stubbs hurled a racial slur at Second Vice Chair April Kigeya during a public hearing. I joined my colleagues in releasing a statement firmly condemning these attempts to disparage our colleagues with racial slurs and intimidate them from doing the job they were elected to do.
Ultimately, the County Board denied County Executive Parisi’s appointment at our May 4 meeting with only two supervisors voting in support of the appointment. Ethics guidelines prohibit those that lobby the state legislature, including myself, from offering items (including jobs) of pecuniary value to elected officials. As such, I had to abstain from voting on the measure.
Waakikižu Natural Resource Area Expansion
The 170-acre Waakikižu (pronounced WÄ – ke – ke – zhü) Natural Resource Area is located in the Town of Westport along Six Mile Creek. Waakikižu is a Ho-Chunk language word that means community or togetherness and the area was chosen by Waunakee Community Middle School students who worked with the Dane County Park Commission to rename the area last year.
Natural Resource Areas are lands designated for the protection of a valuable natural environment, wildlife habitat, open space, and/or greenbelt corridor. The Waakikižu property protects wildlife habitat and preserves part of the Six Mile Creek wetlands.
On May 18, the County Board passed RES-036 to purchase 36 acres of land in the Town of Westport and the Village of Waunakee to add to the Waakikižu Natural Resource Area. This additional land will help the county continue to protect the wetlands which can help reduce flooding, filter pollutants, and provide a refuge for native Wisconsin species.
Investing in The River Food Pantry’s Expansion
On May 18, the County Board approved an investment of $1.5 million in The River Food Pantry’s expansion. The River Food Pantry’s project will require approximately $7.9 million in public and private funds so they can acquire land and build a new building capable of hosting a wide variety of food systems work. In 2022, The River provided over 2.9 million pounds of food and supplies, 80,022 to-go meals, and recovered approximately 1.5 million pounds of food and supplies. Find out how you can help support The River Food Pantry here.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
The Dane County Board passed a resolution recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month. While more investments in mental health care are needed, there are many resources available for those in need of mental health support in Dane County including:
Mental health matters. Check on your friends, check on yourself, and reach out when you or somebody you love needs help.