JUNEAU — Dodge County officials could make a decision this summer on the future of the Henry Dodge Building, which county leaders have identified as one of the most urgent needs in a broader facilities review.
Dodge County Administrator Cameron Clapper said on WBEV’s Community Comment that the county has been reviewing its buildings for about a year. He said consultants recently presented five options to county supervisors, but those options were meant to begin discussion rather than serve as a final plan.
Clapper said the top priority is the Henry Dodge Building, which houses human services and health operations. He said the county’s goal would be to move employees out of the building, potentially into a new space, and then raze the current building.
Other county facilities are also part of the long-term conversation. Clapper said the county is still paying to heat and cool an old jail area that is mostly vacant and difficult to reuse. He also noted age-related issues at the administration building, including portions that date back to 1937.
The county’s official website says County Board meetings and available meeting videos are posted online. Dodge County’s budget process begins in June, with a preliminary budget and capital improvement plan typically reviewed by the County Board in September and October before adoption in November.
Clapper said supervisors are expected to meet individually with the county’s architect and The Samuels Group before the issue returns to the county building committee and then the full County Board. He said a decision on the Henry Dodge Building could come in June, July or August, while decisions on other county buildings may take longer.
