Friday, August 31, 2007
Mixed Messages
Yesterday, I grabbed dinner and a beer at the Great Dane after a meeting. I happened to be facing the window and saw the "beer bus" circulating around the outer loop several times. It kind of made me laugh. While the UW is so focused on the drinking habits of UW Students and how to change the culture of drinking on campus; the City is talking about limiting alcohol licenses downtown; the public and periphery alders are up in arms about the drag on police resources we have in the downtown area due to drinking on campus; and the police are warning students to be careful when drinking late night because Kelly Nolans killer is still on the lose; at the same time we have this "beer bus" circulating around downtown sending a much different message. Oh, the irony.
Read more!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
And then there were 5 . . .
A while ago I posted about the lack of women in top leadership positions in the City of Madison. And the trend continues. Yesterday the Mayor announced his intention to name Enis Ragland as the Interim Director of the Office of Community Services replacing 30 year veteran Dorothy Conniff. Out of about 31 positions, that only leaves the following women leading departments:
To add insult to injury, I'm kind of appalled that after 30 years Dorothy Conniff was making $90,000 but Enis Ragland will be doing the same job with only 16 years experience with the City of Madison and no where near the expertise in childcare issues that Dorothy Conniff had and he will be making $102,000. Read more!
- Library: Barbara Dimick
- Clerk's Office: Maribeth Witzel-Behl
- Department of Civil Rights: Lucia Nunez
- Fire Department: Debra Amesqua
- Senior Center: Christine Beatty
- Overture Center President: Tom Carto
- City Assessor: Mark Hanson
- Interim Water Utility Director: Larry Nelson
- Metro Transit General Manager: Charles Camp (formerly Catherine Debo)
- Public Health Director: Dr. Thomas Schlenker (formerly Kate Vedder)
- Inspection Unit: George Hank (formerly Linda Grubb)
- Office of Business Resources: Matthew Mikolajewski (formerly Katherine Naherny)
- Office of Community Services: Enis Ragland (formerly Dorothy Conniff)
- Human Resources: Brad Wirth (Interim was Roger Goodwin but permanent position was held by a woman)
To add insult to injury, I'm kind of appalled that after 30 years Dorothy Conniff was making $90,000 but Enis Ragland will be doing the same job with only 16 years experience with the City of Madison and no where near the expertise in childcare issues that Dorothy Conniff had and he will be making $102,000. Read more!
Wisconsin Poverty Rates Rising: 581,000 Living in Poverty
News from the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families about poverty rates in Wisconsin.
Read more!
Wisconsin Poverty Rates Rise Substantially, Increase Demands Comprehensive VisionHere's some of the "highlights" from the press release, if you can call them that:
U.S. Census Bureau figures released yesterday reveal that Wisconsin's poverty rate has increased in the last year by nearly a full percentage point. More than 581,000 Wisconsin residents, including 192,000 kids, now live below the federal poverty level. For more details, see the Wisconsin Council on Children & Families' press release. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's coverage of the poverty figures can be found here, and the Appleton Post-Crescent's article can be read here.
These figures make clear that we need a coordinated and strategic plan to address poverty in our state. The Vision 2020 Campaign (a partnership between WCCF, the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association, and the Wisconsin Head Start Association) provides a visionary yet practical approach to ending child poverty, a proactive emphasis on policy solutions that will make a difference, and a great way for the public, elected officials and organizations to get involved in a tangible, focused way. Click here to learn more about the Vision 2020 Campaign and to get involved.
- Thepoverty rate for all Wisconsin residents rose from 10.2 percent in 2005 to 11.0 percent
- In 2006 and the child poverty rate increased as well, from 13.9 percent in 2005 to 14.9 percent in 2006.
- There are more than 581,000 Wisconsin residents living in poverty
- The residents living in poverty include including 192,000 children
- The federal poverty level for a family of four in 2006 was $20,000.
- Some good news that there are 4,000 fewer children in Wisconsin were living in extreme poverty in 2006 than in 2005
- The total number of Wisconsin kids living in extreme poverty still stands at an alarming 80,000.
- Extreme poverty is defined as income less than 50% of the federal poverty threshold ($10,000/year for a family of four in 2006).
- While there was a 3.5 percent increase in the median household income level, from $47,105 in 2005 to $48,772 in 2006. Median household income for African Americans actually fell from $26,318 to $26,161 while the median income for Whites rose from $49,244 to $50,794.
- 12.4 percent of families with children under age 18 are living in poverty, up from 11.5 in 2005.
- 32.5 percent of Wisconsin’s African American families are living below the poverty level.
- 24.3 percent of Wisconsin’s Hispanic families are living below the poverty level.
- Education and training that meets the specific needs of Wisconsin families and new businesses by providing targeted training to potential employees.
- Improve the effectiveness of the state’s economic development incentives for businesses to ensure the public investments made are producing family supporting jobs.
- Continue to find ways to reach the more that 550,000 uninsured people in Wisconsin.
- Support and improve policies that help negate the effects of poverty on children, specifically quality early education opportunities for every child in Wisconsin.
- Maintain Wisconsin’s critical income support programs, including child care tuition assistance, BadgerCare and Medicaid, the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, Homestead Tax Credit, and food security programs.
Read more!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Another Mayor's Staff Person Recommended for City Position - UPDATED!!
Here's the news. I guess the rumors were true. That reminds me, again, what happened to that committee that was supposed to be set up? It's almost been another two months with no action.
Ugh, to add insult to injury, check out this line from the Wisconsin State Journal.
So, someone who does the job for 30 years gets paid less than a political appointment?! Read more!
From: Mayor
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 4:17:07 PM
To: ALL ALDERS; Dept Division Heads; All Agency Heads; CS GROUP; [other individuals deleted - I think they were all Community Services Committee members]
Cc: MY GROUP
Subject: Office of Community Services Interim Director
I am pleased to announce that I have named mayoral assistant Enis Ragland to lead the Office of Community Services (OCS) on an interim basis for the next year. Enis met with OCS staff earlier today to give them the news.
As many of you know, Enis is a longtime City government veteran, with 16 years of experience. He is no stranger to OCS, having served for 14 years as the mayoral liaison to OCS under three different administrations. His experience and commitment to the mission of OCS will be an asset to the agency and the community.
I am making this interim appointment because, given the retirement of longtime OCS Director Dorothy Conniff, this seemed like a good opportunity to review the mission of OCS and its relationship with CDBG. I will take the coming year to discuss this subject with City staff, organizations served by OCS, and other members of the community. I will not be proposing changes to the structure of OCS as part of my 2008 operating budget. I may not propose any changes at all. However, I do want to review the issue before making any long-term decisions about the future leadership of OCS.
Enis will begin his work at OCS in late September, pending Common Council budget authorization.
I am grateful for Enis' service to my office, and I hope you will all join me in wishing him well in his new role at OCS.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Room 403
Madison, WI 53703
608.266.4611
mayor@cityofmadison.com
Ugh, to add insult to injury, check out this line from the Wisconsin State Journal.
Ragland would begin his new job in late September, pending City Council approval. His annual salary would remain $102,206, compared with Conniff 's salary of $90,681, Cieslewicz spokesman George Twigg said.
So, someone who does the job for 30 years gets paid less than a political appointment?! Read more!
Meeting Tonight: Should we just tear down the of neighborhood?
The James Madison Park Neighborhood between N Butler St. and the Capitol is a small neighborhood and one of the first that were built in the City of Madison. There are two developments that are being proposed for this area that would tear down several houses in the neighborhood, including the site of one of the first hospitals in the City of Madison.
The first project, I've blogged about before (this blog has some of the history of the neighborhood) and has been through a bit of the City process. This project proposes to remove 1 house, demolish 2 Houses and 3 garages, and Build 4-Story Apartment Building at 119, 123 & 125 North Butler Street and 120 & 124 North Hancock Street. And one of the houses may be moved to the corner of E Johnson and Blair. The meeting is Monday, September 10th at 7:00 at Gates of Heaven (small buidling on the west end of James Madison Park at 302 E Gorham). More information available here.
The second is a new proposal that would tear down housing on the 300 block between E Johnson and E Gorham, this is the block where the Pinkus McBride grocery store is. The details of this proposal are still in the development phases. This meeting is tonight at 7:00 at Gates of Heaven.
If you live in the neighborhood or know anyone who lives in the neighborhood and they want to get involved, please have them contact me. Read more!
The first project, I've blogged about before (this blog has some of the history of the neighborhood) and has been through a bit of the City process. This project proposes to remove 1 house, demolish 2 Houses and 3 garages, and Build 4-Story Apartment Building at 119, 123 & 125 North Butler Street and 120 & 124 North Hancock Street. And one of the houses may be moved to the corner of E Johnson and Blair. The meeting is Monday, September 10th at 7:00 at Gates of Heaven (small buidling on the west end of James Madison Park at 302 E Gorham). More information available here.
The second is a new proposal that would tear down housing on the 300 block between E Johnson and E Gorham, this is the block where the Pinkus McBride grocery store is. The details of this proposal are still in the development phases. This meeting is tonight at 7:00 at Gates of Heaven.
If you live in the neighborhood or know anyone who lives in the neighborhood and they want to get involved, please have them contact me. Read more!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Lakes. When are we flooding?
This is interesting stuff . . . things we take for granted and usually don't have to think about cuz the engineers take care of it for us.
From: Nelson, LarryRead more!
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 11:00:44 AM
To: Dept Division Heads; ALL ALDERS; Ruckriegel, Ed; Cryan, Kathy;
Fahrney, John; Manning, Bryan; Dailey, Mike; Bachmann, Christy;
Hoffman, Jeanne
Subject: Lake Elevations
Lake Monona has crested at elevation 847.48 at 3:00 pm, Monday afternoon, August 27, 2007. The regional flood elevation of Lake Monona is 848 but the highest level on record was sustained June 15, 2000 at 847.48.
As a result of the unexpected rainfall events of yesterday, Dane County has reduced the discharge from Lake Mendota to about 130 cfs (cubic feet per second), as measured on the Yahara River at E. Main Street. At 7:00 pm, Monday, August 27, 2007, there were 285 cfs flowing into Lake Mendota at STH 113.
Lake Mendota crested at 851.81 around 10:00 am Saturday, August 25, 2007. The Lake maintained an elevation of 851.80 at 7:00 pm, Monday, August 27, 2007. The 100 – Year Regional Flood is currently 852 but the WDNR has a proposal under consideration to increase that elevation to 853. The previous highest level on record was sustained June 7, 2000 at elevation 852.74.
The lakes are being managed in accordance with the long-term strategy of holding water in Lake Mendota and attempting to release water from Lakes Monona and Waubesa as quickly as possible.
The City of Monona has had to sandbag portions of its Belle Isle neighborhood and other areas. The City of Middleton has sandbagged areas along Lake Mendota north of James Marshall Park.
City Engineering has placed sand bags and sand at six locations. Engineering has a mechanical sand bagger, which was delivered to the Town of Windsor yesterday. We will retrieve the machine if required by City residents.
We have had a few reports of damage to structures. FEMA will be assessing damage to Dane County today, preparatory to a disaster declaration by the federal government. Refer all reports of damage to Building Inspector George Hank and his staff.
What Can We Do to Reduce this Risk?
The lakes are operated in accordance with the order of WDNR which the following web page details:
http://co.dane.wi.us/landconservation/papers/lakes/DNR-3-SD-77-808.pdf
Lakes elevations are established to balance competing interests of the riparian owners, the boating /recreation interests and the environmental concerns, including fish propagation and protection of wetlands. The high water elevations, which cause “bogs” to dislodge from the bottom and float with the current, have significantly diminished the Cherokee wetlands.
We believe that this current situation would have been less of a concern had we been able to maintain a lake elevation one-foot lower than the maximum summer elevation established for both Lakes Monona and Mendota. We have sent a letter to the WDNR requesting a review of the order and that review is underway.
Another action that we need to develop additional information is the railroad bridge at the mouth of the Yahara River and Lake Waubesa. Kevin Connors, Director of the Dane County Land Conservation Department, reports that the bridge (railroad trestle) restricts the flow of the river as much as 0.5 feet. During high water periods, the “head loss” at the bridge increases the elevation of Lake Monona over Lake Waubesa. It has been proposed to install a new bridge that would increase the capacity of channel, facilitate boating, and widen the bridge to accommodate bike/pedestrian traffic.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Water Utility Resignation Is A Start.
I gotta agree with Bill Leuders. Well, kinda. I'm not sad about seeing Gonzalez leave, in fact, it wasn't soon enough. David Denig-Chakroff is a different story.
I have mixed feelings about him leaving. On the one hand, he's the boss and the buck stops there and ultimately, he's responsible for what went on at the Water Utility. On the other hand, while I'm not there on a daily basis, I get the feeling that the problem was with some other top managers. So, I'm not sure much is going to change in the immediate future. I've been asked to name names, and I don't feel comfortable doing that as I do not have first hand knowledge, but it seems rather widely known that there are at least two other people that are a problem, and some people think there are three or four more. I don't know where it stops, but I don't think the problems at the water utility end until there is a major attitude change with a few employees.
I am somewhat hopeful that Larry Nelson, who was named interim manager, can help start a process of evaluating what the issues are. I don't know how quickly, if at all, disciplinary action can be taken there. And maybe the problem employees will act differently with Nelson in charge. One thing is clear, there is an attitude problem with some and some questionable hiring practices that have gone on for a while. These issues need to be addressed and if Mr. Nelson doesn't do it, the person who gets hired to be the Water Utility Manager is going to have their hands full until there are some bigger changes.
