Ok – here’s a partial report . . . public testimony and amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (10 & 11 partial) & 14. I was almost done with the updates and lost them, so I’ll have to redo them tonight or tomorrow morning. Sorry.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
I was harassing staff and didn’t hear Rosemary Lee’s testimony. [Sorry Rosemary, I didn’t expect the Mayor to get started so quickly!]
Barbara Bolan the Executive Director of WYOU spoke in support of amendment #4. She celebrated her first-year anniversary at the station on October 14th, having come on board after the 2009 budget decision that funded WYOU at its 2008 level from PEG funds. Things have changed since October, 2008. The Cable Consumer Repair Bill authored by State Representative Gary Hebl is gathering sponsors now and, if passed, could restore dedicated PEG funding for Wisconsin Community Media in 2011. On the Federal level, Tammy Baldwin’s Community Access Preservation Act now circulating will also help strengthen community media in local communities, including here in Madison for WYOU, City Channel and Madison Metro School District Channel. Right here at WYOU, things have also changed. We’re running events and membership drives that are bringing in donations from the community. We’ve created a “Media Services for Hire” category that, while still in its infancy, shows excellent revenue-generating promise. They set of goal of fundraising $20,000 and as of today they are 83% there. One thing that hasn’t changed at WYOU is its historical and current ability to act as an incubator for people to learn how to express themselves, gain confidence in and grow pride in themselves and create community for themselves. David Runyon, the creator and producer of the 20-year-long running show “Nothing To Hide” honed his television and documentary skills at WYOU. Through WYOU, he created an amazing visual record of a changing LGBT community locally and nationally, and an extraordinary archive of political thought in the last part of the 20th century. At his death in 2001, “Nothing To Hide” was the longest-running LGBT television program anywhere. On November 13th WYOU will bequeath 800 tapes of “Nothing To Hide” to the University of Wisconsin’s Memorial Library at a reception featuring Tammy Baldwin. The library will archive the collection, restore and digitize the masters and place the shows in circulation for access by scholars, students and community members. Several weeks ago we were approached by a local law firm to help them sift through and prepare 8 hours of footage for a court case. We charged an hourly rate of $40 and asked several volunteers experienced in the editing software to help do the work. We passed through $15 per hour to them for their work. One volunteer, Ben, did the majority of the work and he earned $382. His father wrote a letter of support for WYOU to Mayor Dave last week. It reads:
Dear Mayor Dave,
Thank you for the opportunity to connect. My adult son has cerebral palsy. He has a degree in visual communications but no place to work and gain experience. WYOU has given him an opportunity to work and volunteer. Isn’t that something we envision? Public money supporting local people, helping people in a real, meaningful way. Corporations have options. Like my son, WYOU has few to no options. If you can help with the PEG funding, you will be helping my son. Of course, I’m his father so, yes, I think he’s worth $70,000.
Sincerely, Wayne Ruhland
I ask you to support WYOU as it changes and to secure future revenue sources. I ask you to support WYOU as it retains its mission to teach and incubate future voices. I ask you to vote “yes” on Amendment #4.
[I have to apologize in advance, first I don’t know how people spell their names and second, it was really noisy and hard to hear due to people talking in the back of the room and the heater making noise.]
Jim Carrier runs a non-profit film school In 1972 when FCC regulated cable television, they required public access television based on the quaint notion that the public airwaves belong to the people. He has lived all over the United States and he has never seen the mission of Public Access fulfilled like WYOU. He says with no training you can walk in, get trained and put your voice on the air. He reads off the various shows that were on the air today. He says WYOU looks more like Barrack Obama’s United States. He says that his non-profit film school puts on trainings for non-profits and they provide scholarships so under-served communities so they can have access. He says that WYOU has faced three whammies. First charter changed them from Channel 4 (replaced by QVC) to stations people don’t see as much. Seocnd, AT&T bill attempted to get rid of PEG. And third, the Mayor took half the money. He says if this stands, the Mayor will have extinguished hundreds of voices and faces from the air – and we’ll be left only with his face.
Rick Richards says he has been a member of WYOU for 3 years and for the last year or so has been the chair of the board. Please support amendment #4. He sympathizes with the budget woes, but PEG money is meant to support channels like WYOU. We would lose 1/3 of our annual budget and won’t be able to provide services it provides. WYOU began planning since heard PEG going away. Hired Barbara Bolan, adopted a strategic plan to secure multiple income sources, expand awareness and support. He says WYOU has become a member of DMI, the Chamber of Commerce and Dane Buy Local. They sought assistance from companies like 5 Nines Data, Restech, Supranet and Inbox box which all support the station. Met with community leaders to find out how to connect. They have had community events, fundraisers and on-air pledge drives, they changed program schedules and worked with the producers to improve their shows. They are actively seeking underwriting, seeking grants, increasing membership, providing video services and partnering with schools with internships and classes. They are increasing the number of classes. However, we cannot rely on fundraising and grants when so many non-profits are applying. He says we can’t continue unless we have staff.
