A whole lotta pro-business. A dash of police state and anti-progressive. Zero progressive. Here’s the old and new initiatives he talked about. It should be a somewhat comprehensive summary of what he wrote about – who knows what he actually said. Full text here. Here’s what I would like see in such an address.
However, before we get to the list, first, let me say, that the Mayor was supposed to give his State of the City Address to the Common Council on Tuesday night. He first passed because there were people there to speak to the council (they apparently couldn’t be bothered with mundane things like the direction the Mayor wants to take the City they live in) and then he said it was too late (10:00) so he wouldn’t give his speech to the Council, but they could read it on-line in the morning. Instead, he opted to go to the invite-only Rotary Club and give his speech there. I think that, in and of itself, sends a very strong message – the people of the City of Madison and its elected officials are not what are important with this administration – he’s bending over backwards for the business community and he doesn’t care that he does the business of the City in private settings instead of where the public has more access.
Anyways, here’s the brief run down of “bold, aggressive” initiatives we can look forward to.
PRO BUSINESS
– Madison continues to move forward with projects like the Institutes for Discovery and Union South on the UW campus, Allied Drive housing, the Villager Mall and others.
– Annual economic development work plans.
– Business retention software
– Modernizing our zoning code.
– For the first time in the City’s history we have an economic development director.
– Virtual one-stop shop to help businesses, developers and homeowners work their way through the permits and approvals needed to build or improve their homes and businesses. A physical one-stop-shop is on its way.
– Third Madison Small Business Conference
– Roadworks website and a Small Business Construction Survival Guide – a set of best practices aimed at helping businesses survive and even prosper through the necessary disruption of major road repair projects.
– New policy emphasizing using TIF for job creation
– Create the BioAg Gateway and BioLink incubator facility
– Work with the University Research Park to get Research Park II up and running on the far west side.
– Continue support for Collaboration Council and its economic development organization: Thrive.
– Working with hotel developers to help meet the need for several hundred new hotel rooms that will bolster our tourism and convention industries and make Monona Terrace an even greater success.
– City will not participate in resolving Overture’s remaining construction debt, we should be at the table to ensure Overture’s long-term success after that issue is resolved.
– Move forward on a first-ever cultural plan for our City.
– Work with Commonwealth Development on the conversion of the Garver Feed Mill to an arts incubator and other uses.
– Continue the exciting developments in the East Washington-Capital Gateway Corridor, including the urban research park that the UW is developing there, the new Google office and the new Central Park. We are also in the process of contracting for project management services to move the important work of that corridor forward.
– Continue the renaissance of the Villager Mall on south Park Street
– Move forward with an exciting new proposal for the old Bancroft Dairy on Park and Fish Hatchery.
– Three conspicuous, cleared properties dot our landscape: Union Corners on the east side, the St. Raphael’s block downtown and phase II of the Hilldale development on the west side. In each case we need to work with the owners to develop them just as soon as is practical.
– Move ahead with a new Central Library. While rehabbing the existing building is a tempting alternative, let’s not rule out a more aggressive (private sector) solution.
– Continue the development of the Public Market concept to build the connection between Madisonians and the rich and healthy local foods that are available in our region.
– Stoughton Road Corridor has a bright future. (There were alot of words here, no action)
– Downtown Plan project will balance the needs of the community and will continue to further the discussion on transportation options in the downtown area.
– Downtown Hospitality Council to ensure that our downtown economy is safe, fun and profitable.
– Strengthen our Sister Cities program by showing progress in building business ties as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
– We should remember that bicycles are not just toys. The bike industry brings in $1 billion to the Wisconsin economy – four times more than snowmobiles. And Madison is the center of much of it. Trek, Syrus, Planet Bike, Pacific Cycle and other companies employ hundreds. We should build on our already strong reputation to make Madison the center of the bike universe.
– We are working hard with the Chicago Olympic Committee to land some of the 2016 summer games biking events right here in Madison.
A DASH OF POLICE STATE
– Add 20 more police officers in the next 3 years (in addition to the 30 we just added.)
– Developed empirical data to identify worst offenders and asked Tammy Baldwin to get earmarks to cleanse them from the downtown (i.e. the worst 25 downtown transients, who turned out not to be transient)
PROGRESSIVE
chirp, chirp
I suggest you check out the miscellaneous section to play your own game of Where’s Waldo or I Spy and try to figure out where the progressive is.
