Resolution authorizing Sauk County to Submit An Application to the Wisconsin Department of Administration for the Grants for Local Projects (Non-State Grant Program)

The Sauk County Board of Supervisors adopted the Sauk County Farm Master Plan in March 2022 (Resolution No. 35-2022). The Plan ensures the continued management of the site’s agricultural and natural resources, preservation of its historic features, and the transformation of the space into an educational resource for the communities of Sauk County. Over the next 20 years, the County Farm is envisioned to become an important educational resource for Sauk County residents of all ages and backgrounds to learn about regenerative, profitable, and resilient agricultural practices through on-site demonstrations, research and collaborative partnerships. In October 2023, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors adopted the Sauk County Farm Education Hub Development Plan as an Appendix to the 2022-2042 Sauk County Farm Property Master Plan (Resolution 82-2023). The Education Hub Development Plan is an overlaying 20-year engineered blueprint outlining the development of a future educational hub for indoor/outdoor events, programming, recreational trails, community gardens, and habitat restoration. The planning process for both plans included a significant amount of stakeholder engagement to develop, review, and refine the plan.

Funding in the 2024 and 2025 LRE budgets have been utilized to restore the exterior or the historic 1921 firehouse, construct community gardens, and install interpretive signage throughout the education hub. The proposed 2026 LRE Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Budget includes $200,000 in funds to be used towards additional improvements at the County Farm including the construction of a park pavilion, restorations to the interior of the historic firehouse and improvements to parking and traffic flow. The master plan for the education hub is attached as Appendix A.

Sauk County seeks to apply for a Grants for Local Projects (Non-State Grant Program) to expand the planned improvements at the Sauk County Farm. The purpose of the Non-State Grant Program is to offer funding to organizations for capital infrastructure projects that benefit the broader public. This project will fall under the “Economic and Workforce Development” category which includes projects that stimulate job growth and economic prosperity in Wisconsin. This encompasses initiatives to attract new businesses, expand existing businesses, invest in tourism-related endeavors, or provide workforce training and education. The planned improvements include restoring the carriage doors and upgrading the electrical components of the historic firehouse, moving the entrance of the driveway and constructing appropriate stormwater collection basins, burying the existing power line, installing a welcome kiosk, and planting prairie and foraging tree species.

The cost of the projects outlined in the CIP and the expanded improvements is estimated to be $400,000. Sauk County will be requesting $200,000 from the Non-State Grant Program, with our CIP of $200,000 being used to meet the local, non-state match requirement.