Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation awarded $32,700 to the PATH of Hustisford. The money will fund a feasibility study for a recreational trail concept, launched by community members to create the "Pelican Path" recreation trail.

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Too often, initial discussions of community challenges can devolve into frustrating criticism sessions that reach a dead end, leaving opportunities for change in the dust. But across Wisconsin, communities are finding ways to move beyond complaining into a constructive approach to building the future. Community officials discussed their route to success at WEDC's Wisconsin Economic Summit in Appleton on Oct. 24.

WEDC's Senior Downtown Development Director, Errin Welty, moderates panelists Tina Crave, President & CEO, of Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, Tim Casey, Director of City Development, City of Kenosha, and Paul Scharfman, President, Specialty Cheese Company as they discuss how they've built public and private partnerships for community success. Wisconsin Economic Summit WEDC Oct. 24, 2023. (Photo © Andy Manis)

In Jefferson County, for instance, employers are having trouble recruiting employees because of a housing pinch. Tina Crave, president and CEO of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, said the first step toward a solution was conducting a study that found the area is 3,500 units short of the housing it needs. The foundation partnered with Thrive Economic Development, WEDC, and Jefferson and Dodge counties to form the Heartland Housing Initiative, a program to bring hands-on housing development assistance to municipalities there. Heartland is funded with federal, county, and philanthropic funds to help overcome the lack of capital that was a barrier to more housing development. Last September, it rolled out a revolving loan fund to help spur housing development.

"We have $3 million committed to the fund and a goal to raise up to $10 million to support addition of 500 housing units over the next five years," Crave said. "We have three projects on the table with applications [requesting] about $5 million."

"It's really easy to get people to come to the table and complain about problems," Crave added. "The hard part is helping individuals understand what they can do. I think that starts with helping understand the root causes behind the problem."

In Reeseville, business was a powerful driver of another partnership initiative. Paul Scharfman, president of the Specialty Cheese Company, said his fast-growing business was able to triple employment even at a time of low unemployment.

Partnering with University of Wisconsin-Madison demographic experts and learning that child care, transportation, and housing were prime concerns for potential employees, Scharfman set up a ride share program that costs him $20 per person per day. Then, he decided to pay $20 per employee each day for child care.

But Scharfman went further, enlisting the aid of local government officials to make a community child care plan and looking into how he could set up a child care center. He donated six acres adjacent to his plant, and construction will begin soon on the center, which will have room for 45 children.

"My guess is, in coming years, my company will employ all of the staff at the child care center, give them our company's full benefit package, and then rent them to the child care center," Scharfman said to applause from the audience. "That's collaboration. I win; the community wins. Most importantly, God's creatures, the children, win."

Collaboration is alive and well in Kenosha, too. There, officials are working to redevelop two properties to reinvigorate the city. Tim Casey, Kenosha's director of city development, said community involvement was central on a pair of projects: the Kenosha Emerging Leaders Academy (KELA) and the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN).

Sixth graders through young people in their early 20s participate in KELA, a partnership providing technical skills training, mentorship, and academic support to prepare them for job opportunities. As part of that project, the city worked with partners in youth development, education, technology, and workforce development to create a pipeline to local employers.

KIN will build on a 107-acre vacant former factory site that required $50 million in state and federal cleanup assistance and an area destroyed by rioting and civil unrest in 2020.

"We will rebuild, and we will do better: That's been the ethos that has permeated Kenosha for the last three years," Casey said. "People have said, ‘What can we do? How can we work together?"

Plans call for a new Kenosha Children's Library, a grocery store and retail development, housing, restaurants, the LakeView Technology Academy, and a business incubator. The city won a Workforce Innovation Grant from WEDC to work with Gener8tor to work with startup founders of color and women entrepreneurs in Kenosha—more evidence that around the state, public-private partnerships are working.

GREATER WATERTOWN COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION HOSTS OPEN HOUSE TO SHOWCASE NEWLY-REMODELED "COLLECTIVE"

The Watertown community is invited to a public open house on Wednesday, July 26th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, to tour the newly-remodeled Collective, located at 672 Johnson Street in Watertown.

