Good morning, everyone.
It's great to see you on this late
October morning.
And welcome to the subcommittee
for the State Building Commission.
I want to welcome my colleagues to
this meeting and welcome all of you.
I would like to call the
Administrative Affairs Subcommittee
meeting to order.
But before we begin, Naomi Demires
would like to quickly brief us on
the procedures for this meeting.
When we're done with that, Jillian
will take the roll call to ensure
all subcommittee members are
present.
Naomi, please go ahead.
Thank you, Senator.
Just two items to bring up.
We are planning to bring up the
other business in subcommittee.
However, the higher
education subcommittee will be
taking it up in full commission.
So we will consider it today in
subcommittee, but it will be voted
on in full commission under the
higher-education section.
And then we are expecting a revised
motion for item
number three.
So Senator Papp will pause at that
time to allow that revised motion
to be Thank you.
Thank you, Naomi, and
now we'll proceed with the roll
call.
Sure.
Senator Pat. Here.
Senator Kowalski.
Here Senator Jacque.
Here Barbara Wooster.
Here
All right. Well, thank you very much
Jillian. The first item on the
agenda is item number one
for the Wisconsin Department of
Administration.
Josh, as always,
please introduce this item.
Thank you Senator.
Agenda item number one requests the
release of 162,000
building trust funds for the
Wisconsin State Laboratory of
Hygiene.
The funding will allow for the
preliminary plans of the design
report for remodeling 12,180
square feet of vacant space
at Hill Farms Building D.
The remodeled areas
will house the National Atmospheric
Deposition Program and PFAS
Laboratories supporting lab
operations, office, storage and
specialized infrastructure.
The project also replaces two
aging air
handling units and adds new
ventilation systems to support
the new laboratories.
Our partners here at
DOA will answer any questions that
you have.
Welcome.
It's great to see you.
Are there any questions for the
Department of Administration on this
item?
Seeing no questions or
hearing no questions,
I
ask that we move forward to the full
commission with unanimous consent.
So moved. The next item on the
agenda is item number two for the
Wisconsin Department of
Administration.
Will Josh please introduce this
item?
Item number two, the Department
of Administration requests authority
to construct two all-agency
facility maintenance and repair
projects for a total cost
of $1.4 million.
At the State Ag Building in
Madison, this project will replace
failing sealant joints and
repair minor exterior damage to
stop water leaks and extend the
life of the building envelope.
At Lee Sherman-Dreyfus State Office
Building, work will replace sealant
joint on both the
structure in the 2002
addition to prevent further
water issues.
These repairs will protect both
facilities from future damage and
extend their usefulness.
DOA is here to answer your questions
again.
All right, are there any questions
from committee members in regards
to this item?
Seeing or hearing none,
I move that we forward this item to
the full commission with unanimous
consent.
So moved.
Thank you for being here.
Okay, the next item on the agenda is
item number three for the Wisconsin
Department of Corrections.
Josh, why don't you introduce this
item for us.
Item number three for the
Department of Corrections requests
approval to release $15 million in
building trust funds for
the Corrections Realignment Project
and Authority Used Construction
Manager Delivery Method.
The statewide initiative includes
major capital projects at six DOC
facilities to modernize Wisconsin's
corrections infrastructure, reduce
long-term cost, and improve public
safety. Together, these
coordinated projects will enable the
closure of Green Bay Correctional
and Lincoln Hills and Copper
Lake Schools while realigning
and upgrading capacity across
the system.
The plan includes converting
Wapong into a medium security
vocational village, focused
on job training, converting Lincoln
Hills into a 500-bed
men's facility, upgrading Stanley
to maximum security,
expanding St. Herbie Powers with
new kitchen and housing space,
and returning John C.
Burke to female housing.
DOC is requesting to
use a construction manager delivery
method to manage the complexity
of six projects across
the state. This approach will allow
early CM
involvement to assist with design,
sequencing, coordination, while
maintaining competitive bidding
for mechanical, electrical,
plumbing and fire protection.
