Bike lanes on Midvale, 600 E Johnson Project, Chronic Nuisance Ordinance, TIF agreement for Capital West, Capital Revolving Funds, the Sign Ordinance and oh, so much more!
[Guess what! The meeting started late. Still bugs me. I don’t why. Just does.]
Mayor was here by 6:28, Bruer up at the dais talking to him for a good 5 minutes or more. Various lobbyists talking to alders, alders talking to staff and each other. No signs anyone is concerned that the meeting should start. The media row is empty. Kristin from the Cap Times the only media in media row pulling double duty writing for the State Journal as well this evening, Joe Tarr from the Isthmus sitting off to the side.
ROLL CALL (6:40)
No notified absences on the agenda. Everyone present except Alder Maniaci who was out of the room when they finally called the roll call.
Alder Bruer’s mic works! [I’m sure Julia was very happy.] Rules are suspended with no discussion.
HONORING RESOLUTIONS (6:41)
Item 1 – Madison Memorial Spartan Boys Swimming and Diving Team resolution honoring them for winning the State WIAA Division 1 title referred until they can be here.
Item 2 – Madison Memorial High School’s Forensics Team resolution recognizing them for winning the 2009 State Championship. No presentation by the forensics team as there has been in the past.
Item 3 – Gary Peterson, President of Wisconsin American Planning Association, gives recognition for the Stoughton Road Plan. Alder Compton, the Mayor, and planning staff all go up to shake hands and congratulate themselves. [This is odd, as I thought Gary Peterson had been critical of the plan for not doing enough for economic development.]
EARLY PUBLIC COMMENT
One person registered but makes no comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
Unanimous consent for super-majority (needs 14 or 15 votes for budget amendments or by other regulations)
24. Legislative File No. 14553 – Report of the Mayor submitting citizen committee appointments. (Business by the Mayor – 2/3 vote is required for Sister City Committee appointment)
48. Legislative File No. 14591 – Authorizing payment of the judgment entered on April 13, 2009 by the court in Walgreen Company v. City of Madison, Case No. 2004 CV 1564 relating to refund of real property taxes for tax years 2003 and 2004 which provides for the refund of taxes and interest in the amount of $247,790.55 from City resources and amending the 2009 operating budget to reduce estimated General Fund revenues by $59,595.02 to recognize the City’s share of the tax refund and to appropriate $76,592.43 from Contingent Reserve to fund related interest costs. (Report of BOE – 15 votes required)
49. Legislative File No. 14602 – Amending the 2009 Adopted Capital Budget of Engineering-Major Streets and Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with Foth Infrastructure and Environment for design engineering services for University Avenue from Segoe Road to Shorewood Boulevard. The City has applied for Economic Stimulus Funds for construction. (11th AD) (Report of BOE – 15 votes required)
Jim Cobb’s name removed from number 24, there was an additional referral for item 100 (Engineering on Hwy M/Junction Rd) to the Long Range Transportation Commission and the recommendation on item 69 (Complete count committee) was to adopt.
Everything else on the agenda passes with the recommendation on the agenda except for the following items:
Public hearing items 4 – 23.
25. Legislative File No. 14767 – Report of the Mayor submitting citizen committee appointments (introduced 5-19-2009; action 6-2-2009). (Report of Mayor – Ald. Marsha Rummel, D. 6 to re-refer the TPC Appointment back to Mayor)
27. Legislative File No. 12065 – SUBSTITUTE – Amending Section 25.09 of the Madison General Ordinances to change various provisions of the Chronic Nuisance Premises ordinance recommended by the Equal Opportunities Commission. (Report of City Attorney – Ald. Jed Sanborn, D. 1)
43. Legislative File No. 14560 – Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an amendment to the Tax Incremental Financing Development Agreement between the City and 309 W. Washington, LLC, and amending Enactment No. RES-07-00419. (Report of BOE – Ald. Jed Sanborn, D. 1)
44. Legislative File No. 14565 – Authorizing 1) an amendment to the 2009 Operating Budget appropriating $230,000 from the Madison Capital Revolving Fund (MCRF) fund a $230,000 MCRF loan referenced herein and 2) the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement to fund a $230,000 Madison Capital Revolving Fund loan to Wingra Broadway, LLC to construct 8,400 SF of commercial space at 1502 West Broadway. (Report of BOE – Ald. Jed Sanborn, D. 1)
71. 13992 Amending Secs. 3.32(6)(b)1., 3.32(6)(e)1., 3.32(6)(e)2., and 3.38(1)(b)3.a. of
the Madison General Ordinances to modify existing sick leave eligibility,
earning and accumulation provisions to make sick leave benefits available to
more employees.
91. Legislative File No. 04176 – SUBSTITUTE – To adopt and confirm amendments to the Madison General Ordinances as set forth in attached Exhibit X pursuant to Sec. 66.0103, Wis. Stats. Repealing and recreating Chapter 31 and amending portions of Sec. 33.24, Chapter 28 and Chapter 1. (Report of UDC – Ald. Mike Verveer, D. 4)
[I don’t know why this was so hard and takes so long. The materials are all sitting in front of the alders. Alder Bruer claimed there were “late breaking” changes, but it was pretty much like was presented on the consent agenda to the Council members and copied above.]
MIDVALE BOULEVARD
See here for complete discussion. Short story is, the narrowed the bike lanes in some areas, and widened the median by 2 feet in some areas. Final vote, 19 – 1, passes.