Last summer, the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (the Foundation) announced the purchase of the former Bethesda Corporate Center and 90 adjacent acres along the Rock River on the city's south side.

Renovations spanning 55,000 square feet over three floors are now complete. The Collective houses a new YMCA Child Care and Early Education Center (opening late July), a satellite Express YMCA, Jefferson County Head Start, and nonprofit and innovation coworking spaces. In its entirety, members of the Collective will be a vibrant community of changemakers championing strong families and a prosperous community.

A cornerstone partner in this project, the YMCA will open a new Child Care and Early Education Center and a satellite Express YMCA in 2023. Future plans include the relocation of existing YMCA operations to the Collective with a new, full facility YMCA.

In addition to the Foundation and the Watertown Area YMCA, the Collective will serve as home for the following agencies: Jefferson County Head Start, AbleLight, Community Action Coalition, Safe Families for Children, Jefferson County Human Services, and Ministry CPA. The Collective also offers shared workspace for civic-minded entrepreneurs, remote workers, freelancers, and changemakers looking for a dynamic work environment where community and shared resources create exponentially greater impact.

Benefits for all

Since 2017, the Foundation has facilitated Every Child Thrives, a partnership of 50+ agencies across Dodge and Jefferson Counties working to ensure all children thrive in health, learning and life. The Collective campus investment is designed to accelerate transformative impact toward Every Child Thrives' strong families and prosperous community goals.

• Families will benefit from the addition of badly-needed early care and education slots, along with convenient access to a variety of support services.
• Children will enjoy a five-star learning environment, preparing them for success at school.
• Volunteers will enjoy a coordinated approach that connects them with meaningful, timely tasks that benefit a variety of agencies.
• Agencies can strengthen their reach and effectiveness with:
• Reduced operating costs (economies of scale, stable and affordable office space, shared services), and
• Broadened capacity, impact and sustainability (resources, professional development, collaboration and operational support).
• The community will enjoy vibrant new civic spaces.
• Civic-minded entrepreneurs and businesses can find a home that is much more than just office space, joining a forward-thinking community of changemakers.

To learn more about the Collective, please visit www.wttncollective.com.

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

On August 17th, 2022 the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (the Foundation) purchased the former Bethesda Corporate Center and 90 adjacent acres along the Rock River on the city's south side. The Foundation is working to transform the campus into a thriving work-live-play neighborhood that models best practices in community connectedness, health and wellbeing.

Development of the Collective has been an exciting opportunity for everyone involved. The planning and renovation processes have gone well, and the Collective is on track to open this summer. The first tenants will begin occupying the building in early July, and community members will be invited to a Community Open house on Wednesday, July 26th from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Collective will provide a home for four primary functions:

1. The YMCA Ehlinger Center, providing a second health and well-being location for members (opening July 24th)
2. A new YMCA childcare center serving 126 children (opening July 31)
3. Jefferson County Head Start serving 90 children (opening late August)
4. A Coworking and Innovation Center that will provide community meeting rooms and collaborative office space for the Foundation and other community partners including Community Action Coalition, Safe Families, Jefferson County Human Services and AbleLight (opening July 5th)

"The Collective is a natural evolution of our Foundation's growth and a catalyst to move our Every Child Thrives initiative forward," said Foundation President and CEO Tina Crave. "The Collective will help fuel our collaborative efforts to build strong families and thriving community." Since 2017, the Foundation has facilitated Every Child Thrives, a partnership of 50+ agencies across Dodge and Jefferson Counties working to ensure all children thrive in health, learning and life.

Architectural planning was perhaps the most challenging part of the renovation process, as partners worked to best fit all four of these functions over 55,000 square feet and three floors. Once those plans were finalized, the renovation process began, and has progressed on budget and on schedule. The building's renovation budget was $9.2 million.

"The Maas Brothers Construction team has done all of the heavy lifting for the renovation, and we are grateful for their hard work and professionalism," said Foundation President and CEO Tina Crave. "They have made this a seamless and enjoyable process."

Foundation Board Chair, Dr. Mike Sullivan said, "The Foundation Board of Directors is thrilled for the opportunity to partner with community on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to repurpose and transform the former Bethesda campus."