This request allows critical
planning and pre-construction work
to move forward now, keeping the
realignment initiative on schedule
and our partner at
DOC is here to answer any questions
that you may have.
It's good to see you.
Are there any questions or motions
from any subcommittee members?
Senator Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And I do have some questions.
I will have a motion at the end of
those questions.
I see that we have Secretary
Designate Hoyt
here with us today, just arrived.
So I don't know if it's possible for
you to join as well, because
these questions might be
directed more appropriately towards
you. But my
first question would be,
I appreciate that we had discussions
during the budget
process in terms of a DOC
realignment plan and
something that I've been calling for
the entire time on building
Commission.
I guess my question is what in
this motion before us
today reflects
input from the majority party
or any consideration for
the alternatives
or ideas that were put forward
in those series of meetings.
Yeah, so I think
there have been a number of
discussions even
through joint finance and
up until today
to look at different alternatives
from the
Senate Committee on
Judiciary and Public Safety.
And we continue to be open
to looking at those.
I think the important
point in
front of us is that getting
this money moving will
allow DOA to
really act in haste
and start that planning process.
It doesn't mean that everything is
completely
all telegraphed
up in front of us, but
it's a starting point to
continue to keep the
movement towards the closure of
Green Bay Thank you very much.
So I didn't hear it stated
in as many words, but I think the
answer you were looking for is
nothing.
To continue to be open,
this motion before us spends
all the money set aside for
planning, does it not?
I mean, there's a
pot of $15 million that was set
aside in the budget
and I
mean is there the ability for
additional projects to be
considered with the planning dollars
out of that $15 billion separate
from what we are
going ahead with today?
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Well, whoever
can answer it.
I understand
that this is something that there is
an interconnection between the
Governor's office, the Building
Commission, and the Department of
Corrections, and so I don't want to
necessarily place all the blame on
any one of you.
It's kind of a shell game that way,
unfortunately.
But what is the answer?
Because if we're
And yet, the product before
us does
not have any
of that
input considered.
I just don't see how we can
expect this to
yield fruit, especially given that
we are
looking at a project
whose completion
time would already go into the next
administration.
We know that.
I mean, it's.
A point where the only path forward,
and I certainly hope that we can
still find a way forward,
is through bipartisan consensus.
Yeah, so I think,
I guess I'd make a couple points.
Number one, going back to the
original conceptualization of
this plan, we did absolutely
look at documents, materials,
the master facilities plan to
identify specific
areas for growth,
expansion, conversion, all of those
things. Many of those points,
not all of them, but many of them
are reflected in this plan.
And so I think, you know, that
and.
In the initial stages, I
think, informed where we
are today.
I would also say that
it's a moving target.
What our population is today
likely will not be what it is
in 2029 or 2030.
And so I do think we need to keep
that flexibility.
As to your exact question about how
much room or space is in this
to do some of that planning and
analysis. I mean, I'll defer to DOA,
but ultimately, I hope that there
is. Because I think if
we just kind
of...
Lock in and say this is the
way it is it may not give us that
flexibility down the road We
would like to see some policy
reforms both
In legislation, but also
just in operations through current
policy and like those to be
reflected in our planning as well
Finally, I guess I would I would
make the comment that you
know This money coming forward
to the Building Commission is
taking action on
what joint finance ultimately
decided.
Of course, we brought the full plan,
the 350-plus million
joint finance set.
Give us some better idea of what
this is going to look like.
Kind of get into the weeds a little
bit more.
So, in some respects, I believe
we're following through with the
legislatures.
Intention of bringing this $15
million forward for additional
planning.
Go ahead, Naomi.
Thank you. And that's exactly what I
was going to point out, that the
budget then instructed
us to do some planning for the
project and allocated the $15
million.
And part of that process is
to further define and
flesh out the concept.
As the secretary mentioned, the
concept was developed based on the
master plan and the information that
we had at the time.
Once we have the A.E.