ADDITIONAL EARLY COMMENT
See Carousel Bayrd’s comments here (still working on it). She was supposed to be home on bed rest, so she spoke “early” so she could go home. She testified and the Mayor told Supervisor Bayrd to go home and go to bed.
DEVELOPMENT ON 600 E JOHNSON
See discussion here. Passed on a voice vote, with only one audible no, but an alleged second no I didn’t hear. WSJ magical coverage here.
OTHER PUBLIC HEARINGS
There were no comments on item #6 (development on 1900 E Washington block), the public hearing was recessed.
#7 – 21 (various street closures for vending events like Art Fair OFF the Square, Taste of Madison and Maxwell St. Days) passed, Verveer separated Halloween items 22 & 23. Items 22 & 23 referred to the next meeting.
APPOINTMENTS FOR REFERRAL TO NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
Alder Rummel pulled this item off the agenda to say that she had some issues with the item. [The boys, losing control of the meeting, seemed to be trying to tell her what she meant to be doing. I think she was quite clear what she was doing. The whole process here was very insulting as Alder Rummel tried to speak and kept getting interrupted.] She acknowledged that this was not a routinely done this way but she wanted it referred to Mayors office so that Rummel can talk with Mayor about future of TPC, the RTA and how this fits with the big picture. Ald. Skidmore asked to be party to the discussion as this is a constituent of his that he has been working to get appointed for 2 years. Mayor clarifies, since it it from his office, that he will talk to Rummel and Skidmore.
The council took a recess. The Mayor wanted to keep going, but Clear and Kerr lead the charge to take a break as they had been meeting for nearly 3 hours.
CHRONIC NUISANCE (9:30)
See here for more information. There were several motions, but the EOC recommended changes were placed on file without prejudice by an 18 – 2 vote. Here’s the Cap Times report.
WEST WASHINGTON (10:20)
Lots of hemming and hawing. See here for more information (still working on it.) Passed 17 – 3.
MCRF (11:50)
Jed says it is the same argument as the last item. Subsidize loan for private business – done by taxpayers. Odds are, it might not be a problem. But we are taking a risk. He pauses and says, I suppose now we’re going to hear about how this was the most important place on the planet for an office building.
Bruer says “Keep baiting me”
Sanborn wisely didn’t say another word.
But that didn’t stop Bruer from talking anyways . . . and talking . . . and talking . . . and talking . . . it was 11:55 and he was throwing so many buzz words around and giving us his version of history and I kinda tuned out after 5.5 hours of the council meeting.
Clear asked Olinger if this was a subsidized loan. Olinger passes to Gromacki. Gromacki explains the program and why we have it. He says it is for projects too small for TIF and in newly emerging distressed areas. He says that its not a subsidy, because it is repaid. It’s a revolving loan fund and when the funds are repaid they will be used again.
Palm asks about the “newly emerging area” theory. He says he’s heard of this “emerging area” for years. [Their first plans go back to 1995] Joe says taht the ares is a redevelopment area/blighted and describes why.
Bruer says he’s not going to let Palm go unchallenged [You think there might be a little rivalry going on here for who might be the next council president?] He says that they focused on housing and now they are focusing on commercial. He also talks about leveraging projects.
Roll Call
Aye: Solomon, Verveer, Bidar-Sielaff, Bruer, Clausius, Cnare, Compton, Eagon, Kerr, King, Maniaci, Rhodes-Conway, Rummel, Schmidt, Schumacher, Skidmore
No: Pham Remmele, Sanborn
Pass: Palm
Pass Again: Palm
Clerk informs him he already did that and he finally votes aye! 🙂
PAID SICK LEAVE FOR CITY OF MADISON HOURLY EMPLOYEES
Schumacher pulled this off.
There was an addition of an amendment that required Human Resources to provide the Common Council with a report with a detailed fiscal analysis of the number of employees that used paid sick leave, the hours worked and other details.
Palm asked to co-sponsor.
Schumacher says he palnned to filabuster for an hour. [I believe this is because earlier in the evening there was a heated debate about this at the CCOC meeting.] He was concerned that the council passed $63,000 in the budget and now they are being told it will cost $75,000 – $150,000. [Apparently they used old numbers from a few years ago and didn’t update them and there was a change that let them carry over some hours that added costs, but this wasn’t explained at the meeting.]
Cnare said that the data collection is a pointless exercise since the real issue is that even if it costs more, she still supports it.
Schumacher tries again to make his point sayint that the Water Utility Contract and the Attorney making policy decisions had alot of scrutiny and apparently he wants the same thing here.
Kerr says she agrees with Cnare, she supports it regardless and that the data is not needed.
Compton says that this isn’t about the people, its about approving something that ends up costing more.
Passed on a voice vote.
SIGN ORDINANCE
Verveer made several amendments that I think had the effect of allowing movable type on signs to change every 5 minutes (used to be 2) except in areas where there is an Urban Design District, and then they can only change every hour.
Mary Beth, VP of Ryan Signs speaks and says that the council is essentially adopting her business plan, she thanks them. Mayor gives asks council to give her a round of applause for staying past midnight.
Talking, talking, thanking, everyone notes it took 10 years to get this ordinance done.
Passes on a voice vote.
ADJOURN
12:30 by the time the meeting is over.
AFTER COUNCIL
I thought I was going to go grab a beer with Rummel, turns out, the other alders went the same place I did, so we were joined by Bruer, Clear, Schumacher, Schmidt, Verveer, Palm and the lovely Rosemary Lee.