Board members are eager to use the space–the building and adjacent land–strategically to address key community needs including access to childcare and housing. Once completed, it is hoped the neighborhood will serve as an inspiring model of the vibrant future envisioned for the entire community.

To date, the foundation has invested more than $38 million in its three strategic, erly childhood-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success

The Foundation's mission is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and encourage innovation to measurably improve the wellbeing of our community. Created out of the 2015 joint venture transaction between Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) and LifePoint Health, the Foundation continues to steward WRMC's legacy of community investment, mobilizing endowment earnings from the original transaction along with ongoing charitable contributions from WRMC.

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

WATERTOWN — The Watertown Plan Commission was expected to meet Monday night to discuss a new "neighborhood plan" for the redevelopment of the 90-acre former Bethesda Lutheran Campus on the southwest end of Watertown.

"As a community, we have a once in a generation opportunity to design and create a neighborhood that meets the diverse housing needs of the community while maximizing the natural beauty of the river and the campus," said Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation President and CEO Tina Crave. "We invite community members to help shape the vision for this neighborhood."

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation owns the property.

After purchasing the former Bethesda property in 2022, the Foundation partnered with the City of Watertown to hire Madison- and Milwaukee-based urban planning firm Vandewalle & Associates to develop a neighborhood plan that builds on mutual city and Foundation goals and market forces.

The southwest side planning effort looks at not only the Foundation-owned former Bethesda site but also adjacent city-owned property, and the larger area between Milford Street and the Rock River on the southwest side of the city. In total, the planning area includes more than 200 acres.

"We envision a neighborhood that provides a full continuum of housing options to bring people at all stages of life together in one thriving community that is walkable, promotes connectedness and highlights the scenic beauty of the area," said Crave.

The goal of the project is to analyze the property for development potential, explore development options and create a conceptual development plan to help guide a holistic vision for the entire area.

The draft neighborhood plan includes a mixed density, predominantly residential neighborhood that integrates, protects, and highlights the area's natural features, offers an array of outdoor recreational amenities, provides vehicle, walking, and bicycling transportation connections, and delivers ownership and rental housing opportunities at varying price points.

The planning effort is the natural outgrowth of a series of housing and market studies that were completed over the last several years by the Foundation, Jefferson County and Dodge County. Each study concluded that there is an underserved housing market demand in Watertown and an overall lack of supply — particularly for diverse housing formats.

The Watertown Plan Commission was expected to meet Monday night to discuss a new “neighborhood plan” for the redevelopment of the 90-acre former Bethesda Lutheran Campus on the southwest end of Watertown.

Read the article.

Discussion scheduled on 'neighborhood plan' for former Bethesda Lutheran Campus

Daily Times Staff

Watertown Plan Commission members are expected to meet tonight to discuss a new "neighborhood plan" for the redevelopment of the 90-acre former Bethesda Lutheran Campus on the southwest end of Watertown.

The meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Watertown City Hall, 106 Jones St. "As a community, we have a once in a generation opportunity to design and create a neighborhood that meets the diverse housing needs of the community while maximizing the natural beauty of the river and the campus," said Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation President and CEO Tina Crave. "We invite community members to help shape the vision for this neighborhood."

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation owns the property.

After purchasing the former Bethesda property in 2022, the Foundation partnered with the City of Watertown to hire Madison- and Milwaukee-based urban planning firm Vandewalle & Associates to develop a neighborhood plan that builds on mutual city and Foundation goals and market forces.

The southwest side planning effort looks at not only the Foundation-owned former Bethesda site but also adjacent city-owned property, and the larger area between Milford Street and the Rock River on the southwest side of the city. In total, the planning area includes more than 200 acres. "We envision a neighborhood that provides a full continuum of housing options to bring people at all stages of life together in one thriving community that is walkable, promotes connectedness and highlights the scenic beauty of the area," said Crave.

The goal of the project is to analyze the property for development potential, explore development options and create a conceptual development plan to help guide a holistic vision for the entire area.

The draft neighborhood plan includes a mixed density, predominantly residential neighborhood that integrates, protects, and highlights the area's natural features, offers an array of outdoor recreational amenities, provides vehicle, walking, and bicycling transportation connections, and delivers ownership and rental housing opportunities at varying price points.