Of record on board, part of their
task is to work through
the details of the concept and
work through the detail of the needs
and put together a more
in-depth design and
plan.
So absolutely, there will be time to
discuss more details around the
concept.
It was $15 million for a
closure, not for...
Specific proposal or specific
series of projects I
mean granted there's a fair amount
of discretion that's given to the
governor what the governor is
bringing forward is a list of
projects that does not include
anything other than what has already
been been proposed and I guess my
point is yeah and I don't know is
there a breakdown of how many
planning dollars are going to be
spent towards each of the
six projects to get to that 15
million are we expecting to be a
full 15 million, it would be
12 million, 13 million,
I mean, because 50 million might
have been picked out of a hat by
finance, I don't know, I'm just
saying.
Why some funds were not
held in reserve for potentially
the discussion that could
lead to a breakthrough.
Sure, so a number of things need to
happen, and the next time
that this comes back to the full
commission will be in
an enumeration and authority
to construct.
So once the plan and the design
is to preliminary planning stage,
which is when we typically bring
things to you for authority to
construction, that's when we will
know what all institutions
will be included, how much the cost
will be, and we'll have everything
defined for you at that time.
Right now it is a concept and it's
planning stages.
So,
but a lot has to happen to get to
that point.
Legislation, statutory changes,
enumeration, and then finally
authority to construct from the
building commission.
But for those
six projects, you would
come back from Newark.
Not any of the other ideas that we
would like to have under
consideration, I guess, is
my point. And to be clear,
I don't think my colleagues and I
have any concern with
being unwilling to discuss
all six projects and
put forward plans for
those.
But I am
very uncomfortable with
the concept of, I mean.
The project before us
would reduce capacity by
700 beds in an already
stretched beyond capacity system
that is dangerously
unsafe in areas.
And I mean I guess my next question
is so all of this seems to
be contingent on these
statutory changes that are that are
hinged on changes to
ERP.
Now the governor's ERP proposal
has that changed at all from what he
first proposed?
I don't know that that has
changed we've certainly had
discussions again with
a number of members of the
legislature you know we
did receive additional
compensation or at least that will
be going to Joker
for increase
in compensation for social workers
and treatment specialists.
Part of the issue is not a statutory
issue, it is having
really the horses to
pull forward and get folks through
the existing ERP program.
So that is something that is
in place and that is moving.
And we've actually seen, I received
a briefing yesterday,
we're up to almost 400
people Above and
beyond what we've accomplished
in previous years for early release
programming. So just
Leaning into that program as much
as we can we will continue to do
that The
the vocational ERP is not something
that There
was progress on but I
know that That there
is at least some interest
in having those conversations
But I would also say that this plan
just does not only hinge
on statutory or policy
changes.
There's components of it,
converting John Burke Center back to
a female institution to give Tachita
and the female system more
space.
There are new beds at Sanger Powers.
There's 500 beds at Lincoln Hills.
And so it can't just be
one.
Leather it needs to
be a number of factors working
in tandem to get us to where we need
to be to have our prison
population You
know managed appropriately
Well, I get that it can't
be my way or the highway, that's my
concern is that that's what the
governor is insisting on here in
terms of the ERP changes
that are being put forward
as a condition for
this planet to have any
basis in reality.
Otherwise, it's a pure fantasy.
I mean, just to reiterate some
of the concerns that my colleagues
and I expressed with the original
plan, some of crimes that would
be eligible for vocational
ERP.
Again, something not even related to
some of the training delivery issues
that were otherwise hoping to
work with you on in terms of
streamlining
ERP for those that are eligible.
Sexual assault of a child by a
school staff person or a person who
works or volunteers with children.
Armed robbery.
Possession of child pornography.
Neglecting a child causing death.
Concealing or not reporting death of
a children.
Armed robbery of a bank.
Tampering with household crops.
I mean, I could go on and on,
but I guess my point is
that the idea
that what the governor
unilaterally put out earlier this
year is somehow baked now
that this is the
plan this is, the only idea.
