[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6164703,"mediaKeyId","5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663","parentId",5427816,"title","SNAP‑Ed cuts to end FoodWIse services; committee weighs resolution and local relief","audioSeconds",1505,"startMs",235000,"endMs",1740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663&start=235&end=1740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663/thumbnail_235000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6164703/Dunn-County/Wisconsin/SNAPEd-cuts-to-end-FoodWIse-services-committee-weighs-resolution-and-local-relief","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164703-a9ded79a2114e629196a99b9c17399d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154111&Signature=BOJ9yhGQWM5bxKmzU2C8rlbWj0K6jkrY~krIPsUU79FF1RM32XJz1vhFw8Ig2zJSq2lGoA9LM1-deq7rjOmspBYnluBzX8ajYzMbPcVzUGMCz2LqJYtcHRLF5l4S8h~f2JhGSCzusbKYQgA6cFI3ERazunD6UxK90IAtvuID6qKoyTsSSpatfD7kbAU01JbrDf3OXyKm90aCx3OfpuavUtX6pugO650rLsTYowePF7JK3Lx--VlTc9jgnR~E8ZKGMKPJH3kAGFKu-CrVArKC7C49FB3d641Zfrjww6WmuCRiWQxp~GHORzxoWw7ROBGpeX9hBkxaPB2Jvr8N9bJjRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dunn County, WI","date","2025-07-18T14:59:36Z","article","At a Dunn County Community Resources and Tourism Committee meeting, Extension staff reported that the recent federal reconciliation bill eliminated SNAP‑Ed funding, which will end FoodWIse nutrition‑education services statewide and likely trigger layoff notices beginning Oct. 1 and continuing on Nov. 1 and Dec. 1 for affected UW–Madison Extension employees. The staff member said UW–Madison has provided limited funds to keep some employees on by seniority for a short period and that employees will receive benefits through the end of the month in which their employment ends.

The report was introduced by an Extension staff member and followed by Macy Leen, FoodWIse educator for Chippewa and Dunn counties. Leen described FoodWIse programming in the county and statewide impacts, including youth and adult behavior changes documented in recent evaluations. She said FoodWIse statewide reached tens of thousands of Wisconsinites, that many markets and schools used program materials, and that local farmers‑market incentive programs — including the Menomonie Farmers Market match — depended on FoodWIse support.

Why it matters: FoodWIse provides direct nutrition education in early‑care settings, schools, farmers markets and community agencies and supports market incentive programs that increase the purchasing power of SNAP (FoodShare) recipients. Committee members said losing the program would affect local food security, school and market programming, and nutrition incentives.

Key details provided to the committee:
- The Extension staff member reported that SNAP‑Ed funding was removed in the reconciliation bill and that FoodWIse services will end statewide Sept. 30 absent new federal or state action. The committee was told layoff notices are expected to begin Oct. 1, with additional notices possibly on Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, depending on seniority and available funds.
- Macy Leen, FoodWIse educator, said FoodWIse statewide data show measurable behavior changes after programming (for example, reported increases in fruit and vegetable consumption among youth and increased label reading among adults). Leen said local work included supporting the Menomonie Farmers Market, reinstating a market‑match nutrition incentive this season and helping markets secure sponsorships and equipment. She said Menomonie’s market currently has about 40 vendors that accept SNAP benefits.
- Leen described state and federal funding mechanisms that support local nutrition incentives: the state allocated $425,000 (Act 201) as a match to help expand nutrition incentive funding, and a regional application tied to the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) was accepted to create a Western Wisconsin region for distributing those funds; Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the nonprofit partner on that grant effort.
- Extension staff noted UW–Madison’s “callback” policy: if positions are later reinstated, there is a process to recall laid‑off employees, potentially allowing rehiring if funding returns.

Committee response and next steps: committee members discussed whether to prepare a proclamation or a resolution to urge state and federal officials to restore SNAP‑Ed funding. Staff advised the preferred route is to draft a resolution for the county legislative committee (and, where appropriate, to use model language from the Wisconsin Counties Association). Committee members asked staff to include an impact statement or data in any resolution to show the local effects of lost FoodWIse services. The committee did not vote on a resolution at the meeting; members directed staff and corporation counsel to draft language and bring it back to the committee and to the legislative committee for possible adoption and transmission to state or federal representatives.