The planning effort is the natural outgrowth of a series of housing and market studies that were completed over the last several years by the Foundation, Jefferson County and Dodge County. Each study concluded that there is an underserved housing market demand in Watertown and an overall lack of supply — particularly for diverse housing formats.

Diverse housing formats include owner and renter single-family, two-family, and multi-family of varying scales and formats. A mix of housing types provides opportunities for residents to move into larger or downsize housing over the lifespan and provides opportunities for new residents to move into the community.

The Foundation and city have mutually established goals of increasing housing availability for all demographic groups, improving resident quality of life, attracting and retaining local businesses and fostering an increased sense of community through new neighborhood design.

"This plan is a conceptual design; it will likely have components that people really like and components they could go without," said Watertown Mayor Emily McFarland. "That is why we're co-hosting this meeting; it is to hear the feedback of our community and the neighbors of this property to ensure we're finding the right balance between our goals and their ideas." There will be two other meetings on the neighborhood plan slated for 7 p.m. May 2 before the Watertown Common Council.

The other draft neighborhood plan meeting is designed as a community information session at 5:30 p.m. May 18 at the Watertown Country Club, 1340 N. Water St. There will be appetizers and refreshments provided. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by visiting the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation website at www.watertownhealthfoundation.com

State Senator John Jagler had two words every municipality and public school district wants to hear: more money.

A new Neighborhood Plan is being created for the redevelopment of the 90-acre former Bethesda Lutheran Campus on the southwest side of Watertown. The draft plan will be reviewed and discussed at an upcoming Plan Commission and City Council meeting, in addition to a community information session.

“As a community, we have a once in a generation opportunity to design and create a neighborhood that meets the diverse housing needs of the community while maximizing the natural beauty of the river and the campus,” said Tina Crave, President and CEO of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, the property’s owner. “We invite community members to help shape the vision for this neighborhood.”

After purchasing the former Bethesda property in 2022, the Foundation partnered with the City of Watertown to hire Madison- and Milwaukee-based urban planning firm Vandewalle & Associates to develop a neighborhood plan that builds on mutual City and Foundation goals and market forces.

The southwest side planning effort looks at not only the Foundation-owned former Bethesda site but also adjacent City-owned property, and the larger area between Milford Street and the Rock River on the southwest side of the City. In total the planning area includes more than 200 acres.

“We envision a neighborhood that provides a full continuum of housing options to bring people at all stages of life together in one thriving community that is walkable, promotes connectedness and highlights the scenic beauty of the area,” said Crave.

The goal of the project is to analyze the property for development potential, explore development options, and create a conceptual development plan to help guide a holistic vision for the entire area.

The draft Neighborhood Plan includes a mixed density, predominantly residential neighborhood that integrates, protects, and highlights the area’s natural features, offers an array of outdoor recreational amenities, provides vehicle, walking, and bicycling transportation connections, and delivers ownership and rental housing opportunities at varying price points.

The planning effort is the natural outgrowth of a series of housing and market studies that were completed over the last several years by the Foundation, Jefferson County, and Dodge County. Each study concluded that there is an underserved housing market demand in Watertown and an overall lack of supply—particularly for diverse housing formats.

Diverse housing formats include owner and renter single-family, two-family, and multi-family of varying scales and formats. A mix of housing types provides opportunities for residents to move into larger or downsize housing over the lifespan and provides opportunities for new residents to move into the community.

The Foundation and City have mutually established goals of increasing housing availability for all demographic groups, improving resident quality of life, attracting and retaining local businesses, and fostering an increased sense of community through new neighborhood design.

“This plan is a conceptual design; it will likely have components that people really like and components they could go without,” Mayor Emily McFarland stated. “That is why we’re co-hosting this meeting; it is to hear the feedback of our community and the neighbors of this property to ensure we’re finding the right balance between our goals and their ideas.”

The Draft Neighborhood Plan Meeting information is provided below:

Community Information Session May 18th at 5:30 p.m. at Watertown Country Club Appetizers and refreshments will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by visiting the Foundation website: www.watertownhealthfoundation.com Click on Events to find the registration form.