I just I have real
concerns with that.
I guess I'll save
some of my comments for this
afternoon but my
hope is that we could
take a huge step
forward in actually accomplishing
something today on a bipartisan
basis.
So at this point I'd like to make a
motion to approve request
number three, including the
use of an alternative construction
manager delivery method, but
require the Department of
Corrections to add at least
all of the following projects in the
DOC realignment planning project for
which the $50 million in building
trust funds is released.
Number one, expansion of
the Tachita Correctional
Institution.
2.
Expansion of medium and minimum
security beds at the Jackson
Correctional Institution 3.
Closure of the Green Bay Correction
Institution no later than December
31, 2029.
All right, the revised motion has
been made.
Is there a second?
I have a second thought.
Okay, there is a second.
Any questions or discussions from
subcommittee members on this
motion? Yes.
Senator Felskos.
You know,
I just want to reiterate a little
bit.
We received the governor's proposal,
and I'm going to call it a proposal,
because a plan is very, very well
thought out.
And Governor Evers, when he ran the
first time, he ran a lot
on the troubles that we have
on corrections.
And those troubles have been going
on for a long time.
And
then
In the 23rd hour of a 24-hour
term, he decides to
hire consultants to
develop a proposal without
talking to anyone else.
I don't even know if he included
people in his own party.
And he knows very well
that there's people in this building
on both sides of the aisle.
Representative Sheila Stubbs is a
parole officer.
Former representative of Michael
Schroff has fought for corrections
reform for years.
I fought for Corrections Reform and
have done numerous Ledge Council
studies regarding it.
Senator Jock, Senator
Van Wanda, and the list goes
on and on.
Former Representative Boicke.
We've all fought for
Correction Reform.
And would have been happy to
sit down with the governor and
work on a very good
plan on corrections reform.
In the meantime,
I have a guard at Lincoln Hills
that was violently killed.
We have inmates that have been
killed.
Now all of a sudden the governor in
the 24th hour wants to come up with
something and includes nobody.
In a very partisan plan.
We have overcrowding of males at 134
percent of capacity, females
at 169.
We have aging and deteriorating
facilities.
And again, we have dead
inmates and a dead god.
He is reducing the number
of beds by 700.
This isn't a plan, this is
a proposal.
He could have worked across the
aisle. He could've worked with his
own teams.
And Secretary Desneboy, I think
you do an amazing job with the tools
that you have given to work
with. And I know you want better.
What we're proposing,
and I'm not against burn relief,
but not to the extent that the
governor wants to do.
We started an alleged council study.
DOC is supposed to
help these people reenter society.
Social security cards,
a plan of action, none of that is
being done and I know you're trying.
You're not being given the tools
from the East Wing to do it.
And it can be done.
Other states are doing it.
All we gotta do is follow what other
states are doin'.
We could have worked together to get
this done, but the governor said
no. He's the most partisan governor
I've seen in a long time.
Here is an idea to help
do that without turning
hundreds of people loose out
of a medium security facility
and make the public even less safe
than they are now.
I would hope that
we in the Building Commission here
could set a standard and say
look governor we could work together
and actually do this proposal
in a safe manner
Thank you.
Thank you, are there any further
questions or comments?
All right, no further questions, or
comments at this time.
Jillian, please call the roll.
Sure.
Senator Paff.
No.
Senator Vilskowski.
Yes. Senator Jack.
Aye. Barb Worcester.
No The revised motion fails.
Thank you.
If there are no further questions,
then I move that we move forward
with the original item to the full
commission for approval as outlined
in the agenda for the Department
of Corrections, Realignment,
BTF, Release, and Alternative
Delivery Waiver.
Jillian, please call the roll.
Do we need a second?
Oh, yes.
Second.
OK, thank you.
Senator Papp.
Aye. Senator Feoskowski.
Aye.
Senator Schock.
Aye.
Barb Wurster.
Aye. So the original motion has
passed.
I'll write to you some discussion in
there before we take
the second vote.
