So, I’m trying to figure out how the Personnel and Finance Committee hears a whole bunch of information about all kinds of budget amendments then goes away and comes back with a tidy package exactly balanced and has no discussion. Where is that discussion happening?
HOW DOES THE COUNTY BOARD COME UP WITH A PERFECTLY BALANCED BUDGET THAT HAS NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION ONLY ACCOLADES? WHO IS INVOLVED AND WHEN AND WHERE DO THEY DO IT?
I’ve blogged about this in various years. This year’s version is here and here. This year, I decided I’d had enough. Someone, it was an older white guy on the county board and I don’t remember which one, said that it was done in the Chairs meetings. Might have been Dave Ripp or Carl Chenoweth or Paul Nelson or Bill Clausius . . . I don’t recall and I don’t recall if they said it openly in a meeting or before or after a meeting. At the time they were just saying out loud what every knows, but isn’t supposed to say out loud. Anyways, that is what led to my open records requests about the chairs meetings. I was hoping there would be agendas and minutes that would reveal that is what they are doing. Of course, they cleverly made sure they don’t have agendas and minutes. Which I suspected, so I made a second open records request the following day.
INITIAL OPEN RECORDS REQUEST ON COUNTY BUDGET SUB 1
Two months ago I asked the the following:
| from: | Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com | ||
| to: | Patrick Miles <Miles@co.dane.wi.us>, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, “Hicklin, Charles” <Hicklin@countyofdane.com> |
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| cc: | “Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com> |
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| date: | Nov 6, 2019, 9:35 AM | ||
| subject: | Sub 1 – Open Records Request | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
Please send all records, electronic or written, including texts, emails, and other correspondence sent through county or personal devices and accounts, regarding the process and content for the substitute resolutions for the Operating and Capital Budgets and the final tax levy resolution. Additionally, please send any records (as described above) related to “revised” amendments that were presented to Personnel and Finance at the November 5th Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting.
SECOND INQUIRY
| from: | Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com | ||
| to: | Patrick Miles <Miles@co.dane.wi.us>, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, “Hicklin, Charles” <Hicklin@countyofdane.com> |
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| cc: | “Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com> |
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| date: | Dec 15, 2019, 8:12 AM | ||
| subject: | Re: Sub 1 – Open Records Request | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
It’s been 5 weeks since I submitted this request. Can you provide me with an update on any progress made or when to expect a response?
THIRD INQUIRY
So, when I got the answer to open records request on the chair’s meetings, I asked the following:
| from: | Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com | ||
| to: | “Lowndes, Daniel” <Lowndes@countyofdane.com> |
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| date: | Jan 4, 2020, 1:04 PM | ||
| subject: | Re: Open Records Request | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
Could you tell me when I might expect a response to my second open records request sent the day after this one? I asked on December 15th and no one replied.
FOLLOW UP ON THE CHAIRS MEETINGS INQUIRY
| from: | Brenda Konkelbrendakonkel@gmail.com | ||
| to: | eicher.analiese@countyofdane.com, young.hayley@countyofdane.com, “Nelson, Paul” <nelson.paul@countyofdane.com>, “Rusk, Paul” <rusk@countyofdane.com>, kuhn.jamie@countyofdane.com, “Ritt, Michele” <ritt.michele@countyofdane.com>, mccarville.maureen@countyofdane.com, Sharon Corrigan <corrigan@countyofdane.com>, ripp.david@countyofdane.com, bollig.jerry@countyofdane.com, miles@countyofdane.com, “Thurlow, Karin Peterson” <peterson.karin@countyofdane.com>, Kuhl.Lauren@countyofdane.com, Menard.Lindsay@countyofdane.com, schroeder.josh@countyofdane.com |
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| date: | Dec 28, 2019, 3:10 PM | ||
| subject: | Open records request | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
Please see the attached schedule of meetings. The attached indicates that you were invited to the meetings. Please confirm which meetings you were actually in attendance and what was discussed at each meeting. Additionally, please send any agendas, minutes, communications or notes either written or electronic (including emails, texts or social media communications from personal or county board accounts) related to the meetings that you attended.
- Analiese Eicher – running unopposed, one of two people predicted to be the next county board chair
- Hayley Young – retiring
- Paul Nelson – retiring
- Paul Rusk – running unopposed
- Jamie Kuhn – retiring
- Michele Ritt – running unopposed
- Maureen McCarville – running unopposed
- Sharon Corrigan – retiring
- Jerry Bollig – is one of two incumbents facing a challenger
- Patrick Miles – running unopposed, the second person predicted to be the next county board chair
- County Staff
- Karen Thurlow Peterson
- Lauren Kuhl
- Lindsay Menard
- Josh Schroeder
I’M NOT GOING AWAY
That is all.
64 days (2 full months, over 9 weeks) and counting . . .
