Joint public safety facility planned for Hobart
Source: greenbaypressgazette.com, by Patti Zarling
January 24, 2007
ASHWAUBENON — A group of local leaders looking to build a joint public safety building on Brown County's west side on Tuesday endorsed a site in Hobart near the Ashwaubenon border.
The Southwest Public Safety Committee approved a 223-acre site, owned by the Oneida Tribe on Indians, on O'Hare Boulevard. The entire acreage, though, might not be part of the sale, depending on final designs. Oneida vice chairwoman Kathy Hughes said tribal officials already have approved the concept, and now will work out cost proposals.
Meanwhile, the committee on Tuesday also agreed to encourage area state legislators to write letters of support and to speak with Gov. Jim Doyle about the plan. The committee is asking the state to cough up $250,000 to help with design plans, and another $1.75 million to aid in construction costs.
The idea behind the facility is to create a public safety building in Brown County's growing southwest region that could be used by the Brown County Sheriff's Department, Hobart, Lawrence, Oneida Tribe and Ashwaubenon fire and police services, the Wisconsin State Patrol and by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College for training. All parties could use as much space as they need. Ashwaubenon village President Norbert DeCleene said exact funding methods or amounts have yet to be determined.
Ashwaubenon needs a public safety facility in that area, he said, and it made sense to partner with others who likely also need offices, training space, storage or garages in that area.
Some committee members recently met with officials from state Department of Administration and other state representatives who gave a nod to the plan, but encouraged them to get the support of local legislators. Members plan to return to Madison in a week or two.
Jim Tenuta, a lobbyist working with the committee, encouraged panel members to get the State Patrol on board with the plan. The State Patrol reports to the state Department of Transportation, which should be involved in the planning, Ashwaubenon Public Safety Director Gary Wieczorek said.
"It's probably not a deal breaker, but it would be helpful," Tenuta said of state support. "It would certainly go a long way in getting funding.
"It sounds like there's definitely a need at the local level, we just need to find out what the need is at the state level."
Officials hope funding will be included in the governor's upcoming budget proposal. Tenuta said funding could be done in stages, with the communities first receiving dollars for the study.
In terms of the proposed site, DeCleene said an earlier plan to build on Waube Lane on land also owned by the Oneidas was nixed.
Hobart village Administrator Joe Helfenberger said the O'Hare site is ready to go.
"It's got the space and the infrastructure, we just have to tap into it … it's not bothering any residential areas," he said.
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