Finally, to be clear, this is about the top management, not the workers at the utility. The situation is alot like with the Police Department, where the Police and Fire Commission makes the hiring decisions, not the Mayor and the Common Council. The on-the-street workers can do their jobs and do them well, but if there are bad management decisions made, the whole department looks bad. Hopefully, at least in the case of the Water Utility, things are starting to change. Read more!
I have mixed feelings about him leaving. On the one hand, he's the boss and the buck stops there and ultimately, he's responsible for what went on at the Water Utility. On the other hand, while I'm not there on a daily basis, I get the feeling that the problem was with some other top managers. So, I'm not sure much is going to change in the immediate future. I've been asked to name names, and I don't feel comfortable doing that as I do not have first hand knowledge, but it seems rather widely known that there are at least two other people that are a problem, and some people think there are three or four more. I don't know where it stops, but I don't think the problems at the water utility end until there is a major attitude change with a few employees.
I am somewhat hopeful that Larry Nelson, who was named interim manager, can help start a process of evaluating what the issues are. I don't know how quickly, if at all, disciplinary action can be taken there. And maybe the problem employees will act differently with Nelson in charge. One thing is clear, there is an attitude problem with some and some questionable hiring practices that have gone on for a while. These issues need to be addressed and if Mr. Nelson doesn't do it, the person who gets hired to be the Water Utility Manager is going to have their hands full until there are some bigger changes.
Finally, to be clear, this is about the top management, not the workers at the utility. The situation is alot like with the Police Department, where the Police and Fire Commission makes the hiring decisions, not the Mayor and the Common Council. The on-the-street workers can do their jobs and do them well, but if there are bad management decisions made, the whole department looks bad. Hopefully, at least in the case of the Water Utility, things are starting to change. Read more!
Your Chance to Impact the Water Utility
This is from a neighborhood listserve and I thought I'd share it. Thanks to Dan Melton for getting this information together:
WANTED: Three new Water Utility Board membersRead more!
Interested in serving on the Water Utility Board? Get an application in to The Mayor's Office by this Wednesday August 29 .
You need to fill out a short City of Madison Committee Appointment Application - Click on http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/pdfs/commappt.pdf
- same as you would for any other city committee or commission - and return To: The Mayor's Office.
It used to be called the "Board of Water Commissioners" and have 5 voting members. It will now be called the "Water Utility Board" and have 7 voting members.
The Mayor and city council will appoint two new members - plus a replacement for Board Chair Percy Mather, who retires at the end of September = Total: 3 new members.
The city plans to have the three new members appointed in time for the October board meeting.
Real E-mail: Bill O'Reilly Fans
Every once in a while I get an email from a right-wing nut I just can't help replying to. Check out his exchange:
Random Email we received:
1. Put an actual address (preferably yours!) in there so that we can see you are from Madison or just put Madison if you don't want to leave your address.
2. Actually leave contact information like your email address.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I usually don't spend time responding to some of those emails and then occasionally the person actually ends up being from Madison and they might actually have a a relevant point. So, leave your email address if you want a response.
Here's another one of my recent favorites from another nutcase from out of state. I wonder if he's another Bill O'Reilley fan:
Read more!
Random Email we received:
From a U.S. 20+ year military veteran! What the hell is wrong with you being a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, aliens, and undocumented workers. I didn't defend this great country of ours to have idiots like yourself disregard the law or let others do so.It seemed rather out of the blue and not relevant to any recent actions so my reply was:
Mr. Anderson
What the hell are you talking about?His brilliant response:
Alder Brenda Konkel
Madison, WI
Hey Jerk, check out this website you uniformed idiot!So I reply:
http://www.billoreilly.com/blog;jsessionid=9D867519559BDC C55BCDB8E353B0EB70?action =viewBlog&blogID=36205614153235 3188
Mr. Anderson
Heh! You call getting info from Bill O'Reilly being informed? You're right, I don't read his blog and don't intend to.And his response:
Maybe next time you can be more specific about your complaint. Do you even have any idea what policies we have in place that landed us on that page?
No, but please elaborate and let me know those policies and who I can contact to try to get these bogus policies rescinded. Bill O'Reilly is a class act, much more reliable than left wing, liberals like the Daily Kos, CNN, etc.And at this point, I couldn't help myself:
Why don't you ask Bill O'Reilly?I'm still not sure why I wasted my time replying. I guess it is because usually these people don't leave any contact information. Its interesting, cuz we get these crazy right-wing emails from people who don't live in Madison and usually don't leave any contact information. However, it does make a good point. If you actually want alders to respond to your comments off the City Council website, two things are extremely helpful:
1. Put an actual address (preferably yours!) in there so that we can see you are from Madison or just put Madison if you don't want to leave your address.
2. Actually leave contact information like your email address.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I usually don't spend time responding to some of those emails and then occasionally the person actually ends up being from Madison and they might actually have a a relevant point. So, leave your email address if you want a response.
Here's another one of my recent favorites from another nutcase from out of state. I wonder if he's another Bill O'Reilley fan:
The next time I have a bad case of the "runs", I am going to visit your stupid city and make a deposit!
Read more!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Operating Budget Highlights for Proposed Department Budgets
When we get the operating budget, the information is a summary of quite a bit of information and we have very little detail. As a result, the first thing we look at is the budget highlights that the agencies submit. Here are the summaries for the departments that submitted them to the Mayor. The full information is not easily accessible to the public and the alders were not given it until I requested it and we finally got a copy on Friday. Here's what the "3% reduction" for some departments (Police, Fire, Clerk, Overture and several others essentially excluded) yielded. More on that soon. Meanwhile, this is mostly just a cut and paste job, so there are some spelling errors that I didn't take the time to fix. Note, not all departments provided these summaries so some are missing. I'll provide more information as I wade through the cd full of files that we received.
City Attorney’s Office
1. In order to meet the request for a base budget reduction of 3%, we must lay off 1.5 attorney positions for 2008. We anticipate that the failure to have these positions filled would negate the resources we have dedicated to our Nuisance Abatement Program, as well as our ability to effectively prosecute ordinance violations in Municipal Court. The layoffs would have another deleterious effect. The City Attorney has made a commitment to increasing the diversity of the OCA. Since layoffs are made in reverse order of seniority, this means that one minority Assistant City Attorney in our office would be laid off.
2. In addition to the 2% budgeted salary savings that all departments are expected to have, we will meet an additional 2.72% through known salary savings throughout 2008, including two employees who work approved schedules of less than full time. The total for salary savings, outside of the layoffs above, is projected to be 4.72%.
Department of Civil Rights
1. Reduction on one Clerk Typist position to 75%
2. Funds for a contract with the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison for fair housing testing ($30,000)
3. Reallocation of expenses among services based on fte's.
4. Elimination of the BNA electronic fair employment practices from the Bureau of National Affairs ($4,000)
Overture – No 3% Cut
1. The City's subsidy for the Overture Center, is determined by the Operational and Cooperation Agreement. The amount is adjusted annually by the inflation factor used for the Expenditure Restraint Program (ERP). The inflation factor for 2008 is 2.3%, resulting in a subsidy of $1,720,185, some of which is funded from the Transient Occupancy Tax Fund.
2. Funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes in the amount of $477,383.
3. Continued support for arts education programs. OnStage Programming, for example, will provide approximately 50 performances for school age children with anticipated attendance of 50,000 students, teachers and parents from public, private and home schools throughout south-central Wisconsin.
4. Continued support for community outreach at Overture Center including free and low-cost performances and events such as Kids in the Rotunda, Children's Art Festival, Musical Memories, Overture after Work, Artist Workshops, Take 10 Program, Meet the Artist, Duck Soup Cinema, and the International Festival. In addition, Overture provides free galleries for Dane County artists. These programs and concerts are further supported through grants and sponsorships by local foundations and corporations.
5. Continued economic support in the community, region, and state. In 2005, Overture Center and its residents had total direct spending of $37,532,933 and supported 1,395 FTE jobs. Overture audiences paid $608,132 in sales tax on performance tickets in 2005.
6. The addition of 5 positions - Graphic Artist Assistant (50%), Account Tech 2, Planning-Systems Analyst, Sales Associate, and Admin Clerk 1. These positions either generate revenue or provide support to revenue generating positions.
7. Establishing the authorized permanent staff positions for Overture Center. All other amounts are provided as informational. The Madison Cultural Arts District may transfer funds between accounts as necessary to keep the City subsidy at the authorized level and/or to accommodate actual revenues and expenditures while
Monona Terrace
1. The 2008 requested budget includes a 3.85% cut in the operating expense subsidy funded by the Room Tax over the 2007 budget, reducing it to $2,812,862. This reduction in the subsidy comes with an increase in revenues of 3.0% in total revenues over budget 2007, despite losing over $385,000 in net revenues from EPIC in 2008. The decrease in subsidy was also achieved by a 1.75% cut in overall operating expense from 2007 budget levels. The decrease in subsidy exceeds the Mayor's request of a 3% reduction by $25,000.
2. The inter-agency expenses increased 2.4% including an increase in PILOT of $6,600 over 2007 budget. The increase in WRS debt service interest of 3.03% for the Prior Service Obligation Loan and 3.34% in the WRS Prior Service Obligation Loan-Principal Debt Service represents the additional increase.
3. Continued support of community outreach efforts at Monona Terrace including approximately 77 free community programs. Programs include free use of the Hall of Fame room by Dane County non-profit organizations and quality community concerts and events supported through grants and sponsorships by local foundations and corporations.
4. Funding of $126,690 for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for direct marketing of Monona Terrace. In 2008, it is estimated that the GMCVB will book approximately $700,000 in convention and conference contract revenues from their direct marketing efforts on behalf of Monona Terrace. In 2005 and 2006 , similar groups generated $85.3 million in economic benefits to Madison, Dane County and the State of Wisconsin based on the Monona Terrace Community and Economic Impact Study prepared by Virchow Krause & Company.
5. Establishing the authorized level of City subsidy for Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in 2008 and establishing the authorized permanent staff positions as adopted. All other amounts, except permanent salary and debt service, are provided as informational in order to determine the authorized subsidy level and may, in the course of the year, be adjusted by the City Comptroller to reflect income generated by Monona Terrace, if such adjustments do not increase the authorized level of subsidy or increase debt service.
The agency submitted no supplemental budget requests.
Community Services
1. Cuts to meet the Mayor's budget target:
· Community Resources - $104,433; 3% of the 2007 budget.
· Child Care Assistance - $71,845; 3% of the remaining budget. With a very small budget and few discretionary items, we have few choices.
2. A reduction in the salary level of the Community Services Supervisor to the level of Step 4.
3. Nine budget supplemental requests, to restore cuts made to meet the target, maintain program levels, and fund losses due to the termination of grant funds, and provide for some program expansions mainly to meet inflationary costs.
Library – No 3% Cut
1. Revenues: a 3% reduction from the 2007 library levy; expected COLA increases and an increase in debt service for the new Sequoya Branch capital project. Also included are projected reimbursements from Dane County and adjacent counties for use of Madison's libraries by people who don't live in Madison.
Expenditures: increases in utilities, rent, maintenance/service contracts, PC replacements and debt service; salaries and benefits to maintain current staff; the base budget for books and library materials is reduced nearly 40% from the 2004-2007 level.
2. Supplemental Initiative requests, as follows:
1) $413,568 to maintain the budget for books and other library materials at last year's level -- $1,050,000.
2) $97,603 to increase hours at the South Madison Branch Library.
3) $118,392 to increase hours at the Hawthorne Branch Library.
Planning
1. Reduce Neighborhood Grants from $223,000 to $163,000 to achieve the budget target.
CDBG
1. City-supported funding at 97% of the 2007 'base' for neighborhood-focused services and for homeless prevention and reduction servicees., and an estimated Federal and state funding level at 100% of the 2007 base. About 88% of the total budget, including continuing projects and revolving funds, are derived from non-local sources.
2. Authorization to allocate reprogrammed and other HUD-approved funds for continuing CDBG, ESG, and HOME-funded projects for the first two quarters of 2008, through revisions to previously approved Action Plans, and allocate later-approved funds to those or to new projects during the latter part of the year, provided the total budgeted amount per project does not exceed the amount approved by the Common Council upon adoption of ths budget.
3. Community Development Office staff participation in Neighborhood Resource Teams as part of a City-wide effort to improve the quality, delivery, and coordiantion of City services to resdients.
The Office submitted $72,308 in supplmental requests, of which __________is included in the Executive budget.
Economic and Community Development
1. Adding the Office of Business Resources Service and the Street Vending to our Division.
2. A supplement for sick leave payout for the potential retirement of staff in 2008.
3. A supplement for "Jobs For a Future".
4. Increased billings to the SR Funds.
Madison City Channel
1. Exclusion of funding for closed captioning of coverage of Madison Common Council meetings.
Comptroller
1. Salary savings budgeted at 2.9% which will be achieved by managing vacancies as they occur.
2. The transfer of the position of Safety Coordinator from the Human Resources Department to the Comptroller's Office. Expenditures for this position are included in Service 6000 - Risk Management.
3. New inter-agency billing to the Department of Public Health - Madison and Dane County in the amount of $30,700 to provide services from the Administrative Support Team and Document Services.
