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Dodge County official outlines workforce, tourism and grants; Watertown awarded $100,000 for Wilbur Street
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Summary
Nate Olson, Dodge County Community Development Administrator, told Watertown leaders the county is investing in workforce programs, tourism and a new Community Development Fund; Watertown secured a $100,000 grant for the Wilbur Street project and the next county grant cycle opens in April–May 2026.
Nate Olson, Dodge County Community Development Administrator, told the Committee of the Whole on March 17 that the county’s economic and community-development work centers on business assistance, workforce, housing and tourism.
"I'm the Community Development Administrator for Dodge County," Olson said as he described programs his two-person office helps run. He outlined county partnerships with 16 K–12 districts and programs including Youth Apprenticeship, GPS Ed and INSPIRE, and said the county is seeing measurable traction in placing students into careers.
Olson highlighted county investments in parks and outdoor recreation, citing a recent economic-impact study that estimated more than $8,000,000 in visitor spending from the Dodge County Park System and Horicon Marsh. He described trail work and hands-on school projects such as fish-cleaning stations and selfie stands to boost tourism.
Olson also described the Dodge County Community Development Fund, which he said was seeded with "$2,000,000 of sales tax dollars" and is designed to be the "last dollar in" to close financing gaps on developments. He told the council, "Watertown, you did secure a $100,000 grant for Wilbur Street over by Madison College," and said the county plans a smaller grant round in 2026 (about $800,000 available) with an application window in April–May and decisions expected in June–July.
He said the county is working with the Fond du Lac Area Foundation to create a "classrooms to careers" investment fund that would allow private contributions to support career-based learning in schools; Olson said Watertown has expressed interest in participating in 2026.
Olson closed by urging local governments and schools to continue building partnerships and publicizing successes. The Committee of the Whole adjourned and the council later received routine consent items and other business.
The presentation provided council members a list of county resources and a schedule for the next Community Development Fund round; Olson said officials will return with further details as grant cycles open.
