City Budget: Not Good News

Here's some news you don't really want to hear. But, its the reason I pushed so hard for us to get quarterly reports from the comptroller. This is only one part of the information, and by itself, doesn't look so good. Without the rest of the budget to too look at, its hard to know exactly what it means. Being off by $1M in a approximately $200M budget is scary, but you have to keep it in perspective and see what else is going on. Anyways, here's a portion of an email with the bad news:

We've examined the General Fund revenues that have posted through the first quarter of 2008, and made some projections about what we might experience through the year. (Some of this information may have been reviewed with Alders at the May 6, 2008 budget overview meeting.) These are very preliminary, of course, given that it is still early in the year.

Currently, there are two significant revenue categories of note:

1) Building Permit Revenues: These are way down, with revenues of just over $800K posted through the first quarter. Total posted receipts comprise only 17% of the total anticipated for the year. At a minimum, we'd like to see this at 20%, or 25%. The number of residential construction permits issued in the first quarter of '08 is 51, versus 89 issued during the same period of 2007.

So, the softening continues, and our projections suggest revenues ranging from $2.8M to $3.5M for the year, as compared with $4.69M budgeted. If we use a mid-point of $3.2M, this suggests a revenue shortfall for the year of $1.5M for this category.

2) Investment Income: For the first quarter of 2008, yields are at 4.12%, as compared to the 2007 YTD yield of 4.94%, and interest rates continue to trend downward. Assuming yields are off by 20% in 2008 as compared to 2007, then this would suggest a revenue shortfall somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 to $1M. We've split the difference and are projecting a shortfall of $750K.

For other revenue categories, we don't have enough meaningful data at this point to suggest projections that differ from the budget.

[snip]

We'll present a mid-year report to the Board of Estimates and the Council in late July or early August, at which time we will have more and better information and updated projections.

So, there you have it! I feel really uncomfortable waiting til July or August to do anything about this. It seems the responsible thing to do would be to get the complete information now and address this situation now if it needs to be done.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

A day off.

I should say something timely, defend Eli Judge or advise that Verveer should create an ordinance instead of just pulling some of the licenses from a few districts . . . but I have something else on my mind. I have a board meeting tonight and work has been a challenge, but yesterday, I took the day off and went plant shopping with my mom. Here's the results!


Thanks to Morningwood Farms Nursery, the farmer's market, and another nursery and many years of trial and error . . . I was able to turn this . . .



into this . . .







And I finished this . . .




But I'm far from finished. Hopefully the plants all weather the transition. And it was nice to meet all the pedestrian commuters yesterday who had so many kind words about my work. However, there's so much more to do! I'm just glad my lot isn't more than 3,000 square feet! Now, sadly, back to work! And so much of it!

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Common Council Recap

A three hour meeting took care of a 839 page packet of information for the meeting . . . not too bad. Here's the gory details . . . .

We kicked off the meeting with a minute of silence for the people killed in the med-flight crash. We suspended a bunch of rules like we do in the beginning of each meeting and then honored the Memorial High School forensics team - complete with a performance from one of the students. And then we passed a secret. We had some questions about a project on the northside in Cherokee Marsh which passed.

#11 - Amending the demolition ordinance to address demolition by fire.
Next, we did another "do over". Should the fire department be able to burn houses to demolish them and provide training for firefighters? I think we all think yes, but how the public is notified and when they do it was of concern. Alder Gruber came back with a "compromise" that we voted on. I love it when we have a "compromise" that one side of an argument comes up with. The "compromise" was that the fire department would be the only ones to do demolition by fire and limit it to three times a year. And then they removed the restriction prohibited them from burning on days where the DNR had issued Air Quality Warning or Watch for particulate matter.

I moved to keep the language prohibiting burns on days when there were Air Quality Warnings or Watches. The fire chief was out of the room and couldn't answer questions, so there was a motion to table. Believe it or not, we had to have a roll call vote on this.

Those those voting "NO" to table so we could ask the fire chief questions were: Schumacher, Brandon, Clausius, Compton, Plam and Rummel.

Those voting "AYE" were: Sanborn, Skidmore, Solomon, Verveer, Webber, Bruer, Clear, Cnare, Gruber, Judge, Kerr, Konkel, Pham-Remmele, Rhodes-Conway.

While we waited we moved on to:
Alder Pham-Remmele wanted to make a statement about our "secret" we passed earlier. Her point being that someone shouldn't be honored for helping Southeast Asians if they only work with one population - the Hmong as there are 55 other groups included as Southeast Asians.

Then, we reconsidered item 162 - which is Alder Kerr's appeal of the hotel on Monroe Street. We set the public hearing for the June 3rd council meeting.

Then we made the following staff appointments:
#18 - New Parks Department Superintendent - Kevin Briski and
#19 - New City Treasurer - Dave Gawenda.

Both passed with no problems. Kevin Briski made the rounds introducing himself to staff prior to the meeting. Alder Judge remarked that since he had no parks, they wouldn't be working together much and others had their lists of things ready that needed attention. Kevin Briski will be starting on June 2 and Dave Gawenda remarked that he was looking forward to moving on to "bigger things ahead". Interesting that City Treasurer is considered a move up from County Treasurer. Welcome to both of them!

#11 - Amending the demolition ordinance to address demolition by fire.
Then we went back to the demolition by fire issue and took it off the table. The fire chief was back in the room and we learned that last year there were 18 days that the DNR issued warnings or watches for particulate matter. However that was based on only 65 microns and the standard is now 35 microns and so they are expecting that will double the number of days that watches and warnings are issued. We also heard testimony that they would stop a burn exercise if there were conditions that put the firefighters at risk (high winds, etc.) even tho they said they couldn't stop a burn exercise because of a watch or warning. I think that the health and safety of the public and the air they breathe is equally important to protecting the safety of the staff.

However, only Verveer, Webber, and Rummel voted "AYE" with me to keep the language that would prohibit them from adding particulates to the air on days when watches and warnings were issued.

Those voting against for staff training over clean air and public health were: Sanborn, Schumacher, Skidmore, Solomon, Brandon, Bruer, Clausius, Clear, Cnare, Compton, Gruber, Judge, Kerr, Palm, Pham-Remmele and Rhodes-Conway.

The final vote on the ordinance, that limits training to three days per year, which doesn't address the concerns that I and others had was 14 - 6.

Those voting "NO" were: Sanborn, Compton, Judge, Konkel, Pham-Remmele and Rummel.

Those voting "AYE" were: Schumacher, Skidmore, Solomon, Verveer, Webber, Brandon, Bruer, Clausius, Clear, Cnare, Gruber, Kerr, Palm, Rhodes-Conway.