City of Watertown Plan Commission April 24th, 4:30 p.m. at City Hall

City of Watertown City Council May 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall

Interested members of the community are encouraged to attend these meetings to learn more about the project and plan and provide feedback.

Foundation Announces Two New Board Members

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation is pleased to announce Elliott Clark and Mick Selck as new foundation board members.

Clark serves as the Truancy Abatement Officer for the Watertown Unified School District, bringing firsthand knowledge into the needs of the underserved population in our community. His passion for the students and families he works with, along with his "boots on the ground" perspective, brings valuable insight to the Foundation Board of Directors.

With more than 30 years in law enforcement, Selck recently retired as Chief of Police for the City of Lake Mills Police Department. In retirement he has started an LLC where he will use his skills to mentor juveniles, and he was recently hired as Chief of Police for the Town of Lake Mills. Selck previously served on the Foundation's grants committee.

"We are so pleased that these active, engaged community members are dedicating their time and energy to our work," says Foundation CEO Tina Crave. "Of course, welcoming new Board members means saying farewell to those who are retiring from the Board. I would like to recognize Charles Eggert with Eggert Law, LLP and David Schroeder, President and Owner of THERMO-TECH, and thank them for their years of service. Eggert and Schroeder were founding Board members, and we are grateful for the vision they helped create for our agency and community."

To date, the foundation has invested more than $34 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

WATERTOWN, Wis. – At the end of a winding road shrouded in trees, a new facility aimed at helping youth in crisis is taking shape in Watertown.

Jefferson County Human Services is moving forward with plans to open a youth crisis stabilization center in the fall to fill what leaders have called a gap in service.

"We saw the need for sort of this in between phase where youth maybe can't stay in their home safely but don't necessarily rise to the level of needing hospitalization," explained behavioral health division manager Holly Pagel.

The facility will target youth who are in the early stages of a mental health crisis, providing more cost-effective and less restrictive mental health resources in a voluntary setting.

To run the program, Jefferson County leaders have tapped Wisconsin Community Services, a Milwaukee-based group with experience running a similar facility.

WCS president Clarence Johnson said they started their youth stabilization program three years ago and since have served 200 kids, 90% of whom have seen positive impacts.

"By that I mean that kids are discharged from our facility to a lower or less restrictive level of care," Johnson explained. "For the most part we're hoping to prevent a more significant or intensive crisis."

The new facility will be able to house eight kids between the ages of 10 and 17 at a time. Pagel said to they will begin with four female participants and add males as they build the program because the facility in Milwaukee currently offers services to males.

Clinicians will be available on staff to provide therapy, work with families to implement safety protocols at home and help find access to other mental health service more quickly. They expect the average stay to be a few days but youth can stay up to 30 days as needed.

The facility will be primarily be funded through a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health, insurance, and developing contracts with neighboring counties. According to Pagel, this center will be only the fourth of its kind in the state.

Communities in Dodge, Rock, and Walworth counties will also have bed space available to them. Page hopes this will help alleviate transportation barriers for people in the area.

Jefferson County is adding a youth crisis stabilization facility to its roster of human services.

Steve Sharp steves@wdtimes.com

It will be operational this summer on Watertown's southwest side, if all goes according to plan. Addition of the youth facility was approved by the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday by a vote of 29-0, with Supervisor Meg Turville-Heitz absent.

Wisconsin youth crisis stabilization facilities provide support and services in a residential setting of no more than eight beds at early stages of a mental health crisis. The goal is to intervene before more intensive, costly and restrictive measures are required, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website. Young people ages 17 and under may stay for up to 30 days — though most stays are only a few days in length — to recover from their distress. The eight-bed facility will be located on property recently purchased by the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation. The 90 acres now owned by the foundation are the former home of Bethesda Lutheran Communities and includes Bethesda's former corporate headquarters. The 55,000 square-foot office building that housed the corporate offices is slated to be home to services provided by the YMCA, Jefferson County Head Start and others.

"This project is an outstanding example of how partners can align the limited resources and talents of their individual organizations to collaboratively support services that are critical to the wellbeing of our youth," GWCHF President and CEO Tina Crave said after the board approved the resolution.

