New Milwaukee County ordinance will accelerate strategic planning and long-term thinking

Hello friends and neighbors,

In the next few weeks, our county board will begin discussions on the 2021 budget. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions - and thanks to all who have already reached out.

Beyond next year's budget and the day-to-day business of the county, what matters most to me is the county's long-term future. It's important to me to ensure that every county department and program is delivering a great return on our investment - and every available dollar is advancing our county's long-term strategic plan to make Milwaukee County the healthiest county in Wisconsin (we currently rank 71st out of 72 counties).

That's why I'm so pleased to share that our county board unanimously approved a new ordinance that Sup. Joseph Czarnezki and I introduced, which will compel each department's budget request to, "show taxpayers and stakeholders how the departmental strategic plan links with the County's strategic priorities, mission, vision and values," and requires leaders to "include a department mission statement, strategic issues, goals and objectives, strategies to achieve the objectives, action plans and outcome/performance measures." I believe that we can make transformational change faster when we're all rowing in the same direction. This new ordinance will go into effect next year.

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Creating good jobs *AND* preserving the Monarchs

I know many friends and neighbors who have been laid off or fear layoffs amidst today's economic downturn. Alongside temporary unemployment benefits, emergency housing assistance and short-term paycheck protection funds, we need to help our friends and neighbors by creating jobs in Milwaukee County. Unemployment is much higher than normal, and in recent months, we in Wauwatosa watched as GE, Adecco and Briggs & Stratton announced reductions of good-paying, family-supporting jobs. Hundreds of them.

Additionally, alongside protecting the county grounds and promoting job creation, one of my concerns as a supervisor is about Wauwatosa's future financial health. The largest taxpayer in Wauwatosa is Mayfair Mall – and as we all know, companies like Amazon, Wayfair and others are disrupting the traditional mall business model. Mayfair is standing strong today, but it’s difficult to predict what the future will bring – unless we help create it. If we do not have a diverse and thriving economy, our local governments may lack the revenue to offer constituent services, maintain our parks, patch our parkway potholes, provide property tax relief, serve people in need, support small businesses, address racial inequity, and more.

In the coming weeks, our county board will hear a proposal by Irgens to create a high-quality business park near the ABB building in between the Hwy 41/45 freeway and Discovery Parkway. This proposal is supported by Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride, former Mayor Kathy Ehley, the Wauwatosa and West Allis Chamber of Commerce and former County Board Supervisor Luigi Schmitt.

I, too, am a supporter of an amended proposal, which:

• Potentially creates hundreds of high-paying jobs within a zone permitted for development within the Life Sciences District plan
• Creates high-paying construction jobs, with a commitment from Irgens to recruit and hire local and diverse contractors
• Builds attractive, new, green, LEED-certified office buildings
• Generates $1+ million annually in tax revenue to Milwaukee County, the City of Wauwatosa and the Wauwatosa School District, reducing the property tax burden on residential homeowners
• Provides Milwaukee County with a one-time $1 million payment from Irgens, enabling our board to hold the line on property taxes, balance our budget, fix our parks and parkway roads, and deliver needed services to residents
• Creates a new conservation easement for the 10.99 acre Monarch Butterfly Habitat Area, ensuring that the area is preserved from development in perpetuity
• Protects existing stormwater retention ponds
• Preserves the 100+ acres of Milwaukee County Grounds land that's already been designated for conservation
• Reduces the footprint and impact of the proposed development from what was originally proposed, thanks to the advocacy of people like Barb Agnew, Peter Abbott, Jim Price, Barb Schoenherr, LuAnne Washburn, and others.

The proposed amended plan is a balanced, thoughtful proposal that is good for Wauwatosa, good for Milwaukee County and indefinitely preserves the nearby Monarch habitat. If approved by the county board, refined plans would be presented to the City of Wauwatosa for review, refinement and approval. To learn more about this proposal, I urge you to watch the September Economic and Community Development meeting discussion on the topic. That committee endorsed the proposal 5-0.