At some point during this discussion, Alder Pham-Remmele was talking and was cut off. Alder Brandon approached the Mayor and the Mayor announced that our "AV Club President" wanted to inform us that if we talk too loudly into the microphones they automatically shut off.

Also of interest, the fire chief took the moment to remind us that if they had a $6.5M state of the art training facility, they wouldn't need to do the training exercises on buildings being demolished.

#44 - Noise outside the 7 am - 7 pm restrictions for construction on E. Washington Ave.
Bottom line here is that there will be no pile driving and the public is notified of the noise if they are within 300 feet of the street and they will be notified next spring when the work begins. This item passed unanimously on a voice vote.

# 87 - Moving $8,000 from the Far West Library to buy a copier.
We then moved on to our other "Do Over" of the evening, where there was a long, and I think unnecessarily drawn out. I have to admit, I think I tuned out as some folks were talking. After a particularly long comment by Alder Palm, the Mayor once again called on Alder Palm, er, I mean Alder Brandon - who used the opportunity to scold us yet again. This time it was his "Politician" speech, which I think the gist of it was that if we don't show up to meetings where items are discussed we lose the right to have an opinion on those issues and are being bad elected officials if we don't participate at the committee level. Alder Pham-Remmele responded with explaining that you can't be in two places at once and she was at a meeting for a committee she sits on (CDBG) when this issue was discussed at the Library Board and that was why she wasn't there to participate - a situation many of us are often faced with.

The staff person (sorry I didn't catch his name) from the library gets extra brownie points for working "The Natural Step" into his comments on why we were buying this copier.

After all of that, this item passed unanimously on a voice vote.

#89 - Cherokee Marsh plat
Kumbaya. Lots of technical talk . . . but it passed unanimously on a voice vote.

#98 - Changing the Snow Emergency Rules
Hopefully we will never have to use this, but, now if there is more than 3 inches of snow (from policy) before November 15th or after March 15th - they can still call a snow emergency. And the whole city will have to alternate side park - except streets with one side of parking and a long list of other exceptions. It passed unanimously on a voice vote.

#101 - Will there be jobs for Allied Drive residents in the public works portion of the project?
I'm not sure which item contained this information, but, there will be 3 Construction Craft Laborer Apprentice jobs for people in the Allied Drive area in the public works bid that we approved. This item just moved the budget money around to allow it to happen and it passed unanimously on a voice vote.

#104 - Report on gender, race and people with disabilities appointments to City committees
This was referred as there were still errors in the numbers.

#105 - Report on gender, race and people with disabilities and hiring for top management positions
This report showed that women represent 47% of the labor market but are only 34% of the top managers across the City. We fall short in 5 of the 6 categories of top management positions as follows:

• Police - 33%
  
• Fire - 11%
• Management and Professionals - 37%
• Agency Heads - 21%
• Metro Management and Professionals - 24%
  

The study also showed that there is a 6% wage gap, which needs to be studied further.

The study confirms what I've been saying and will require follow up to work on the recommendations in the report, but things have started to change internally with the recruitment and certification process and it will take some budget and policy changes to continue to make progress. Thanks to the staff and committee that worked on this! The report was unanimously accepted/approved/received or whatever, on a voice vote.

#106 - CDA Workplan
We finally got the budget and workplan on the same agenda and got an update on the 2008 plan that was due before we did this year's budget (last May or June) but we didn't get it so last year in the budget we had to ask for it. We got it at the end of January/beginning of February but referred it to consider it with the budget. So, there were many changes and they have to get the 2009 plan ready in the next few months.

My major issue with the report is that it has a list of projects, but doesn't really state our broader goals of what we are trying to accomplish.

Updates and questions include:

• Allied Drive got the tax credits and they are moving forward.
• The American Exhange Bank Redevelopment District has been removed from the plan.
• The CDA will consider the request by WARF to waive part of the $600,000 fee for the $180M bonding for Wisconsin Institute for Discovery/Morgridge Institute for Research, but they are likely to not waive the fee if I read the vibe correctly.
• Lakepoint. Lots of questions, not alot of firm answers. We're stuck in a bad situation and they are trying their best to make sure we don't lose more money. Clearly, they are not going to want to try to get any money out of the council! However, if I read the numbers correctly, with my back of the envelope calculation, its not looking good. I look forward to a fuller analysis.
• Our public housing reserves are building back up. They have $600,000 where they should have $1M.
• The Truax plan was adopted
• And, they didn't offer much when it comes to the Truman Olson Army ROTC Facility. While it was clear to me that they want it to be economic development and not a facility to serve the homeless, no one would say it.
  

The plan passed unanimously on a voice vote.

#107 - CDA Budget Template
Yes, the CDA does not pay for Mark Olinger's time. Or any staff time spent working on the Villager Mall. Allied Drive staff time is being charged to the TIF. It's not clear where some of the other items are in the various line items, but we're making progress. At least we have the outline of an operating budget for the CDA redevelopment activities. (We've always had one on the Housing Operations side of things.) This passed unanimously on a voice vote.

With that, we adjourned to the Great Dane. Those partaking were: Gruber, Webber, Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Judge, Verveer, Clear, Bruer, Schumacher and eventually . . . Palm. Also joining us was an Amy Westra and, of course, the lovely Rosemary Lee. (Hey Mike - nice talking to you!) Next time, Alder Judge will finally be legal drinking age.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Tonight's Council Meeting

Here's what's of interest . . . at least to me . . .

#11 - Amending the demolition ordinance to address demolition by fire.
#18 - New Parks Department Superintendent - Kevin Briski
#19 - New City Treasurer - Dave Gawenda
#27 - Adding more money, alot more, for shiny new software
#44 - Noise outside the 7 am - 7 pm restrictions for construction on E. Washington Ave.
#98 - Changing the Snow Emergency Rules
#101 - Will there be jobs for Allied Drive residents in the public works portion of the project?
#104 - Report on gender, race and people with disabilities appointments to City committees
#105 - Report on gender, race and people with disabilities and hiring for top management positions
#106 - CDA Workplan
#107 - CDA Budget Template (finally, 4th time is a charm to get them on the same agenda!)
#108 - Lobbying Report

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

May 19 Week Ahead, Kinda

I spent too much time this weekend fixing my yard, and so I don't have so many things done. Including this post being a little lame. So, before you can see the week ahead, you'll have to see what I did this weekend.

Some of you will remember that they did a little construction last year, and left my front terrace a mess, without even dirt! We waited until after the house move and things were settled down (hopefully they are done digging on my street!) and then this weekend we turned this


Into this:


And this:


Into this:


And this:

Into this:

But clearly, I am not done.