4. The agency submitted two suppplemental requests totaling $182,500. However, this amount is offset with anticipated revenue to the General Fund of $700,000.
IT
1. The 2008 budget includes funding for a new 1.0 FTE position approved in the 2007 budget ;but, not funded until 2008.
2. All 39.0 authorized positions are fully funded for the full year.
3. Includes revenue from TRACS Grant of $26470 distributed between Permanent Salaries, Overtime and Fringe Benefits.
Assessor
1. The 2008 operating budget request reflect a 3% reduction in expenditures compared to the 2007 budget.
2. To assist in reaching our 2008 target amount, salary savings was increased from 2.0% to 3.50%.
3. In the 2008 Operating Budget, I am proposing a change in the organizational structure of the City Assessor’s Office. Necessitating this change is a series of on-going problems caused by a management structure that is no longer suited for the agency now that the Department of Revenue has been dissolved. I am proposing a structure that was previously in place that functioned much more effectively than the current structure by adding balance to the supervisory workload.
4. We request that the Administrative Clerk I position be restored in the 2008 Operating Budget. To achieve the target budget, we needed to eliminate this position. The primary responsibilites of this position are data entry of residential property information, front line customer service including answering the telephone, scheduling inspection appointments, answering office policies inquires, walk in for assessment information, and work on special projects during peak periods. With the deletion of this position, a gap has occured in the responsibilities within the Assessor's Office. The Assessor's Office assess approximately 70,000 real estate parcels. In a typical year, approximately 2,500 interior inspections are scheduled for the residential appraisers.
Senior Center
1. The basic operation of the Madison Senior Center. The City of Madison pays for building expenses, staff salaries/benefits and related supplies. Rental income from the use of the building by community groups and the public offsets the costs of the basic operation.
In addition, approximately $50,000 is raised by the Board of Directors for programs and activities. Generated by participant fees, community gifts, donations, fundraising and grants, and since 2006, by the Senior Center Foundation, these funds are not included in this budget.
The budget includes a grant funded position from the National Council on Aging, RespectAbility Program, received in March 2007. Not included in this budget is the grant funded position from the Madison Community Foundation for Intergenerational Programs which ends December 2007. These programs will not continue, unless Supplemental Request #1 is funded. This Request is a priority item identified by the Senior Center Board of Directors.
Human Resources
1. Deletion of funding for one Personnel Analyst 2 position.
2. Supplements to restore Personnel Analst 2 position either at 100% or 80%.
Municipal Court
1. Funding for a continuation of existing services.
2. The largest expenditure in purchased services is for collecting unpaid forfeiture judgements on behalf of the City which brings in revenue for the City that is not reflected in the Municipal court budget.
Public Health
This 2008 Operating Budget is the first annual budget for Public Health-Madison and Dane County—the merger of the Dane County Division of Public Health and the Madison Department of Public Health. Many Public Health programs have already been merged. Beginning in January 2008 the merger will be complete and the last pieces put into place.
The Mayor and the County Executive and their staffs worked together to give Public Health a common budget target. This operating budget meets their requirements.
This budget continues Public Health programs that were previously found in the two separate budgets. The one change is in Animal Services—the County Humane Officers were merged with the City’s Animal Control unit in March 2007. This budget includes one new full-time officer and cuts back on the use of part-time staff.
With the merger, the Department is seeking to put a uniform licensing system into place. All sanitarians now carry tablet computers and enter data into an electronic data system. This will require far less staff time to maintain while giving better access to information. The merger allows for the implementation of a uniform enforcement system, to focus on high-risk food items and establishments. Other benefits will be the County-wide implementation of the Safe Food Crew operator training program and the availability of timely information on food safety for all food operators with the Foodfacts newsletter. The cost of merging and collocating the two environmental health programs and creating uniform standards will be covered through increased license and permit fees.
There is increasing awareness of the seriousness of water borne illnesses such as Cryptosporidium and E. coli transmitted at public bathing facilities. The merger will allow Public Health to have uniform standards across the County for commercial swimming pools, including monthly water testing.
The WIC caseload has steadily increased each year. Since the two WIC programs were collocated in May 2007, there has been an increase of 300 cases. There has not been a corresponding increase in staff. This budget uses some of the increased revenue Public Health will be receiving from the increased caseload to hire a Dietetic Specialist.
This merger has been a huge challenge. While there have been some bumps along the road, but it has been accomplished without major upheavals. Most programs are already functionally merged, with County and City staff working side-by-side. This operating budget is one of the last steps in completing this merger.
Clerk
This 2008 budget request is based on an expenditure reduction of three percent.
The biggest expenses in this budget request are associated with the 2008 Presidential Election. The Clerk will try to minimize overtime and postage expenses by offering voter registration drives during Open Registration, and extending office hours to accommodate absentee voting in the City Clerk's Office.
Treasurer
1. The 2008 budget request includes a 3% reduction in expenditures compared to the 2007 budget.
2. Interagency charges for webbilling and services to city agencies.
3. To reach our 2008 target amount, our fees and contracts were reduced through new pricing structures.
4. A supplemental request was submitted for postage costs. With the new US Postal Service fee structure, the costs for mailing tax bills, accounts payables, and animal licenses have increased more than 5%.
5. A supplemental request was submitted for Credit Card fees. With the convenience of online payments for consumers, our fees have increased substantially. The adjustment to the budget amountl must reflect the actual charges.
Metro Transit
In 2006, Metro provided over 12.0 million rides - its highest ridership level in 20 years. The proposed budget expands upon this sucess by maintaining services within the City of Madison for 2008. The Budget includes:
1. Proposed increases in fare tariffs to maintain current service levels for the City of Madison. The proposed fare tariff changes are as follows:
Adult Cash - $1.50 to $2.00
Senior/Disabled Cash - $0.75 to $1.00
Adult 10-Ride Card - $12.00 to $15.00
Senior 10-Ride Card - $7.50 to $10.00
31-Day Pass - $47.00 to $50.00
One-Day Pass - $3.40 to $4.00
Paratransit Cash Fare - Non-peak fare would be eliminated
Special Event - $4.00 to $5.00
It is estimated that the proposed fare tariff changes will provide $476,000 in additional revenue.
2. Additional funding of $600,000 to offset the escalating cost of diesel fuel.
3. Funding to lease additional office space to alleviate overcrowding that is occuring with the occupation of the current Maintenance and Administrative building for office employees.
4. A reduction in heating costs due to the installation of a garage door system in the Maintenance facility between the maintenance service area and the bus storage faciltiy as part of the City's Natural Step program.
5. Request to add 5 additional vehicles to the total number of buses that are authorized to participate in the two year full-wrap pilot project. This change will result in $50,000 in additional advertising revenue.
6. Reduce Sunday service hours from approximately 16.5 hours to 8 hours to provide $272,700 in savings.
Public Works and Transportation
1. Continuation of the additional incremental salary and benefits of the City Engineer for service as the Director of Public Works and Transportation.
The agency submitted no supplemental budget requests.
Traffic Engineering
1. $10,000 for funding of maintenenance and support of the Intelligent Transportation System. This system uses electronic message signs and traffic condtion cameras to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety. Traffic Engineering pays the State per contract for the annual operation of this system.
2. We are requesting salary and benefit funding for a 1.0 FTE Traffic Control Maintenance Worker position. Wisconsin One-call: Diggers Hotline is a service where an individual or contractor may request that all underground utilities be marked during excavation. State law requires that TE personnel respond to to an excavation notice within 3 working days by marking the location of transmission facilities (street light conduit etc) . In addition, TE is required to provide emergency locater service within 24 hours after receiving a request for that service. One-call requests have increased from 3,048 in 2000 to 3,995 in 2006 (31% increase). One-call marking for electrical conduit requires considerable electrical experience and is a time consuming procedure.
3. We are requesting salary and benefit funding for 1.0 FTE Traffic Control Maintenance Worker. This employee responsibilities will largely pertain to bike facilities, graffiti removal, and trafic calming signage and marking. This request is in response to proposals made by Mayor’s Platinum Biking Committee Draft Report. This report will call for biclyle related devices. Furthermore, the removal of graffiti from city signs is a an increasing task. Lastly, the city has a growing inventory of traffic control devices that require perpertual maintenance.
Parking Utility
1. Advertising funds to help change the public perception of a lack of downtown parking
2, $500,000 to improve interior and exterior parking wayfinding signage
3. Credit card fees have increased from about $100,000 in 2004 to $207,000 in 2008
4. Funding of $31,000 for Transportation Demand Management
5. Payment of PILOT will be over $1 million and a payment of $190,000 to the city for usage of on-street parking stalls
6. $131,000 in consulting fees to design customer friendly and efficient facilities
Parks
A reduction of $403,000 in our operating budget to meet the required 3% cut plus absorbing various cost increases in other portions of the budget such as permanent salaries (reclasses, steps, longevity and benefits). To achieve this target, we are proposing three initiatives:
The first is an unfortunate reduction of FT and PT staff reducing the various parts of our budget by $763,601. These positons include reducing the Cemetery Admin Clerk from FT to a 50% position saving $39,672. This position will become vacant due to a retirement. Eliminating a Clerk Typist at Warner Park saving $49,111 with a minor offset of hourly charges. We will delay the hiring to fill three other positions that will become vacant due to retirements saving $85,500. We will have to eliminate 7 PWMW1 positions saving $439,675. We will eliminate 1 Equip. Oper 2 positon saving $54,036. We will reduce hourly employees by $95,607. The FT positions listed above, except for the retirements, will require eliminating positons that are currently occupied. This number reflects wages and benefits.
The secong initiative involves service reductions. The Parks leadership team has identified activities that will have the lowest impact on our customers or that can meet customer needs by participating at a near-by city location. Beside the staff savings shown above, there will be utility savings for gas, electricity and water which are reflected in our line items. These service reductions are: Eliminating lifeguard staffing at Esther Beach, Bernie's Beach and James Madison Park. Eliminating ice skating at Goodman Park, Westmoreland Park, Garner Park and Warner Park. Eliminating the XC ski rental operation and concession operation at Odana Golf Course. Grooming will continue.
The third initiative is focused on new revenue. We are proposing a new parking fee at Warner Park for all Mallards home games and other major events in the park. The fee would be $5 / car. To reduce our cost of collecting this fee, we would bid out this work to a local non-profit organization who would staff it with volunteers in exchange for a percentage of the gross revenue. This model is in place in Sioux City and many organizations bid on the chance to receive this revenue. Our estimated revenue to the city is in the $125,000 range.
We are also proposing a minor increase in the following areas: Boat Ramp Fees, Shelter Reservations, Parking Tickets, and Special Services. Our anticipated new revenue would be $48,100. We also need to initiate a new fee with MSCR to recover our expenses associated with provided facilities to them for programs such as day camps.
Streets
1. An increase from three to four inches to the standard snowfall accumulation by which city-wide general plowing operations will be performed. General plowing operations are conducted after safe driving conditions are achieved on the City's arterial streets, hills, and side street intersections. General plowing operations are conducted on the remaining City side streets and require the City's full complement of plow trucks and additional private equipment. By increasing the amount of snowfall required before general plowing operations are conducted on City side streets, it is estimated that one less general plowing operation will be required, representing a budget reduction of $158,473.
2. Elimination of the litter container route. As part of the solid waste service, the Waste Oil drop off sites are serviced twice weekly. In addition various heavily used litter containers throughout the City are emptied twice weekly. Elimination of this program will result in the loss of a separate collection for these containers. Budget reduction of $47,957.
3. Elimination of sealcoating of the City's unimproved streets. Currently, unimproved streets in the City of Madison are prepped and sealcoated on an approximate five year rotation. Budget reduction of $210,000.
4. Elimination of overtime used for snow and ice sanding operations after midnight. Budget reduction of $88,239.
5. Elimination of overtime hours for clearing snow and ice from cross walks. Walks will be cleared after all plowing, salting and sanding operations have been completed. Budget reduction of $52,280.
6. Reduce funding for public education regarding Streets Division services by $75,000.
Reduce funding for purchased services by $37,000 for the EnAct program, Community Adolescent program and landscaping.
Water Utility
1. Funding for continuation of existing services.
2. Increased funding for our unidirectional flushing program to $400,000. In 2007 we budgeted $220,000 for the unidirectional flushing program.
3. The utility will be filing a formal rate case with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in 2008 and the revenue figures in the 2008 operating budget request include an estimated 8% rate increase. The rate increase is projected to be phased in beginning with the August 2008 billing and the full 8% increase will be effective with the February 2009 billing. Our last full rate increase was granted in August of 2007 and averaged 16%. We will begin phasing in this rate increase with the October 2007 billing and it will be fully implemented with the April 2008 bills.
4. A revenue bond issue of approximately $20,000,000 is anticipated in the fall of 2007 and another of approximately $12,000,000 is expected in the summer of 2008. Our last bond issue was in June of 2006.
Golf Enterprise
The golf budget continues to be a challenge as we are experiencing a continued decline in rounds played due to two factors: The first is the number of new golf courses in our market and the second is a demographic slump in the age group most likely to be players. The National Golf Foundation has studied this issue over the past several years and they predict a continued decline in the customer base for public courses at least for the next 6 years. The daily fee non-public courses seem to be in a more difficult position. 2006 was the first year since they started keeping records that more golf courses closed than courses were constructed. Two courses in our market are looking at conversion to residential development but that market is also in the dumps at this time. The City of Madison has to address the number of City courses that our customer base can sustain.