The health foundation already owns The Alyea House that will house the youth crisis stabilization program, according to Crave. The Alyea House, in a wooded area off of Milford Street, was built in 2017 and was part of Bethesda's Camp Matz. It has been sitting vacant for several years.

The State Department of Health Services awarded two grants to allow creation of the youth facility, according to the resolution.

One, a Consolidated Appropriations Act Grant in the amount of $800,000, will be applied to startup and staffing costs, the resolution read, in part. The other, a Program Revenue Grant in the amount of $578,737, is intended to cover architectural, construction and remodeling costs, as well as payment for reserving beds to ensure they are available for future admissions. County officials expect an additional state grant of $498,000 per year for up to three years to fund operations.

County officials expect to set rates for nearby counties to use the facility, according to a resolution passed Tuesday.

"Jefferson County expects this facility will help save money by providing a better, cost-effective solution for its children in crisis, while also saving costs for partners in law enforcement," the resolution reads in part.

In addition to the grants, long-term sustainability will be built into the daily rates that other counties pay to reserve beds at the facility, said Jefferson County Human Services Director Brent Ruehlow.

"And we've had a number of counties reach out to us and are very excited to start to contract for a year-round bed reservation fee," Ruehlow said. "Walworth, Dodge, Rock and Waukesha counties have expressed interest in using the facility."

There are few such facilities in the state. These include two in Milwaukee County and one in Wausau.

Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Communities Services will be responsible for running the facility in Watertown. Jefferson County will serve as the fiscal agent for the operation and will hold the license. It will also control admissions, according to Jefferson County Administrator Ben Wehmeier.

Officials have said the facility will be open 24 hours every day to receive voluntary admissions, Ruehlow said. It would not be locked and the staffing ratio would be one staff member for every three youth, with two staff on duty at all times, Ruehlow said.

The facility would provide greater opportunity for connections for family and other support networks, and would save staff and law enforcement time in terms of travel, officials have said.

HUSTISFORD — Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation awarded $32,700 to the PATH of Hustisford.

The money will fund a feasibility study for a recreational trail concept, launched by community members to create the "Pelican Path" recreation trail.

The feasibility study will determine the best route options between Hustisford and the Wild Goose State Trail. MSA Professional Services of Beaver Dam will conduct the study. It's expected to take four months to complete.

"It's exciting to see this project come to light. The Pelican Path Committee has received dozens and dozens of letters of support from citizens, organizations and businesses in the communities surrounding the proposed trail areas. There's good research out there pointing to the economic and other benefits that recreational trails can bring to a community," said Jill Anderson from PATH of Hustisford in a press release.

The proposed Pelican Path is a 5-mile, multi-use trail that will run east to west from Hustisford to the Wild Goose State Trail. By connecting the two trails, residents will have access to the Glacial River Trail to the south and the Wild Goose State Trail north to Fond du Lac. The connection is also supported by the development and completion of the Gold Star Memorial Trail. The Gold Star Memorial Trail will be a mid-county, east to west, multi-use paved trail. The Gold Star Memorial Trail is on phase two, which connects the city of Horicon to the Wild Goose State Trail, and, with its eventual addition of phase three, connect the Wild Goose State Trail to Beaver Dam.

Once the Pelican Path Trail is completed it will open opportunities for residents in southern Dodge County to travel to Fond du Lac to the north, Janesville to the south, Mayville to the east and Beaver Dam to west.

The Pelican Path Committee is pursuing additional grant opportunities and fundraising to pay for the future design to follow the route and feasibility study. Donation information can be found at www.pelicanpath.org

The Third Annual Wild Goose Chase bike ride is set for June 24 and will raise funds for the proposed trail. Riders of all abilities are welcome and can choose any ride length up to the full 70 miles. The ride begins at the southern trailhead of the Wild Goose State Trail in Clyman, turns around at the northern trailhead in Fond du Lac and then returns to the start. Registration is required by June 1.