And I'm not going to rest until all the Snow on the Mountain is gone! And thanks to Rob for all his help.

Ok - so here's what I think is interesting in the week ahead! Links and why these meetings are important are work in progress and should be in by noon today.

Monday, May 19, 2008
4:00 PM TAX INCREMENTAL FINANCING POLICY AD HOC COMMITTEE ROOM LL-120 MMB

• Well, we're nearing completion . . . and then we will HOPE that it matches with the economic development strategy. Heh, hope.
  

5:00 PM PLAN COMMISSION ROOM 201 CCB

• The Natural Step, Meriter project on Southwest side, Pinkus McBride project, Stoughton Road and more.
  

6:00 PM ZONING CODE REWRITE COMMUNITY MEETING 201 STATE STREET - WISCONSIN STUDIO

• My only comment here is who is the bonehead who scheduled this at the same time as a plan commission meeting that has two downtown projects on it?
  

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
4:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE ROOM 103A CCB
5:00 PM CENTRAL LIBRARY DISPOSAL SURPLUS PROPERTY CRITERIA AND SELECTION COMMITTEE 201 W. MIFFLIN ST, ROOM 204

• This agenda isn't available on line due to technical difficulties - or more likely, human error blamed on technical difficulties. I'm still trying to figure out how the downtown library is "surplus property" - what, we don't need it any more?
  

6:30 PM COMMON COUNCIL ROOM 201 CCB

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
10:30 AM EMPLOYMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE ALLIED TASK FORCE ROOM LL-110 MMB
4:30 PM URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION ROOM LL-110 MMB
5:30 PM BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON CLEAN ELECTIONS ROOM 403 CCB
6:00 PM ZONING CODE REWRITE COMMUNITY MEETING 1625 NORTHPORT DRIVE - COMMUNITY ROOMS 1,2,3
6:30 PM ZONING CODE REWRITE COMMUNITY MEETING 510 CHARMANY DRIVE - CONFERENCE ROOM 50 A-D

Thursday, May 22, 2008
5:00 PM ALLIED AREA TASK FORCE 4619 JENEWEIN ROAD

• Where are those jobs promised the neighborhood?
  

Friday, May 23, 2008
There will be another IZ meeting, same time, same place. But no Hickory. And no agenda yet.

And, as usual, you need to look at the changes to the schedule during the week as many meetings pop up that are not on the weekly schedule on Monday morning.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Misinformation

There is so much about the Mark Staskal situation that makes me want to scream. The amount of misinformation that increased the fear factor in the community was staggering. And it has been awful to not be able to correct some of the information. Jason Standish's decision not to take on this client was probably a very difficult one, but I think I might have made the same decision given the horrible situation that he has been placed in due to wrong information out there in the media.

I spent a large part of my week trying to get good information to my neighborhood. At this point, its too late, but I thought people might be interested in seeing more information about this state program under which Staskal was placed here.

Wisconsin Conditional Release Process

• When a person is found Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease or Defect, the court has two options:

1. Order the person to be placed directly on Conditional Release in the community (CR), or
2. Order the person to Institutional Placement – if on Institutional placement the person can petition the court for release into the community on CR every six months

• In either case, when the court deems the person safe to be placed in the community on CR, the court orders the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), in concert with its contracted providers, to prepare a CR plan. Community placement cannot occur until the court approves the plan
• CR plans address two key elements and comprehensively address these elements, these elements are
  

1. Public safety, and
2. The person’s treatment needs
   

• It is also important to note that it is a Conditional Release, which means there are conditions to which the person must adhere and failure to do so, or any evidence of an increase in risk, will result in the person being returned to an Institution
• Last year, 410 people were served by the program throughout the State of Wisconsin, out of this total, 6% were returned to Institutional placement due to safety concerns resulting from violations of their conditions or an increase in symptoms. Only 1% (4 persons) of this number committed new crimes, and all were non-violent crimes. These data are typical of the success of the program
• A variety of options in regard to protection of public safety are available and are put into place dependent on the specific factors involved in a particular case, these options include:
  

1. Type of placement/living situation including an option of placement in a supervised living situation with 24/7 monitoring
2. Escorted community outings with monitoring of all activities outside of the home
3. Options for various forms of electronic monitoring
4. Limitations on where the person is allowed to go
5. Regular monitoring of mental status and other risk factors
6. Specific conditions related to taking medications and participating in treatment
7. Other options and conditions as deemed appropriate
   

• In regard to the person’s treatment needs, an individualized comprehensive treatment plan is put into place to address necessary elements to maintain the person’s stability
• Supervision of all aspects of the plan is provided by both an assigned case manager and a probation and parole agent via a contract with the Department of Corrections. The agent, case manager, and DHFS CR specialist work as a core team in providing the required supervision
• The Wisconsin CR program has an outstanding record and has been recognized nationally as a leader in providing CR services
  

If you didn't know the above, you might think that this guy would just be out wandering around in the community unsupervised and with no services. This has been a difficult process and something I will not soon forget. I really do think that with some thoughtful consideration and good information for the community about safety plans that are in place and also honored Mark's right to privacy and some information for the public about schizophrenia, this guy could have been successfully placed in our community at this location. And I think that Mark Staskal, the group home and the community were all done a huge disservice in this process. The media, the right to privacy laws, the public's fear of mental illness and lots of misinformation made this situation very difficult for everyone involved. In the end, I think that the circumstances made it too difficult for him to be placed here. And while some might be rejoicing that this person will not be in our community, I remain convinced that there are so many things wrong with the way this whole thing happened.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Mark Staskal and the Most Frustrating Neighborhood Meeting Ever

Here's an interesting dilemma. A mentally ill person who killed his sister 23 years ago has been ordered by a court to be released to a neighborhood I represent and its right between two parks and a school. Understandably, the public is upset. Especially those with kids in the school and those in the immediate area. They demand answers to questions, that legally I can't provide. What do you do?

I guess I'm going to try to hold the most frustrating neighborhood meeting ever. And the logistics of this is are a little nightmarish. I'm not sure I have enough money left in my budget to properly notice everyone affected, so it'd be great if the state or school or Mayor's Office would send the notices. Even if we get people there, I'm not sure what we can tell them. Since some of us were briefed, but signed confidentiality statements, we have information, but we can't release it without risking civil laws suits and criminal prosecution with penalties of up to $25,000 and 9 months in jail, or both.

