FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDING WILL SEND
SOME $5.7 BILLION TO WISCONSIN
AS THE STATE CONTINUES TO
WEATHER THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT OF
THE PAFN AND THE COSTS OF PUBLIC
HEALTH RESPONSE.
THIS INCLUDES $3.2 BILLION FOR
STATE GOVERNMENT, $1.1 BILLION
FOR COUNTIES AND MORE THAN
$780,000 TO CITIES.
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN TO
COMMUNITIES?
WE CHECK IN WITH EAU CLAIRE
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR KATHRYN
SCHAUF TO FIND OUT AND THANKS
VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION TO GETTING THIS MONEY?
>> IT'S RATHER ASTOUNDING.
I THINK THAT ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE GRATEFUL
AND AT THE SAME TIME OPTIMISTIC
THAT WE CAN PUT THIS MONEY TO
USE TO NOT ONLY FILL GAPS THAT
WE HAVE FROM THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO TO STIMULATE
OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN
MEANINGFUL WAYS.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR COUNTY
EXPECTING TO SEE IN THE WAY OF
THESE RELIEF FUNDS?
>> SO THE COUNTY WILL HAVE A
DIRECT ALLOCATION OF AROUND
$20.3 MILLION AND THEN, WHEN
ADDED TO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PARTNERS, IT'S $37 MILLION.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT
INTO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN COUNT THE
MONIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE
EEFER MARKED
EARMARKED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH,
SOCIAL SERVICES, BROADBAND FOR
LIBRARIES AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT FUNDING RESOURCES THAT
ARE GOING TO ADD UP TO A
SIGNIFICANT VEST NMENT INVESTMENT IN OUR
LOCAL ECONOMY.
>> SO HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO SPEND
IT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT IS THE
CHALLENGE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL AWAITING
GUIDANCE FROM THE TREASURY,
BECAUSE WE HAVE GENERAL
PARAMETERS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT
FORWARD, AND FROM THOSE GENERAL
PARAMETERS WE'LL NEED MORE
DETAIL TO KNOW WHAT'S INCLUDED
AND WHAT IS NOT.
HOWEVER, I THINK ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE
TO HAVE IN EAU CLAIRE IS A
STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
WITH ALL OF OUR SECTORS.
AND EARLY ON IN OUR PANDEMIC
RESPONSE, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PARTNERS GOT TOGETHER WITH THE
LOCAL CHAMBER, VISIT EAU CLAIRE,
OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS AND WE
SAID WE NEED AN ECONOMIC
RECOVERY SYSTEM THAT CAN HELP
PUT INFORMATION OUT INTO OUR
COMMUNITY AS WELL AS HELPING
VACCINE INFORMATION GO OUT AND
HOW DO WE GET THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC TOGETHER.
AND SO WE'VE PUT TOGETHER AN
ECONOMIC RECOVERY OR COVID
RECOVERY TASK FORCE AND THAT'S
STILL IN EXISTENCE TODAY.
AND THAT FORUM IS ONE FORUM THAT
WE'RE GOING TO USE WHEN WE HAVE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE
RECOVER.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OF THE
PLAYERS WHO BENEFIT FROM THIS
INVESTMENT AT THE AVAILABLE.
BECAUSE WE'LL WANT TO HAVE A LOT
OF CITIZEN INPUT.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE
DOLLARS FROM A COUNTY
PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING
AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF IF
WE SPEND MONEY TODAY, WE TO WANT
BE ABLE TO INVEST IT TO SAVE
TOMORROW.
WE TO WANT LOOK AT THINGS THAT
HELP OUR REGION.
SO REGIONAL COORDINATION IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AS IS
SOCIAL EQUITY.
AND SO ALONG WITH THE ECONOMIC
RECOVERY TASK FORCE, WE'LL WORK
WITH OUR COUNTY BOARD AND OTHER
ELECTED LEADERS, BUT ALSO OUR
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND WE HAVE A STRONG LOCAL
GOVERNMENT COLLABORATIVE
INITIATIVE THAT'S ACTUALLY TIED
TO THAT ECONOMIC RECOVERY TASK
FORCE.
>> BECAUSE WHAT HAS BEEN THE
ECONOMIC FALLOUT IN EAU CLAIRE
COUNTY DO YOU HAVE TO THE
PANDEMIC?
>> WELL, IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT
SPOTTY.
THERE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE REALLY
SUFFERED.
OF COURSE, LEISURE, HOSPITALITY,
OUR RESTAURANTS.
AND OTHER AREAS THAT ACTUALLY
HAVEN'T SEEN THE SAME ECONOMIC
IMPACT, SUCH AS MANUFACTURING.
IN FACT, WE'VE SEEN SOME REALLY
POSITIVE INCREASES IN THE AREA
OF MANUFACTURING IN THE CHIPPEWA
VALLEY, EVEN DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, FOR THOSE
TYPES OF SERVICE WHERE WE RELY
ON WHETHER IT BE FEES, FINES AND
FORFEITURES, OR LIKE OUR JAIL,
OUR JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER,
THOSE TYPE OF FACILITIES THAT
ARE 24/7 AND RELY ON THE COST
SHARING THAT'S ALL BASED ON THE
CAPACITY AND NUMBER OF PERSONS
IN THERE, THOSE ARE AREAS WE'RE
SEEING LOSSES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE
TO BACKFILL WITH SOME OF THESE
FUNDS AS WELL AS SHORING UP OUR
PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS TO RESPOND
TO THE PANDEMIC.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE
KIND OF ONE-TIME MONIES.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN LAUNCH
NEW PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS WITHOUT
FUNDING THOSE GOING FORWARD.
WHAT'S THE BEST --
>> CORRECT.
>> -- WAY BRIEWFL, DO YOU BRIEFLY, TO MAKE THE
MOST OF THE FUNDS?
>> TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S THERE,
WHERE THAT NEEDS SHORING UP AND
ALSO TO LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT
BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AS A
WHOLE.
AND THE ONE THAT COMES
IMMEDIATELY TO MIND IS
BROADBAND.
IT'S ON EVERYONE'S EVERYONE'S RADAR RIGHT
NOW.
IT'S ONE OF THE LEARNING PIECES
WE TAKE AWAY FROM COVID, IS THAT
THE NEED FOR ACCESS TO BROADBAND
IS ESSENTIAL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ALL RIGHT.
KATHRYN SCHAUF, THANKS