Dane County launches independent assessment of racial equity
Dane County will conduct an independent racial equity analysis of county government operations, according to an announcement Friday.
parisi
Parisi proposes 33-acre, $418K parks purchase
Two Dane County parks may be adding to their acres at a combined cost of $418,000.
Parisi says county may sue over drug testing provisions
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi says he is exploring legal remedies to a drug testing provision expected in Gov. Scott Walker's two-year state budget.
County official responds to publication critical of manure digester
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi responded Thursday to a report in a dairy industry publication that was very critical of taxpayer-funded manure digesters.
Dane Co. Exec., Sheriff: No new jail will be built
Despite Dane Co. Exec. Joe Parisi and Sheriff Dave Mahoney's change in tone before the New Year that no new jail would be built, Young, Gifted & Black Coalition protesters continued their sixth straight week of protesting against police violence under a "no new jail" banner Saturday.
Zoo to announce 3 new sets of animals
Friends of Henry Vilas Zoo hopes to raise $10K for new animals
Henry Vilas Zoo officials will be announcing three new sets of animals Monday that will be joining the zoo in 2015, according to a release.
Parisi: Union contracts cannot be renewed
Decision means end of collective bargaining, automatic collection of union dues
An email from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi to county employees Thursday said the county will not be able to honor 2015 and 2016 contracts negotiated with union employees.
County budget will increase Madison taxpayers' bills by about $23
Board passes operating, capital budgets almost unanimously
Dane County passed its operating and capital budgets almost unanimously Monday night, and it was signed by County Executive Joe Parisi Wednesday.
Snowplow drivers warn of winter dangers
Drivers should stay 300 feet behind plows
Even after 25 years behind the wheel of a snowplow, Joe Cockroft still gets excited when he sees snow outside.
County supervisors vote to strip 911 center board of power
Dane County executive now in charge of 911 operations
The first responders who used to decide how 911 gets to Dane County homes are no longer in charge after a dramatic turn of events during a county vote Thursday night.
South Carolina county offers possible solutions to Dane Co. 911 woes
There's a giant video screen at the front of the Charleston County, South Carolina, 911 center split into four quadrants. In the upper left-hand corner is a timer measuring in giant numbers how long it takes for incoming 911 calls to be answered.
Dane Co. sheriff supports plan to gut first responder board
Many other law enforcement members oppose move
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney told a county committee Tuesday he supports Executive Joe Parisi's proposal to gut the first responder center board of its ability to make public safety communication decisions, including overseeing the county's 911 system.
Dane Co. executive proposes stripping 911 Center Board of authority
Parisi to ask for authority over Dane County 911 Center
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi plans to ask the County Board to approve a change in how the 911 Center is governed; shifting its authority from what he calls a cumbersome bureaucracy to his office.
Dane Co. budget to include millions for new emergency radio towers
Parisi wants to spend $4.5M for four emergency towers
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi will propose spending $4.5 million toward building four emergency radio towers in Mt. Horeb, Stoughton, Deerfield and Deforest when he rolls out his 2015 budget on Wednesday.
$10M targeted to clean county lakes, streams
Funding will go to strategies focused on cleaning Yahara chain of lakes
Dane County's 2015 budget will represent a big financial commitment to clean lakes and streams in the area. It is also a budget that reflects a growing cooperative effort among government leaders, environmental groups and farmers to solve the problem.
New Dane County emergency system faces more delays
$18M communication systems originally set to be released last summer
The rollout of Dane County's $18 million emergency communications system set for Monday has been postponed again, and its day-to-day manager said there is no information available "as to when it may commence."
More 911 dispatchers included in county budget
6 positions to be added by next summer
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is proposing the Public Safety Communications Center add six new 911 dispatchers next year to address high summer call volumes.
County's improved fiscal rating means capital projects will cost less
Agencies remove ‘negative outlook' assigned to county's bond rating
Two bond-rating agencies have improved Dane County's fiscal rating, meaning capital projects will cost less.
Sirens sounded 9 minutes after Verona tornado warning
County executive says NWS warnings will be automatically followed in future
Dane County's 911 Center officially sounded sirens at least nine minutes after a tornado warning had been issued last month during a storm that damaged numerous homes and an elementary school in Verona.
Parisi pushes for agreements to speed emergency response time
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is encouraging Madison and its neighbors to enter into automatic aid agreements to allow the closest firefighter to an emergency to respond, regardless of where they're from.
Parisi wants closest resources responding to 911 emergencies
Proposal made after News 3 investigation
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is asking the 911 Center Board to authorize a policy sending the closest possible resources to a fire or emergency medical situation no matter if that's in a different city.
Soglin: Current 911 system 'doesn't work now'
911 Center Board to take up Dane Co. executive's suggested changes Wednesday
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said he was surprised that Dane County officials did not alert him as to the lengthy wait times for 911 callers. He said it was another example of a system "that doesn't work now."
911 board responds to county executive's suggestions
Chairman: 'We all missed something, somewhere, and now we have to make the fixes'
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is calling for change in how all 911 calls for police help are handled in an effort to reduce call answer times and the time it takes to dispatch emergency crews to a scene.
Parisi calls for immediate changes to 911 system
Memo released Friday in response to News 3 investigation
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi wants smarter staffing decisions, better strategies and a suspension of how all 911 calls for police help are handled in an effort to "reduce call answer times" and the times it takes to dispatch emergency crews to a scene.
First Warn Forecast