FORT ATKINSON — Jefferson County officials gathered the end of February, at a Local Government Officials meeting at the Dwight Foster Public Library, to discuss efforts at regional collaboration for service provision and urge the Wisconsin legislature to fix the broken system of funding critical local services, according to a press release written from Fort Atkinson City Manager Rebecca LeMire.

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation is pleased to announce that Cornerstone of Grace has received a Capacity Building Grant.

Cornerstone of Grace is a faith-based organization that provides resources, love and spiritual guidance to women and children in crisis. Strong Families is one of the Foundation's five strategic priorities. Children living in a safe and stable environment are more likely to thrive in learning and life.

The grant will enable Cornerstone of Grace to rent two new homes, expanding their number of families served to a total of six. The organization has already taken occupancy of the first home, and plans to occupy the second later this spring.

Cornerstone of Grace opened its doors to residents beginning in January of 2021. Their mission is to empower women and children to lift themselves out of life's challenging situations.

To date, the Foundation has invested more than $34 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

Steve Sharp steves@dailyunion.com

JEFFERSON — Jefferson County may be getting a new youth crisis stabilization facility in Watertown later this year.

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on whether or not to approve the facility at its March meeting.

Supervisors learned more about the proposed center during a recent presentation from Jefferson County Administrator Ben Wehmeier, county human services department Director Brent Ruehlow and Tina Crave, president and CEO of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

Wisconsin's youth crisis stabilization facilities provide support and services in a residential setting of no more than eight beds, according to the state department of human services website. Their staff members intervene in the early stages of mental health struggles, before more intensive, costly and restrictive interventions are required. Such facilities target patients ages 10-17 in mental distress, with stays of up to 30 days, though most are shorter, according to the website.

There are few such facilities in the state. These include two in Milwaukee County and one in Wausau.

"The health foundation owns the facility that will house the youth crisis stabilization program," Crave said. "This facility was formerly part of Bethesda's Camp Matz, and it has been sitting vacant for several years. We are thrilled the facility can be repurposed to fill a very important need in our community."

Youth emotional wellbeing faces many challenges in today's society, according to Crave. "It is such a priority," she said.

Crave cited a Pew study published in January that said that 40% of parents are worried about depression or anxiety in their children.

"Access to mental health treatment is limited, and this program will fill a huge gap in providing access to quality, timely and local care for our children and their families," she said.

Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Communities Services would be responsible for running the facility in Watertown, if it is realized, according to Wehmeier.

"The WCS is currently overseeing architect efforts on behalf of the property owner (the GWCHF) to meet code requirements," Wehmeier said. "The WCS currently runs a facility in Milwaukee, and runs our case management for treatment courts and SCRAM (alcohol monitoring)." Jefferson County will serve as the fiscal agent for the operation and will hold the license. It will also control admissions, Wehmeier said. "We want to make sure that the admission is the right fit for the facility, and that it makes sense for the operation and the other people getting care," Wehmeier said. "The county will engage in a lease agreement. Neighboring counties will participate through contracted agreements for beds and services." Concepts for the facility were reviewed by the Jefferson County Human Services Board and Finance Committee prior to the presentation and were endorsed, Wehmeier said.

Meetings are ongoing among state officials, the health foundation and officials from surrounding counties. Crave called the partnership between the county and the foundation "unique to rural communities." Walworth, Dodge, Rock and Waukesha counties have expressed interest in using the facility, Crave said. Planning for the project began after the foundation purchased the former Bethesda corporate facility on Watertown's southwest side, Crave said. The purchase included the 55,000 square-foot office building, some outbuildings and about 90 adjacent acres.

The site for the facility is the former location of Camp Matz, west of the railroad tracks off of Milford Street. The camp was used by Bethesda's developmentally disabled youth for decades until recent years.

"It's a beautiful, beautiful place in the woods," Crave said. "There are about five buildings that are a part of it. We've been working to see how we can repurpose these buildings, and (former Jefferson County Human Services Director) Kathy Cauley and her team came to us and said this could be the perfect time for this. She said the state has funds to help with it. We are really happy to have the opportunity to partner on this."

A building constructed in 2017 remains on site and will be an integral part of the project, Wehmeier said.

The building is a symbol that "this project was meant to be," he said. "We think it will work wonderfully."