ANTI-PROGRESSIVE
– See above “dash of police state”
– Long-term problems at Brittingham Park have practically ceased
– Our Chronic Nuisance Ordinance continues to be extremely helpful in our efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe by holding property owners accountable.
(And tho he didn’t mention it, don’t forget about the upcoming curfew issue and the bus fares.)
MISCELLANEOUS/OH YEAH, EVERYTHING ELSE
– Customer satisfaction survey done on basic services.
– Continue expansion of Neighborhood Indicators project
– Report a Problem
– Plans to fix our streets.
– Police study that will create a data-driven patrol-staffing plan
– Open fire station 12 this year.
– Pilot neighborhood center in the Meadowridge Mall on the southwest side.
– Refocused the work of our Neighborhood Resource Teams and asked each team to identify specific problems and develop comprehensive interventions to alleviate them.
– Alcohol License Review Committee is more rigorously evaluating applications and holding license holders accountable.
– Partnering with Dane County and communities throughout the state in our lobbying efforts related to enhancing the penalties for drunk driving and increasing the state’s beer tax to help fund prevention programs.
– First annual review of the downtown Alcohol License Density Plan shows a 5% reduction in alcohol related calls for service without the feared displacement of problems or negative impact on our vibrant nightlife.
– Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) training conference to help us build prevention into our environment – focusing on Peace Park and Metro’s South Transfer Point.
– The schools and mayor’s office will attend each other’s management team meetings several times a year.
– Appointed School Board member Marj Passman to the City’s new committee looking at long-term affordable housing strategies.
– City has added a non-voting seat to its Plan Commission for the District, to ensure that we are growing and redeveloping with the needs of our children in mind.
– We’re exploring the recycling of compostable materials and we may have a system ready to go in about two years.
– Continue to work with stakeholders to lower lake levels at proper times of the year would lead to stronger, healthier wetlands, a greater variety of plants and animals and cleaner, clearer water.
– Recently adopted goals for the Northeast Neighborhoods put them on the map as one of the largest areas in the nation to be developed using a comprehensive set of environmentally friendly initiatives.
– Encouraging diversity on committees, commissions and boards, as well as in the workplace.
– Increase access for people with disabilities to public meetings through the use of DeafLink, a sign language interpreter service.
– DCR staff is working with Madison employers through the EOC Employment Committee to understand the rights of employees and responsibilities of employers.
– DCR staff is closely working with targeted businesses to attain certification and work on City projects.
– We need to create a regional transit authority to help us improve our bus system, rebuild our streets and maybe, if we can get approval for Federal cost sharing, build a commuter rail system.
– Bring high-speed intercity rail back to Madison. We need to get to work on siting a station or stations in the city.
– Maintain a partnership we began with the county last year to step up cleaning our shorelines.
– Maximize and to deploy as rapidly as possible the Federal stimulus money that will come to our community.
– Be aware of the challenges faced by low-income residents and the organizations that serve low-income populations.
– We’ll continue our lobbying efforts at the State Capitol to repair state statutes to provide tax-exemption status for low-income housing providers.
– l believe in the goal of providing a range of good quality housing for people of every income level all over our City and in the surrounding region. We now need to rededicate ourselves to that goal and work toward better solutions. To that end, I’ve created a new committee that will explore affordable housing strategies. And, work has already begun on joining our City’s housing authority with Dane County – because affordable housing should be a goal not just in Madison, but throughout the region. (i.e. we don’t want the affordable housing here, how can we get others to do it.)
– The federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act creates new opportunities to weatherize our own buildings and the homes of low-income residents.
I also found this spin to be very interesting:
There has been a great deal of emphasis on basic services in the last two years, and that is appropriate. I believe it is important for city government to step back for awhile and reestablish that it cares about the basics. But once the understanding is established that city government will first take care of basic services and not waiver from that commitment, then I think it is possible to go beyond just the basics to do things that create a really great city.
So, I ask again . . . after reading all of this, is this what you want your city to be? Is this bold and aggressive and moving in a direction you want? What’s missing? Do you feel like this addresses the needs you see in the community? And more importantly, where’s the progressive? (Best asked in a “Where’s the Beef?” tone of voice)