Quotes (from meeting participants):
\"The reconciliation bill did pass. And so that does mean that all SNAP‑Ed funding ... was eliminated,\" the Extension staff member said, describing the expected layoff timeline and the university’s short‑term funding measures.
\"We'd be in favor of adding it to the legislative agenda,\" a committee supervisor said in support of pursuing a formal resolution.
\"We reinstated the market match this season,\" Macy Leen said, describing the Menomonie Farmers Market match program and local vendor participation.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to draft a resolution and an impact statement for review at a future committee meeting and to coordinate with corporation counsel and the county’s legislative committee. Staff said they would also share information about state and federal funding avenues and continue to update the committee as they learn more about timelines and potential reinstatement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Dunn County Community Resources and Tourism Meeting 07/15/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Dunn County Community Resources and Tourism Committee meeting, Extension staff reported that the federal reconciliation bill eliminated SNAP‑Ed funding, which will end FoodWIse services statewide and likely trigger phased layoffs starting Oct. 1.","taxTitle","Dunn County, Wisconsin","taxId",53943,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6164698,"Dunn County economic development director outlines housing, business and large‑site plans; annexation discussion raises farmland concerns",1880,1853000,3733000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663&start=1853&end=3733","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663/thumbnail_1853000.jpg","/articles/6164698/Dunn-County/Wisconsin/Dunn-County-economic-development-director-outlines-housing-business-and-largesite-plans-annexation-discussion-raises-farmland-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164698-4eae708a041301761a2bffc206fb8b0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154111&Signature=Wk6-psfMWZZmuO9tWqI9RdqKoJk33aa4n8Wn5RRM3FnfmG3ENuOKEXma8XzAlqU~m~qBhdu20QSo1oK-WJe6hCza6finI19l7YBGAq1gKG7wAfdakaF8QcksQPcuJuvCZxNpuVpg8mOjrH-qf7G9aHXxGOnVXGwPpjBB6-y7aIukYsySXV4WSzudhGrpl1WwMlH~N9pDOWCeoNNwxpBrzEBM-UQq1s3MjpAftMQ3tJD2SPD5MgQSUXFOyKlHb2EcmVrPbZK9HOQgDZ9~8C38zvLPskRMXx-nzncQQmz2DZhOx5eJ1b18r5Yr1KW~Gh~3gG0CG0v7RplpGenOs544cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Adam Akelai, director of economic development for Dunn County, presented an annual update to the Community Resources and Tourism Committee describing four focus areas: housing, business retention and expansion (BRE), small business and entrepreneurship, and business attraction.

On housing, Akelai said the consortium is developing a “development‑friendly municipality” certification to help small townships and villages in the county prepare for residential development. He described a recent internal county housing summit attended by about 25 people, a pilot manufactured‑housing tour in Chippewa Falls and work with state resources such as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Association on housing incentives and program access.

In business retention and expansion, Akelai said the county has launched a BRE program that includes a data collection database and planned on‑site visits; he described cooperative work with Downtown Menomonie, the Chamber and utilities to avoid duplicating outreach. He reported a new $250,000 WEDC small‑business pass‑through grant for Dunn County — funding that will go directly to local businesses — and said the county is awaiting WEDC’s public announcement before distributing the funds.

On business attraction, Akelai said county staff are fielding requests for very large sites from companies seeking 125–450 acres. He described a current proposal under consideration involving multiple property owners who have petitioned to be annexed into the City of Menomonie and said the immediate action before the city and county is annexation and zoning. Akelai cautioned that annexation does not commit the city to any particular end user; incentive or development decisions would follow later in a multi‑step municipal process (rezoning, potential tax increment district formation, development agreement) when the end user is known.

Committee members asked about farmland loss and local control. Supervisor Gwen asked how the county balances the opportunity for industrial expansion with potential losses of agricultural land. Akelai said annexation petitions come from property owners (not the city) and that municipal review — including the plan commission and public process — will evaluate consistency with comprehensive plans. He said county staff will work with the town of Red Cedar and surrounding municipalities to identify complementary development opportunities (for example, residential or other land uses) and to ensure municipal staff have the capacity and information to evaluate large projects.