Joe Dean owns University Audio Shop on Park St and is a producer on WYOU. He says it has been a wonderful experience and he has learned how to produce video. He has supported the station with with his own funds ($10,000 in last year) because he puts his money where his heart is. WYOU was not built to have to be a self-sustaining organization. This is a service to city residents. Since the PEG funding has been eliminated, staff now have a second duty to raise alot of money. Any fundraiser knows that is a big job. WYOU specialty is video and getting people involved, not fundraising. However, they are going forward with verve and spirit and there is a good chance that we will be self sustaining, but if you cut half the funding that chance is minuscule. The staff now have two jobs, and there is a small staff but they are learning the ropes. We would be remiss in responsibility to local democracy and the people of Madison who want to learn video if they give up now. At least give us a chance to become self sustaining.
Luciano – Thanks his alder for the amendment. Says he has been a producer since 1987, and like alot of people he started with something in mind for his show. But in 1991 when the war started it dawned on him that because we had the station we had the responsibility to balance the propaganda and misinformation. We were the only station at time presenting other information. At that point we opened WYOU at night, before that it is only open until 10:00. Since then, there has been more and more people, now cablecast 24 hours a day. He also says that we have been very good at telling people that this is tax money. This is 63 cents on his bill every month. He talks about the deal last year with the Mayor. He says the only deal he makes every month that is that he gives 63 to Charter. This is not tax money. You can do a slight of hand, this is still my fee. You are taking money away from me. He says he gave them $5 a few years ago because he didn’t want them to take the money away from the station – he paya 63 cents every month and he wants WYOU.
Jane Ann Morris – she has been working on community gardens on the library. An effective transit system and bike paths and other things make a city great. A well informed citizenship is important and it comes through a library and WYOU and the information they provide. [She was much more eloquent, but it was hard to hear and I got behind and missed some.]
Jason Kwiatkowski has been involved with WYOU for 10 years, he was a member volunteer and later (volunteer?) Executive Director for a few years. His wants to talk about his personal experience of why WYOU and why it matters. He was a student at the UW, couldn’t afford the Madison Media Institute and there weren’t other types of universities you can go to today. He went to WYOU and for a nominal fee he learned and accessed a skill and has been able to use that for the past 10 years. He has his own video production company now and makes a small amount of money doing that along with his state job. The important thing is that he could come in the door, he was welcome and could learn how to use camera, edit and have a format to express himself. He thinks this is the fabric of what this country is about. So little of that today, everyone is priced out of the market. Television is not an option for you if you don’t have money. A fundamental principal is we don’t have to agree, but we can have a public debate, you’re not going to get that from FOX or MSNBC, that door is closed for most people. WYOU is open to everyone. If you get an opportunity, you should look at the variety of people that we serve, this is what it is about – you can say I don’t like what’s going on in my neighborhood, I’m from another country and I want to share info with you. That’s important and I hope you realize that.
Xiong Vang – He is a public citizen. He got alot of experience at WYOU. He is a student at Edgewood and works. Last year wanted to do something for the Hmong community and he worked with CPR and he wanted to translate some of the skills he learned. He wanted to do it in a way Hmong people would connect to. He tried to find some place to learn the skills and only place he could find was WYOU. He finished a video – Conscious choking prevention. He was a producer, writer, director and got lots of others involved, doctors, red cross and other agencies and learned to use skill and extend the knowledge he is getting at Edgewood. He hopes that they will consider WYOU and help the community that sometimes there is no voice and this station provides a voice for the people.
Mary Cardona – speaking for herself, but she is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association of PEG Channels (WAPC). Mr. Brad Clark, City Channel station manager, serves on our Board of Directors and is our Public Policy Chair. We have 61 members representing PEG stations from Superior to Kenosha. All three stations from Madison are members. She has lived in Madison long time, worked with all three stations and they are all very distinctly different. The schools channel shows school board meetings and City Channel is meeting coverage and issue program, but the public access station has a role. Give a regular person an opportunity to speak. It also give people the tools to learn and that is irreplaceable. You can say there is the internet, but the internet doesn’t give you training, you can’t collaborte, the latino community can’t come do a live show in the studio. Cable should have a place for people to speak. She has been lobbying on the state and federal level. The industry always says why should we give 1% PEG fees, we already give them 5% franchise fee and its hard to come back with an argument for that. The 5% is $2M+ that the city gets, WYOU is asking for %70,000 – public subscribers deserve it, we have the revenue in 2010, if we lose the PEG fee lets come back, but we have the PEG fee and franchise fee. Let WYOU have more time to develop synergies.
