Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland E-Newsletter: June 2022

Dear friends and neighbors, ?

My name is Shawn Rolland and I’m honored to serve you as your supervisor on the Milwaukee County Board. As a result of redistricting, District 6 now includes neighborhoods in Wauwatosa and Milwaukee’s Washington Heights (click here to see the new District 6 map).

I pledge to do all I can to ensure that our neighborhoods receive their fair share of resources – and ensure that our county is run strategically, effectively, and efficiently in pursuit of clear goals to enhance our quality of life.

Each month, I’ll work to share Milwaukee County resources, community events, Milwaukee County Board updates, and more. See below for news that I hope you can use, and a little bit about me. If you ever have any specific questions or needs, please don’t hesitate to contact my office directly.

Sincerely,

?

Supervisor Shawn Rolland ?

Representing neighborhoods in Wauwatosa and Milwaukee’s Washington Heights?

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New High-Paying Jobs and Habitat Protections in Wauwatosa

In early May, I was thrilled to join several Milwaukee County leaders to celebrate the perfect marriage between innovation and preservation. Hundreds of family-supporting jobs will be added in District 6, the Monarch Trail will be indefinitely preserved, and multiple Milwaukee County playgrounds will be improved thanks to a deal struck between the Milwaukee County Executive, Milwaukee County Board, Irgens, UWM and the City of Wauwatosa.

Irgens Partners, LLC plans to build a two-story, 53,000-square-foot office building, as well as a six-story, 197,000-square-foot office building, along with a two-story parking garage – at a site adjacent to the I-41/45 freeway and Milwaukee County Grounds Park. The two new facilities are expected to bring hundreds of high-paying office jobs and construction jobs to the district. Each new building will be LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, minimizing energy usage – and the parking garage will have a green roof, helping to manage stormwater and more.

As part of the deal, Irgens agreed to pay Milwaukee County $1 million. Thanks to a resolution I sponsored, most of that $1 million will be spent to rebuild and resurface playgrounds across Milwaukee County, and provide new equipment storage for the Friends of County Grounds Park and the Friends of the Monarch Trail. Additionally, as part of the deal, thousands of dollars will be allocated annually by the nearby businesses to fund an ongoing Monarch Conservancy and Habitat Restoration Plan to manage and improve the nearby Monarch Butterfly Trail.

I want to sincerely thank the Irgens team, Milwaukee County’s economic development team, and the hundreds of constituents who wrote to me with their concerns and suggestions about this project. Your advocacy made this project a perfect fit for our community.

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A New Playground at Washington Park

In early June, I was excited to join Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Supervisor Peter Burgelis, County Parks Executive Director Guy Smith and more for a ribbon cutting to unveil a new Washington Park playground. The new playground includes new features that are accessible to kids with disabilities. And as an added touch, the surfaces under the equipment are made from engineered wood fibar – which is softer, safer, less messy and easier to maintain than sand.

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Managing American Rescue Plan Act Funds Strategically

I’m honored to serve as Co-Chair of Milwaukee County’s American Rescue Plan Act Task Force. Milwaukee County is receiving $183.6 million in federal funds and I’m adamant that it must be used strategically to serve our county’s most pressing needs and in support of its strategic plan, and not politically to serve the needs of a special interest group. I’m also adamant that the process is public, transparent, inclusive, and clear to anyone in the community. So far, so good!

Here are a few highlights of our recommendations to-date:

INCREASING ACCESS TO HOUSING AND REDUCING EVICTIONS

• $15 million to create more affordable housing
• $3 million fix up and sell foreclosed homes now managed by Milwaukee County
• $1.5 million to house residents who are homeless or precariously housed
• $2.7 million to create a Right to Counsel program providing free legal representation to residents facing eviction to reduce evictions

CUTTING COSTS, GROWING REVENUE & AUTOMATING SIMPLE TASKS TO IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL POSITION

• $1.8 million to create on-site health clinics to reduce Milwaukee County’s annual health care costs
• $6.4 million to replace irrigation equipment and construct new golf cart paths at county golf courses, significantly reducing annual staff costs associated with watering while increasing annual revenues from golf cart sales
• $3 million to upgrade the Milwaukee County Zoo’s network and point-of-sale systems, reducing operational processes and creating new annual revenue generation opportunities across the grounds
• $3 million to upgrade light fixtures across Milwaukee County to cut annual energy costs, cut repair costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and more

?RETAINING CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, REDUCING VIOLENCE, SUPPORTING OUR COURTS & ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH

• $4 million in premium pay to help recruit and retain correctional officers at the Milwaukee County Jail and House of Corrections, helping to reduce a significant labor shortage at each facility
• $1.2 million to expand the Credible Messenger program, providing high-risk youth and young adults mentoring and positive relationships seven-days-a-week
• $1.2 million to expand pre-trial services and procure additional GPS monitoring units to help clear the backlog of court cases and ease overcrowding in the jail and House of Corrections
• $1.9 million to increase community crisis beds and fund mental health crisis response staff
• $545K to promote mental health resources available through Milwaukee County
• $550K to enhance non-law enforcement response to serve residents experiencing a mental health crisis

INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS

• $1.1 million for the Milwaukee Market Match program, enabling residents on SNAP/EBT (FoodShare) to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables at Milwaukee County farmers markets

RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC

• $2.5 million for employee testing (especially those at the County Jail and House of Corrections) to prevent outbreaks and ensure safety, administer vaccines, procure masks, and other expenses to promote the public health of the community and staff

On June 9, the ARPA Task Force will consider new proposals, including:

• $7 million to grow programming for youth detained in the Vel Phillips detention center, including $3 million to creating programming specifically for girls to reduce recidivism
• $1.5 million to grow early childhood and family support programs to improve health outcomes
• $128K to support Milwaukee County’s Beach Ambassador program to prevent drownings

Later this summer, the ARPA Task Force will make recommendations to address the county’s deferred infrastructure (maintaining our parks, parkways,

To learn more about our task force’s work:

• Check out our ARPA Task Force website
• Check out our ARPA Allocation Progress dashboard
• Check out our ARPA Community Support Allocation Progress dashboard
• Visit the County Legislative Information Center, and select American Rescue Plan Act Task Force in the drop-down menu

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Milwaukee County is National Leader in Reducing Homelessness

Earlier this year, Milwaukee County leaders celebrated an incredible finding: Milwaukee County has the lowest per capita unsheltered homeless population in the U.S. – lower than any other county in America!

As of January 2022, Milwaukee County had only 17 unsheltered individuals, down from 89 the year before. The success is due to the incredible work of staff and volunteers across the county, as well as the county’s Housing First approach – which focuses on getting people permanent housing first, then addressing other factors that contribute to the cycle of homelessness such as mental health, substance abuse or job training.

Our county’s goal is to end chronic homelessness – because when people have access to shelter, food, water and education, they have a foundation for future prosperity. We’re leading the way and inspiring other counties to follow in our footsteps.

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Start a Career at Milwaukee County

In order to deliver on our mission, we need exceptional talent. Milwaukee County is hiring for a wide range of positions including lifeguards, IT specialists, correctional officers, emergency clinicians, deputy sheriffs, child support specialists, accountants, fleet specialists, cement masons, engineers, court reporters, parks staff, and zoo staff. Learn more and apply for open roles today on the county careers website.?