County to reconvene Chapter 980 committee after Racine asks for regional help placing civilly committed persons

Walworth County supervisors voted July 16 to refer a Racine County resolution to the county's Chapter 980 committee and to reconvene that advisory panel to explore options for placing persons civilly committed under Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin Statutes. County staff and supervisors described an urgent placement problem: placements for persons committed under Chapter 980 must meet statutory distance restrictions (setbacks from schools, churches, nursing homes, parks and residences with children), making it extremely difficult to find compliant private rental properties. A staff presentation said the county previously spent several hundred thousand dollars considering purchase of property to meet placement obligations when a 2021 discharge approached. Racine County has asked Walworth County to consider use of the county’s remaining capacity at a private residence where one person currently lives and a second placement might technically fit. Walworth County officials said the Department of Health Services holds the housing contract with private landlords and that the state pays housing costs once the county facilitates an acceptable residence. Walworth County staff told the board that judges in Racine have directed local authorities to “go talk to Walworth County” because Racine faces immediate releases and has few placement options. Board discussion emphasized legal and practical constraints. A supervisor noted that a property that met requirements when first used can be “grandfathered” if surrounding conditions change, but that investigators must confirm compliance for new placements. Staff said county searches using GIS mapping produced only a small set of potentially compliant properties, many of which were high-value lakefront homes. Several supervisors said long-term solutions deserve study. One supervisor said Winnebago County built a county-owned facility near Oshkosh as a model, and that building a county-owned placement center might be the only workable long-term option to avoid civil-rights litigation or becoming a regional “dumping ground.” County staff said building on county-owned acreage near the sheriff’s office and courts could produce an option the county controls and that the state payments that now flow to private landlords would likely flow to the county if it owned the facility. Action and next steps The board approved a motion to refer the Racine resolution to the county’s Chapter 980 committee (motion seconded; voice vote in favor). Staff said they will work with the county corporation counsel, insurance counsel, and Racine County representatives, and will bring a formal structure and membership nominations back to the County Board and the Chapter 980 committee for approval. Ending County officials said they expect the Chapter 980 committee to reconvene soon for nominations and initial discussion; if a Racine release occurs in October, staff warned the county would again need to try to identify private housing that meets statutory restrictions.