Judy Lourquin – Russ Adloe and her produce 3rd world issues. She knew the state said that they only had PEG funding for 3 years and 2011 they would go away, but she didn’t know the city could change that. There is legislation at the state level and federal level – if passed, it will alter some of these things. We can’t count on this at this point. It is careless and shows a lack of respect for ordinary people who produce a show or enjoy watching the shows. WYOU provides a venue beyond mainstream TV, here they do a show on third world issues and tape a series of lectures and show them on the channel. They filmed . . . and she lists off an impressive list of national speakers which I’m sure I missed some of and I’m doing from memory but it was – Noam Chomsky, Medea Benjamin, Amy Goodwin, Michael Moore, Ralph Nader, Phil Donohue. She talks about Ralph Nader being here and they were the only ones to film it. Without the good information, she doesn’t know how people can make informed decisions. The major networks are covering balloon boy and Michael Jackson when people are dying all over the world form war, bad water supply, etc. People who have money and run the stations don’t care.
David Williams said he retired early in 2004 after being a public reference librarian for 28 years. What if someone suggested and seriously decided to zero out the library. WYOU is a public utility, just like a public library. He says he doesn’t need to lecture about media monopolization and shrinking of public discourse. You turn on TV and there is right and left “discussion” and someone in the center. That is what we see on tv networks. This country is in an economic crisis and Madison is financially stressed and there is a strong argument to chop WYOU. But in our community we have forums going on all the time about the economic emergency and how we can respond and all of that is covered by WYOU and that will be obliterated if you eliminate WYOU. Adam Shesch and history of insurgencies, student of Afghanistan and Pakistan spoke to a community meeting in Duluth and he came back and said it was filmed by community cable. They have 26,000 subscribers there and supported by the city government, why can’t we do as well as Duluth MN. Do whatever is necessary to save community television.
There were two other registrants in support.
Dode Lowe was there to support 11 & 14. If you take a look at the reduction in these workers hours, you come to the conclusion that its simply another way to encourage department heads to chip away and chip away and chip away. They seem to be saying there is not enough work. I don’t think anyone believes that. Admin and managers need to manage, schedule and not look for ways to reduce work hours for workers in these departments, simply to save a small chunk of change. For 14 we need some courageous council members to restore funding on #14, based on the snow that fell and how quickly the workers took care of his street, we need to look at that like other public safety issues. It is a public safety issue when the snow is removed. When you eliminate the positions it has an impact on public safety.
Mayor clarifies that Lowe is speaking on behalf of himself not AFSCME.
Lori Kief is there on 11 & 19 and is speaking for AFSCME Local 60. She is a Building Inspector for the City of Madison. She says that the lower level positions are always the ones that are gone. The savings are always minimal, its 4 positions – they are the first contact with the public. The savings is so minimal and we could look for other places to downsize positions. The two positions in parks to reduce to 75%, there really is full time work to be done there. Good services and great programming in parks and hate to see boat launches or concession stands suffer to save money. Disappointed that people doing the jobs (mow lawns etc) are the jobs that are cut or held open. You also really need to fill the vendor coordinator position.
Steve Schooler in support of #15 – He’s the chair of the low income bus pass committee and they are hard at work and will have a report out. This amendment is to allow them to continue what it is now. There may be some turn aways. (Missed part of it)
Sonya Newenhouse – #13 – Madison Environmental Group – Small business person with a budget so understands the issues. She is here to explain and ask them not to be cut and to keep Streets advertizing. Enact is a deep changing program. Creates awareness, its free, book is on-line and she rattles off numbers about how much water they saved, etc. This also builds community as well as the environment. They have staff and 800 line to answer questions. Please keep the money in the budget. Maybe we should partner with WYOU to get the word out.
Judy Skoag #13, loves the program. Effective. On a monthly basis she studies a topic, declares in front of friends what we are going to do and then fesses up the next month what we did. That keeps them accountable. Friends cut electric use in half after being in the program. Working to educate a group of independent seniors that live in their homes. They are working on a promotional piece for this group which is a prime target since elderly pepole have old appliances and no compact fluorescent light bulbs. She has started teams in her neighborhood and she has become friends with her neighbors as a result of this program.
There were other registrants. 1 in support of #13, 1 in support of ice rinks.
AMENDMENTS ONE, THREE, SEVEN AND FOURTEEN
ONE
Sponsor Cieslewicz.
