The 2014 Adopted Budget included the creation of the Milwaukee County Innovation Fund. This fund will utilize one-time revenue sources for projects that are designed to improve customer service, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce taxpayer costs for services.
In 2014, the County expects to receive approximately $5.7 million in revenues related to the 2011 sale of a portion of the County Grounds to develop the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Innovation Campus. Of this amount, approximately $4.1 million is available for Innovation Fund Projects. A workgroup made up of representatives from the County Board of Supervisors, the Office of the Comptroller, and DAS-PSB make recommendations for project funding and on April 24, these recommendations were approved.
The approved projects include:
- Construction of 20 units of housing focusing on chronically homeless individuals with alcohol addictions. The Housing Division would take referrals from Detox, corrections, courts, police, etc. and house individuals that cannot be served in existing housing or shelters due to their active use of alcohol. This funding will leverage over $2 million in other capital funds from the City of Milwaukee, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and private funds. A similar model in Minneapolis toured by Housing Division staff show a cost savings for taxpayers of over $500,000 per year by reducing detox admissions by 85%, emergency room visits by 20%, and jail bookings by 23%.
- An updated jail management system utilized by the County Jail and the House of Corrections. This project will replace an outdated system that uses mainframe computer technology. This project will vastly approve the two facilities’ ability to track inmates, collect data and generate reports. It will also move the County closer to eliminating outdated and extremely expensive mainframe computer technology.
- Updated billing software for the Highways Maintenance Division of the Department of Transportation that will replace the current outdated paper-based system.
- Updated capital project management software.
- Data flow consulting and a call center upgrade in the Department of Child Support Services. Two-thirds of the cost of this project is funded with federal revenues.
- LED lighting upgrades at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
- Consulting services to develop a LEAN workgroup that will analyze County processes and make recommendations for improved efficiency.
- Core competency training for direct care staff that will provide services to individuals with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and mental illness who are being relocated to the community from Behavioral Health Division-Hilltop.
- Lighting retrofits for Lincoln Memorial Drive and tennis courts in various parks.
- Scanning equipment in the Circuit Courts to reduce the use of paper filings and increased electronic document storage.
- Electronic whiteboard units in the Acute and Children s’ Units at the Behavioral Health Division that will enhance the efficient sharing of patient information at the facility.
- Two pieces of equipment that will enhance autopsy services in the Office of the Medical Examiner.
- Funding for the Parks Amenities Matching Fund that will leverage outside revenues for park improvement projects.
The project awards include requirements that recipient departments provide informational progress reports six months after initiation of the project.
Milwaukee County Office of Performance, Strategy & Budget 