The municipal courses face a difficult challenge in that we employ highly paid unionized employees with substantial benefit packages. The trend at municipal courses appears to be away from enterprise operation to receiving financial subsidies from their communities because of the environmental benefits and open space benfits.
By reducing FT staff, we hope to provide a balanced budget for 2008.
Municipal Pool
1. Increase in revenues for the followin new programs for a total of $19,000.
Red Cross Lifeguard Training - $4,000
Swim Team - $6,000
Additional Revenue (Facilitiy) - $5,000
New Lessons - $4,000
Police
1. The target for the Police budget offset the loss of revenue from the close of the COPS hiring grant, and included funding to maintain all positions currently authorized.
2. Additional supplemental requests totaling $891,000 were included, to request a total of 18 additional Police Officer positions needed in order to meet the growth and complexity of the city. At the end of their pre-service Academy, these officers will be utilized to address a variety of identified issues which may include patrol services, neighborhood positions, gang-related problems, training requirements, mounted patrol and/or community policing teams. Although utilization of the 2003 Staffing Study recommendations would have meant hiring an additional 27 Police Officers, most of these issues could be addressed through the addition of the 18 Officers requested.
3. Supplemental requests were also included to add desperately needed civilian support staff, including an MIS-2 position that will be utilized to match potential federal funding, an Account Clerk position in the Finance Office, and the upgrade of one Parking Enforcement Officer to a Leadworker position. The total of these requests is $89,980.
4. Continuing efforts to civilianize positions currently staffed by commissioned personnel resulted in supplemental requests for 3 positions, which include the Court Services Supervisor, the Records Section Manager, and an MIS-2 position currently filled by a commissioned Lieutenant. The total of these requests is $134,305, which includes partial year funding for the Records Section Manager and the MIS-2 positions due to anticipated delays in hiring.
5. The critical need for additional promoted positions, particularly at the command level, was addressed through a variety of supplemental requests that total $82,400.
6. The need for vehicles to be utilized by the Detectives added in 2007 and the additional commissioned staff that have been requested for 2008 resulted in supplemental requests totaling $247,000.
7. Due to changes in the availability of facilities in the future, a proposal to provide funding to assess the need for an appropriate training facility for public safety has led to a supplemental request for an additional $5,000. The Madison Fire Department will also be requesting equal funding for a portion of this study.
8. Supplemental requests totaled $2,086,355, and included $636,670 for unfunded overtime and vacation convert-to-pay.
Fire
1. The goal of maintaining a minimum staffing level; of 68. The staffing level assumes both the continuation of creative staffing methods developed by labor and management to optimize personnel resources and an absence level based on future projections and past experience.
2. Funding to conduct at least one promotional process.
3. Funding to cover changes due to agreements reached with Firefighters Local 311 Contract.
4. Upon a vacancy occuring, any Fire Inspector position may be deleted and a non-commissioned Code Enforcement Officer 3 may be created.
5. Funding of $10,000 to start a new firefighter hiring process in the last quarter of 2008. Read more!
City Attorney’s Office
1. In order to meet the request for a base budget reduction of 3%, we must lay off 1.5 attorney positions for 2008. We anticipate that the failure to have these positions filled would negate the resources we have dedicated to our Nuisance Abatement Program, as well as our ability to effectively prosecute ordinance violations in Municipal Court. The layoffs would have another deleterious effect. The City Attorney has made a commitment to increasing the diversity of the OCA. Since layoffs are made in reverse order of seniority, this means that one minority Assistant City Attorney in our office would be laid off.
2. In addition to the 2% budgeted salary savings that all departments are expected to have, we will meet an additional 2.72% through known salary savings throughout 2008, including two employees who work approved schedules of less than full time. The total for salary savings, outside of the layoffs above, is projected to be 4.72%.
Department of Civil Rights
1. Reduction on one Clerk Typist position to 75%
2. Funds for a contract with the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison for fair housing testing ($30,000)
3. Reallocation of expenses among services based on fte's.
4. Elimination of the BNA electronic fair employment practices from the Bureau of National Affairs ($4,000)
Overture – No 3% Cut
1. The City's subsidy for the Overture Center, is determined by the Operational and Cooperation Agreement. The amount is adjusted annually by the inflation factor used for the Expenditure Restraint Program (ERP). The inflation factor for 2008 is 2.3%, resulting in a subsidy of $1,720,185, some of which is funded from the Transient Occupancy Tax Fund.
2. Funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes in the amount of $477,383.
3. Continued support for arts education programs. OnStage Programming, for example, will provide approximately 50 performances for school age children with anticipated attendance of 50,000 students, teachers and parents from public, private and home schools throughout south-central Wisconsin.
4. Continued support for community outreach at Overture Center including free and low-cost performances and events such as Kids in the Rotunda, Children's Art Festival, Musical Memories, Overture after Work, Artist Workshops, Take 10 Program, Meet the Artist, Duck Soup Cinema, and the International Festival. In addition, Overture provides free galleries for Dane County artists. These programs and concerts are further supported through grants and sponsorships by local foundations and corporations.
5. Continued economic support in the community, region, and state. In 2005, Overture Center and its residents had total direct spending of $37,532,933 and supported 1,395 FTE jobs. Overture audiences paid $608,132 in sales tax on performance tickets in 2005.
6. The addition of 5 positions - Graphic Artist Assistant (50%), Account Tech 2, Planning-Systems Analyst, Sales Associate, and Admin Clerk 1. These positions either generate revenue or provide support to revenue generating positions.
7. Establishing the authorized permanent staff positions for Overture Center. All other amounts are provided as informational. The Madison Cultural Arts District may transfer funds between accounts as necessary to keep the City subsidy at the authorized level and/or to accommodate actual revenues and expenditures while
Monona Terrace
1. The 2008 requested budget includes a 3.85% cut in the operating expense subsidy funded by the Room Tax over the 2007 budget, reducing it to $2,812,862. This reduction in the subsidy comes with an increase in revenues of 3.0% in total revenues over budget 2007, despite losing over $385,000 in net revenues from EPIC in 2008. The decrease in subsidy was also achieved by a 1.75% cut in overall operating expense from 2007 budget levels. The decrease in subsidy exceeds the Mayor's request of a 3% reduction by $25,000.
2. The inter-agency expenses increased 2.4% including an increase in PILOT of $6,600 over 2007 budget. The increase in WRS debt service interest of 3.03% for the Prior Service Obligation Loan and 3.34% in the WRS Prior Service Obligation Loan-Principal Debt Service represents the additional increase.
3. Continued support of community outreach efforts at Monona Terrace including approximately 77 free community programs. Programs include free use of the Hall of Fame room by Dane County non-profit organizations and quality community concerts and events supported through grants and sponsorships by local foundations and corporations.
4. Funding of $126,690 for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for direct marketing of Monona Terrace. In 2008, it is estimated that the GMCVB will book approximately $700,000 in convention and conference contract revenues from their direct marketing efforts on behalf of Monona Terrace. In 2005 and 2006 , similar groups generated $85.3 million in economic benefits to Madison, Dane County and the State of Wisconsin based on the Monona Terrace Community and Economic Impact Study prepared by Virchow Krause & Company.
5. Establishing the authorized level of City subsidy for Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in 2008 and establishing the authorized permanent staff positions as adopted. All other amounts, except permanent salary and debt service, are provided as informational in order to determine the authorized subsidy level and may, in the course of the year, be adjusted by the City Comptroller to reflect income generated by Monona Terrace, if such adjustments do not increase the authorized level of subsidy or increase debt service.
The agency submitted no supplemental budget requests.
Community Services
1. Cuts to meet the Mayor's budget target:
· Community Resources - $104,433; 3% of the 2007 budget.
· Child Care Assistance - $71,845; 3% of the remaining budget. With a very small budget and few discretionary items, we have few choices.
2. A reduction in the salary level of the Community Services Supervisor to the level of Step 4.
3. Nine budget supplemental requests, to restore cuts made to meet the target, maintain program levels, and fund losses due to the termination of grant funds, and provide for some program expansions mainly to meet inflationary costs.
Library – No 3% Cut
1. Revenues: a 3% reduction from the 2007 library levy; expected COLA increases and an increase in debt service for the new Sequoya Branch capital project. Also included are projected reimbursements from Dane County and adjacent counties for use of Madison's libraries by people who don't live in Madison.
Expenditures: increases in utilities, rent, maintenance/service contracts, PC replacements and debt service; salaries and benefits to maintain current staff; the base budget for books and library materials is reduced nearly 40% from the 2004-2007 level.
2. Supplemental Initiative requests, as follows:
1) $413,568 to maintain the budget for books and other library materials at last year's level -- $1,050,000.
2) $97,603 to increase hours at the South Madison Branch Library.
3) $118,392 to increase hours at the Hawthorne Branch Library.
Planning
1. Reduce Neighborhood Grants from $223,000 to $163,000 to achieve the budget target.
CDBG
1. City-supported funding at 97% of the 2007 'base' for neighborhood-focused services and for homeless prevention and reduction servicees., and an estimated Federal and state funding level at 100% of the 2007 base. About 88% of the total budget, including continuing projects and revolving funds, are derived from non-local sources.
2. Authorization to allocate reprogrammed and other HUD-approved funds for continuing CDBG, ESG, and HOME-funded projects for the first two quarters of 2008, through revisions to previously approved Action Plans, and allocate later-approved funds to those or to new projects during the latter part of the year, provided the total budgeted amount per project does not exceed the amount approved by the Common Council upon adoption of ths budget.
3. Community Development Office staff participation in Neighborhood Resource Teams as part of a City-wide effort to improve the quality, delivery, and coordiantion of City services to resdients.
The Office submitted $72,308 in supplmental requests, of which __________is included in the Executive budget.
Economic and Community Development
1. Adding the Office of Business Resources Service and the Street Vending to our Division.
2. A supplement for sick leave payout for the potential retirement of staff in 2008.
3. A supplement for "Jobs For a Future".
4. Increased billings to the SR Funds.
Madison City Channel
1. Exclusion of funding for closed captioning of coverage of Madison Common Council meetings.
Comptroller
1. Salary savings budgeted at 2.9% which will be achieved by managing vacancies as they occur.
2. The transfer of the position of Safety Coordinator from the Human Resources Department to the Comptroller's Office. Expenditures for this position are included in Service 6000 - Risk Management.
3. New inter-agency billing to the Department of Public Health - Madison and Dane County in the amount of $30,700 to provide services from the Administrative Support Team and Document Services.
4. The agency submitted two suppplemental requests totaling $182,500. However, this amount is offset with anticipated revenue to the General Fund of $700,000.
IT
1. The 2008 budget includes funding for a new 1.0 FTE position approved in the 2007 budget ;but, not funded until 2008.
2. All 39.0 authorized positions are fully funded for the full year.
3. Includes revenue from TRACS Grant of $26470 distributed between Permanent Salaries, Overtime and Fringe Benefits.
Assessor
1. The 2008 operating budget request reflect a 3% reduction in expenditures compared to the 2007 budget.
2. To assist in reaching our 2008 target amount, salary savings was increased from 2.0% to 3.50%.
3. In the 2008 Operating Budget, I am proposing a change in the organizational structure of the City Assessor’s Office. Necessitating this change is a series of on-going problems caused by a management structure that is no longer suited for the agency now that the Department of Revenue has been dissolved. I am proposing a structure that was previously in place that functioned much more effectively than the current structure by adding balance to the supervisory workload.
4. We request that the Administrative Clerk I position be restored in the 2008 Operating Budget. To achieve the target budget, we needed to eliminate this position. The primary responsibilites of this position are data entry of residential property information, front line customer service including answering the telephone, scheduling inspection appointments, answering office policies inquires, walk in for assessment information, and work on special projects during peak periods. With the deletion of this position, a gap has occured in the responsibilities within the Assessor's Office. The Assessor's Office assess approximately 70,000 real estate parcels. In a typical year, approximately 2,500 interior inspections are scheduled for the residential appraisers.
Senior Center
1. The basic operation of the Madison Senior Center. The City of Madison pays for building expenses, staff salaries/benefits and related supplies. Rental income from the use of the building by community groups and the public offsets the costs of the basic operation.
In addition, approximately $50,000 is raised by the Board of Directors for programs and activities. Generated by participant fees, community gifts, donations, fundraising and grants, and since 2006, by the Senior Center Foundation, these funds are not included in this budget.
The budget includes a grant funded position from the National Council on Aging, RespectAbility Program, received in March 2007. Not included in this budget is the grant funded position from the Madison Community Foundation for Intergenerational Programs which ends December 2007. These programs will not continue, unless Supplemental Request #1 is funded. This Request is a priority item identified by the Senior Center Board of Directors.
Human Resources
1. Deletion of funding for one Personnel Analyst 2 position.
2. Supplements to restore Personnel Analst 2 position either at 100% or 80%.
Municipal Court
1. Funding for a continuation of existing services.
2. The largest expenditure in purchased services is for collecting unpaid forfeiture judgements on behalf of the City which brings in revenue for the City that is not reflected in the Municipal court budget.
Public Health
This 2008 Operating Budget is the first annual budget for Public Health-Madison and Dane County—the merger of the Dane County Division of Public Health and the Madison Department of Public Health. Many Public Health programs have already been merged. Beginning in January 2008 the merger will be complete and the last pieces put into place.
