Madison

It's been over 5 months and the Police and Fire Commission has had a dozen meetings since Chief Koval resigned and still no plan for the hiring process has been announced, no search firm has been hired, there hasn't even been an call for applications (RFP or Request for Proposals.)

Lots of development projects at Plan and Urban Design, Historic Preservation Plan, Metro Route Changes, sending 100 cops to Milwaukee, surveillance report, decriminalization of homelessness and several committees talking (affordable) housing.

Swans, cockatiels and oxygen masks for pets.  When did Madison Fire Department start being animal rescue?

Why the city attorney's office advises minutes to only contain motions and votes, no notes on discussion items, alder communications survey and more.

It seems like the city is dropping the ball on training our elected officials about ethics.  Regardless, Alders need to take responsibility for understanding the rules so we don't have yet another alder ethics violation.

Audio version of the three Week Ahead Posts and longer version than you will hear on WORT 89.9 on the Monday evening news.

Mayor's meeting schedule this week includes Chamber of Commerce, Urban Land Interests, Wisconsin State Treasurer, several community events now listed and tons of meetings with city staff.

Alder Carter has voted for over a quarter of a million dollars, that I could verify, for the non-profit where she is the president of the board.  Alder Carter clearly has a conflict of interest she should have disclosed.

This morning Dean Mosiman from the State Journal had an excellent article about the "barely humane" men's homeless shelter.  But did it expose illegal meetings by the "informal" city-county homeless shelter committee?  And what exactly is this committee doing?  Here's what I found out.

Large property owners are again challenging their assessments and threatening to sue the City of Madison for $1.4M.  Can you imagine what the city could do with that money?  Or what they will do without it?

Elected officials keep talking about the census jobs they need to fill.  Question is, do they need more people to apply, or do they just need to process the applications they have?

The new parks policy is one thing, but the ordinance change opens it up so any department or division, not the city council, will allow dogs on Madison property.