By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Taking center stage in front of the Racine County Board of Supervisors Tuesday night, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said the county “made great strides” in 2015.
A year ago, Delagrave stood before the board and outlined three major points of emphasis: creating a workforce-ready Racine County, improving mental health services and development of the I-94 corridor.
“I am proud to report that, in my first year, we have made significant gains on all three fronts,” Delagrave said in a copy of his speech distributed to media before Tuesday’s meeting.
Delagrave credited his staff and members of the County Board for being able to move forward with that agenda. Among the highlights going forward will be the launch of the county’s new website this summer, RacineCounty.com.
“The brand is much more than a logo,” Delagrave said.
The Workforce Development Center is also getting a new name and logo: Workforce Solutions, with the goal of providing “services that are dynamic, changing, and continually improving to meet the needs of our customers, business partners and community members,” Delagrave said.
Among the issues being addressed is adding opportunities for GED completion, as well as a set of “soft skills” classes.
The county detention center, meanwhile, is making changes to improve rehabilitation strategies, including a library in juvenile detention facility.
In terms of addressing mental health issues, about 9,500 people have already been served by the Behavioral Health Services program since its inception three years ago, he said.
Growth along the I-94 corridor, meanwhile, involves Caledonia finishing its utility project this fall. With the help of two developers, Land and Lakes, and Ashley Capital, Delagrave said there is more than 500,000 square feet of Class A industrial building space now available.
Delagrave concluded by reminding the board that vision is not enough.
“We must act,” he said. “Together, we must step up the stairs on this venture, for the backbone of our actions is our shared responsibility to the nearly 200,000 residents of Racine County.”
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