The Mayor and the County Executive and their staffs worked together to give Public Health a common budget target. This operating budget meets their requirements.
This budget continues Public Health programs that were previously found in the two separate budgets. The one change is in Animal Services—the County Humane Officers were merged with the City’s Animal Control unit in March 2007. This budget includes one new full-time officer and cuts back on the use of part-time staff.
With the merger, the Department is seeking to put a uniform licensing system into place. All sanitarians now carry tablet computers and enter data into an electronic data system. This will require far less staff time to maintain while giving better access to information. The merger allows for the implementation of a uniform enforcement system, to focus on high-risk food items and establishments. Other benefits will be the County-wide implementation of the Safe Food Crew operator training program and the availability of timely information on food safety for all food operators with the Foodfacts newsletter. The cost of merging and collocating the two environmental health programs and creating uniform standards will be covered through increased license and permit fees.
There is increasing awareness of the seriousness of water borne illnesses such as Cryptosporidium and E. coli transmitted at public bathing facilities. The merger will allow Public Health to have uniform standards across the County for commercial swimming pools, including monthly water testing.
The WIC caseload has steadily increased each year. Since the two WIC programs were collocated in May 2007, there has been an increase of 300 cases. There has not been a corresponding increase in staff. This budget uses some of the increased revenue Public Health will be receiving from the increased caseload to hire a Dietetic Specialist.
This merger has been a huge challenge. While there have been some bumps along the road, but it has been accomplished without major upheavals. Most programs are already functionally merged, with County and City staff working side-by-side. This operating budget is one of the last steps in completing this merger.
Clerk
This 2008 budget request is based on an expenditure reduction of three percent.
The biggest expenses in this budget request are associated with the 2008 Presidential Election. The Clerk will try to minimize overtime and postage expenses by offering voter registration drives during Open Registration, and extending office hours to accommodate absentee voting in the City Clerk's Office.
Treasurer
1. The 2008 budget request includes a 3% reduction in expenditures compared to the 2007 budget.
2. Interagency charges for webbilling and services to city agencies.
3. To reach our 2008 target amount, our fees and contracts were reduced through new pricing structures.
4. A supplemental request was submitted for postage costs. With the new US Postal Service fee structure, the costs for mailing tax bills, accounts payables, and animal licenses have increased more than 5%.
5. A supplemental request was submitted for Credit Card fees. With the convenience of online payments for consumers, our fees have increased substantially. The adjustment to the budget amountl must reflect the actual charges.
Metro Transit
In 2006, Metro provided over 12.0 million rides - its highest ridership level in 20 years. The proposed budget expands upon this sucess by maintaining services within the City of Madison for 2008. The Budget includes:
1. Proposed increases in fare tariffs to maintain current service levels for the City of Madison. The proposed fare tariff changes are as follows:
Adult Cash - $1.50 to $2.00
Senior/Disabled Cash - $0.75 to $1.00
Adult 10-Ride Card - $12.00 to $15.00
Senior 10-Ride Card - $7.50 to $10.00
31-Day Pass - $47.00 to $50.00
One-Day Pass - $3.40 to $4.00
Paratransit Cash Fare - Non-peak fare would be eliminated
Special Event - $4.00 to $5.00
It is estimated that the proposed fare tariff changes will provide $476,000 in additional revenue.
2. Additional funding of $600,000 to offset the escalating cost of diesel fuel.
3. Funding to lease additional office space to alleviate overcrowding that is occuring with the occupation of the current Maintenance and Administrative building for office employees.
4. A reduction in heating costs due to the installation of a garage door system in the Maintenance facility between the maintenance service area and the bus storage faciltiy as part of the City's Natural Step program.
5. Request to add 5 additional vehicles to the total number of buses that are authorized to participate in the two year full-wrap pilot project. This change will result in $50,000 in additional advertising revenue.
6. Reduce Sunday service hours from approximately 16.5 hours to 8 hours to provide $272,700 in savings.
Public Works and Transportation
1. Continuation of the additional incremental salary and benefits of the City Engineer for service as the Director of Public Works and Transportation.
The agency submitted no supplemental budget requests.
Traffic Engineering
1. $10,000 for funding of maintenenance and support of the Intelligent Transportation System. This system uses electronic message signs and traffic condtion cameras to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety. Traffic Engineering pays the State per contract for the annual operation of this system.
2. We are requesting salary and benefit funding for a 1.0 FTE Traffic Control Maintenance Worker position. Wisconsin One-call: Diggers Hotline is a service where an individual or contractor may request that all underground utilities be marked during excavation. State law requires that TE personnel respond to to an excavation notice within 3 working days by marking the location of transmission facilities (street light conduit etc) . In addition, TE is required to provide emergency locater service within 24 hours after receiving a request for that service. One-call requests have increased from 3,048 in 2000 to 3,995 in 2006 (31% increase). One-call marking for electrical conduit requires considerable electrical experience and is a time consuming procedure.
3. We are requesting salary and benefit funding for 1.0 FTE Traffic Control Maintenance Worker. This employee responsibilities will largely pertain to bike facilities, graffiti removal, and trafic calming signage and marking. This request is in response to proposals made by Mayor’s Platinum Biking Committee Draft Report. This report will call for biclyle related devices. Furthermore, the removal of graffiti from city signs is a an increasing task. Lastly, the city has a growing inventory of traffic control devices that require perpertual maintenance.
Parking Utility
1. Advertising funds to help change the public perception of a lack of downtown parking
2, $500,000 to improve interior and exterior parking wayfinding signage
3. Credit card fees have increased from about $100,000 in 2004 to $207,000 in 2008
4. Funding of $31,000 for Transportation Demand Management
5. Payment of PILOT will be over $1 million and a payment of $190,000 to the city for usage of on-street parking stalls
6. $131,000 in consulting fees to design customer friendly and efficient facilities
Parks
A reduction of $403,000 in our operating budget to meet the required 3% cut plus absorbing various cost increases in other portions of the budget such as permanent salaries (reclasses, steps, longevity and benefits). To achieve this target, we are proposing three initiatives:
The first is an unfortunate reduction of FT and PT staff reducing the various parts of our budget by $763,601. These positons include reducing the Cemetery Admin Clerk from FT to a 50% position saving $39,672. This position will become vacant due to a retirement. Eliminating a Clerk Typist at Warner Park saving $49,111 with a minor offset of hourly charges. We will delay the hiring to fill three other positions that will become vacant due to retirements saving $85,500. We will have to eliminate 7 PWMW1 positions saving $439,675. We will eliminate 1 Equip. Oper 2 positon saving $54,036. We will reduce hourly employees by $95,607. The FT positions listed above, except for the retirements, will require eliminating positons that are currently occupied. This number reflects wages and benefits.
The secong initiative involves service reductions. The Parks leadership team has identified activities that will have the lowest impact on our customers or that can meet customer needs by participating at a near-by city location. Beside the staff savings shown above, there will be utility savings for gas, electricity and water which are reflected in our line items. These service reductions are: Eliminating lifeguard staffing at Esther Beach, Bernie's Beach and James Madison Park. Eliminating ice skating at Goodman Park, Westmoreland Park, Garner Park and Warner Park. Eliminating the XC ski rental operation and concession operation at Odana Golf Course. Grooming will continue.
The third initiative is focused on new revenue. We are proposing a new parking fee at Warner Park for all Mallards home games and other major events in the park. The fee would be $5 / car. To reduce our cost of collecting this fee, we would bid out this work to a local non-profit organization who would staff it with volunteers in exchange for a percentage of the gross revenue. This model is in place in Sioux City and many organizations bid on the chance to receive this revenue. Our estimated revenue to the city is in the $125,000 range.
We are also proposing a minor increase in the following areas: Boat Ramp Fees, Shelter Reservations, Parking Tickets, and Special Services. Our anticipated new revenue would be $48,100. We also need to initiate a new fee with MSCR to recover our expenses associated with provided facilities to them for programs such as day camps.
Streets
1. An increase from three to four inches to the standard snowfall accumulation by which city-wide general plowing operations will be performed. General plowing operations are conducted after safe driving conditions are achieved on the City's arterial streets, hills, and side street intersections. General plowing operations are conducted on the remaining City side streets and require the City's full complement of plow trucks and additional private equipment. By increasing the amount of snowfall required before general plowing operations are conducted on City side streets, it is estimated that one less general plowing operation will be required, representing a budget reduction of $158,473.
2. Elimination of the litter container route. As part of the solid waste service, the Waste Oil drop off sites are serviced twice weekly. In addition various heavily used litter containers throughout the City are emptied twice weekly. Elimination of this program will result in the loss of a separate collection for these containers. Budget reduction of $47,957.
3. Elimination of sealcoating of the City's unimproved streets. Currently, unimproved streets in the City of Madison are prepped and sealcoated on an approximate five year rotation. Budget reduction of $210,000.
4. Elimination of overtime used for snow and ice sanding operations after midnight. Budget reduction of $88,239.
5. Elimination of overtime hours for clearing snow and ice from cross walks. Walks will be cleared after all plowing, salting and sanding operations have been completed. Budget reduction of $52,280.
6. Reduce funding for public education regarding Streets Division services by $75,000.
Reduce funding for purchased services by $37,000 for the EnAct program, Community Adolescent program and landscaping.
Water Utility
1. Funding for continuation of existing services.
2. Increased funding for our unidirectional flushing program to $400,000. In 2007 we budgeted $220,000 for the unidirectional flushing program.
3. The utility will be filing a formal rate case with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in 2008 and the revenue figures in the 2008 operating budget request include an estimated 8% rate increase. The rate increase is projected to be phased in beginning with the August 2008 billing and the full 8% increase will be effective with the February 2009 billing. Our last full rate increase was granted in August of 2007 and averaged 16%. We will begin phasing in this rate increase with the October 2007 billing and it will be fully implemented with the April 2008 bills.
4. A revenue bond issue of approximately $20,000,000 is anticipated in the fall of 2007 and another of approximately $12,000,000 is expected in the summer of 2008. Our last bond issue was in June of 2006.
Golf Enterprise
The golf budget continues to be a challenge as we are experiencing a continued decline in rounds played due to two factors: The first is the number of new golf courses in our market and the second is a demographic slump in the age group most likely to be players. The National Golf Foundation has studied this issue over the past several years and they predict a continued decline in the customer base for public courses at least for the next 6 years. The daily fee non-public courses seem to be in a more difficult position. 2006 was the first year since they started keeping records that more golf courses closed than courses were constructed. Two courses in our market are looking at conversion to residential development but that market is also in the dumps at this time. The City of Madison has to address the number of City courses that our customer base can sustain.
The municipal courses face a difficult challenge in that we employ highly paid unionized employees with substantial benefit packages. The trend at municipal courses appears to be away from enterprise operation to receiving financial subsidies from their communities because of the environmental benefits and open space benfits.
By reducing FT staff, we hope to provide a balanced budget for 2008.
Municipal Pool
1. Increase in revenues for the followin new programs for a total of $19,000.
Red Cross Lifeguard Training - $4,000
Swim Team - $6,000
Additional Revenue (Facilitiy) - $5,000
New Lessons - $4,000
Police
1. The target for the Police budget offset the loss of revenue from the close of the COPS hiring grant, and included funding to maintain all positions currently authorized.
2. Additional supplemental requests totaling $891,000 were included, to request a total of 18 additional Police Officer positions needed in order to meet the growth and complexity of the city. At the end of their pre-service Academy, these officers will be utilized to address a variety of identified issues which may include patrol services, neighborhood positions, gang-related problems, training requirements, mounted patrol and/or community policing teams. Although utilization of the 2003 Staffing Study recommendations would have meant hiring an additional 27 Police Officers, most of these issues could be addressed through the addition of the 18 Officers requested.
3. Supplemental requests were also included to add desperately needed civilian support staff, including an MIS-2 position that will be utilized to match potential federal funding, an Account Clerk position in the Finance Office, and the upgrade of one Parking Enforcement Officer to a Leadworker position. The total of these requests is $89,980.
4. Continuing efforts to civilianize positions currently staffed by commissioned personnel resulted in supplemental requests for 3 positions, which include the Court Services Supervisor, the Records Section Manager, and an MIS-2 position currently filled by a commissioned Lieutenant. The total of these requests is $134,305, which includes partial year funding for the Records Section Manager and the MIS-2 positions due to anticipated delays in hiring.
5. The critical need for additional promoted positions, particularly at the command level, was addressed through a variety of supplemental requests that total $82,400.
6. The need for vehicles to be utilized by the Detectives added in 2007 and the additional commissioned staff that have been requested for 2008 resulted in supplemental requests totaling $247,000.
7. Due to changes in the availability of facilities in the future, a proposal to provide funding to assess the need for an appropriate training facility for public safety has led to a supplemental request for an additional $5,000. The Madison Fire Department will also be requesting equal funding for a portion of this study.
8. Supplemental requests totaled $2,086,355, and included $636,670 for unfunded overtime and vacation convert-to-pay.
Fire
1. The goal of maintaining a minimum staffing level; of 68. The staffing level assumes both the continuation of creative staffing methods developed by labor and management to optimize personnel resources and an absence level based on future projections and past experience.