So, I'm trying to figure out what usefulness we can have in such a meeting. So far, I think we could have the state generally describe their program. We can have the police generally describe what types of plans they put in place when they are notified by the court someone is going to be released in the area that is of concern. We can have the school describe what plans they have in place. Some in the neighborhood feel that we have an unfair share of group homes and we can bring maps that show that information. Beyond that, I'm not sure what else we can do. And I'm quite certain that many people will walk away from the meeting extremely frustrated because they do not get the answers to many of their questions. But, we can have a meeting. And be frustrated. I hope the public can understand the position we are in due to the state laws and the courts and understand that we are doing our best to get them the information that we can.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Media, Ethics, Public Right to Know, Right to Privacy and the Law.

Two things have happened recently in the media that has my "public right to know" side of me conflicted with my "individual right to privacy" and seem ethically improper if not illegal. First, the Isthmus posted the pictures and birth dates of people who were "banned" from various businesses in the W. Washington area and depending upon how you read it and what you read, made it appear that they were banned from an entire area. Second, the Wisconsin State Journal obtained a copy of a confidential treatment plan for a mental health patient and posted it on line.

With the Isthmus situation, I understand that this information was a public record and available, but it doesn't mean they had to publish it "as is". I argued with the staff there that they should not post that information. My concerns were as follows:

• Because they posted the picture and the birth date, it makes it easy to steal the identity of these people. I won't share how, but that information makes it possible for someone to get the social security number of the person in some circumstances.
  
• These folks have not had their due process. An individual business owner decided to ban these folks and the police department put them on a list. They have not been through a court process or been determined guilty by a court of law. They have not had a right to defend themselves.
• I have, once again, confidential information that at least one of them is on track to getting their lives together and is working hard to get their family back. Posting these pictures could have a variety of effects on that person and their hard work.
• How long are these pictures going to be posted? Do they ever get taken down?
• And finally, do the police ever remove people from that list? How could you appeal your name being on that list. If someone could get their name off the list, will the Isthmus remove their photos, names and birth dates from that post? Especially if there was information posted in error?
  

The Isthmus decided to go forward and post the pictures and birth dates anyways. While they may have had a right to do it, ethically, I think they should have weighed the pros and cons and at least removed the birth dates.

The Wisconsin State Journal situation is even more mind boggling to me. Last night they posted the confidential treatment plan for Mark Staskal. I don't know how they obtained a copy. I asked the council staff to find whatever information could be released and was told that the court could not release it because it is confidential. (And that I could get a copy of the court transcript for $140.) So, as far as I can tell, they don't have the legal right to have or release this information. The statement that they released says:

Confidentiality Statement: This document contains confidential information relating to the mental health diagnosis and treatment of a person committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Service (DHFS) after being found not guilty due to mental disease or defect pursuant to ss 971, Wis. Stats. It is protected pursuant to ss 55.30, Wis Stats., and HFS 92 Wis. Administrative Code. Distribution is limited to those who have statutory access or who are ordered by the court to have access. [Note, I think that is supposed to be 51.30. Specifically I was told the information I have is confidential under 51.30(4). According to an on line search Wis. Stats 55.30 does not exist.]

I'm pretty sure they don't have statutory access to this information. And I as far as I know, the court only ordered the Sheriff and Madison Police to be notified. What is even more confusing to me is that I have felt boxed in because I have confidential information I can't share with the public that might make them feel more at ease. However, I haven't shared that information because I believe in and understand the laws that protect a mental health patients right to privacy and I could be sued as well as be criminally prosecuted and fined up to $25,000 and put in jail up to 9 months.

For the Wisconsin State Journal, the stakes are even higher. Because they can make money off the posting of this information, they have higher penalties. Wis. Stat. 51.30(10) has penalties as follows:

(bm) Whoever intentionally discloses confidential information under this section, knowing that the information is confidential, and discloses the information for pecuniary gain may be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 3 years and 6 months, or both.

If they have found away around these laws, I'm curious what it is. Perhaps they think the person from whom they got the information would be the one to be charged. Either way, if I was the editor that made the decision to post this information, I'd be a little nervous over there this morning. Even if they found a way around this law, where are their ethics?

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Making a bad situation, worse. And then better.

A compliment for the Wisconsin State Journal, the Mayor's Office and the Police Department. All in one day!

Last night the first version of this article about the release of Mark Staskal to the near east side area that I represent had a very unfortunate quote in it. Working with the Mayor's office, the downtown captain and the WSJ, we got it corrected. My emails to my neighborhood list serve below explains:

As I shared (very little) with the TLNA last week, we have a highly controversial person who has been authorized to be released from Mendota into our neighborhood. The court has made a decision, the DHFS is carrying out the plan. We have very little say in the matter. This is not an ideal situation for our community. However, I was privileged to be in a confidential briefing regarding this matter and have heard much more than will be released to public. This information cannot legally be released because of the patient's right to confidentiality. While I am concerned about this situation, I do feel like the professionals involved have put a reasonable plan in place and have confidence in their abilities to do what they can within their control to keep the community safe.

This state program is a nationally recognized program. In 2007 they only had a 6% return rate for rule violations when people were conditionally released. Only 1% were returned for new offenses and none of them were violent. Obviously, each individual is different and has different needs, but I do feel like that plan put in place for this situation has been well thought out. More information about the state program can be found here:
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/mentalhealth/ConditionalRelease/ConditionalReleaseHome.htm
And here:
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/mentalhealth/ConditionalRelease/CR2007AnnualReport.pdf

Unfortunately, I am very concerned about the comments that appeared on line this evening at the Wisconsin State Journal here
http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/breaking_news/286173

"We're as surprised as the community," Madison Central District Police Lt. Joe Balles said. "We're looking to see what measures we have to take here."

Ald. Brenda Konkel, 2nd District, said DHFS gave her and others a confidential briefing last week.

To put this as professionally as I can, Lt. Balles is either misinformed or uninformed. The Mayor's Office and the Madison Police were in the same briefing I was in last week that I told you about when I spoke with the neighborhood association. This wasn't a surprise by any means. Additionally, I have talked to the police department about having a neighborhood meeting about this situation. Unfortunately, since we don't have much information that we can share, we're not sure what we could tell the community that would be useful. As the neighborhood association members know, I also asked their advice about having a neighborhood meeting with the police. We agreed to hold off for now, but remain ready to hold one if we determine it is necessary or helpful.

I write this to assure you that the police department is well aware of this situation and I have been discussing with them what we can do to make sure the community is safe and has the information we can legally provide. And hopefully, the Wisconsin State Journal will make some corrections to the story this evening.

