Week of August 11, 2014
Join Us for an ACE On-the-Farm Twilight Meeting  

WCA has once again partnered with the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) for the ACE (Agricultural Community Engagement™) On-the-Farm Twilight Meetings. 

Elected officials, community leaders, conservation officials, dairy farmers and neighbors are invited to these information-rich evenings.   ACE On-the-Farm Twilight Meetings are FREE and bring together local community leaders and dairy producers to learn together and discuss issues that are important to YOU! 

Come and connect with dairy and livestock industries and listen to the viewpoints of community leaders, and elected officials. Previous ACE evenings have been insightful, engaging and extremely successful in boosting the learning curve for attendees.
 
Enjoy a 60-minute farm tour and ice cream social while engaging in a facilitated discussion. What a great setting to learn from each other.

6:00-8:30 p.m.
Dairy Tours start at 6 p.m.
Ice Cream served at 7 p.m.
Community/dairy discussion until 8:30 p.m.
From the Director: "Invest Strategically; Invest in UW-Extension"
 
This "From the Director" originally ran in the June issue of "Wisconsin Counties" magazine. 

"As stewards of both the public trust and the public purse, counties continue to strive to make the best use of scarce financial resources. It is important for counties to be strategic and work to receive the biggest return on their investments. Counties work to balance that with the need to plan for the future and protect the great resources currently within county government."

Join Us for the 2014 WCA Annual Conference! 
 
The WCA Annual Conference is fast approaching and will be held September 14-16, 2014 in Sauk County.  If you haven't already, be sure to register. 

As a reminder, the WCA room blocks have closed. Standard room rates now apply and rooms are open to the general public at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center and Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.  All counties are responsible for booking their own hotel rooms and rooms are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit the WCA Annual Conference page on the WCA website, which contains information on registration, rooms and all other things "conference." Also be sure to view the updated tentative agenda, including time changes for Sunday's event, by clicking here. 
Enter Your Wisconsin Pics for 2015 Discover Wisconsin Calendar Contest!
 
WCA is once again partnering with our friends at Discover Wisconsin for the 2015 Discover Wisconsin Calendar Photo Contest.

Submit your photos until August 17th and be sure to tag your photos with #wicounties.

To enter your photographs or to learn more, click here.

Your Help Needed: Public Input Sessions for Division of Housing
 
The Department of Administration's Division of Housing (DOH) is asking for input to help us serve Wisconsin's low to moderate income, homeless, and special needs citizens.

DOH will be holding Public Input Sessions throughout Wisconsin in the months of August and September.

Public feedback is critical to the success of distributing approximately $45 million each year for programs and new initiatives that help expand economic opportunities and affordable housing for some of our most vulnerable residents.

To learn more about dates and registration, click here.  
WisconsinEye Video: Village of Brokaw Reels from Mill Closing    
 
wisconsin eye Before the Village of Brokaw formed in 1903, a paper mill flourished along the Wisconsin River and provided jobs. Over the last
century, Brokaw was a company town; in 1948, the mill's owners sold homes to local residents.
But, when the mill closed in
2012, ending more than 400 jobs, the village lost 34% of its tax base.  

 

That leaves the village, with about 250 residents, facing debts of more than $4 million. In an interview with village attorney Dean Dietrich, WisconsinEye discussed whether Brokaw could be the first municipality in Wisconsin history to formally dissolve because of its debts.

 

Watch the WisconsinEye "Newsmakers" episode, "Village of Brokaw Reels from Mill Closing," here.
Learn More About WCA Associate Members

The role and relationship of government with the private sector has changed in recent years. The creation of the WCA Associate Member Program is one more way WCA is reaching out to bring together the public and private sectors.

The WCA Associate Member Program helps to foster the critical and growing relationship between government and business. We believe that helping to nurture a strong partnership with private businesses and organizations will prove to be beneficial to all of Wisconsin.

WCA Associate Members include:

 

We encourage you to learn more about our WCA Associate Members by clicking here For more information about this program please contact WCA Marketing and Events Manager Cheryl Fleck at 866.404.2700.   
WI County Officials Serving on NACo Steering Committees for 2014-2015

The National Association of Counties has released their steering committee listings for 2014-2015 and fourteen Wisconsin county officials will be serving.

IN THIS ISSUE
ACE On-the-Farm Twilight Meetings
From the Director: Invest Strategically; Invest in UW-Extension
Join Us for 2014 WCA Annual Conference in Wisconsin Dells!
Enter Your Wisconsin Pics in 2015 DW Calendar Contest!
Input Needed for Division of Housing
WisconsinEye Video on Village of Brokaw
Learn More About WCA Associate Members
Wisconsin County Officials Serving on NACo Steering Committees
WCA Commends State for Investment in Infrastructure

The Wisconsin Counties Association commended the State of Wisconsin and Governor Walker for their actions in purchasing a 70-mile stretch of rail line from Madison to Reedsburg, as well as Reedsburg to Cottage Grove.

"Be it roads or rail, a strong investment in infrastructure is critical for the overall success of local communities and all of Wisconsin," said WCA Executive Director Mark D. O'Connell.  "Many businesses in our counties rely on freight rail for their success and the purchase of this segment of rail will help to strengthen and grow our economy here in the state."

Read the full WCA media release here.

Fourth Annual Freight Industry Summit this Week in Appleton: Still Time to Register!

The Fourth Annual Governor's Freight Industry Summit is set for the afternoon of Thursday, August 14, 2014 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. 

Sponsored by the  
Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), the annual summit gathers public and private officials with a common interest in our economically-vital freight industry. 
In the News: Sheboygan County Buys Amsterdam Dunes

On August 1st, Sheboygan County became the owner of Amsterdam Dunes, one of the last major expanses of undeveloped and unprotected wilderness on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

The area has attracted interest from developers in the past, but now that the county owns it, it will remain an unspoiled preserve, according to a recent article in the Sheboygan Press.  

 

"It absolutely could have been condos in the past," said Sheboygan County Administrator Adam Payne. "It could have been fully developed in the future. That's what's just so special about this project."


Learn more about the Amsterdam Dunes project and the county's purchase here.

To learn more about how the Dunes will build income and help the environment, click here.