Provide levy funding of $19,000 to keep the monthly health insurance co-pay amounts for non-represented employees at the current levels of $10 per single plan and $20 per family plan. The Mayor has promised non-represented employees that he would not go forward with the co-pay increase if remaining residency incentives were not repealed. The Common Council rejected an ordinance amendment to repeal residency incentives at its meeting of October 6, 2009. Adds $19,000 in costs back to the budget.THREE
Sponsor Cieslewicz
Adjust General Fund Revenues to accurately reflect updated estimates based on currently available information and pending ordinance changes.
Miscellaneous Licenses (Increase) (7,000)
Liquor Licenses (Increase)(16,000)
State Computer Reimbursement (Decrease) 43,673Adds Total: $20,673[Can I just say that every year we hear him whine about the council adding money to his budget, but every year, there are a few of these types of amendments that add money to his budget. And mistakes like the next one.]SEVEN
Sponsor Rhodes-Conway and Clausius.
Provide funding to correct a budget error in which the salary and benefits expense for the DCR Human Resources (Personnel) Analyst 1 was insufficiently funded. (Note: $2,689 is funding to support a potential reclassification from a Human Resources Analyst 1 to a Human Resources Analyst 2, pending a determination by the Human Resources Department.)Adds $32,290.FOURTEEN
Sponsor Cieslewicz and Clear.
Amend Highlight No. 6 of the Streets Division Operating Budget to delete two (vacant) SMO1 positions instead of two (filled) SMO2 positions. Marginal costs are minimal ($3,955), and will be accommodated within the existing Streets Division budget by management of salary savings. No levy impact.
Bruer moves adoption of items 1, 3, 7 & 14 saying they are non-controversial, technical corrections. Mayor explains, 1 is agreement with MPSEA, 3 is comptroller recalculation, 7 is a mistake and 14 is a technical adjustment. No discussion, they all
on a voice vote.
AMENDMENT TWO
Sponsor Sanborn.
Dissolve the Capital Revolving Fund and eliminate Façade Improvement and Lighting Enhancement Grants. Transfer fund balance and loan repayments from the Capital Revolving Fund to General Fund Revenues – Miscellaneous Revenues. Add a corresponding amount of expenditure authority to the Direct Appropriation to Capital/Special Revenue line in Miscellaneous Appropriations.
Direct Appropriation to Capital 1,008,731
General Fund Revenues (Increase) (1,008,731)
No levy impact.
Sanborn moves adoption. He would like to apply this to the outstanding debt, doesn’t think facade improvement grants are appropriate – theme with his amendments is that we need to think about what the city does that affects very few people, most things effect just about everybody. We tax everybody and some of it goes to small slivers of the community. Thinks we need to take care of our own . . . The capital revolving fund picks businesses in Madison that we think are special for interest free loans. Last one they never even borrowed the money. We should dissolve the fund.
No other comments. Jed is only one who votes for it, it
AMENDMENT FOUR
Sponsor: Rhodes-Conway and Verveer
Restore funding for WYOU to the 2009 level of $139,189 from PEG funds. This will reduce the amount of PEG funding available for Madison City Channel and increase its levy funding by an equal amount.
PEG: WYOU 69,594
PEG: MCC – Operating Fund (69,594)
MCC: Transfer in From Other Restricted (Decrease) 69,594Total levy impact $68,594
Rhodes-Conway has questions for speaakers. Please let them know the scope of the operation, how many volunteers, numbers in the programs and educational efforts. She also asks to talk more in depth about fundraising efforts. She says she has had more contacts in last 6 months to year. How are you attempting to build your budget without PEG?
Bolan says that there are about 65 active volunteers – producers and support for fundraisers and answering phones, run cameras and editing. They have 3 full time staff, and 2 people who work 8 and 5 hours for 2 week pay period. The membership is about 650, but active current members are about half. Richards says alot of turnover because of colleges in the area.
Richards talks about education – core mission is to enable people to have learn and put a show on the air. Regular classes in how to use cameras, editing and they are partnering with UW mini-course system and working with MATC to get more involvement and had a good intern.
Bolan talks about youth groups they work with the Madison Youth Company every other week June – August – they learn cameras and a little editing and put on a live show. The program is middle school students and early high school students. Also working on Goodman Center Media Works, they have a program, training facilities but no access to the media. Also Boy Scouts Glacial Edge Council meets every 2nd Tuesday from 5:00 – 8:00. 3 different cub scout groups visit the studio, they are tiger cubs, learn their badges in media.
Richards says that three full time staff and provide support for 60 some producers and volunteers, but putting local content on the air 24/7 and running business functions of the office and they work with people learning their craft and doing their work and staff is constantly mentoring.