Any questions or concerns, please let me know. I will share what I legally can.
Brenda

And after a few phone calls to the mayor's office, a conversation with the police, and their call to the Wisconsin State Journal, the public now has accurate information as indicated in this email below:

Thanks to the WSJ for replace [sic] Lt Balles quote with this:

Captain Mary Schauf of Madison's Central Police District said she and other department staff attended a detailed briefing last week by DHFS. "We got a lot of information," Schauf said, adding that because of confidentiality, she could not discuss it publicly but more detailed information is being shared with police department staff.

I believe it is a more accurate statement by the police department. Thank you to the WSJ reporters and editors for helping us make sure the public gets accurate information! And thanks to Joel Plant in the Mayor's office and Mary Schauf for helping to straighten this out.
Brenda

I'm grateful that the public got the correct information. This situation is bad enough without an uninformed officer making inaccurate statements. I'm horrified that the wrong information appeared in the first place. It makes me question many of the other statements made by this officer and the police policies when it comes to talking to the press. Who has authorized this guy to say the things that he's saying? It's these types of comments that can cause further unrest in the community and are completely irresponsible. For those of us who watch the media closely and notice these things (and know how to do a simple google search), it appears there is a pattern of making inflammatory statements by this individual and I hope the police department will re-evaluate when and how this individual talks to the press.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Gorham Construction starts May 19

Here we go . . . the road is about to be closed!

Here's the bus detour info:

GORHAM ST. DETOUR: Construction
Starts Monday, May 19

Due to construction, westbound Routes 2, 4, 9 & 28 detour from Gorham St. beginning Monday, May 19.

This detour is expected to last through September.

• Complete Info

The most common question I am getting is about parking. Residents can get a free parking sticker so that they can park in the 2 hour zones, but the street sweeping will not be suspended in the surrounding area.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

The Secret Police

Channel 3 editorial board lays it on the line . . . these aren't my words, its the mainstream/more conservative leaning editorial board at Channel 3.

PUBLIC SAFETY – LOSING CONFIDENCE, JEOPARDIZING TRUST

05/11/08

The Brittany Zimmerman murder investigation is profoundly troubling on many levels. Certainly the fact it is the third of a string of recent unsolved murders apparently involving strangers is disconcerting as it should be. Let us never be blaze about murders in our community. But the Zimmerman case has shed further light on a significant trend in the Madison Police Department – secrecy. And this policy of secrecy is causing the public to lose confidence in a police department that is risking its credibility.

Increasingly, the public and the news media serving as the voice of the public, finds the Madison Police department divided into camps – those who think no information at all should be made public, and those who think as little as possible should be made public. The results include questions, rumors, fears, misinformation and the risk of an eventual loss of trust.

What a price.

There are legal, ethical and limited public safety considerations. We understand all of them. But the current position of the Madison Police Department, and by extension the city, is that open records, the public's right to know, and open government are no longer important. We'll have more to say in editorials to come, but suffice to say for now – we disagree.

http://www.channel3000.com/tu/5xLLZrtXI.html

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The May 12th Week Ahead

Here we go again . . . Last week was jam packed, this week is a little lighter. While there are lots of meetings you might be interested in, here's all I have.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
5:00 PM AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMMISSION ROOM LL-120 MMB

• Hiring discussion
  

5:00 PM PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW BOARD ROOM 103A CCB

• Light bulbs in apartments (why this is at PSRB is a mystery - its a silly referral)
  
• Security Cameras
• Another item you have to show up for to get information - this time from the Police Department - the Annual Report for the Drug and Gang Task Force
  

5:00 PM TRANSIT AND PARKING COMMISSION ROOM GR-27 CCB

• Snow - finally going to deal with it?
• Bus Route Changes
• Bus Wraps
  

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
5:00 PM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON 3-5 YEAR STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ROOM 101 MMB

• Continued work on salvaging the consultants report.
  

6:30 PM BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS 1625 NORTHPORT DR

• Using parks to site wells?
• New shelter at Tenney Park
• First look at the Capital budget - but only if you show up and get a copy.
  

As always, check back with the actual weekly schedule as more meetings are likely to pop up. I see several committee meetings in Legistar that are not on the Weekly Schedule, so will likely be illegal meetings unless someone fixes it.

• 05/13/2008 Tue 5:00 PM MADISON ARTS COMMISSION
  


• 5/14/2008 Wed 4:00 PM SENIOR CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS


• 05/14/2008 Wed 5:10 PM ADA TRANSIT SUBCOMMITTEE TO THE TRANSIT AND PARKING COMM


• 05/15/2008 Thu 5:30 PM BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATORY BOARD

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Committee Openings

Here's my best guess at what the current committee openings are . . . I took out a few where you need to already be on another committee to get appointed. There are a few comments below. If the comment is in all caps it means that it is a requirement to get appointed. I'd really encourage anyone who is interested to apply. Don't worry about making too long of a commitment. If you do a good job, you'll only be on the committee for one term, because at some point you'll state a strong opinion, cross the Mayor and he won't reappoint you. So, its more important than ever that people step up and take their shot at making the city a better place to be - and make it a good one! If you're interested, fill out an application and get it to the Mayor's office.

ADA TRANSIT SUBCOM TO THE TRANSIT & PARKING COMM
(AMBULATORY DISAB USER FXD RTE)

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMMISSION
(At least 4 vacancies)

BUILDING CODE, FIRE CODE AND LICENSING APPEALS, BOARD OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT COMMISSION
(LOW/MODERATE INCOME REP) - previously held by a landlord/property manager??

DOWNTOWN COORDINATING COMMITTEE
(Lets see if we can appoint someone who is actually from Madison this time)

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION BOARD
(SPECIALIST IN CHILD CARE FIELD)
(DAY CARE SERVICE CONSUMER) - likely to be reappointed
(DAY CARE WORKER)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
(Positions left by Thomas W. Still & Mark D. Bugher still vacant)

ENVIRONMENT, COMMISSION ON THE

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION
(5 vacancies and yet the Mayor won't re-appoint Michael Howe)

GARDENS, COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY

HEALTH BOARD OF FOR MADISON AND DANE COUNTY

HEATING & ELECTRICAL LICENSING COM. (Subcom. of Bldg/Fire Code/License
(LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR)

HOUSING COMMITTEE
(2 vacancies)

HUMANITARIAN AWARD COMMITTEE, REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

MADISON ELECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MONONA TERRACE COMMUNITY AND CONVENTION CENTER BOARD

PARKING COUNCIL FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

PERSONNEL BOARD

POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION

PUBLIC WORKS, BOARD OF

REVIEW, BOARD OF

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

TRANSIT AND PARKING COMMISSION

URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION
(REGISTERED ARCHITECT)

VENDING OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

WATER UTILITY BOARD

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Water Utility Finalists

The names have been released. Here's the two finalists. The interviews with the oral panel are scheduled for Monday, May 19th.