2. Funding to conduct at least one promotional process.
3. Funding to cover changes due to agreements reached with Firefighters Local 311 Contract.
4. Upon a vacancy occuring, any Fire Inspector position may be deleted and a non-commissioned Code Enforcement Officer 3 may be created.
5. Funding of $10,000 to start a new firefighter hiring process in the last quarter of 2008. Read more!
I love my neighborhood!!
Living Downtown has its pluses and minuses. I don't think I need to outline them here, however, I have a picture and story that will sum it up pretty quickly.
That's my little white house with the screened in porch in the background. They're doing street construction and that's a whole different blog about communication and parking. I have a huge hole in my street (that's where the pile of dirt came from) and can barely get in my driveway. This is the third day the equipment is sitting there idle due to the rain, so the whole thing is less than pleasant and I'm sure Rob wasn't happy when he parked 5 blocks away last night after running sound all evening. However, notice the pile of dirt. This is why I love my neighborhood.
Talk about making lemonade out of lemons. And, last night around 3:00, I heard some drunk people arguing on the street. One guy wanted to wreck the sandcastle and another guy was yelling at him to leave it alone. Apparently, the second guy won.
Kudos to the 2 guys and girl who took the time to add some humor and art to the situation. It brightened my day and I'm sure from the looks on the faces of the passers by and the comments I've overheard, that your efforts were much appreciated.
p.s. Just so you know, I'm sure that's not the official City position on this matter. Just a comment from an appreciative neighbor.
Read more!
That's my little white house with the screened in porch in the background. They're doing street construction and that's a whole different blog about communication and parking. I have a huge hole in my street (that's where the pile of dirt came from) and can barely get in my driveway. This is the third day the equipment is sitting there idle due to the rain, so the whole thing is less than pleasant and I'm sure Rob wasn't happy when he parked 5 blocks away last night after running sound all evening. However, notice the pile of dirt. This is why I love my neighborhood.
Talk about making lemonade out of lemons. And, last night around 3:00, I heard some drunk people arguing on the street. One guy wanted to wreck the sandcastle and another guy was yelling at him to leave it alone. Apparently, the second guy won.
Kudos to the 2 guys and girl who took the time to add some humor and art to the situation. It brightened my day and I'm sure from the looks on the faces of the passers by and the comments I've overheard, that your efforts were much appreciated.
p.s. Just so you know, I'm sure that's not the official City position on this matter. Just a comment from an appreciative neighbor.
Read more!
Friday, August 24, 2007
No one?
So, we are being told that can't do an RFP (Request for Proposals) to find someone to develop 9 acres of land on Allied Drive because no one wants to develop the property. Or so they say. Tell me, can you believe that if we offered $300,000 in soft costs, $4.7M in free land, 47 Section 8 vouchers to help pay the rent for the units and a $3.5M loan from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and not one single developer, for-profit or non-profit will step forward?
That's what the City would be expected to provide to the CDA. Why not offer that in a request for proposals and see who might apply? I bet someone might come forward if that was all offered. And, I bet that the city tax payer could get a better deal. Read more!
That's what the City would be expected to provide to the CDA. Why not offer that in a request for proposals and see who might apply? I bet someone might come forward if that was all offered. And, I bet that the city tax payer could get a better deal. Read more!
Water Utility Award?
I'm sure quite a few people are wondering how the Madison Water Utility got the award for the 2007 Gold Award for Competitive Achievement. The press release says the award "recognizes the utility's accomplishments in implementing a process to apply competitive business strategies to meet the expectations of drinking water consumers and municipal leaders."
Here might be one of the answers, look who's on the board of directors of the Association of Municipal Water Agencies. Read more!
Here might be one of the answers, look who's on the board of directors of the Association of Municipal Water Agencies. Read more!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Policing Discussion
If you have time, take some time to read the policing thread over at thedailypage.com. It's clearly one of the most interesting threads they've had there in a while, once you get past the initial trolls. And "Walter", beyond his initial cheap shot at me, has added alot to the discussion. Too bad thedailypage forums wouldn't all be of this quality.
Read more!
Allied - About Face!
Gulp. This article in the Wisconsin State Journal is a pretty fair assessment of the situation with Allied Drive. The thumbnail sketch of what has happened to this point is as follows:
1. We bought the properties in May 2006. 16 months ago.
2. In September 2006 Mark Olinger spearheaded a neighborhood process to plan the 9 acre site with the AIA (architects group). Those plans were never approved because they didn't include single family detached housing which the staff wanted.
3. In January I got impatient because many decisions had not yet been made and introduced two resolutions.
a) One was to let people move into the vacant properties, which passed but still hasn't really happened in any meaningful kind of way, so we're still sitting there with empty buildings.
b) The other one was to decide what kind of housing we would have.
4. At the last council meeting, after having the Allied Drive Task Force work for months on what the RFP should have in it and then the alder writing a resolution that replaced the one I wrote last January that was questionable about if we did or did not support the recommendations of the Allied Drive Task Force, we finally passed a resolution saying what we wanted to have be built on the properties.
5. At the same meeting, the Mayor completely changed course and decided to skip the RFP because now, there isn't time.
6. And yesterday, I got the latest version (version 6) of the RFP (written by the City Mark Olinger and his staff) that they've been working on since last January. The RFP doesn't follow the recommendations of the Allied Drive Task Force. It also doesn't really support the CDAs plan. No wonder they (the CDA headed by Mark Olinger) don't want an RFP
And now, after all this time, there is a great sense of urgency. Where was his sense of urgency last January? or last September? Or last May? Why didn't the mayor and his staff attending meetings on his behalf, help the RFP process along instead of sitting back and watching all the in-fighting between Mark Olinger's staff? Why didn't the Mayor just speak up at the last Council meeting and tell us he didn't really think we had a role in this and don't bother passing a resolution telling us what you think, we're going with the CDA and they're just going to do what the Mayor tells them to do. (He can do this because CDA Mark Olinger is still City Mark Olinger who is hired by the Mayor.)
And, two criticisms that didn't make it into the story.
1. The CDA did one project 10 years ago. They don't really have the experience to pull this off. The project they did is no longer affordable - the $95,000 condos that they sold had no pricing restrictions on them and are selling for nearly double. And the apartments are very hard to get low-income people into because poor people have bad credit and they have strict screening criteria that doesn't take that into consideration.
2. Mark Olinger, negotiating with Mark Olinger to find out if Mark Olinger, who wrote the resolution to have the CDA do the project, thinks that Mark Olinger should do the project is a bit of a problem.
And finally, to further comment on the money.
1. I don't think anyone on the Council thought we were buying that land to give it away. I think that might be a hard sell with council members expecting to recoup some of the money we spent.
2. I don't think that the Affordable Housing Trust Fund money was set up so that the City could use it to build roads and demolish housing.
3. We're not going to get the tax credits on our own. We need to partner with someone with experience. And just choosing someone without an RFP is like the Water Utility situation all over again.
And lastly, why would we spend all this City money and not have the control of the 9 acre site? Read more!
1. We bought the properties in May 2006. 16 months ago.
2. In September 2006 Mark Olinger spearheaded a neighborhood process to plan the 9 acre site with the AIA (architects group). Those plans were never approved because they didn't include single family detached housing which the staff wanted.
3. In January I got impatient because many decisions had not yet been made and introduced two resolutions.
a) One was to let people move into the vacant properties, which passed but still hasn't really happened in any meaningful kind of way, so we're still sitting there with empty buildings.
b) The other one was to decide what kind of housing we would have.
4. At the last council meeting, after having the Allied Drive Task Force work for months on what the RFP should have in it and then the alder writing a resolution that replaced the one I wrote last January that was questionable about if we did or did not support the recommendations of the Allied Drive Task Force, we finally passed a resolution saying what we wanted to have be built on the properties.
5. At the same meeting, the Mayor completely changed course and decided to skip the RFP because now, there isn't time.
6. And yesterday, I got the latest version (version 6) of the RFP (written by the City Mark Olinger and his staff) that they've been working on since last January. The RFP doesn't follow the recommendations of the Allied Drive Task Force. It also doesn't really support the CDAs plan. No wonder they (the CDA headed by Mark Olinger) don't want an RFP
And now, after all this time, there is a great sense of urgency. Where was his sense of urgency last January? or last September? Or last May? Why didn't the mayor and his staff attending meetings on his behalf, help the RFP process along instead of sitting back and watching all the in-fighting between Mark Olinger's staff? Why didn't the Mayor just speak up at the last Council meeting and tell us he didn't really think we had a role in this and don't bother passing a resolution telling us what you think, we're going with the CDA and they're just going to do what the Mayor tells them to do. (He can do this because CDA Mark Olinger is still City Mark Olinger who is hired by the Mayor.)
And, two criticisms that didn't make it into the story.
1. The CDA did one project 10 years ago. They don't really have the experience to pull this off. The project they did is no longer affordable - the $95,000 condos that they sold had no pricing restrictions on them and are selling for nearly double. And the apartments are very hard to get low-income people into because poor people have bad credit and they have strict screening criteria that doesn't take that into consideration.
2. Mark Olinger, negotiating with Mark Olinger to find out if Mark Olinger, who wrote the resolution to have the CDA do the project, thinks that Mark Olinger should do the project is a bit of a problem.
And finally, to further comment on the money.
1. I don't think anyone on the Council thought we were buying that land to give it away. I think that might be a hard sell with council members expecting to recoup some of the money we spent.
2. I don't think that the Affordable Housing Trust Fund money was set up so that the City could use it to build roads and demolish housing.
3. We're not going to get the tax credits on our own. We need to partner with someone with experience. And just choosing someone without an RFP is like the Water Utility situation all over again.
And lastly, why would we spend all this City money and not have the control of the 9 acre site? Read more!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Just the Facts Ma'am! Westside Police Calls Going . . . Down?
Could it be true, are reported (and responded to) police calls on the Westside of Madison down? Granted, data from the police department is not exactly easy to get, but from what is available on the police department website, i.e. the west police district neighborhood newsletters, it appears that police calls reported (and responded to) is not increasing exponentially on the westside. In fact, for some months, the police calls that are reported (and responded to) is down ever so slightly. This is what a quick perusal of the info in the newletters tells us.
Month 2007 - 2006 - 2005
(na = not available)
Jan - na - 2760 - 2700 (up slightly in 2006)
Feb - 2551 - 2572 - 2600 (small trend down)
Mar - 2881 - 3020 - na (down a bit)
April - 2738 - 2960 - 3165 (trend down)
May - 3392 - na - 3264 (up but skips a year of data)
June - 3507 - 3519 - na (down ever so slightly)
July - na - 3586 - 3479 (up a little, no data for this year)
Aug - na - 3647 - 3485 (up a little, no data for this year)
Sept - na - 3188 - 3266 (down a little, no data for this year)
Oct - na - 3034 - na (inconclusive)
Nov - na - 2934 - 2955 (down a little, no data for this year)
Dec - na - 2787 - 2445 but data only through 12/26 so inconclusive
Ok, so its not the best data, but it also doesn't show police calls running rampant and 6 of the 10 months where it was possible to do any kind of comparison, it could be argued that "crime" was slightly down. In fact, comparing this year to last year for the first half of the year, "crime" basically down according to the newsletters.
Jan - inconclusive
Feb- down
Mar - down
Apr - down
May - inconclusive
June - down
So, what's going on? I don't doubt people perceive something is different in their neighborhoods, but what? Is it just because more people of color live in the neighborhood? Is it because renters live there? Is it because the renters who live there are lower income than past tenants? Is it because "crime" has shifted from one neighborhood to another (the west police district is rather sprawled out). Are the nature of the calls being responded to changing? Since these calls include traffic incidents, is that impacting the "data"?
Something seems off. The "data" doesn't seem to support the claims of "westside residents". Granted, since I don't have very good data, and hardly any detail, its difficult to say what the real story is, but it is certain that the numbers aren't showing rampant crime growing out of control as some would have you believe.
Since we don't have data about the extent of the problem, I have to ask, what are our 18 new officers going to do for these residents? If crime is shifting from neighborhood to neighborhood, then maybe the personnel should shift with the problems and we just don't need more officers? If crime is taking longer to respond to, then we need to know that and come up with strategies to address this issue. However, throwing more officers at a problem without knowing what the problem is with some hard data, doesn't make any sense. In fact, it could be a waste of taxpayer dollars. This deserves more careful thought not kneejerk feel-good reactions. Otherwise, we're just asking for more discontent. Read more!
Month 2007 - 2006 - 2005
(na = not available)
Jan - na - 2760 - 2700 (up slightly in 2006)
Feb - 2551 - 2572 - 2600 (small trend down)
Mar - 2881 - 3020 - na (down a bit)
April - 2738 - 2960 - 3165 (trend down)
May - 3392 - na - 3264 (up but skips a year of data)
June - 3507 - 3519 - na (down ever so slightly)
July - na - 3586 - 3479 (up a little, no data for this year)
Aug - na - 3647 - 3485 (up a little, no data for this year)
Sept - na - 3188 - 3266 (down a little, no data for this year)
Oct - na - 3034 - na (inconclusive)
Nov - na - 2934 - 2955 (down a little, no data for this year)
Dec - na - 2787 - 2445 but data only through 12/26 so inconclusive
Ok, so its not the best data, but it also doesn't show police calls running rampant and 6 of the 10 months where it was possible to do any kind of comparison, it could be argued that "crime" was slightly down. In fact, comparing this year to last year for the first half of the year, "crime" basically down according to the newsletters.
