September Update: County Newsletter
Happy September everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying the last bit of summer here in Kenosha. I was at Pets for Oktoberfest last weekend, and you can see fall coming around the bend, and I am here for it. We are about to head into budget month on the County Board, and that is one of our biggest tasks for the year. We had a Capital Improvement Plan preview presentation, to give us a sense of what big projects in the budget will be. This included a walkthrough of the ceremonial courtroom and the plans involved in its restoration after meeting ambitious fundraising goals for the project. I am excited to be a part of this process, and if any of you have strong feelings about any items in the upcoming budget, please feel free to let me know.
Many of you have also been understandably curious about what is happening over at the Kemper Center. The specifics are a bit beyond my purview to fully understand or speak to, but overall there has been a change in leadership, and it does seem that the new leadership is invested in working hard to restore the facility and get it utilized to its maximum potential. The Finance and Administration Committee has tasked the Kemper Board with providing a list of major priority projects for the interior of Kemper and their associated costs (in particular the chapel and areas that get utilized for rentals frequently). It seems that after an uncomfortable period of upheaval, there is some forward momentum.
This past Tuesday, the Executive and Legislative Committees met to vote on modified County Board Rules and Ethics Code. There were many proposed amendments during the Legislative Committee, so the vote will happen in a subsequent meeting.
At the County Board Meeting, there weren't any particularly notable votes this month. We are all preparing for the passing of the budget in October and following up on old business. Notably, the County will participate in the feasibility study for KRM railroad project (which I have heard is getting a rebrand soon(!)), in spite of Executive Kerkman’s non-action on the resolution. I have been in contact with some folks from the city to make sure I have updated information on the project as the feasibility study proceeds, and we will likely have a county representative attending meetings soon, so stay tuned!
As always, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to represent Kenosha County and District 2 in particular. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or thoughts–I am always happy to hear them.
Recordings:
Kenosha County Board Meeting 9.17.2024: https://www.youtube.com/live/qMGXh7TiIQQ?si=jYwOMUrhwoVZtR5E
Legislative Committee Meeting 9.17.2024: https://youtu.be/pf4Tg5GkkUo?si=bLhDjvEFcPhVep8d
Executive Committee Meeting 9.17.2024: https://www.youtube.com/live/dl2zrcKGtc0?si=gW9VPeAtq-4guNim
Capital Improvement Project Meeting 9.5.2024: Sept. 5, 2024, CIP Preview Meeting Audio