* Tom Heikkinen of Silver Spring, MD. He currently serves as Chief of Plant Operations at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, a post he has held since 2004. He has held various other posts at this organization since 1993. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Engineering from the Univ. of Maryland at College Park.

* Syed Rizvi of Davis, CA. He most recently served as Division Manager of Utilities Services for the City of Sacramento, CA. His prior experience includes work for the North Marin Water District in Novato, CA and Utilities Chief for the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He holds an Engineering degree from Chicago Technical College and an MBA from Golden Gate University.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

No. More. Coal.

Coal, what is is good for?

NO MORE COAL!
Alliant Energy's latest environmental report predicts a shameful 40% increase in global warming pollution. Why? Because the company wants to build two new coal plants, one in southern Wisconsin in Cassville, and one in Iowa.
Please join us Thursday, May 15 at 12:15pm outside the Alliant Energy Annual Meeting to let them know that Wisconsinites demand action on global warming and cleaner, safer energy solutions for Wisconsin. We'll be handing shareholders information on what a bad investment coal is, displaying our No More Coal Banners, and making our voices heard.

Thursday, May 15 at 12:15pm
Alliant Energy Expo Center
John Nolen Drive and Rimrock Road, Madison
Rain or shine.

Students and Bikers:

Meet at Memorial Union at 11:45 to join the bike parade to the rally!

Ratepayer Meeting: 1:00, inside Allant Energy Center

Following the Rally, join us inside for a ratepayers meeting, with special guests: Thomas Sanzillo, economics and energy expert with TR Rose and Associates and Charlie Higley of the Citizens Utility Board.

We can stop these plants, just like 63 others that have been stopped for good across the country.
Coal is simply:

* A bad investment for the economy
* A bad investment for the environment
* A bad investment for Wisconsin

Coal is a bad investment in today’s shaky economy. The rising costs of construction materials, the rising cost of coal and the costs of future global warming regulations are causing the price of coal plants to sky-rocket. All of these inflated prices will be passed along to YOU and other Wisconsin energy users. Alliant will ship our money to other states to buy the coal and bring its pollution home to us, poisoning our air and water while spewing global warming pollution for decades to come.
If the money Alliant is planning to spend on new coal were instead invested in renewable energy and energy efficient technologies, we could generate our energy much more cleanly and efficiently while generating family-supporting jobs right here in Wisconsin.

Working together, we can bring Wisconsin a cleaner, greener, safer energy future.
For more information contact:
Jennifer Feyerherm, (608) 257-4994 or jennifer.feyerherm@sierraclub.org
Ryan Schryver, (608) 251-7020 ext. 25 or mailto:rschryver@cleanwisconsin.org

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Historic Preservation is Green!

This looks interesting . . .

CAPITOL NEIGHBORHOODS INC.
MADISON TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
For Immediate Release


EVENT FOCUSES ON GREEN BUILDING AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Free program set for May 22

MADISON, May 10, 2004 – As interest in green building grows, historic
preservationists have drawn attention to the value of keeping old buildings in
use. The role of green building practices in historic preservation will be the
focus of a public presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22.

The program will take place at Gates of Heaven, a historic synagogue building
and Madison Landmark at 302 E. Gorham St. in James Madison Park. It is a joint
presentation of Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. (CNI) and the Madison Trust for
Historic Preservation.

The event is free and open to the public; donations will be accepted. More
information is available by calling 334-8051.

Guests will be Phil Barlow and Sam Breidenbach. Barlow, a historic restoration
specialist with Paul Davis Restoration, will look at historic preservation and
LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating
System™. Breidenbach is president of TDS Custom Construction which has been
recognized for historic preservation work and has received Green Built Home
certification for several projects.

“The greenest building is the one that is already built, so preservation and
sustainability are not incompatible,” said Ledell Zellers, president of CNI.
“Our program with the Madison Trust will share the basics and, I think, open
some eyes.”

James Westring, president of the Madison Trust, said, “Green building practices
are not necessarily more expensive or more time-consuming than conventional
building practices.”

CNI is made up of the First Settlement, Bassett, Mifflin West, Mansion Hill,
State/Langdon, and James Madison Park districts. It covers an area marked by
Blair Street on the East, Lake Monona on the South, Park, Regent and Proudfit
Streets on the west, and Lake Mendota on the north. More information about CNI
is on the Web at capitolneighborhoods.org

The Madison Trust is a non-profit organization that helps preserve the
architectural and historical heritage of the greater Madison area through
advocacy and education. The Madison Trust Web site is at www.madisontrust.org

- end -

. . . . . . . . . . .

CONTACT: Michael Bridgeman, program committee, 334-8051 or mkbridgeman@tds.net

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

What? What is the CDA doing?

Why does WARF - the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery - want the CDA to give them $300,000 for their $180M bond project? And what is CDA going to do with those Lake Point Condos? And why don't they want to do what the federal government prefers which is to use Truman Olson for homeless programs? And why isn't it CDAs (the "Master Developer") problem if the Allied Drive project doesn't hire Allied Drive residents to do the work there? What? What? What?

First, let me say, going to a CDA meeting is infinitely frustrating. The agency that touted it openness during the Allied Drive process, is, at times, anything but. There is rarely enough materials for the public, the rooms are often crowded and difficult to hear in, and the information isn't available electronically linked on their agendas and even if it was linked, they often hold their meetings in rooms without wireless access. Oh, and when they go into closed session, Alders are not allowed to stay. Often Alders Kerr or Bruer give me their copies of materials after the discussion is over, and I appreciate that, but its no way to run a public meeting.

I have two huge sources of frustration in this regard to lack of information from their meeting last night.

WARF/WISCONSIN INSTITUTE FOR DISCOVERY
The first was this item that appeared on their agenda with no linked materials:

7a Consideration of a request from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation for the CDA to waive a portion of the required bond closing fee for the redevelopment project in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of University Avenue.

It was a little unclear what George Austin, the former Secretary of the CDA, was asking the CDA to do. Apparently, their project, for which the CDA is providing/hosting a $180M bond, with $50M from the state and a gift of $50M (and maybe another $50M it was hard to tell) is asking the CDA to give WARF, a "non-profit", $300,000. Essentially, I think he was trying to say that the $600,000 fee that the CDA charges (1/3 of 1% of $180M) should be donated to WARF so that they could buy more science equipment for the Center because they're a non-profit and it would help their mission and it would be "exciting" for the City to be a part of this project. What's more interesting is the WARF has other options and could get bonding elsewhere, but the CDA offers double tax exempt bonds, saving WARF even more money.