Jan - inconclusive
Feb- down
Mar - down
Apr - down
May - inconclusive
June - down
So, what's going on? I don't doubt people perceive something is different in their neighborhoods, but what? Is it just because more people of color live in the neighborhood? Is it because renters live there? Is it because the renters who live there are lower income than past tenants? Is it because "crime" has shifted from one neighborhood to another (the west police district is rather sprawled out). Are the nature of the calls being responded to changing? Since these calls include traffic incidents, is that impacting the "data"?
Something seems off. The "data" doesn't seem to support the claims of "westside residents". Granted, since I don't have very good data, and hardly any detail, its difficult to say what the real story is, but it is certain that the numbers aren't showing rampant crime growing out of control as some would have you believe.
Since we don't have data about the extent of the problem, I have to ask, what are our 18 new officers going to do for these residents? If crime is shifting from neighborhood to neighborhood, then maybe the personnel should shift with the problems and we just don't need more officers? If crime is taking longer to respond to, then we need to know that and come up with strategies to address this issue. However, throwing more officers at a problem without knowing what the problem is with some hard data, doesn't make any sense. In fact, it could be a waste of taxpayer dollars. This deserves more careful thought not kneejerk feel-good reactions. Otherwise, we're just asking for more discontent. Read more!
It's a stick up!
Police overtime. You have no choice, you have to pay it. It's an annual heist and we pay and pay and pay and pay some more. Or, more correctly, the taxpayer pays. Here's some highlights from the July 2007 overtime report from the police for 2006 and the first half of 2007. It's all the good news you can handle. Ask yourself, isn't there a better way to manage this? After all, its a pretty big chunk of change for a department that is already nearly 25% of the entire $210M operating budget. Also note, overtime won't really decrease if we add 18 officers, in fact, due to the union contracts which are 60% of the overtime costs, it will increase even more.
Read more!
- The total 2006 budgeted expense for the Madison Police Department was $48,507,296.
- Wages and benefits accounted for $41,015,602 or 85% of budgeted costs.
- 93% of budgeted expenditures were determined by labor contracts, other City agency costs, or additional mandates from outside of the Police Department.
- In the past three years overtime hours required by contract (such as briefing time, holiday day in future, etc.) accounted for 60% of the overtime hours earned.
- The total cost of overtime for the Madison Police Department in 2006 was $2,143,472, or $430,774 more than initially budgeted. This represents a 14.5% increase, or $272,760 over the $1,870,712 expended in 2005, and is approximately $446,416 more than the average cost of overtime for the previous four years.
- In 2006, the hours earned totaled 99,024. This compares with 94,478 hours in 2005, 94,669 hours in 2004, 91,623 hours in 2003, and 80,195 hours in 2002.
- The hours of overtime only increased at a rate of 5%, the cost of overtime increased 14.5%. This increase in costs is primarily due to the rise in the Departments pay-to-time ratio, as increasingly employees are taking their overtime as pay rather than time. This resulted in an accrued time adjustment of $123,503 at the end of the year.
- Demand-Driven overtime increased 12.4% from 2005 to 2006. Although Routine overtime dropped, this savings was offset by a considerable increase in Extraordinary Events, which includes four homicides, significant initiatives in response to incidents in the Allied neighborhood and Downtown, and several high-risk ERT search warrants. In addition to Extraordinary Events, overtime categorized as Holdover also demonstrated a significant increase. This overtime is primarily due to staffing shortages.
- The comparative breakdown of Demand-Driven overtime hours is:
2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002
Routine 15,902 16,844 15,244 16,587 16,882
Extraordinary Event 7,917 3,166 6,061 8,515 2,149
Planned Event 7,177 7,674 6,777 6,084 5,054
Holdover 5,140 4,709 3,143 2,530 2,839
Meetings 967 607 527 379 441
TOTAL 37,103 33,000 31,752 34,095 27,365
- From 2005 to 2006 there was a slight increase in Contractually-Driven overtime hours. Although the overall change was fairly small.
- There was a 27% increase in the number of hours converted to pay. The increase in this expense corresponds with the rise in the pay-to-time ratio, as more employees opt for overtime payments rather than accruing time.
- The comparative breakdown of Contractually-Driven overtime hours is:
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Briefing Time 25,883 25,971 25,780 26,160 25,308
Legal Appearance 4,820 5,426 4,728 5,753 5,664
Holiday Day In Future 19,886 20,017 23,309 17,548 12,232
Convert to Pay 7,144 5,621 5,381 4,512 4,910
TOTAL 57,733 57,035 59,198 53,973 48,114
- Civilian overtime decreased to 4,188 hours in 2006 as compared to 4,443 hours in 2005, 3,719 hours in 2004, 3,555 hours in 2003, and 4,716 hours in 2002.REPORT OF 1st HALF 2007 OVERTIME:
- The total hours of overtime earned in the 1st half of 2007 increased by 5% when compared to the 1st half of 2006.
- The year-to-date hours for 2007 are 42,679, as compared to 40,889 in 2006, 36,183 in 2005, 38,388 in 2004, and 38,490 in 2003.
- The greatest increases occurred in the categories of Extraordinary Events and Holiday Day-In-Future.
- Demand-Driven overtime hours increased 6.5% in comparison to 2006.
- A new category of overtime has been added in 2007. In order to track information related to emerging issues, a new category of Problem Initiatives has been developed. In prior years, these costs were included with Extraordinary Event overtime. At present the two specific Problem Initiatives are the Downtown Safety Initiative and the Allied Initiative.
- To date in 2007, grant funds have been utilized for the efforts in Allied, so the overtime listed on this report is all for the Downtown Safety Initiative.
- Contractual overtime also increased, rising almost 9% from 2006 to 2007.
- Civilian overtime decreased during the 1st quarter of 2007. The total hours in the 1st half of 2007 were 971 as compared to 2,307 in 2006, 2,164 in 2005, 2,227 in 2004, and 1,843 in 2003. The primary reason for the drop in civilian overtime is related to the lack of vacancies in civilian positions throughout most of the 1st quarter.
- The year-to-date cost as of the end of payroll #13 was $881,001. This compares to $744,654 in 2006, $628,592 in 2005, $638,130 in 2004, and $634,647 in 2003.
- Early in 2007, the overtime allocation of $54,900 for the Downtown Safety Initiative was added to the Police budget. This raised the total 2007 MPD Operating Budget to $1,995,736 for overtime costs.
- Based solely on data from the first half of the year, if the trends continue the MPD would be $275,000 over budget.
- However, since the close of the first half of the year, there have been two homicides and an officer involved shooting. In addition, there are indications that the pay-to-time ratio will continue to rise. The combination of these events could result in an even more substantial shortfall by the end of the year.
Read more!
Monday, August 20, 2007
David Denig Chakroff Gets it Right.
Sometimes things are not as they appear. It seems my blog has once again stirred up some news about the Water Utility. However, I'm afraid I may have contributed to the some of the perception of what the problem with the Water Utility is. In my rush to leave town for a few days, I didn't include some kind of important information in my blog, like where I got the email about the fluoride from. The e-mail about fluoride came from David Denig-Chakroff. That's right, the Water Utility leader was the one who did the right thing and sent the information to the alders instead of waiting another day for the Water Utility report to come out. While the original email was sent as written in my blog from Joe Grande to the water board. However, it was sent to the alders as follows:
From: Denig-Chakroff, DavidIn other words, we wouldn't have found out if David Denig-Chakroff hadn't forwarded the information to the alders. This is part of the reason that I hesitate to say that getting rid of him will solve the problems at the Water Utility. I think that the problems in the Water Utility go deeper than one person and we will just be disappointed if we just change one staff person. If we expect systemic changes, we need to make some major changes, not just removing one person. Read more!
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:17:48 AM
To: ALL ALDERS; MY GROUP; Nelson, Larry
Subject: FW: Well 28 elevated fluoride
Who's Crime is More Important?
As a northside meeting about a specific apartment building nushroomed into a meeting about Northside Crime, similar to the one recently help on the Westside, some Eastside residents feel that their concerns about crime and other issues are getting ignored. Why? I'll let you read that for yourself.
August 16, 2007Read more!
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Room 403
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Dear Mayor Cieslewicz:
It is regrettable that you have chosen to cancel your participation at our Annual Ice Cream Social. I am sure that you are aware that although we have promoted this as a social, it is really an expanded Worthington Park Neighborhood Association meeting where the Board has invited the entire neighborhood, and our friends, to celebrate our successes and discuss our concerns. You attended this same event last year and knew that there was opportunity for you to speak and to take questions from neighborhood residents. Not only did we have excellent attendance at that event, it was instrumental in the development of our association as a tool for recruiting new neighbor participation. Members of the Association have been hard at work preparing issues and questions for your visit and were eager to discuss numerous issues with you, including a focus on public safety.
It is worth noting as well that while crime and safety have recently become hot topics in other parts of the city, those issues have been longstanding issues in our neighborhood, with seemingly no attention from you to resolving them.
The loss of the Darbo Worthington Neighborhood Officer next year was high on our list of concerns that we wished to discuss with you at this event. Your presence at this event was key to creating hope in those discussions by letting the residents know what is happening at the city level to increase safety in our neighborhood.
Vicky Selkowe, our neighborhood association secretary, confirmed your participation with Linda Lewis in your office nearly three months ago, on May 16th, and again on August 8th, prior to our distributing over 400 fliers (attached in English and in Spanish) door to door throughout the neighborhood. As she stated, among other important points, in her correspondence with Linda, once she was informed of your cancellation, we are very discouraged that you will not be attending. We echo her individual sentiments that it is cause for concern when another area takes priority, particularly when we had confirmed your attendance so long ago and especially when it certainly appears that the concerns of a predominately white neighborhood are taking precedence over those of a more mixed or minority neighborhood. Given the media attention to the issues of crime and safety on the Westside and likely to follow the upcoming meeting with Alder Schumacher and the Police, we are left to wonder if you would act differently with media attention on our area.
We agree that these conversations need to occur all over the city, but by not letting Alder Schumacher or the Northside Community Police know that you were already committed to the same conversation in another neighborhood, a couple of things occurred: they did not know they needed to find a different date, and it appears as well that our own eastside Alder must decide between the two meetings and is likely also now to choose the Northside meeting. Having neither of our elected city representatives at this important annual meeting sends a clear and disappointing message to the residents – especially the children, who will be out in force for this event – of the Worthington Park neighborhood. Voter turn-out is low in our area in part due to the feelings of disenfranchisement in the political process. Your last minute cancellation does not contribute to a positive change.
We are very pleased that Goodman Atwood Community Center and The Salvation Army will be at our event to listen to our needs and concerns, and let us know how they will be able to address some of those with the services they can provide. However, nothing will be able to replace your personal participation and the message that would have sent to our people.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Roberts Dace Zeps
President Vice-President
Worthington Park Neighborhood Ass’n Worthington Park Neighborhood Ass’n
cc: Larry Palm, Alder
John Hendrick, County Supervisor
WNPA Board
Goodman Atwood Community Center
The Salvation Army
The East Isthmus Neighborhoods Planning Council
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Well 28 - Elevated Flouride
I just got this this morning.
From: Grande, JosephRead more!
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 4:53 PM
To: WU GROUP
Cc: Cnare, Lauren; 'percy.mather@dnr.state.wi.us'; 'gwharrin@facstaff.wisc.edu'; 'georgemeyer@tds.net'; 'standridge_consulting@copper.net'; Schlenker, Thomas
Subject: Well 28 elevated fluoride
On Tuesday, August 14, as part of routine water quality testing, the Water Utility discovered that water from Well 28 had an elevated amount of fluoride, a water additive that promotes dental health. A water sample collected as water enters the distribution system measured 3.3 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride compared to the target level of 1.1 ppm. The EPA maximum contaminant level for fluoride is 4 ppm. Short-term exposure to water containing 3-4 ppm fluoride is not considered harmful to human health. The cause of the elevated fluoride, which is believed to be a malfunctioning pump, is currently being investigation by the utility.
Upon discovering the high fluoride level, the well was shutdown and staff was dispatched to determine the extent of high fluoride water. Water testing results (3.14-3.96 ppm) from locations around the periphery of the Well 28 service area (west of Gammon Road and north of the Beltline and Mineral Point Road) suggested the entire service area was impacted. Additional Water Utility staff was dispatched to flush hydrants and clear the high fluoride water from the water mains. Initially, twelve hydrants were opened at the edge of the service area to pull elevated fluoride water away from the well and out of the mains. Later, hydrants on dead-end courts in the affected area were also flushed to clear these mains.
The combined action of shutting down Well 28 and opening multiple hydrants caused many customers on the far west side to experience reduced water pressure and/or discolored water. Some customers also reported temporarily being out of water. By early evening, service was restored to all water customers and Well 28 was delivering water with normal fluoride levels.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
JOE
Joseph Grande
Water Quality Manager
Madison Water Utility
608-266-4654
My Experiences with Brittingham Park
So, after I wrote my blog about how the City and Non-profits are thinking about dealing with the homeless, I decided that I had better go check out Brittingham Park myself. I was familiar with the car campers, but not the Brittingham Park situation. I've only been there two times, and here has been my experience.
