What Kenosha County is Doing

Kenosha County Energy Team Kenosha Energy Team Logo

Since its establishment in 2013, the Kenosha County Energy Team has met regularly to develop and implement projects to enhance energy efficiency in county facilities. Projects implemented include lighting retrofits, the replacement of inefficient equipment and the installation of timers and controls to better manage energy use. As of November 2016, team activity equates to a cumulative energy savings of an estimated $54,898.

Energy Team Members

Energy Team members pictured: Mike Schrandt, Rhonda Haidinger, Jeff Mackey, Ray Arbet, Wendy Epping, Matt Sturino, Mike Woodward

Compact Energy Efficient Boilers

Modern compact boilers have replaced an older, less efficient system at the Kenosha County Administration Building.

Outdoor LED Lighting

Energy efficient LED lighting has been installed around the exteriors of several county facilities.

Kenosha County Employee Engagement in Sustainability

Cool Choices

125 Kenosha County employees participated in Cool Choices, an online interactive activity that inspires employees to embrace sustainability, helping them save money and energy both at home and at work. Playing alongside their co-workers, employees competed in teams to make the most sustainable actions, like turning off lights, undergoing a home energy audit and using re-usable shopping bags. Kenosha County employees took a total of 7,421 sustainable actions over 6 weeks, which if maintained for one year would accrue to:

  • $67,093 in savings
  • Water use reduction of 614,882 gallons
  • Total electric savings sufficient to power 20 homes for a year
  • 1,031 pounds of waste diverted from a landfill
Cool Choices Logo

Feedback from Kenosha County employees on Cool Choices highlights the positive impact of the experience in the workplace and at home:

"I most enjoyed talking with co-workers about some of the great ways to save energy and money."
"Sensitivity to water usage for my family is heightened and now I’m committed to changing all lights in our house to LEDs."
"I’ve stopped buying bottled water and we use the refrigerator dispenser instead. We only water the plants/grass in the morning or evening."
UWEX team and demo garden

The Kenosha County UW-Extension team shows off their demonstration garden at the Kenosha County Center!

adrc

The Kenosha County ADRC team demonstrates the importance of walking.

KCDOH cool choices winners

The 2016 Cool Choices winners - Kenosha County Division of Health staff.

HumanaVitality Program

Kenosha County actively supports employees participating in the HumanaVitality wellness program through their Humana health insurance plan. The County has offered several walking events to help employees earn points for achieving wellness goals to lower their premium costs.

KD Park Development

KD Park, a former gravel quarry, encompasses 347 acres of land on a 39-acre lake and is in the process of being developed with an emphasis on sustainable living education and recreation. Phase 1 of the development plan began in August 2016 and includes the creation of roadways, parking, and stormwater management features providing visitors greater accessibility within the park. Visit our KD Park Development page to learn more.

KD Park

Re-Purposing Emerald Ash Borer Affected Trees from County Parks

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive, wood boring beetle that kills ash trees by eating the tissues under the bark. Following a 2012 inventory of ash trees in the county parks and golf courses, the decision was made to remove and replace the ash trees based on their poor condition. With the help of Wisconsin Urban Wood, Kenosha County was able to divert the dead and diseased trees away from the chipper, and to the sawmill for processing into lumber, flooring, furniture, art or architecture. A mix of 27 tree species is being planted to replace the ash trees, adding diversity to the landscape that will help minimize the impact to our forested areas by any future invaders. Find out more about the ash tree removal project in our Kenosha County Parks Newsletter (PDF).

Kenosha County Center

Walking Path

A one-mile paved walking path was installed at the Kenosha County Center, allowing employees and area residents a place to walk during their lunch hours and before and after work.

Prairie Restoration
Kenosha County is currently working on a prairie restoration project in order to establish a native, tall grassland prairie at the Kenosha County Center. Restoration of this tall grass prairie will provide a safe habitat for local bird and insect species while also providing a recreational and educational environment for the Kenosha County community.

Kenosha County Center AAS Display & Demonstration Garden

The grounds at the Kenosha County Center are the site of a nationally recognized, award-winning All-America Selections Display Garden. Flowers and vegetables are planted and tended by University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. The garden provides an opportunity for guests to view the best new flower and vegetable varieties in a location accessible to the public. A compost demonstration site created as an Eagle Scout project and utilized by the Master Gardeners, offers an opportunity for visitors to learn about composting. This All-America Selections Display Garden is one of eight in the state of Wisconsin, and the only one in the state located on a municipal property.

compost bin

Compost bins were constructed for this garden by Tommy Glass for his Eagle Scout project in 2016.

Demonstration Garden

All-America Selections Display Garden at the Kenosha County Center.