If the CDA grants this request, it means they will have less money to do the things they need to do on Allied Drive, Lake Point, Villager, Truax, Truman Olson and who knows what else and ultimately, will come with their hands out to the City, and it's taxpayers - and we will likely fork it over. Do you think the CDA has the ability to just give away this money at this time? They wisely referred this to a later date for more thought.

LAKE POINT
The second issue was the Lake Point project. It's hard for me to share information with you because they didn't have copies of what they were talking about for the public, or the Mayor's office. It makes it very hard to follow the discussion when you can't see the spreadsheets they are referring to.

This is what appeared on their agenda with no linked materials:
5 DISCUSSION/ACTION REGARDING THE LAKE POINT CONDOMINIUM PROJECT

As I understand it, with a back of the envelope calculation and not enough facts available to the folks who were doing the calculations - if they take over the condo project the best case scenario they

• Would have $18,000 in holding costs per month
• Could make $664,000 if they sold everything immediately (yeah, right, in this condo market?)
• Have 37 months before they end up "upside down" (they love that phrase)

That's the best case scenario. But, there was all kinds of ifs. Concerns ranged from not knowing how many hidden costs there might be in liens and apparently there was $300,000 that might not be in the calculations. And, they're not certain the condos are priced at the right price.

If you ask me, they made a huge mistake when they didn't choose the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development to do this project. And now they have to clean up their mistake. I wonder how much this is going to cost us - um, I mean the CDA.

My frustration with the next two items was that even tho they were supposed to discuss these two items - they didn't.

TRUMAN OLSON
This one brings up a different frustration. No staff showed up, so they didn't talk about it. If I was a member of the public who showed up to hear what they had to say - and there was at least one person there - I would be mad that I wasted my time. Interestingly enough, the one thing they did say was that they were "on track" and determined to make this site "economic development". i.e. not transitional housing for the homeless.

MERGER
This item appeared on the agenda, with no links to any information:

8a Discussion regarding the Community Development Authority / Dane County Housing Authority (DCHA) Merger

The public was quickly informed that this was not going to be a discussion. They reported there was a meeting with the Mayor and there will be another one. Public not invited. Despite this warning, a few CDA member, and one Andy Heidt, managed to get in a few words. CDA members really wanted to know in what universe this was a good idea and what the thinking is. Apparently, the meeting that was had was just an identification of the possible issues that they should eventually discuss. And it was clear, they didn't want to get into that discussion now.

And here's one more gem from the meeting.

ALLIED DRIVE
There is growing concern that the City's promise to the residents of Allied Drive that they would get jobs out of the development that is happening in their neighborhood will not be honored. When chair Levitan asked about this, the response, through gritted teeth, from our Planning and Community and Economic Development Director and CDA Secretary Mark Olinger was:

Our job is to build the building. On budget. On time.

And then he quickly reminded them of the fast approaching deadlines and requirements that they have to meet to keep the tax credits they were awarded. Alder Kerr quickly asked for clarification and the explanation is that its the City's problem and she should talk to Larry Nelson about the public works (demolition and streets) part of the project.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Water Main Flushing Schedule

District 2 folks, see bolded info below:

Water Main Flushing plans beginning Friday, May 9 (all flushing is daytime unless otherwise noted)

Schedule map: http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/Documents/udf_schedule_citymap_links.pdf

North (Area 13) -- Between Iowa Dr and Wheeler Rd from Northview Dr to Sherman Ave THEN North of Wheeler and West of the Yahara River (Comanche Way, Menomonie Ln, etc.)

North (Area 15W) -- Between Pierstorff St and the Airport THEN between International Ln and Packers Ave from Government Rd to S. end Pankratz St

East (Area 25) -- Between Buckeye Red and Fredericksburg Ln from Hwy 90 to Sprecher Rd

West (Area 28) -- Heartland Trl, Deming Way, Fourier Dr, Excelsior Dr, and John Q Hammonds Dr, THEN between Deming Way and Bear Claw Way from Old Sauk Rd to Blackhawk Rd (TEMPORARILY ON STANDBY)

Downtown (Area 24E) -- Between E. Washington Ave and Sherman Ave from Brearly St to Thornton Ave

Downtown (Area 24W): NIGHTS -- Between John Nolen Dr and Gorham St from Butler St to Bassett St

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Well 12 Shut Down: The Details

Here's the details of the problems with Well 12:

Low chlorine prompts shutdown of Unit Well 12; leads to discovery of
fluoride pump failure

Unit Well 12 was taken out of service this morning due to a low chlorine
level observed at the well. Water Utility staff repaired the
chlorinator, then drained and refilled the 150,000-gallon reservoir.
During the repairs, staff observed that fluoride usage during the
preceding 24-hour period was higher than normal. About 25 gallons of
fluoride had been used compared to the normal 6-7 gallons per 24-hour
period. A malfunctioning anti-siphon valve on the fluoride feed system
is believed to be responsible for the high fluoride usage.

Unit Well 12 operated for 45 minutes this morning before it was taken
out of service. While out of service, the fluoride overfeed was
determined. It is believed that most if not all of the high fluoride
water was discharged into the sanitary sewer when the un-chlorinated
water was drained from the reservoir. As a precaution, water samples
were collected at six distribution system locations upon discovery of
the potential for high fluoride in the water distribution system. All
samples tested at or below 2.0 mg/L fluoride, with the majority testing
between 1.0 - 1.3 mg/L. Samples were collected at public buildings
including schools, libraries, a fire station, seasonal well, and
convenient store.

The fluoride feed pump and anti-siphon valve have been replaced, the
chlorinator repaired, and the well was placed back into service around
4:30 p.m. Water Utility staff continue to monitor the chlorine and
fluoride levels at the well to confirm that they are within range and
that the pumps and chemical feed systems are operating correctly.

Unit Well 12 is located on the near west side and generally serves the
area between Whitney Way and Lake Wingra, south of Regent Street and
north of Raymond Road.

Chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria and disinfect viruses
that may be present in the groundwater. The target chlorine level for
water leaving the well is 0.3 mg/L. Madison Water Utility standard
operating procedures require that a well be taken out of service when
the chlorine level at the well drops below 0.15 mg/L.

Fluoride is added to drinking water to promote dental health. The
target level is 1.1 mg/L.

Please contact the Water Utility at 266-4665 if you have any questions
or concerns.

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

New Plan to Manage our Dane County Shoreland

We all love our lakes. Here's some new plans to protect them and some public meetings to learn more and give input.

