Short meeting.
PETER TALEN FIRE ALARM ORDINANCE
We started off with something I don’t think I’ve ever seen – one of the items on the agenda was the new fire alarm ordinance. It was the one year anniversary of when Peter Talen was killed in a fire downtown and Alder Verveer is going to name the ordinance after Peter and we had his family and the roommates who were injured in the fire honored and we heard some comments from them. Myself and Skidmore are also sponsors. Judy Compton asked to be added as a sponsor. Then, Alder Bruer tried to get the entire council to sign on as sponsors, but was shot down, with reason. Most people haven’t even read it yet due to the fact that it was just being introduced. Hopefully, the Apartment Association will even end up in support – or at least not opposing.
THANK YOU CLERK’S OFFICE
We had an honoring resolution for the Clerk’s Office and all the work they did during the election. Really, its not enough. They deserve so much credit for the valiant efforts during those few weeks of long, long lines.
MASS CONFUSION
You’d think we’d never done this before. We had a series of mess ups in trying to make our consent agenda. Alder Bruer was reading the wrong thing, got some numbers wrong, I goofed on a number and the chaos ensued, but we got ourselves straightened out, passing everything on the agenda except a few items. In the middle of all the confusion, the downtown multi-modal transportation plan was place on file (on purpose!) and we’re regrouping and starting over.
APPOINTMENTS
Were tabled, until we passed the committee that we were creating for which many of the appointments were.
ALLIED DRIVE DEMOLITION
We approved contracting with the State for demolishing a building that will be in the way when the Verona Rd. redo is done. The building was in foreclosure, the State bought it and now it is being demolished. Seemed to make sense, so it passed unanimously.
AD HOC HOUSING MERGER COMMITTEE
There were multiple issues here.
Alder Rummel worked on the two big ones. First of all, the merger is highly unlikely due to the legal gynmnastics that we’d have to go through.
Second, this is where the Mayor is trying to look at spending the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the City of Madison, outside the City. Marsha tried to ask the City Attorney some questions about how that would work, for some reason, he wasn’t prepared, even though she gave him a heads up. So, the Mayor, “who isn’t an attorney, but sits next to one” helped answer the questions.
Next problem, We deleted the language that said this committee would work on a regional housing plan. They are only working on the housing merger aspect. The Realtors were concerned that they weren’t on this committee – which wasn’t my concern, but it made a nice little alliance.
Next problem, the mayor tried to appoint the co-chairs, but we have a rule that alders can’t be co-chairs, so Alder Bruer can’t co-chair with Judy Wilcox. Rookie mistake with a seasoned mayor.
Next problem, several committee members put down their work addresses not home addresses. This means that some people who should have to have a 2/3 vote because they live outside of the city, were allowed to get appointed with a simple majority vote. Clearly, we need someone working on that issue.
Eventually it passed, but I feel sorry for the excellent group of people who are being assembled to do nothing productive.
VERIDIAN IZ PLAN FOR 1000 OAKS
After alot of memos flying back and forth, the council unanimously came to the conclusion that the decision of the plan commission, after receiving additional informaiton from staff and the developer should be overturned. It was quite simple – except . . . Judy Compton tried to . . . well, I’m not sure what she tried to do.
First, she tried to make a motion to ignore our ordinance and not make Veridian pay a tiny amount of money ($21,000 in a $100,000,000 project) and do one IZ home (out of over 300). The city attorney told her, more than once, that his advice was to follow the laws that are in place. So, she withdrew her motion.
Next, she tried to make a motion to have them do 2 IZ units and pay no money. I asked the “lobbyist” from Veridian (his words, not mine) to tell us why that might not be such a good idea (i.e. it would cost them more in the long run). So, she withdrew that motion too.
Next, (third time is the charm), she tried to make another motion – which the City Attorney had to make for her – to allow the developer to have the choice of the first two motions and to work it out with staff. Thankfully, that put us out of our misery and we finally moved on.
BUSSES
So, the Park and Ride at Swiss Colony just didn’t work out, so we’re spending that money to help us buy 20 busses. None of them hybrids.
AD HOC HOUSING DIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE
A dumb idea, if you ask me. But, I’m going to play along. So, 5 alders and two yet to be named people, are supposed to come up with housing solutions. I asked why we’d put a bunch of unqualified people on a committee to do this when we have a committee of experts on the housing committee, or inclusionary zoning committee or even the new merger committee we just created. I think the answer was, this is what the realtors want. I then asked, who was volunteering to be on the committee. The only takers, Judy Compton and Michael Schumacher. It’s presumed I will be on the committee, but we need to twist the arms of two more people. Personally, it sounds like hell and a waste of time – but, like I said, I’ll play along. It’s nice to see the Realtors trying to be productive – but we all know their answer is going to be a third city downpayment program. The REALTORS committee passed unanimously, I can’t wait to see who gets appointed.
We then took the appointments of the Merger Committee off the table and passed those unanimously.
Afterwards, some of us went out – but the crowd was a little thin compared to usual. And I staged a sit in – and tortured Bruer for as long as I could over this, but eventually, my bladder won and he was released. But I talked him into another drink to get him to explain himself. He was . . . uncharacteristically . . . quiet.s