Other projects Akelai detailed included branding and a consolidated Dunn Economic Development website, a revolving loan fund at the Greater Menomonie Development Corporation for housing and childcare gap financing, coordination with Venture Home Menomonie and Renew Towns for downtown entrepreneurship pilots, and pursuit of a HUBZone designation for federal contracting advantage.

Ending: Akelai said the consortium will continue capacity building for municipalities, maintain BRE outreach and move to publicly launch branding and a fundraising campaign in September. No formal committee action was taken on these reports; the items were presented for information and follow‑up.","Adam Akelai, Dunn County’s economic development director, updated the Community Resources and Tourism Committee on housing readiness, business retention and attraction efforts, and a pending annexation and rezoning proposal that would add roughly 300 acres to the City of Menomonie’s industrial land.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6164693,"Committee approves library subsidies, regional planning levy and outside‑agency grants for 2026",762,4210000,4972000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663&start=4210&end=4972","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5427816-2119452cebf622e93253e6af680b6663/thumbnail_4210000.jpg","/articles/6164693/Dunn-County/Wisconsin/Committee-approves-library-subsidies-regional-planning-levy-and-outsideagency-grants-for-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164693-222c63b80ef296536bc6d89c4f1a3207/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154111&Signature=aRg8bi~PMzJ~9wGYaoBlMQ9l3RWmVCA7jdkmxUNVtp6IWffbKyL7btmWOO1piTz2JoC7qxcPC~PGjktIngrHlBJ2rBpYzsOtLJi8slYJuAOOEWOIosKSZVlNVMaUe5vPHu9L-KVu6ScJ8Mctl3Jj9rcSvK~RprgW~2pn6TU7GwGk5Zmc4Shpu4ypywY~bG0Z4iL1q1vIrW4XPdGgHbqZrobO7hsaHxqoggFwj1pttTtDM1iq8Y2ntuIL5fWtEK59mDkwbvuMwmHAjiXp0dtEePKAUMqrU~68G2sQBzUlUsBQVu6L1Notrm~1k4vmpEuleAv7HZGKbf8M47w5Vkccfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Community Resources and Tourism Committee voted to recommend several outside‑agency funding allocations for the 2026 budget year.

Libraries: County staff presented a library funding computation showing a proposed total budget of $871,589.74 for library services. The committee approved recommending the county fund in‑county libraries at 100% and out‑of‑county libraries at the statutory minimum of 70%. County staff explained those percentages are consistent with prior practice: the statute requires at least 70% funding; the committee has elected to fund in‑county libraries at 100% in the past.

Regional planning commission: The committee approved the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission levy request for Dunn County, a proposed amount of $25,760 for 2026 (approximately a 2.6% increase from the current year). The commission’s levy typically covers roughly 15–20% of the commission’s budget; staff provided a summary of local projects and a mail survey for the county comprehensive plan.

Housing Authority: A representative of the Dunn County Housing Authority (identified in the packet as Tammy) presented the authority’s request for $49,000 to support administrative costs for the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and the Family Self‑Sufficiency program. The committee voted to approve the request at the same level as the prior year.

Dunn County Economic Development Corporation: The committee approved a request of $55,000 for the consortium, the same amount as the prior year, noting the county’s contribution secures a one‑to‑one match with the City of Menomonie.

Votes: Committee motions to approve the library funding approach, the regional planning levy, the Housing Authority request and the Economic Development Corporation request were each approved by voice vote; members present said “Aye” and no opposition was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Ending: Staff will reflect the committee’s recommendations in the county’s 2026 budget materials and forward the proposals to the county board for final action.","The Community Resources and Tourism Committee recommended funding levels for county libraries (100% in‑county; 70% out‑of‑county), approved the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission levy and approved funding requests for the Dunn County Housing Authority and Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

SNAP‑Ed cuts to end FoodWIse services; committee weighs resolution and local relief

Dunn County economic development director outlines housing, business and large‑site plans; annexation discussion raises farmland concerns

Committee approves library subsidies, regional planning levy and outside‑agency grants for 2026