DANE COUNTY BOARD TARGETS ELDER ABUSE

June 07, 2018
Sharon Corrigan, County Board Chair 608.333.2285
County Board

Thursday meeting to also honor outgoing Boys & Girls CEO Johnson

 

Recognizing its role in protecting the most vulnerable citizens, the Dane County Board is designating June 15 as “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” in Dane County.

 

A resolution marking the event is before the board at its regular meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. in Room 201 of the City County Building.

 

Every year, more than two million disabled and elderly citizens in the U.S. are victims of physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect or financial exploitation.

 

Dane County had 459 reports of elder abuse last year while the state of Wisconsin had 7,987 reports relating to elderly citizens. But officials say there are many more cases that go unreported.

 

“Older persons in our communities have the right to be protected under the law from financial, physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect and self-neglect,” says Dane County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan. “By recognizing World Elder Abuse Day, we hope to shine more light on this important issue.”

 

The Dane County Department of Human Services Adult Protective Services Unit is responsible for investigating any reports of elder abuse. It then works with the Dane County District Attorney’s Office in prosecuting cases of elder abuse and providing advocacy and assistance with claims for restitution.

 

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office along with local law enforcement agencies also provide safety for victims, investigate allegations and arrest alleged offenders of elder abuse and neglect.

 

Also Thursday, the Dane County Board will honor outgoing Boys & Girls Club of Dane County President & CEO Michael Johnson, who is leaving his position in Madison to take a position with United Way in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

Johnson has served as President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County since 2010. Under his leadership the agency increased the number of children served from 1,800 to 8,000. He also helped the Boys & Girls Club produce high school graduation rates of over 90 percent with a college prep course through a partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District and securing paid internships for more than 500 young people.

 

In other action Thursday the board will consider:

 

  • Accepting a federal grant for $22,000 for a Pedestrian and Bicycle Enforcement Project. The enforcement project will run from July 1 through September 30, 2018 with the goal of reducing traffic crashes involving pedestrians and bicycles in Dane County by focusing on reducing drunk driving, speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, passing too close to bicyclists, reducing bicycling at night without lights and pedestrian and bicyclist traffic signal violations. The Madison Police Department will administrator the grant, collecting data and filing a report with the State of Wisconsin.

     

  • Providing $26,897 in County Conservation Funds to Groundswell Conservancy to help purchase of approximately 10.9 acres in the village of Waunakee. The property is located on a plateau that overlooks the Cherokee Marsh-Yahara River valley and would fill a gap in conservation ownership between the Westport Drumlin Preserve/State Natural Area and conservation lands on the west side of Cherokee Marsh. The parcel would also provide land for local food production, making the land available to immigrant farmers for subsistence and market growing.

  • Providing $17,070 in County Conservation Funds to Groundswell Conservancy to help purchase approximately 95.5 acres in the village of DeForest. The parcel lies within the Cherokee Marsh Natural Resource Area and is part of the largest remaining wetlands in the County. The property will provide migration and nesting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds while also providing riparian protection for spawning northern pike and water quality protection of Lake Mendota. The property will be open to the public year-round for hiking, hunting, trapping, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, bird watching and nature appreciation.

     

  • Providing $20,500 in County Conservation Funds to help the City of Verona to help purchase approximately 13.1 acres in the city of Verona that lies within the Badger Mill Creek Natural Resources Area. Acquisition of the property would create an opportunity to improve habitat for fish and wildlife and provide public access for public recreation including hiking and fishing.

     

  • Awarding a contract for $948,2000 to Payne & Dolan, Inc. for repaving of the Capital City Bike Trail. Work is expected to begin in July and continue in phases through November. Portions of the trail will be detoured as needed through the construction process.

     

  • Two contracts related to the Dane County Jail Consolidation project. One is to for $1.36 million to Gilbane Building Company of Milwaukee for construction services. The other is for $4.49 million to Mead & Hunt of Middleton for architectural and engineering design services for the jail consolidation.