Bolan says they set a goal to raise $20,000. On air fundraisers, one in March – live programs, special programming. They ran a pledge drive, learned alot from WORT to run it. Just completed in the last 8 days. They also have held event driven fundraisers where they donate money for entertainment. They have had house parties and have another one coming up craft brews for WYOU – local craft brewers donating funds. Looking for grants, got close to being a Cmmunity Shares member, starting to be invited to write for grants, which is a big steps. Submitting grant applications willy-nilly with no connection is a waste of time, lots of other work to do, but now the doors are staring to open – small, but open. Learning more about fundraising world and meet more people.
Richards says Bolan has been running staff ragged to all the summer events to network and be involved. That is what we need to do to make the fundraising viable.
Rhodes-Conway asks about state and national efforts. If they disappear, will a year more be enough to get us into a position where we could survive after that. Bolan says that we will further develop liaisons to replace the funding and restructure and partner with organizations that expressed interest that would provide funding or help us with overhead – uses rent as an example. She says tto the question of if they will survive, it is a qualified “I’m not sure”.
Clear says you’ve had one year to prepare for this transition.
Bolan says when she walked in the door it was a broken place, needed to get things working to get started on looking for funding. Phones have to work.
Clear presumes technical and organizational broken. Bolan says yes.
Richards says we started a new process before the budget, knew the 2011 issue was coming. Last year Mayor restored funding. Richards says the key was to hire Barbara and change culture and business side of organization to pursue diverse funding. Wants to be diversified even if public funding continues, bad situation to be in. Another year is still quite a challenge but can do it.
Clear asks if they did a fundraising study to know what capacity is. Bolan says no study and help from WORT. The pledge drive in March helped dictate what they would see. The size of the pledges has increased. Average donation was $54 in March, average is $103 this time. Other interesting thing is that she came from outside of Madison, so she has colleagues and friends that are from around the country and that first fundraiser has a number of people who supported the stations because she worked there. This time around, the number is less without her friends, but she is encouraged that there was $7,100 for 8 days, but this time there was a 400 piece mailing and there will be a longer fatter tail on this fundraiser. Thinks the money will be more than in March. Increasing amount of support and more local.
Richards says that one of the things that slowed them down was moved from channel 4 to 991 – one of most powerful tools to fundraise has been taken away because people don’t know where you are. There are also technical difficulties with people getting the channel and one component needs to be to help them find us. He says they are not just asking for money, but other revenue – underwriting, video service and diversify to make it more stable.
Clear asks about production vs distribution. Alot of people who spoke about outlet going away. How much of budget is distribution vs production? Bolan says that they met with technology companies to be able to stream 24/7 off the website. Very little fees for that. Not paying charter or other providers, would like to be on UVerse, but would have to purchase an encoder to allow the programs to be distributed through AT&T and the remedial bills have a piece in them where the require them to provide the equipment.
Clear says even with severe budget cut, distribution is still possible. How much is locally produced? 65 – 70% is locally produced. A small amount from Free Speech TV via satellite network – Democracy Now is one they like to watch. Greater opportunity to source other local programming through a site call pegmedia.org and they look at that, and interested in providing that programming if it reduces number of repeats. The shows usually air 2 or 3 times in a 7 day period.
Clear asks of the 65% of local programming is produced with WYOU equipment. Bolan says half or 60% is all our equipment – cameras and software. A number of producers have purchased cameras, not necessarily editing software or equipment. As producers get better, they would like to get higher level equipment. Richards says also have a studio. No producers have that, they have a green screen space.
Compton says that it has improved tremendously over the years, can you tell her about partnering with UW. How much funding coming from UW? Bolan says that they do the mini-course system. They charge $59 per class and pass through $40 per class. No other kind of funding from them.
Compton asks if the instructors are approved through UW. Bolan says its WYOUs instructors and facilities, the UW just provides the marketing. They work with others in this capacity. She explains how the mini-course system works.
Richards says the classes are not certified.
Compton asks in 2008 how much money came from outside. Richards says that they would guess it was probably about $20,000 in 2008 and this year doing $60,000. In 2009 raised $45,000 at this point of the 60,000 budgeted to bring in.
Rhodes-Conway says that speakers did better than she could. Listen and hear and she thinks this is a community service that we should give an opprtunity. It could be moot in a year, but if we don’t pass this they don’t have a fighting chance. If we give them a chance, they have an opportunity to survive. She hopes the legislation passes for each of the stations.
Compton says that she wants them to vote against. She says that Satya is voting with her heart. She was on BTRB and they tried to get them to earn their own money. To be a free speech station you should not get government funding. She says that they made them raise money and she has contributed. She says that this is not one time we have given them a chance and we have done this over and over and over again. It is time for us to realize that WYOU needs to stand on its own two feet. They have had plenty of money, changed Executive Directors plenty of times, they have met with leaders and every time she thought they would work. Mayor made a tough decision, proud of him for doing it. Need to put money into city channel to have transparency. Call numbers got changed for city channel – it went out loud and clear that it was changed. This is a business, they need to act like a business and we need to treat them like a business.