Let's go ahead and take a
courtesy and make a comment, go
ahead.
My discussion was
merely going to be that I thought
that we
had a very modest motion
put before this body that
was rejected.
I'm disappointed in that obviously.
I think in good faith we were,
again, still willing to consider
any number of other ideas.
But let's be clear that there's one
side at this table that is unwilling
to consider
additional ideas for how
we can responsibly realign
corrections in this state.
I would have just made that comment
before indicating again that
we are not standing in the
way of having that discussion
with the East Wing.
It is unfortunate that that same
courtesy has not been extended to
us.
I would second that comment.
And I respectfully appreciate
you sharing your thoughts.
And, again, your thoughts are
always welcome and your comments are
always welcomed.
So I thank you again for
your advocacy and your continued
work.
We will move on now to
agenda item number five for the
Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Item number four,
excuse me, I got ahead of myself.
All right, we will move now to item
number four of the Wisconsin
Department of Corrections.
Josh, why don't you introduce us to
that item?
Item number four for
the Department of Corrections
requests approval of the design
report and authority to construct
the elevated walkway replacement
project of Fox Lake Correctional
Institution for an estimated
total cost of $11.97
million.
The project will replace 528
foot elevated concrete walkway
that connects the vocational and
Badger State Industries buildings.
The existing structure has
deteriorated from decades of weather
exposure and repeated
freeze flow damage.
The new structure will feature
precast concrete slabs,
waterproofing ADA compliant ramp,
new stairs, doors, and lighting.
The project was enumerated
in 23 at 19.
We're ready to go,
and our partner from DOC is here
to answer any questions.
It's good to see you again.
Are there any questions from
subcommittee members in regards to
item number four?
Seeing or hearing no questions
in regards to item four item,
I'm moving forward with this item to
the full commission for unanimous
consent.
So the next item on the
agenda is item number five for the
Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Josh, please introduce us to this
item.
Item number five for the Department
of Corrections request authority to
construct all agency facility
maintenance and repair and utility
repair and renovation projects
statewide for a total cost of 14.6
million dollars.
At Fox Lake Correctional three
obsolete elevators will be replaced
to adjust safety and operational
issues in the academic food
service and administration
buildings.
At Prairie du Chien, who wears a...
Prairie de Chien.
Chien yes. Excuse me.
You Like a
machine. Like a Machine.
A new warehouse will be constructed
outside the secure perimeter to
safely receive and store
supplies, improving efficiency
and security.
At Fox Light, the Trinity Program
educational space will be renovated
to create classrooms, offices,
and common areas.
At Black River Correctional Center,
all building groups will be replaced
with standing seeing metal
systems to stop ongoing leaks
and prevent further interior
damage.
And finally, at Oak Hill,
two aging boilers will be
replaced to ensure reliable heating
for the entire campus.
And DOC is here to answer any
questions that you may have.
Are there any questions from
subcommittee members in regards to
this item?
Seeing or hearing none, I move
before this item to the full
commission with unanimous consent.
So moved.
And just a quick note of personal
privilege in regards to Prairie de
Chine and Fort Howard,
which is now Green Bay.
Fort Howard Green Bay is
this state's oldest community,
and Prairie machine is the second
oldest, and Father Marquette
enjoyed in 1673.
So I know that Senator Jack and
I share our desire to
tell the story of Wisconsin from
the Fox Valley to
the mighty Mississippi.
I would extend my congratulations
to Prairie de Chine on having
the Blackhawk Historical District
recently named to the Wisconsin
Historical Society register
of this.
I appreciate your work.
I continue to tell the story and
I want to work together more on
that, so we'll do something in the
future.
It's going to be trivia, you guys,
are you ready?
We'll do something.
It's gonna be trivia. I will win.
Yeah, we'll win.
The next item on the agenda
is item number six for the Wisconsin
Department of Health Services.
Josh, please introduce this item.
You know, I always say, I've
always learned something at SBCC,
so there you go.
Item number six for the
Department of Health Services.