UnClear

November 1, 2010 7:32 am

It seems Alder Mark Clear will be withdrawing an amendment that would take money from community services for a consultant for the BioAg Gateway. But thse concerned about community services still might have to show up tonight.

From: Clear, Mark
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2010 2:05 PM
To: ALL ALDERS
Cc: Brasser, Dean; Simon, Debra; Mayor
Subject: Operating budget amendment #25

Dear Colleagues,

After much thought and discussion, Ald. Compton and I are withdrawing amendment #25, which would have funded marketing of the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects through a reduction in community services provider funding.

In its place, we plan to offer a substitute for amendment 27 (Capitol East business development specialist position) that would use the language from #25 but at the same cost as originally proposed for #27.

We will explain in more detail at BOE tomorrow, but we wanted to give you all a heads-up. Thank you.

Mark and Judy

Here’s amendment 25 that he intends to withdraw and use the language from:

Provide funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects, and reduce funding for Community Services provider contracts commensurately. $144,000

And here’s amendment 27, with the different cost.

Add an additional 1.0FTE Business Development Specialist to the Office of Business Resources to assist primarily with the Capitol East District and Mdison Sustainability Commerce Center projects.The position will also work directly with prospects and may assist with other City economic development projects. $84,809

I don’t really understand what he is saying, but it looks like the new amendment may still take money from Community Services, only $84,809 instead of $144,000. He was a bit unClear. I’ve asked for a clarification.

Check out this hogwash . . . if they didn’t think the funds should be competing, why did they propose their amendment that way?

Statement of Alders Judy Compton and Mark Clear

Today we are withdrawing a city budget amendment that would have provided funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects. Funding for these economic development activities would have come from a $144,000 reduction in an extra $200,000 that the Mayor earmarked in his budget for Community Services providers.

In its place we will substitute an amendment that cuts the marketing funds about in half, and draws it from the tax levy rather than from other services.

This amendment was one of three that would have significantly increased the city’s commitment to economic development by adding two new positions in the city’s Office of Business Resources (OBR) and providing them with a marketing budget. Instead, we are now proposing one new position, focused on small business. The funding for the second position will instead be used for the marketing project. Both will be funded by tax levy.

OBR is our “core” economic development unit, which works with businesses to help them get established, find resources and capital, and grow or relocate in Madison. Currently OBR has only three full time employees dedicated to these functions, with a proposed budget for 2011 of less than $400,000. This is a very small commitment compared to the importance of this work to grow our employment base and tax base.

These two goals need not be mutually exclusive and should not be competing over the same dollars. Improving our economy, creating jobs and growing our tax base is the best way to ensure we can fund the community services, parks, public safety and all the other services that make Madison a great place to live. In fact, it’s the only way.

2 COMMENTS

Brenda Konkel November 1, 2010 12:29 pm At 12:29 PM

Mark Clear never replied to me, but I got this through the Forward Lookout spy network:

From: Clear, Mark
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 7:15 AM
To: ALL ALDERS
Cc: Cieslewicz, Dave; Clingan, William; Klein, Chris; Brasser, Dean; Simon, Debra
Subject: Clarification on substitute for amendment 27

I should have clarified in my earlier message that the funding source for the “new” amendment 27 is levy. There is no longer a decrease in Community Services.
Amendment 27

Agency: Economic Development Division
Page(s): 145
Sponsors: Alds. Clear, Compton

Provide funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the Bio Ag Gateway and BioLink projects.

EDD Purchased Services – Consulting $84,809
Total $84,809
Levy impact $84,809
Brenda Konkel November 1, 2010 12:53 pm At 12:53 PM

Check out this hogwash . . . if they didn’t think the funds should be competing, why did they propose their amendment that way?

Statement of Alders Judy Compton and Mark Clear

Today we are withdrawing a city budget amendment that would have provided funding to the Office of Business Resources to market and manage the BioAg Gateway and BioLink projects. Funding for these economic development activities would have come from a $144,000 reduction in an extra $200,000 that the Mayor earmarked in his budget for Community Services providers.

In its place we will substitute an amendment that cuts the marketing funds about in half, and draws it from the tax levy rather than from other services.

This amendment was one of three that would have significantly increased the city’s commitment to economic development by adding two new positions in the city’s Office of Business Resources (OBR) and providing them with a marketing budget. Instead, we are now proposing one new position, focused on small business. The funding for the second position will instead be used for the marketing project. Both will be funded by tax levy.

OBR is our “core” economic development unit, which works with businesses to help them get established, find resources and capital, and grow or relocate in Madison. Currently OBR has only three full time employees dedicated to these functions, with a proposed budget for 2011 of less than $400,000. This is a very small commitment compared to the importance of this work to grow our employment base and tax base.

These two goals need not be mutually exclusive and should not be competing over the same dollars. Improving our economy, creating jobs and growing our tax base is the best way to ensure we can fund the community services, parks, public safety and all the other services that make Madison a great place to live. In fact, it’s the only way.