Dane County equity commission elects officers, eyes countywide "Global Fest" and Juneteenth support

The Dane County Equity and Outreach Commission elected Chelsea Tubbs chair, chose Henry as vice chair and filled the secretary position during its May meeting, approved moving the December meeting from Dec. 16 to Dec. 9 and discussed program and accessibility priorities for the year.

The new chair, Chelsea Tubbs, accepted the nomination during the meeting, saying, "I do accept the nomination." Commissioners then voted in favor of the slate. The commission also voted to change the regular December meeting date to Dec. 9 because of the holiday.

The meeting’s nut graf: commissioners said they want to broaden community engagement beyond routine meetings and pursue two early priorities — a proposed countywide Global Fest to celebrate cultural diversity and a project to disaggregate demographic data for better planning — while staff will check feasibility and return to the commission with options.

Commissioners described the Global Fest idea as a combination celebration and resource fair. Carrie, a county staff member who supports the commission, told members the county could support events held in accessible, hybrid-capable locations and would work with the commission to determine what is feasible. Commissioners discussed holding the event in fall or winter 2026 and using the festival to both celebrate cultures and connect residents with county resources.

Commissioners also highlighted the need to break out broad racial and ethnic categories in county data. "Disaggregating data" was described as a necessary step to better serve subgroups within the category "Asian," for example; staff said they would check what data the county can provide and report back.

Annie, a long-time commissioner and founder of the local Juneteenth celebration, asked the commission to consider more sustained support for Juneteenth events. She described fundraising strains, saying, "this has been the hardest fundraising year that I've ever experienced because of all the DEI things that are coming from Washington." Annie said the Juneteenth activities traditionally include a county-and-city flag-raising, a parade and an outdoor celebration at Penn Park and that she expects to transition leadership this year; staff and commissioners agreed to consider how the county might offer more support.

Commissioner Sam Katz raised accessibility and voting issues for hybrid meetings, asking staff to confirm whether disability-related accommodations are included among accepted reasons for remote participation. Katz recalled a past practice in which people could observe remotely but could not vote when calling in, and asked staff to clarify current policy and legal requirements. Carrie said she would check and report back.

Staff reported on two recent complaint investigations: one involving the Alliant Energy Center and one involving Badger Prairie Healthcare Center. In both cases, Carrie said, the investigations concluded there was no discrimination or disparate treatment.

The commission’s planning input spreadsheet remains open for additional ideas. Carrie and other staff will follow up on the Global Fest feasibility, data disaggregation options and hybrid-meeting accessibility guidance for future meetings. The commission set its next meeting for June 17.

The meeting included votes to approve prior minutes and to elect officers; the transcript records the motions and seconding and shows the motions carried, though specific mover/second names and vote tallies were not specified in the record.