Rhodes-Conway – Makes it clear that city channel’s budget doesn’t suffer, not a choice being presented.
Mayor says its complicated. All the PEG fees go to WYOU and City Channel and together it is about $410,000 in PEG and $190,000 in taxpayer funds. By cutting WYOU they can use PEG fees for city channel. He understands how tough it is, ran and started a non-profit. There were months when he didn’t cash a paycheck. Still on the board at that non-profit and last year lost a major foundation grant and that was really tough and needed to lay off a staff member – 20% of the staff and another went to part time and others took a pay cut. Doubt many non-profits don’t have the same story. Difficult for everyone out there. Promises to support Hebl and Baldwin bills. Hopes they pass, but not optimistic. And last point is that it is difficult to go from $140,000 to $0 in 12 months and expect to make it back. Its tough love, easy to go to supporters and donors and make up $70K next year than to go cold turkey. He says in 2009 budge they said they would do that.
Fails 2 – 4. Verveer and Rhodes-Conway voting aye. Sanborn, Clausius, Bruer and Clear voting no.
AMENDMENT FIVE
Sponsor: Alder Verveer.
Add the following narrative to Highlight No. 5: “$80,000 is included for overtime and fringe benefits, with an additional $20,000 provided for the mounted patrol (veterinarian fees, farrier costs, boarding fees and supplies). No funding may be spent in 2010 on the Downtown Safety Initiative until a specific plan, with goals and benchmarks, is adopted by resolution by the Public Safety Review Committee and the Common Council. The plan shall be due by March 31, 2010.”
No levy impact.
Verveer moves adoption and its seconded. Verveer says it is truth in budgeting. Not much of a change but the second part says that the Downtown Safety Initiative, which he supports, continue but they need to present a plan on how that will be used. He thanks the Mayor for keeping it in the budget and the Mayor is trying to get money from the business community. Verveer says that this year they are trying to get $20,000 in donations and he hopes this document will help with the fundraising.
Clear asks if the DSI has had a plan before? Verveer says there has been a plan but never approved by the policy council. Mary Shauf that Verveer summarized it well.
Clear asks if it has gone to PSRC before. Shauf says no. Clear concludes that is all that is changing.
AMENDMENT SIX
Sponsor: Rhodes-Conway, Verveer
Restore funding for the currently vacant Program Assistant 2 position to allow the hiring effective January 1, 2010, rather than delayed until May 1, 2010. Add the following language to the budget highlights: “Current staff sharing between the Mayor’s Office and the Office of the Common Council will end on January 1, 2010.”Adds $19,616 to the Mayor’s Office Budget
Motion is placed on file due to the following email:
Dear Colleagues,
As you all know, Debbie Fields and Lisa Olmsted have been fulfilling a voluntary transfer of duties since July. Debbie has been covering the Program Assistant 2 duties in the Mayor’s office after Pam Williamson’s retirement, and Lisa has been fulfilling Debbie’s position in the council office.
When we began this arrangement, all agreed that it would continue until the PA2 position could be filled on a permanent basis, which was originally expected to be in January, 2010 (though no date was specified in the agreement).
Several weeks ago, Janet Piraino, Lisa V. I met with Lisa O.and Debbie to discuss continuing the arrangement beyond January, since the executive budget anticipates savings from keeping the PA2 position open until May, 2010. After the meeting, both agreed to continue.
Since then, however, Debbie has decided that she prefers to return to the Council office, so by mutual agreement, the transfer of duties will end on December 31 and Lisa O. and Debbie will both return to their respective offices.
Council leadership and the Mayor’s office would like to express our appreciation to both Lisa O. and Debbie for their service during this time and for rising to the challenge of new responsibilities.
If you have questions about this, please contact Janet, Tim or myself. Thank you.
Mark C.
AMENDMENT EIGHT
Sponsor: Rhodes-Conway
Delete funding for alcohol inspectors.
Saves $10,000
Rhodes-Conway moves, Verveer seconds. She says not much more to add to the previous discussion they had. Reiterates that we have heard over and over about how this isn’t the time to do anythign new and that we have a soft hiring freeze and we shouldn’t be hiring new positions. Holding positions open to the extent that staff can’t use their comp time. Two reasons for the amendment. First is its not the time to start something new. Second is that the program sounds like it would be great to make sure people are complying with their conditions of their licenses, not just immediate public safety issues. But disagrees that the position should be funded by the industry that it is inspecting. Its a fox and hen situation. If we want to revisit this when we are doing new programs, she would welcome that and think about how to fund it.
