Operating Budget - The Short Version

I haven't even finished the Capital Budget from yesterday . . . got caught up in a meeting and phone calls and hundreds of emails (many of which I still haven't read) . . . but, here's the short version, before I go to bed, so I can sleep in tomorrow morning and not have to answer a thousand questions from inquiring minds . . . .

WHAT PASSED
- Solution to property tax exemption problems for low-income housing (Amendment 1 & 6)
- Sick leave for hourly employees. (Amendment 7)
- Capping the increase in the amount of money we give Greater Madison Convention and Visitor's Bureau at an additional $283,706. (Amendment 10)
- Lighting project for downtown (Amendment 14)
- Crossing Guard at Redan and Red Tail (Amendment 17)
- Reducing funding for Contract Compliance in Dept of Civil Rights (Amendment 21)
- Recycling in city parks (Amendment 25)
- Keeping 4 streets workers (Amendment 29)
- Bike related programs (Amendment 31)
- Pavement markings (Amendment 32)
- One homeless outreach worker $40,000 (Amendment 40)
- Eviction prevention funds $50,000 (Amendment 41)
- Healthy Neighborhood Liaison (Amendment 45)

WHAT FAILED
- Destroying the Capital Revolving Fund. (Amendment 2)
- $433,000 of cuts (Amendments 4, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 34, 36 See the WSJ for more info. Yes, the WSJ, I'm tired! :)
- Removing language about WYOU funding in 2010 and 2011. (Amendment 8)
- Removing the language as a result of the illegal meeting BOE members help (Amendment 9)
- Eliminating Sister Cities Funding (Amendment 11)
- Amendment to follow our rules about IZ funding for staff (Amendment 12)
- Funding to Keep an IZ home affordable (Amendment 13)
- Bathrooms in City Parks (Amendment 26)
- Advertising and education for large item collection, recycling and waste reduction and the increase in fees for large item collection. (Amendment 27)
- Planner 3/Office of Neighborhood support (Amendment 35)
- Keeping the current process for Office of Community Services Agencies (Amendment 42)
- Cost of inflation increases for Office of Community Services Agencies (Amendment 43)
- Full funding for community needs for community services $391,270. This was amended to just fund Child Care ($75,426) and Youth Services (126,040) (Amendment 44)

WHAT SORT OF IS IN/OUT/NOT SURE WHERE TO PUT IT
- Sister Cities still funded by Room Tax at $5,000 (Amendment 3)
- We cut two amendments on Public Health/Humane Society because the County Board didn't pass matching funding. (Amendments 19 & 20)
- There will be an increase in bus fares (Amendment 30)
- Loss of funding for Clean Air Action Days (Amendment 30)
- CDA Redevelopment Employees in their own department, not in Economic Development Unit failed/placed on file (Amendment 39)

WHAT WAS PULLED WITHOUT A VOTE/"Place on File"
- Increase in funding to Emerging Neighborhoods Funding (Amendment 5)
- Funding for Firestation 12 (Amendment 15)
- Street workers for provide garbage pick up in Town of Blooming Grove (Amendment 28)
- Delaying multi-space metering (Amendment 33)
- 2008 level funding for Neighborhood Grants (Amendment 37)
- Landlord and commercial property registration (Amendment 38)

Operating budget amendment here.

Final vote - Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Webber and Konkel vote no, because of bus fares. Everyone else voted for the budget.

That's it. Time for a nap. Much more to follow . . . later.