Dodge County Board approves capital plan, ARPA equipment purchases and $2.37 million human services increase

The Dodge County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 15 adopted the county’s Capital Improvement Plan for 2025–2029, approved a series of ARPA-funded equipment purchases for the Sheriff’s Office and amended Human Services budgets to reflect millions in additional revenue and expenditures.

The board approved Resolution 24-38 to adopt the 2025–2029 Capital Improvement Plan. Finance Committee members submitted the plan (initialed Oct. 7, 2024); Supervisor Guchenberger moved the measure and Supervisor Benter seconded. The chair announced the measure passed 30 to 1.

The board also adopted Resolution 24-39, the Dodge County Investment Policy, after a brief question from Supervisor Houchin about a committee member’s virtual participation. The resolution passed 31 to 0.

Several ARPA-funded Sheriff’s Office purchases were approved: Resolution 24-40 would authorize acquiring mobile fingerprint scanning devices from the vendor named in the record (transcript spelled it as "Edemia") and increase the 2024 budget by $20,000. Sheriff Dale Schmidt told the board, “We don't have any of these right now. I haven't had any purchases. We're waiting for this resolution to purchase.” The vote tally for that item is not legible in the transcript record.

Resolution 24-41 authorized purchase of two radios for the Sheriff’s Office and related accessories using ARPA, with a fiscal note increasing the 2024 budget by $18,200 (and $36.22); the board approved that measure 29 to 2. Resolution 24-42 authorized an award for a mass spectrometer for the Sheriff’s Office, increasing the 2024 budget by $72,015.57; the board approved it 30 to 1.

On human services, the board approved three budget amendments: Resolution 24-43 increases the 2024 Human Services and Health budget by $2,370,499 to reflect higher revenues and expenses tied to Title 3B home-delivered and congregate meals, public health and children’s long-term support programming. Resolution 24-44 adds $65,110 for a family-first CST supplement and a substance-abuse block grant supplement. Resolution 24-45 adds $244,008 for various grant allocations. Each of those human-services amendments passed unanimously, 31 to 0.

The board also approved Resolution 24-46 to authorize upgrades to county network area storage and use ARPA funds for related hardware, software and installation; the fiscal note shows a reallocation that decreases the sales tax division by $400,000 and increases the ARPA division by $178,242. Administrator Claffer said the county is prioritizing committing ARPA dollars “before the end of the year” because “the ARPA dollars have an expiration,” and said sales-tax savings would be directed to road projects or other capital needs. That measure passed 30 to 1.

Land-use items approved included zoning ordinance amendments in the Town of Lowell for the Runhack and Nye properties (Resolutions 24-48 and 24-49) and a favorable report on Ordinance 1154 for Woz Investments LLC in the town identified in the record as "Lomaira." These measures were reported favorably by the Land Resources and Parks Committee and carried on voice votes (vote tallies were announced in the record where noted).

Administrator Claffer announced hard-copy budget documents were available in the boardroom; supplementary finance reports were provided electronically, with hard copies available on request. The board adjourned to reconvene the following week at 6 p.m.

Actions taken and vote tallies are reported as recorded in the meeting record. Where the transcript did not clearly convey a numeric tally, the article notes that the transcript did not specify the final count.