Public Listening Sessions to Provide Input for the
Draft Dane County Shoreland and Riparian Management Plan

Three opportunities are available for citizens to learn about and provide input to the newly drafted plan for Dane County Shoreland and Riparian Management. This plan attempts to create a flexible, yet rigorous, set of recommendations to better protect Dane County’s surface waters from near-shore impacts. The plan’s proposals are based on the principle that any management strategy must take into account the diverse characteristics, constraints and opportunities of the equally diverse waters in Dane County. One size does not fit all. It builds on the sound science and research of the Phase I Waterbody Classification Report, which classifies Dane County Waters into Urban, Developing and Rural categories, based on their physical characteristics and planned level of development.

The plan is designed to complement other ongoing county and regional programs operating on the site and watershed scales, such as agricultural nutrient, erosion control, urban stormwater and wastewater management programs. It fills in a critical gap by specifically addressing impacts to sensitive areas immediately adjacent to county surface waters. Dane County’s programs to minimize impacts from shoreland development or redevelopment have not kept pace with the county’s other efforts to control watershed-wide runoff or wastewater. This plan also intends to bring Dane County’s shoreland management program up to the same standard as current county urban erosion control, stormwater and agricultural soil and water conservation programs.

To learn about this draft plan and to provide input, attend any of the following public listening sessions held by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission:

Thurs, May 15 - Sun Prairie Community Room, 300 East Main St, Sun Prairie, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Wed, May 28 - Warner Park Community Center, 2930 Sherman Ave, Madison, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Thurs, May 29 - Verona Public Library, 500 Silent St, Verona, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

For more detailed information on the draft plan or project, visit the following website:

http://www.danewaters.com/management/water_body_classification.aspx

or contact: Brian Standing, Senior Planner, (608) 267-4115, standing@co.dane.wi.us

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Zoning Code Re-write . . . Yawn

It sounds boring, so why should you care? Well, because if all goes well many projects will not require special approvals before plan commission or the Common Council. That means there won't be a public input process. So what gets written into the code has to be done correctly and with care, because it will be what guides these developments. So, here's your chance to get in the game early. The first set of Community Meetings are coming up:

Zoning Code Rewrite
Community Meetings
May 19, May 21, 2008

The City of Madison and its consultants will hold three community meetings as part of the ongoing Zoning Code Rewrite project. We invite you to pass on this information to other groups, individuals and organizations. Listed below are the meeting dates, times, and locations as well as a meeting agenda. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Rick Roll, project manager, by phone at 267-8732 or by e-mail at rroll@cityofmadison.com.

Community Meetings

May 19, 2008
Community Meeting – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Overture Center for the Arts
Wisconsin Studio
201 State Street
Madison

May 21, 2008
Community Meeting – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Warner Park Community Recreation Center
Community Rooms 1, 2, 3
1625 Northport Drive
Madison

May 21, 2008
Community Meeting – 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
MGE Innovation Center
Conference Room 50 A-D
University Research Park
510 Charmany Drive
Madison

Meeting Agenda

1. Check-in and Open House View map displays
2. Welcome and Introductions
3. Project Introduction – PowerPoint presentation introducing the project and preliminary findings
4. General Questions and Discussion of Process and Schedule
5. Small Group Break-Outs – Issue identification – issues associated with the current Zoning Code and related City regulations
6. Reconvene and Report Back
7. Next Steps
· Future Meetings
· How to Stay Involved
· For Further Information
8. Adjournment

Read more! (If this link doesn't work, click on the title of the article above.)

Common Council Recap: May 6, 2008

The Council meeting went until 8:00 last night and did, indeed, include a couple surprises.

First, we approved the honoring resolution for Hickory Hurie for his 30 years of service to the City. Tho, several city committees (CDBG, Housing Affordability Subcommittee and Inclusionary Zoning Oversight Committee) were interested in refusing his resignation. Between Dorothy Conniff and Hickory Hurie retiring, the city is losing quite a bit of experience in the Community Development Unit for the City. Hickory takes many, many years of experience with him and will be greatly missed. And the entire city owes him a huge debt of gratitude for making the City of Madison so much better than it would have been without him.

Second, we approved the honoring Helen Dietzler for her 11 years of work in the Clerk's Office. Apparently, she thought she was there for another matter. The resolution is quite amazing in that is quantifies the number of pounds of elections equipment she has moved over the years. Another big loss of experience, but she staying with the City and will be in the CDBG office.

We also declared it National Youth Week in Madison and named a piece of City property the Jessica Bullen Orchard and Quiet Garden for a woman who was hit by a car while riding her bicycle.

By this point, it was already 7:00 and we moved on to the rest of the agenda.

The council approved the McGrath Project on Broom which nearly everyone agreed was out character in mass and scale with the rest of the neighborhood. While the project looked nice, a significant chunk of the neighborhood had remaining concerns with the project. The council still approved it, despite the PUD criteria. I voted "no" along with Alder Rummel.

Next, we once again referred a bartenders license back to ALRC to consider the City attorney's information about what we need to find to deny a bartenders license.

Next was the police union contract. I separated to ask several questions. Things I learned as a result of those questions are as follows:

• We approved the police spending an additional $28,772 beyond what was approved in the budget for the people who were hired in the "accelerated" class to start at a higher pay scale than other new officers. They said that they would pay for this out of salary savings in other areas. Quite interesting given how much discussion the Clerk's Office position discussion later in the agenda.
• There is a committee that is looking at different scheduling for the police department, including moving to 4 10-hour shifts. That committee will review the yet-to-be-seen study that the council approved. Apparently there are some problems getting the report from the consultant - it was supposed to be here last November. Once the committee makes some recommendations, there will be a Memorandum of Understanding entered into.
  
• They are returning to a competitive hiring process for the Neighborhood Officers. These officers will be hired for a 4 year period of time.
  
• Police are paid 15 minutes of overtime for every shift that they work for "briefing". This overtime can be taken as pay or time off. They say it only costs us $200,000 each year, but that doesn't include the time taken.
• Apparently, these union contracts are the Mayor's contracts and staff doesn't feel that the council has a role to play in determining what goes into the contracts. Really? Apparently, we're just a rubber stamp and should stay out of it and when it comes to budget time, just approve whatever the staff negotiates. I'm wondering what the taxpayers think about that?
  

We referred the $10,000 for the financial education for Allied Drive back to the Emerging Neighborhood Committee. This funding did not follow the procedure we proscribed in the budget process. It might be a good project, but we did agree on a process that this funding did not go through.

The other items changing the budget and approving con