Board wants input on best way to honor President Obama

July 12, 2017
Board Chair Sharon Corrigan: 608.333.2285
County Board

The Dane County Board will seek community input regarding the proper way to pay tribute to President Barack Obama.

 

South Madison Supervisor Sheila Stubbs will introduce a resolution at the Board’s regular meeting Thursday to create a public engagement process around the issue.

 

The Board meets at 7 p.m. in Room 201 of the City-County Building.

 

Stubbs and others had earlier raised concerns about a proposal to rename the City-County Building after Obama since that building also houses the Dane County jail.

 

"As someone who had some serious reservations about naming the CCB after President Obama, I'm glad we're initiating a public engagement process to make sure we find an appropriate way to honor him,” Stubbs said.

 

The Board will be seeking the public’s ideas and vision for the Obama naming using Polco, a Madison-based interactive web-based polling platform. Polco allows elected officials to post questions directly to citizens and receive insightful, reliable data to drive local policy decisions.

 

Citizens can become active users at any time by visiting https://polco.us/  to create an account. Polco’s platform is available via web, mobile, email or any place citizens find Polco e-ballot’s online. 

 

Questions on the naming issue include:

1. Sometimes public property is named after public figures, including our nation's presidents. Which of the following public property types is best to name after a president?

a.      Government building

b.      Public park

c.      Public school

d.      Public Street or Highway

e.      Topographical feature such as a lake

d.      Other (with an option to add something)

 

2.  Do you favor recent resolutions to rename the City-County Building the "Barack Obama  City-County Building"?

1. Yes
2. No

 

“We’ve heard from many who support  honoring honor President Obama, whose legacy is very important to many citizens here in Dane County, but who want to weigh in on the best way to do that” said County Board Chair Sharon Corrigan of Middleton.

 

Also Thursday the Board will:

• Witness the swearing in of newly-elected Supervisor Jamie Kuhn in District 16 representing Madison’s southeast side and part of McFarland and part of the Town of Blooming Grove. Kuhn replaces Dave de Felice, who resigned earlier this year. State Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson will deliver the oath of office.

 

• Award $2 million in funding to six projects from the 2017 Affordable Housing Development Fund.

   

  Projects and amounts include $525,000 to Gorman & Company for the Union Corners Grand Family project; $450,000 to Dane County Housing Authority for the purchase of a 20-unit building in Bellville and $282,915 for a 20-unit building in Mazomanie; $342,220 to MSP Real Estate for the development of a rental housing project at 6509 Normandy Lane in Madison; $250,000 to Retirement Housing Foundation for the development of a 60-unit building on a six acre site in Fitchburg; $149,865 to Movin’ Out for the construction of a 59-unit affordable multifamily housing community in the City of Stoughton within the Riverfront Redevelopment Area.