Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Strategic Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee reviews strategic plan progress: broadband, childcare training, housing and business supports noted
Summary
Committee members reviewed progress on several strategic plan objectives, including broadband availability, a county‑supported childcare training program, a housing resolution adopted by the full board, McDevco entrepreneurship activity, and county highway pavement condition metrics.
A Marathon County committee reviewed progress on multiple strategic plan objectives on April 3, receiving updates from county staff and partner representatives on broadband, childcare, housing, business supports and road condition metrics.
Administrator Leonard summarized broadband outreach and tracking efforts and said linked resources are now available on the county website, including speed‑test data and service‑availability maps. He reported an 88.8% broadband subscription rate from the most recent census‑based data he cited and described continued work with the Broadband Task Force to expand access.
On workforce and childcare, staff reported that a county‑funded childcare training course begun after the committee’s prior recommendation is underway: the first cohort has four participants (one already employed in group childcare), and subsequent cohorts are planned in May as staff work to reach the program target of 30 participants over two years.
The committee noted a housing resolution it forwarded in late 2023 was adopted by the full county board in December 2023. Committee members discussed strategies for developable industrial land and TID/TIF considerations; staff noted WEDC’s Locate in Wisconsin database and local site certifications managed by municipal partners.
Kim of McDevco reported that McDevco and county programs have mentored roughly 1,800 entrepreneurs since 2018 and that the county‑administered loan fund has been active as a gap financier; the organization expects to deploy nearly $500,000 in loans by July and to approach exhaustion of the county’s $1.0 million commitment. Kim said McDevco focuses on outreach and incubation for small business creation and expansion across the county.
Public works metrics were reviewed: staff reported the county pavement condition (PASER) rating averaged about 7.05 at the end of 2023, an improvement relative to earlier years, and that maintaining or improving that rating requires continued capital investment due to the county’s roughly 614 miles of county trunk highways.
Committee members identified priorities for the comprehensive plan update and the coming strategic plan, including broadband, all‑season access to business parks, and workforce attraction and retention. No formal additional actions were taken at this meeting; staff will return with more detailed materials on items the committee requests.
