Getting the council meeting started, honoring resolutions, Rosa Rd pronounciation, consent agenda, early registrations, public hearings and Heikkenen contract.
Here’s the audio and my brief notes – ended up with 25 pages of notes from last night, so its a brief recap.
GETTING STARTED
Mayor says there are lots of items on the agenda, they will try to be respectful of everyone’s time says the mayor. Rules are suspended.
HONORING RESOLUTIONS
– Honoring and thanking the Bolivian community. Two members of the community thanked them. Passes on voice vote.
– Rosa Rd pronunciation resolution. Two relatives say they have dealt with this issue for a long time. Clear speaks and demonstrates the new pronunciation with a recording of the Metro announcement. Mayor assures anonymous caller that minimal money was spent on this issue.
CONSENT AGENDA
They pass all the items on the agenda with the recommendations on the agenda with the following exceptions:
There is an early registration on 34
Items 4 – 8 are Public hearings
Item 9 is a confirmation hearing.
They approve the following supermajority vote items on a voice vote unanimously.
13 (Union Corners)
20 (CDBG HOME and Home-Buy Funds)
32 (Additional architect fees for Fire Station Building)
34 ($1M error on Water Utility Costs)
50 (Emerging Fund to program, amends award criteria 3)
15 (Brian Joiner contract studying nonprofits)
They exclude the following items for discussion
11 – 77 Square Mile Motto
12 – UW Union Contracts
18 – Judge Doyle Square RFP, Use of Municipal Building
28 – Representation on Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
33 – Monona Terrace Carpet
34 – Monona Terrace Restrooms
35 – Monona Terrace renovations
36 – Monona Terrace renovations
37 – Monona Terrace renovations
38 – Monona Terrace renovations
39 – Monona Terrace renovations
50 – Emerging issue fund
59 – Lost and abandoned property ordinance
Ellingson is added as a co-sponsor on 23
Bidar-Sielaff recuses herself on item 13
Later in the meeting they will add some other items for exclusion to allow for a speaker but they all pass without discussion and the speaker went “home” before they got to some of them.
EARLY REGISTRATIONS
David Williams on 34 – if our city leaders can spend so much money to make cosmetic changes to restrooms why can’t city spend miniscule money required to homeless issues, why no portapotties for the homeless but can do it for community events. Are they concerned if people can go to the restroom in a dignified manner are they afraid people will come to Madison for that? Showers and lockers and restrooms should be provided, they used to be an amenity.
Will Sandstrom, opposing item 34, wishing to speak. He wasn’t fully on Will Sandstrom, but needless to say, he’s always a treat to listen to. He made the mayor smile.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
#4, move adoption,no registrants, passes on voice vote.
#5, move adoption, no registrants, passes on voice vote.
#6, move adoption, no registrants, passes on a voice vote.
#7 & 8, technical errors so recessed to the next meeting on item 8 til August 6th, 7 hearing closed, motion to adopt, no registrants, passes on a voice vote.
HEIKENEN CONTRACT
Registration from Sue Pastor. She doesn’t support or oppose, but wishes to speak. Looks forward to continuing to work with the Water Utility. She suggests that they should solicit feedback from a larger group of people, the Board is not diverse or represent the community, her concerns is beyond the unflattering cartoons and pictures, she is concerned about fiscal responsibility and transparency. She says that there was no public hearings, they only were presented to and there were questions that went unanswered for months. She talks about the Citizens’ Advisory Board for the Eastside and how the smart meters were presented as a fait accompli. She talks about the well just approved, she talks about the 8 options provided to the committee and that the well they approved was none of those. She says no one likes to be criticized, but that is how we learn and grow. She would like to see a more democratic process.
Madeline Gotkowitz, Water Utility Board Chair, registered in support.
No discussion, passes on a voice vote.
So, I just have to say, the “row of men” in the back of the room that are the city department heads are really kinda gross in their back slapping (literally) and congratulations to Heikkenen. It really appeared to be an old boys network back there . . .
I didn’t see any women department heads there last night. Come to think of it, do we have any? Name one. (Ok, I know there are a few, but you never see them and they don’t hold the “important” positions.)
MORE TO COME
I split the meeting up into manageable parts to there will be many more parts to this post.
