Priorities

I am excited about my work underway on key priorities including protecting our precious land and waterways, expanding trails in the district, improving beaches, modernizing the Alliant Energy Center, and making our services and justice system more equitable.

Protecting Our Land and Waterways

My top environmental concerns for the district are controlling weed and algae growth in the Yahara chain and minimizing flooding in extreme weather events due to climate changes. Controlling algae and weed growth requires a multi-pronged approach, including continuing the county’s work to remove nutrient-rich sediment from our local waterways. and working with farmers to employ best practices to keep phosphorus on the land and out of our lakes and streams.

I also support continued investment in our Urban Water Quality Grant program, which helps municipalities develop stormwater facilities that slow runoff and reduce nutrient loads flowing into our waters. I have advocated for expanding our fleet of weed cutters, which are an important tool in maintaining flow in warm-weather months. I supported many acquisitions to preserve or restore wetlands. Each of these efforts has both the benefit of improving water quality, providing water storage, and improving the flow of water through the Yahara chain, thereby mitigating flooding.

The use of firefighting foams by the FAA at the Dane County Regional Airport has contaminated the soils and groundwater there. We need to continue to work with the state and federal governments on solutions to remediate the contamination. Additionally, we need to hold PFAS manufacturers accountable and recover remediation costs from them.

Advancing Sustainability to Fight Climate Change

I will also continue to support the expansion of renewable energy projects at county facilities, like the Yahara Solar Project that opened last spring. It’s a new 90-acre solar array near the County Public Works facility on County Highway AB generating enough electricity to power 3,000 homes. Dane County is among the first counties in the U.S. to power all our buildings with 100% renewable electricity.

As Chair of PACE Wisconsin, I am leveraging financing for sustainable development. The PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program incentivizes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements to redevelopment and new development projects. PACE, at the same time, promotes economic development and creates jobs while improving the air we breathe and conserving valuable water resources in the county. The work of the PACE commission has added more than 650 jobs in Dane County to date and reduced CO2 emissions by 7,220 metric tons per year.

Promoting Economic Development

I’ve been committed to economic development throughout my service; I founded the County Board’s Economic Development Committee, which the County Executive elevated to his Commission on Economic & Workforce Development. We’ve partnered with Dane Buy Local to support Main Street businesses. We’ve supported training programs that made getting into the trades more accessible.

I am championing the Alliant Energy Center Redevelopment efforts to implement a master plan for expanding the center and ensuring it will continue to be a neighborhood asset and strong economic driver for the county for generations to come.

Expanding Trails and Connections to Nature

I believe the more opportunities we have to connect with nature, the more invested we become in protecting our land and waters. This is why I have been such a strong champion for expanding and improving access to parks, trails, and waterways.

One of my proudest achievements and partnerships is the development of the Lower Yahara trail and boardwalk. The Lower Yahara River Trail, which connects Lake Farm Park to McDaniel Park, is used by 175,000 to 200,000 people annually. The incredible success of this trail has led to the exciting Phase II expansion to Lake Kegonsa State Park in 2024.

I am also very excited to share that the connection from Lake Farm County Park to Waucheeta Trail in the Town of Dunn will open in 2024 as well. This connection will help get bicyclists off a dangerous stretch of Lake Farm Road and is one more segment to what I envision will one day be a complete loop around Lake Waubesa.

I secured resources for the installation of a clean beach treatment system at McDaniel Park. The clean beach system is similar to what has been implemented at Bernie’s Beach Park in Monona Bay and provides crystal-clear water for swimmers to enjoy. The next step for the project is for the Village to apply for permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and address DNR concerns about fish habitat.

Graphic showing how a clean beach treatment system works (Source)

Justice Reform

I support our efforts to make the justice system equitable and to use it as an opportunity to strengthen the community. That’s why I supported the $500,000 expansion of restorative justice programming, including the proven and successful Community Restorative Court (CRC) model.

A member of the Criminal Justice Council, I have also supported the development of the Office of Criminal Justice Reform and am excited by a $600,000 federal grant that allows Dane County to reform and reimagine our criminal justice work in our court system.

Ensuring Access to Equitable County Services

Ensuring access to quality equitable county services is at the core of why I serve. As such, I have consistently supported the expansion of case management services for seniors, increased funding for youth centers and affordable housing, and joined my colleagues in expanding mental health crisis supports. The expansion of Dane County’s Affordable Housing Fund has created more than 2,500 units county-wide, including 98 in McFarland.

In addition, increasing resources for mental health crisis response through the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and community mental health providers will aid citizens throughout the county including towns and villages.