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Pulling buckthorn from Sanctuary Woods

In mid-September, Jonathan Piel from "Friends of the County Grounds" invited me to a great event. An aspiring Eagle Scout was organizing fellow scouts, Milwaukee County Parks staff, Hoppe Tree Service volunteers and others to cut invasive buckthorn out of Sanctuary Woods in County Grounds Park.

Kudos to James for organizing, to everyone at Hoppe Tree Service for providing talent and equipment, and to all who pitched in! Learn more about our day in this blog entry.

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New affordable Tosa apartments, thanks to HOME funds

Many Wauwatosa residents ask me, "Where are the affordable apartments?" and "Why aren't we building any?" The good news is they're coming very soon to 1535 Rivers Bend.

Walnut Glen Apartments is a new partnership between the Milwaukee County Housing Division and Horizon Development. It will consist of a total of 101 units with 87 of the units reserved for low income seniors and 14 units will be townhomes that will be affordable for families: $628 for an efficiency, $761 for a one bedroom, and $922 for a two bedroom. Learn more about this newly approved development.

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New county programs can help homeowners and renters recover from COVID downturn

We need to prevent foreclosures and evictions in Milwaukee County. That's why Milwaukee County has launched two new programs to provide emergency support to people in need.

• Foreclosure prevention: Milwaukee County homeowners facing mortgage delinquency or foreclosure due to financial hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for Mortgage Assistance Program grants. Depending on eligibility and date of income interruption, direct one-time assistance on behalf of the homeowner(s) may be provided for up to six months! Applications are being accepted now. Apply at: https://hri-wi.org/mortgage-assistance.
• Eviction prevention: Up to $3,000 in rent assistance is available through Milwaukee County and Community Advocates to prevent evictions. To apply for emergency rent assistance, visit: https://communityadvocates.net/what.../rent-assistance.html

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Making mental health a priority

Mental health is a major concern in Milwaukee County. In July, our Medical Examiner reported three suicides. In August, the number soared to 23. Mental health is especially important for seniors who may not have as many opportunities for interaction amidst today's COVID-19 environment. That's why the Milwaukee County Telephone Reassurance Program exists.

Residents in Milwaukee County above the age of 60 who live alone can make or receive one phone call each day from a volunteer or staff member whose purpose is to check in on their safety and well-being. To learn more about the program, call 414-530-4621.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts and want assistance, help is one phone call away. Call Milwaukee County's 24-hour crisis hotline at 414-257-7222.

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Energy assistance available for families in need

Through the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program, qualified Milwaukee County residents can receive a one-time annual payment to make their heating and electric bills more affordable. To learn more, visit www.KeepWarmMKE.org or call 414-270-4653.

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Raise your voice for Milwaukee County's seniors

The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Governing Board of Milwaukee County would like your feedback. The ADRC Governing Board will share the feedback with state and community partners in the hopes of both improving the experience where needed and sustaining that which works well for the people we serve.

• Tell us how the Aging Resource Center, Disability Resource Center, IRIS, Family Care, Partnership or PACE are working for you especially during COVID-19.
• Let us know if there are additional programs and services that might be needed by older people or persons with disabilities in Milwaukee County.

Take the survey now.

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Let’s stay safe from COVID-19

The Wisconsin National Guard is offering free public COVID-19 testing at two sites:

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Fixing our parks

See a fallen tree in a park? Spotted vandalism on a park building? Discovered some illegal dumping? Whatever the issue, there's now an easy way to let us know. Simply fill out the County Parks' new Issues Report form at: https://countyparksmke.com/issues. Share the details and location, provide a photo if you can, and we'll send the details to our hard-working park operations team.

I hope you have a safe and happy October. If I can help you, please don't hesitate to contact my office. And if you missed last month's e-newsletter, here's a link. Take care, be safe, and talk soon.

Sincerely,

Supervisor Shawn Rolland

District 6, representing neighborhoods in Wauwatosa, West Allis and Milwaukee’s westside