Part 1 of a 4-Part Series
Positive changes come from governments working together
By Steve Sharp - steves@wdtimes.com
JEFFERSON — Recent years have seen many positive changes in the ways governments work together in Jefferson County to get projects done.
This improved approach to working together has been engendered by open-mindedness and increased levels of education on the concept among those in prominent positions of county leadership and municipal government, as well as their exposure to other governments they’ve seen having success through teamwork.
It has also come out of necessity. Shrinking budgets have forced it in many cases. No matter the impetus, there is no question there is much more intergovernmental cooperation than in the past.
In addition to the cooperative efforts that have been undertaken, recent months have seen meetings among the Jefferson School District and Jefferson police, as well as the county sheriff’s department regarding how to handle potential active shooter situations in the school system. Several fund transfers from within the Watertown Police Department were recently completed to help pay the cost of a pedestrian crossing light at Emmet and Montgomery streets, and city officials praised Chief Tim Roets for his efforts to creatively secure funding for the project. The work is being done using monetary contributions from the Watertown Unified School District, St. Bernard’s and the city.
There was also a well-attended law enforcement roundtable with Wisconsin State Attorney General Brad Schimmel at the Jefferson County University of Wisconsin-Extension this spring at which representatives of almost every policing agency in the county met with Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ, state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, members of the county board and others. Unfortunately the opiate epidemic has also brought leaders from the state, county and municipal levels together for educational summits from Watertown and Oconomowoc to Fort Atkinson.
This four-part series gives several community leaders the opportunity to provide information so Daily Times readers may better understand where their community governments stand on the general idea of intergovernmental cooperation, how it’s been used in the past and how it is continuing to evolve.
Retired Jefferson County University of Wisconsin Extension agent and professor Steve Grabow, along with Jefferson County Parks Director Joe Nehmer, were among the first to strongly advocate the concept of cooperation among the different governmental bodies that function here. One of the first and hugely encompassing of the projects Grabow and Nehmer undertook was the development of the Glacial Heritage Area.
“Jefferson County has teamed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to preserve and link what they believe could be a ‘string of pearls’ in the form of precious natural/recreational areas in the region,” a Daily Times article from February of 2006 stated.
At that time, the two bodies met with citizens to kick off a campaign to get the project introduced to the public and in 2018 it has come to an impressive fruition.
Hosted and moderated by the Jefferson County University of Wisconsin Extension, the kickoff program was introduced by John Pohlman of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and elaborated upon by Nehmer and Grabow.
The GHA project has involved establishing conservation lands, recreational trails and facilities, while protecting and restoring native grassland, forest and wetlands. Protecting water quality has also been a high priority.
“The project is envisioned to ultimately become a collaboration among state, county and local governments, along with private landowners, as well as community and nonprofit organizations,” the Daily Times article of the time reads. “Among the 40 people in attendance at the meeting Tuesday were Jefferson City Engineer Dan Ludwig, as well as Steve Nass of the Jefferson County board and Jefferson County board Chairwoman Sharon Schmeling.”
All would go on to work with the goal of maintaining an open, agricultural landscape, integrated with the planned future growth of local communities.
The Glacial Heritage Area project in 2018 is centered in western Jefferson County and includes parts of Dane, Dodge and Rock counties. The initial proposal to establish a coordinated network in a “string of pearls” layout of conservation lands, recreation trails and facilities is ongoing. The project acknowledges the population pressures from the Milwaukee and Madison metropolitan areas and seeks to help meet the growing demand for a wide range of outdoor, nature-based land and water recreation activities.
“I have always been a believer in partnerships,” Nehmer said last week. “The game changer for me has been (Jefferson County Administrator) Ben Wehmeier. “He not only pursues them himself, but he encourages all county staff to do likewise. This, of course, has been something I greatly appreciate.”
Part 2 of this series will feature a discussion with Wehmeier and others who will go into detail about how the county has been working to gain efficiencies through working with partners.