Bruer says this is not a new initiative. Police department has been doing it and it has been taking up alot of their time. It has been effective and brought revenue in and educated people. This lapse of the on site review is disheartening. This is valuable and this is a small amount of money. For those worried about public safety and licenses this is important. Some have suggested raising license fees to pay for it. This city led a statewide effort to do the economic development initiative to help small license holders reduce their fees. We should have some clear oversight, this is a small investment for a large benefit to the community. This is also an educational tool to bring licensed establishments up to their legal responsibilities. Will help with quality of life.
Clear asks what is new? Are we replacing functions of another department. Plant says police have the authority to do all this, and they do alot of it downtown. In the outlying areas, there is very little compliance checks going on. The police will maintain their authority in this area, but they are essentially civilianizing the function.
Clear asks if these people will do this in the downtown area, or just outlying areas. Plant says it would replace some of the administrative functions downtown and start doing it routinely in the outlying districts.
Clear asks if this will produce revenues in terms of tickets. Plant says that they educate first and enforce second.
Clear asks Plant to speak to the fox and henhouse issue. Plant says he understands the concern, says the industry has been asking for this. Miller brewing is doing some of that work now on their own dime. The producers, distributors and retailers are asking for some kind of a mechanism to do more preventative work.
Plomiski says that Miller has been doing Respect 21 program for 2 years. They do spot checks for underage sales. This is done on a voluntary basis. The want to expand that. There are always hitches with a voluntary program because who would subject themselves to that kind of scrutiny, so they are supportive of this. This is mandatory and levels the playing field.
Plant says they encourage voluntary compliance as much as possible. He says the purpose is to educate and make sure they have the capacity to follow the rules. What will happen is that a handful of bad actors who are purposefully skirting the law will rise to the top. They will be able to document those violations and take actions.
Clear asks if this will address recent issues by intervening earlier.
Plominski says that if you are not buying your alcohol from a licensed distributor, then that indicates you are trying to evade taxes or something and that would be a good indicator something is wrong.
Clear asks if the city doesn’t have the capacity to do that now. [Shocker,] she says yes. She says the state does some checks but they have 4 inspectors for the entire state.
Plant says right now the only way they know if the distributor is not licensed is when distributors report that someone is no longer buying from them, but it is inconsistent.
Bidar-Sielaff asks if there is a 2 page description about what this person will do. She’s been to the meetings, but this is a new role and new way to do things and she assumes there are other conversations. Is there a summary some where that says what the role is, what enforcement authority role they have and how they will work with the police department.
Plant says no synopsis available. It was thought to be presumptuous to do that without budget authority. Plominski has been to lots of national conferences [I see something to cut!] speaking about this and it would be possible to put together a summary of what they do elsewhere.
Bidar-Sielaff asks about the process from here. Where is is the final approval, who will be in on those discussions. This seems like a policy decision in the budget. She would like to know more about the policy behind this.
Plominski also says there are 4,000 liquor related licenses and so it is a huge scope.
Bruer bristles every time he hears this is new. Police used to perform these functions. This was suspended due to budget considerations. Isn’t this similar to vending oversight? Or building inspection?
[He used a whole lot more words than that and ended with “isn’t that so”. Plominski had nothing left to say but “that’s spot on.”.]
Mayor wants to address Rhodes-Conway’s point about new programs. He thinks she brought up a good point. For the most part we really have said no. There are four things that might be new, but all of them are in quotation marks. New finance software & 8th ambulance are things they committed to in the past. The enhanced gang task force, with 4 new members, and just and expansion of that program. This is also an expansion and it will make conversations more efficient and allow police to do other things. This is just an enhancement of an existing program.
Motion fails 2 – 4. Rhodes-Conway and Sanborn voting no.
AMENDMENT NINE
Sponsor Verveer
Add the following narrative to Highlight No.4: “Before any funding is spent for the alcohol-licensed compliance inspection program, the Alcohol License Review Committee and Common Council shall adopt a detailed project plan by resolution. This plan will include a position description for the alcohol inspectors and a detailed plan as to how the program will operate, including goals and benchmarks.”
No levy impact.
Says that this just memorializes what perhaps the intent of the mayor’s office was in the first place. He wants it properly vetted beyond the position description.
Passes on a voice vote.
AMENDMENT TEN
Verveer says this one should have been on the list of non-controversial items. We have do to this anyways under the ordinance we adopted requiring the clerk to mail to nearby residents and property owners when there is an alcohol license. We are uncomfortably forcing the clerk to do this and she has alot of work with the four elections in 2010 and we don’t want to make her come back for a contingent reserve amendment or use the fund balance. They are pretty frugal in that office, but we don’t need Maribeth losing sleep at night. This was in the fiscal note when we passed it. He says there was $16,000 in amendment three but the comptrollers office used that for something else even tho he was the main sponsor on those amendments. He says that he had 4 ordinances and one of the is late filing fees and that will raise an undetermined amount of money because we don’t know how many people will file late. Part of that intent was to do this public notification. So, not only do we have to do it, but we are trying to find the money to pay for it.
