Waukesha County exec gives upbeat appraisal

Published on: 6/24/2010

Waukesha - Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas delivered an upbeat state-of-the-county speech to County Board members Wednesday night, praising such efforts as the county's alcohol treatment court, its recent swine-flu clinics, its business climate and several county budget-saving measures.

Waukesha County created the state's first alcohol treatment court in 2006 and this year celebrated its 100th graduate. Vrakas noted several other counties had established similar courts since then.

On the H1N1 clinics, Vrakas said that more than 500 county employees and volunteers vaccinated about 16,000 county residents. At the same time, the clinics under-spent the budget by $105,000 because it relied on county staff rather than outside nursing pool staff, clerical support and paramedic services, he said.

Vrakas credited county government's emphasis on its employee wellness program with helping to limit health insurance cost increases last year to less than 2%. More than 500 employees participate in biometric health screening and many others participate in fitness and wellness information programs, he said.

'Investing in employees is one of the most crucial things an employer can do to improve and sustain a successful workplace,' he said. 'The health of employees, in many ways, dictates the success and longevity of a business.'

Vrakas said the county had been a leader in sustainability efforts, from planning for a Retzer Nature Center building using geothermal energy to reducing the amount of paper used by county employees by 20% last year, after a 14% drop the year before.

Citing the county's emphasis on cooperative services, Vrakas said Waukesha County's medical examiner now provides autopsy services for Racine and Washington counties and assists with some in Walworth County. About a fourth of all autopsies performed by the Waukesha County medical examiner's office are for other counties under contract arrangements, he said.

He praised the Pewaukee police services contract provided by the Sheriff's Department as both money saving and 'working great.'

A cooperative recycling facility, under consideration by Waukesha County, Wauwatosa and the City of Milwaukee, makes sense, he said.

'All three of our communities have the same needs, and it makes sense for us to coordinate as a region and use one facility instead of three,' Vrakas said.

Federated library services have also proven efficient and popular, he said. A shared purchase of 10 information databases saved libraries more than $1 million in the past eight years, Vrakas said, and the system's van delivery service to member libraries handled more than 900,000 items in 2009 - a nine-fold increase since 2004 while saving postage and handling costs for member libraries.

He recognized several businesses that have added jobs and growth to the county, including the planned addition of 250 jobs with the expansion of Waukesha Electric.

Vrakas had high praise for the county's budget planners, noting Waukesha County had again received the highest rating - AAA - from bond rating agencies. He added that the county had finished its budget year with a previously announced $2 million surplus, thanks to cost-saving measures and despite a $1.5 million recession-based revenue shortfall.