Thursday, August 9th around 12:30 in the afternoon. It was hot and muggy and overcast. I drove around the outskirts of the park, it was nearly desserted. I parked my car and decided to walk over to the bike path and walk along the bike path. I had on a pair of flat flip-flops and navigating the goose poop was quite disgusting. There was a group of about 20 - 25 mostly african american men of a wide variety of ages at the shelter. They were sitting around in smaller groups talking, some of them were goofing around, some sat there rather somberly. They were essentially just hanging out. I didn't see any sign of rowdy drunk behavior, or not even drinking that I could tell, but I was trying not to stare too much and it was shortly after noon. I kept walking down the bike path. No one really even noticed me, I wasn't harassed and I didn't feel threatened. That is, until I spotted the little memorial that they had for the person who recently died there. I was sort of focused on the memorial and looking at it and not paying attention to my surroundings when suddenly my path was blocked and I heard a horrible hissing noise. It was the largest goose in the area and it wasn't going to let me pass. I laughed, turned around, and walked back to my car. I decided I should come back another time.
Saturday, August 11th, around 7:30 in the evening. It was a nicer day than Thursday. The park was alot more active. About 30 to 40 fisherman lined various parts of the park. People were playing frisbee and catch off on their own and there was a volleyball game in progress. There were more like 40 - 45 people, 95% people of color, now around the parking lot and in the shelter. I sort of did the same routine, minus the goose. I got out of my car, left my window unrolled and didn't lock it. I navigated my way through the goose poop, wishing I had remembered to wear a different pair of shoes and wandered along the path. Again, no one really noticed me or approached me or talked to me. No one stole the change out of my car. One table of four black guys looked at me kind of curiously, but I didn't feel threatened. I saw two bike riders, one white guy walking on the path and a younger white couple walking their dog. The black guy on the bike met my eyes when I looked at him and he greeted me. The white guy on the bike diverted his eyes away from me when I looked at him. Neither the young couple nor the other walker would look me in the eyes and they didn't greet me. There was one guy sleeping on a bench. Another bench had a well worn blanket tossed over it but there was no one there. The most surprising thing to me this time was that the people in shelter were not all men. There were also women with 5 - 8 little kids (less than 10 years old) running around (barefoot in the goose poop!) It looked like, for all outward appearances, that it could have been a family picnic in the park. Again, I didn't feel threatened or unwelcome. I walked back to my car and drove away.
I plan to go back, talk to a homeless outreach worker I know, talk with City Staff who work with the homelessness programs and try to get more information from the police. However, this letter written to the Cap Times yesterday tells me an awful lot.
Thursday, August 9th around 12:30 in the afternoon. It was hot and muggy and overcast. I drove around the outskirts of the park, it was nearly desserted. I parked my car and decided to walk over to the bike path and walk along the bike path. I had on a pair of flat flip-flops and navigating the goose poop was quite disgusting. There was a group of about 20 - 25 mostly african american men of a wide variety of ages at the shelter. They were sitting around in smaller groups talking, some of them were goofing around, some sat there rather somberly. They were essentially just hanging out. I didn't see any sign of rowdy drunk behavior, or not even drinking that I could tell, but I was trying not to stare too much and it was shortly after noon. I kept walking down the bike path. No one really even noticed me, I wasn't harassed and I didn't feel threatened. That is, until I spotted the little memorial that they had for the person who recently died there. I was sort of focused on the memorial and looking at it and not paying attention to my surroundings when suddenly my path was blocked and I heard a horrible hissing noise. It was the largest goose in the area and it wasn't going to let me pass. I laughed, turned around, and walked back to my car. I decided I should come back another time.
Saturday, August 11th, around 7:30 in the evening. It was a nicer day than Thursday. The park was alot more active. About 30 to 40 fisherman lined various parts of the park. People were playing frisbee and catch off on their own and there was a volleyball game in progress. There were more like 40 - 45 people, 95% people of color, now around the parking lot and in the shelter. I sort of did the same routine, minus the goose. I got out of my car, left my window unrolled and didn't lock it. I navigated my way through the goose poop, wishing I had remembered to wear a different pair of shoes and wandered along the path. Again, no one really noticed me or approached me or talked to me. No one stole the change out of my car. One table of four black guys looked at me kind of curiously, but I didn't feel threatened. I saw two bike riders, one white guy walking on the path and a younger white couple walking their dog. The black guy on the bike met my eyes when I looked at him and he greeted me. The white guy on the bike diverted his eyes away from me when I looked at him. Neither the young couple nor the other walker would look me in the eyes and they didn't greet me. There was one guy sleeping on a bench. Another bench had a well worn blanket tossed over it but there was no one there. The most surprising thing to me this time was that the people in shelter were not all men. There were also women with 5 - 8 little kids (less than 10 years old) running around (barefoot in the goose poop!) It looked like, for all outward appearances, that it could have been a family picnic in the park. Again, I didn't feel threatened or unwelcome. I walked back to my car and drove away.
I plan to go back, talk to a homeless outreach worker I know, talk with City Staff who work with the homelessness programs and try to get more information from the police. However, this letter written to the Cap Times yesterday tells me an awful lot.
All People Have The Right To Use Brittingham ParkRead more!
The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A7
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
This column was written collaboratively by the people of Brittingham Park, Thao and Nancy Nguyen of Freedom Inc., and Cindy Breunig and Kristen Petroshius of Groundwork.
We are the mostly black and homeless people who often use Brittingham Park and its shelter. We are the Southeast Asian youths, elders, women, men and children who have used Brittingham Park for celebrations, sports, fishing and relaxation over the last 27 years. We are white community members working for racial justice some of us live in the neighborhood, and all of us have used Brittingham Park regularly for recreation and for important events such as immigrant rights political gatherings and Madison PRIDE events.
Together, we unite in response to allegations made by neighbors about the people who often use the Brittingham Park shelter, and express our concerns about the call for a fence around the shelter and increased police presence.
People from all walks of life should have the freedom to walk, eat, sleep, gather and socialize at this park without fear of harassment from the police, other park patrons and property owners who are seemingly more concerned with the loss of property value than they are with the loss of a life.
We are against unfair racial profiling and the continuously discriminatory practices of removing specific community members from the park instead of looking more critically at the situation at hand. The people of Brittingham Park are real human beings, not people to fear or lock up because white people don't want to feel guilty when they see the violence of poverty and racism inflicted on people of color by this society. Instead of policing us and spending money to lock us up, why don't you use that money in more productive ways: Help us find jobs, make more affordable housing and shelter available or create a warming center so that we will not freeze to death in the winter?
Until Madison can make sure that all our residents have a safe space to sleep, food to eat, medical care and affordable transportation, leave the people in Brittingham Park alone. It is a public park and we all have a right to be there.
Together we are asking all of us as a community to look deeply into the situation and recognize our fears. It means searching for the root causes of poverty and homelessness, and looking honestly at how we as a community have not found a comprehensive or dignified way to solve these problems.
We are asking you to listen to and prioritize the voices of the poor, homeless and mostly black people who are residents of Brittingham Park. We are asking you to recognize us as neighborhood residents equal to the homeowners. We are asking you to put our experiences central in the defining of what the problem is, and in the creation of solutions. We are asking you to question the kind of mentality that allows black, poor and homeless community members to be seen as people to be feared, disposed of and eliminated. We are asking you not to use the death of a human being who was black, poor, homeless and transgendered to further perpetuate oppression and pain, and instead use it as a motivation to engage in the honest and painful path to build a more humane, just and dignified community.
In memory of Miss Alene, we all have a right to the park. As human beings, we all have a right to LIVE.
Mayor Dave's Summer Vacation
With all the talk about Mayor Dave's priorities (trolleys vs. pet peeve of anyone and everyone) I thought I'd take a look at what he's been up to this summer. According to his Weekly Whereabouts posted on the news section of thedailypage.com since Memorial Day, or for the past 12 weeks or 58 work days, this is what it revealed:
- 60 public appearances, parties, ribbon cuttings, media events and speeches, none of these appeared to be business meetings and it doesn't include the 4 golf outings.
- 57 private meetings with various citizens or groups of citizens, including lobbyists, plus an additional 10 lunches or breakfasts with individuals
- 52 meetings with various staff or groups of staff
- 24 quarterly meetings with key staff leaders (He met with some more than once and some not at all. Chief Wray and Mark Olinger meet with him monthly.)
- 20 meetings with various alders (5 with Brian Solomon, 3 with Marsha Rummel, 2 with Julia Kerr, 1 with the rest except for the following who didn't meet with him at all: Gruber, Palm, Clausius, Compton, Skidmore, Schumacher, Webber.)
- 17 business meetings (5 Council meetings, 2 Board of Estimates meetings which he actually chairs and 17 other meetings)
- 16 days out of town for vacation or conferences
- 6 meetings with council leadership, these should be weekly meetings, so in 12 weeks he only met with them half the time.
- 4 golf outings, including one full day where he played 4 courses
- 3 chunks of time set aside for "work time" or phone calls and correspondence
- 3 listening sessions or town hall meetings with the public
- 3 conference calls for his Mayor's group
- 2 meetings to review the plan commission agenda for the 5 plan commission meetings during this time period
- 2 department and division head meetings in 3 months
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Moving Day, Without the Tenant Resource Center?
As you curse the garbage trucks and moving vans and dig through the piles of trash to find goodies, I'd ask you to think. What would Madison be like without the Tenant Resource Center? What would happen if we stopped helping students with their housing issues?
Unfortunately, it's something we ask ourselves more and more lately. The decision by SSFC to determine that after funding us for 10 years, that we did not meet their re-created definition of "student organization" has left the Tenant Resource Center $55,000 short, it was nearly 20% of our budget.
Our board made a commitment to try to find a way to keep our doors open, maintain our level of service and work hard to raise the money we need to keep our doors open. And, re-apply for funding from the University this year. However, best case scenario, we won't receive funding until July 2008.
Meanwhile, we may have to
1. Make a donation. We've been getting $10, $12, $20 checks and it all helps. The $100 checks help more, but its all equally appreciated. You can donate on-line, or you can send your donation to Tenant Resource Center 1202 Williamson St Suite A, Madison WI 53703 or donate through your workplace giving campaign this fall through Community Shares of Wisconsin; or
2. If you're a student, join the Student Tenant Union. We can only get funding back to provide services on campus, if students make the case they need these services and help us figure out how to make it most effective for students. If you're interested in joining, email uwmadstu@gmail.com.
Meanwhile, take a deep breath, leave a little extra time to travel through the downtown area and be grateful that way back in 1969 the Madison Tenant Union and the Student Tenant Union came into being and later in 1980 the Tenant Resource Center was born. We've helped hundreds of thousands of people throughout the years, and we with your help, we will stick around and help hundreds of thousands more.
asktrc@tenantresourcecenter.org
257-0006
1-877-238-RENT (7368)
1202 Williamson St Suite A - walk-ins welcome, no appointment necessary M - F 9 - 6
Open until 7:30 tonight (August 15)
Mediation - 257-2799
Housing Help Desk - 242-7406 or walk-in, no appointment necessary M - F 8 - 4:30
1819 Aberg Avenue (Dane County Job Center) Room 2 Read more!
Unfortunately, it's something we ask ourselves more and more lately. The decision by SSFC to determine that after funding us for 10 years, that we did not meet their re-created definition of "student organization" has left the Tenant Resource Center $55,000 short, it was nearly 20% of our budget.
Our board made a commitment to try to find a way to keep our doors open, maintain our level of service and work hard to raise the money we need to keep our doors open. And, re-apply for funding from the University this year. However, best case scenario, we won't receive funding until July 2008.
Meanwhile, we may have to
- cut back our service hours and instead of being open until 6:00 so people can stop by after typical work hours we will have to close earlier; and
- stop answering emails; and
- we won't be able to return calls in 24 - 48 hours and instead it may take up to a week; and
- stop presentations in the residence halls for first-time renters; and
- stop tabling and outreach on campus making our services more accessible for students; and
- we won't be doing Tenant Education Week; and
- and we won't be putting ads in the campus newspapers to let students know about our services; and
- we don't really want to think about what else we might need to do, but we've lost two part-time student staff positions and we just won't have the time to do some of the things that we do because its the right thing to do, even tho we don't always get funded to do it.
1. Make a donation. We've been getting $10, $12, $20 checks and it all helps. The $100 checks help more, but its all equally appreciated. You can donate on-line, or you can send your donation to Tenant Resource Center 1202 Williamson St Suite A, Madison WI 53703 or donate through your workplace giving campaign this fall through Community Shares of Wisconsin; or
2. If you're a student, join the Student Tenant Union. We can only get funding back to provide services on campus, if students make the case they need these services and help us figure out how to make it most effective for students. If you're interested in joining, email uwmadstu@gmail.com.
Meanwhile, take a deep breath, leave a little extra time to travel through the downtown area and be grateful that way back in 1969 the Madison Tenant Union and the Student Tenant Union came into being and later in 1980 the Tenant Resource Center was born. We've helped hundreds of thousands of people throughout the years, and we with your help, we will stick around and help hundreds of thousands more.
asktrc@tenantresourcecenter.org
257-0006
1-877-238-RENT (7368)
1202 Williamson St Suite A - walk-ins welcome, no appointment necessary M - F 9 - 6
Open until 7:30 tonight (August 15)
Mediation - 257-2799
Housing Help Desk - 242-7406 or walk-in, no appointment necessary M - F 8 - 4:30
1819 Aberg Avenue (Dane County Job Center) Room 2 Read more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)