Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), on Monday announced over $115 million in grants to local and Tribal communities through Wisconsin’s Department of Administration’s Flexible Facilities Program (FFP) as part of American Rescue Plan Act. These grants will go toward funding public facility expansion or improvement projects designed to provide reliable broadband access to local communities, including libraries, community centers, and multi-purpose community facilities. Dodgeville and Fennimore both received $4,250,000 each to assist with public library renovations.
In Dodgeville funding will expand the existing library space, including the construction of a children’s programming room, a business center, and four classrooms with 11 laptop computers. Additionally, the project will offer remote learning support, telemedicine access, and workforce development resources.
In Fennimore, funding will go towards expanding an existing library space with the construction of three telemedicine rooms, a conference room, and a multi-purpose space with kitchenette.