Sanborn agrees that if we pass the ordinances we have to pay for them but since he didn’t vote for the ordinance, he won’t support the amendment.
Passes on a voice vote.
AMENDMENT ELEVEN
Rhodes Conway moves adoption and Verveer seconds. She says this is the most important one on tonight’s agenda. She says that they got a piece of paper with all the position reductions in the executive budget. She was worried about how long the list was and she asked alot of questions when they did the briefings. The bottom line is we are reducing almost 21 staff positions, but the majority – all but 5 – its a vacant position or people will be able to move around. The 5 that are a full or partial layoff are the subject of this amendment. These are the most important positions. These positions are the ones she wants to restore. She understands that we are in the worst possible economic times that any of us can remember, with the possible exception of Alder Bruer. She understands that it is certainly one of the worst budget years in recent memory and that is why we should pass this. If we are in the worst economy we can remember, the last thing we should be doing is laying people off. And, leaving our city workers to suffer through that economy. If these folks from these departments were able to say exactly what they thought, they would not want to lose these positions. People said everything from this is really going to hurt to we’ll find a way to make do. None of them would choose to do this. She feels that it is important to support our workforce and offer high quality service to our public by providing the number of workers it takes to do the job. We’re getting into dangerous territory when we squeeze more work into fewer person hours. We’re seeing the result of that, we just recently made a change that would allow HR director to be more flexible in when people use their comp time and the reason for that is because people can’t use the comp time because there is no one else to cover for them. That says to her that we are already at the edge and cutting more people is not the thing to do. She says this is the most important thing in this years budget. Think about the impact on just 5 people’s lives and weigh that against $100,000 she doesn’t know how you can’t come down on the side of 5 people keeping their jobs.
Sanborn says that you say in tough economic times that is the worst time to lose positions, but of course if it were good economic times and a good budget we wouldn’t need to cut. It a heads I win, tails you lose kind of argument. In tough economic times is the worst time to be raising taxes as well.
Clear doesn’t disagree with Rhodes-Conway or Sanborn. He is having trouble prioritizing positions based on ones that are open or not. This makes it less painful, cus no human face or family or living wage, but that is not the way to prioritize which positions should be cut. He says this amendment would be undoing those decisions.
Bruer asks them to elaborate on the impact of the Mayor’s budget.
Wirtz says there are bump rights in labor contracts as well as non-represented bump rights. It is highly unlikely that anyone will get laid off. Some people may exercise the bump right or take the cut. Knowing where we are at filling vacancies during the soft freeze, it is unlikely we will be laying anyone off.
Rhodes-Conway says 3 are partial cuts and 2 people that they will have a job with the City. Wirtz says it is very, very likely they will have a job with the city, but can’t guarantee that.
Clausius says that they could be implied layoffs but not set in stone. It’s a possibility. Rhodes-Conway says the positions will be cut. Wirtz says it is very unlikely that anyone will be laid off. They work hard to find a place for that individual.
Bidar-Sielaff asks about if that is why we hold the vacant positions. It seems like a self fulfilling prophesy that people bump and we hold open the vacancies Is that how we end up with vacant positions.
Wirtz says those positions go away. The people in those positions assume vacancies and the vacancies go away, so this is one way we fill those vacancies. Vacancies are from retirements and other staff decisions to leave the city. We turn over 5% positions.
Bidar-Sielaff clarifies that three will become part-time.
Mayor says that as he was putting his budget together there were alot of bad choices. He tried to make alot of small tough decisions instead of a handful of deep cuts. If you look at this budget compared to other government, private or non-profit, it comes out pretty well for the workers. We talking about a budget in which no one loses their job and no one gets a pay cut. The state is giving 3% pay cuts and layoffs. If you look at the county, 3% or layoffs. Yet in our budget no layoffs and no cuts. He understands it is tough, and its harder when someone is in that position. Cut 22 positions, in 5 cases there are real human beings. Appreciates Rhodes-Conways comments about how a cut impacts a family. But he thinks we did well compared to other governments.
Motion fails on a voice vote, I think Rhodes-Conway and Verveer voted for it, there rest no.
AMENDMENT TWELVE
AMENDMENT THIRTEEN
AMENDMENT FIFTEEN
AMENDMENT SIXTEEN
AMENDMENT SEVENTEEN
AMENDMENT EIGHTEEN
AMENDMENT NINETEEN