The facility would be open 24 hours every day, Ruehlow said.

"It would be used to prevent, de-escalate and treat mental health crises," he said.

Admission to the facility would be voluntary. It would not be locked and the staffing ratio would be one staff member for every three youth, with two staff on duty at all times, Ruehlow said. "Such a facility is desirable in Jefferson County for many reasons," he said. "We want to keep children local for care in a safe environment. It is best for them."

The facility would provide greater opportunity for connections for family and other support networks, and would save staff and law enforcement time in terms of travel. The facility would provide more opportunity for continuity of care, Ruehlow said. "We can have their current health providers and psychiatrists drive only five to 35 minutes to keep care going," Ruehlow said.

A local facility could also avoid and limit use of locked facilities, and the county can control admissions.

The facility would reduce transportation costs, which have been up to $8,000 per year, according to Ruehlow. "Today, we are pulling officers off the road to do transports. We are having our staff commuting to Oshkosh and our locked facility we use there, and we are pulling kids out of their community," Ruehlow said.

A Watertown facility would limit placements in the Central Wisconsin Center, Ruehlow said.

The cost of one placement in 2022 totalled $156,000. Two out-of-state placements from 2017-2020 cost $144,000, while another, to Tennessee, cost $200,000.

The facility would provide services ranging from treatment planning to medication management. Only state funds would be involved in the construction and initial operation of the facility, Ruehlow said. The state health services department would furnish about $1.8 million for construction, design and the first three years of operation.

Other counties could also pay to reserve beds at the facility whether used or not, Ruehlow said. "There will be zero county monies invested in this project due to help from the foundation and other grants and an annual budget of $1.4 million," Ruehlow said. "We feel very confident in where we are at right now."

Multiple resolutions on the project could come to the Jefferson County board starting in March. "The priority would be our county's youth, along with those of Dodge County," Ruehlow said. "We do fear a time when we have so much success with this that we don't have room, so we will start by not filling it and start with six beds — six for males and six for females."

Officials hope to open the facility this summer.

Architects have designed the facility with local contractor Maas Bros. Construction Co. assisting. Property is available nearby on the former Bethesda site for possible additional phases if more space is needed, although there are no expansion plans in place, officials said.

"A lot of wheels are in motion to keep things going forward," Wehmeier said. "We are asking, 'How can we make this better, so the kids can move on to a better situation with their lives?'"

Watertown police recently welcomed Kelly Lueck to their department's ranks.

Ed Zagorski edz@wdtimes.com

Lueck's position as an emergency mental health intake employee is funded by a collaboration between Jefferson County Human Services and the police department to assist people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.

A Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation grant also made the position possible. A phone call to the Foundation was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Past police calls involving mental health crises would require officers to respond, make assessments and then call human services to arrange either an immediate response or schedule a plan for services. Having Lueck on staff bypasses this, according to a Watertown Police Department news release.

If needed, she can respond immediately to calls and direct individuals needing assistance to those services, which benefits the officers and citizens, according to the release.

Lueck's background is in nursing where she spent a decade working at the former Bethesda Lutheran Homes facility and five years working at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections where she realized the need for more mental health employees. The experience inspired her to return to college, major in social work and minor in criminal justice. She is also a Watertown High School graduate.

She's also needed in the community, said Watertown Assistant Police Chief Ben Olsen.

"Mental health is a major problem not only in our community, but in society as a whole," Olsen said.

The Watertown Police Department responded to 87 check welfare complaints since Jan. 1. A check welfare complaint could be a call about an open door or a call to check on one's neighbor during the most recent cold spell.

"The more resources we have at our disposal, the greater the chances that some day we will be proactive rather than reactive," Olsen said. "Kelly does a phenomenal job assisting our officers out in the field."

The Watertown Police Department is committed to ongoing mental health training and awareness, Olsen said.

"Every sworn officer is certified in crisis intervention training which is a 40-hour program for law enforcement officers on how to better respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis," he said. "Although our officers possess great training dealing with mental health issues, people may be less inclined to speak with an officer dressed in full uniform. Kelly can help put the person at ease and has even more knowledge to direct the person to where they may be best served."