Looks can be deceiving. The agenda looks shorter than usual, but there is more on the agenda to talk about than usual. Here’s the items I thought people might be interested in.
#1 – Honoring the life of Jeff Erlanger – This item is going to be referred until a date that the family can be there.
#3 – Supporting a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) – This item is going to be referred, however, we could be taking public input tonight. For more info on the referral, look here for my thoughts, and here for the local media coverage on why its being referred. The short story is – at least according to the paper:
The resolution, which has not been drafted yet, was supposed to come before the council and board this week, but after the leaders met with the Dane County Towns Association and the Dane County Cities and Villages Association last week, they agreed to postpone their votes until August.
If you’re interested, Transport 2020 will be taking this up on Wednesday. Long Range Transportation (LRTPC) and Transit and Parking Commission (TPC) will be taking this up on Thursday (It’s still not on the LRTPC agenda when I’m writing this, TPC) and perhaps other committees, depending upon what the council decides. And here’s an interesting note, posted by a TPC member to a list:
At the TPC meeting of 7/10, WE (the TPC) decided that it should be referred to TPC and LRTPC and that the only way to do this with the timeline requested (passed by the end of August) was to have a joint meeting.
My guess is that the Mayor wouldn’t have had ANY referrals for this resolution. And HE didn’t ask for a joint meeting.
Again, he seems to be taking credit for things that are the work or ideas of others. It isn’t a big deal once in awhile, but it gets pretty irritating when it is repeated again, and again, and again.
The responses were even funnier (“I’m shocked, SHOCKED!”), but I’ll refrain from posting the rest of those.
#4 Citizen Appointments, to be approved at the next council meeting. Months later, still no appointments for James Madison Park Planning Committee or the Office of Neighborhood Support Committee.
#11 – Office building for Meriter on the far southwest side of Madison. Approving more sprawl and medical facilities without bus service. (Also #39)
#13 – Referring 1501 Monroe Street for another 120 days. This is the project Paul Soglin likes and was upset about referral. I think the issues here are a little deeper than his analysis. Starting with, some developers are their own worst enemies when it comes to dealing with neighborhoods, especially those neighborhoods that have worked with developers in the past and know that things can we worked out to address concerns of the neighborhood. Makes those developers that draw lines in the sand look really unreasonable.
#19 – Establishing rules and procedures for Common Council deliberation on the City of
Madison’s 2008 Capital and Operating Budgets. This includes the calendar for the fall budget process. Including the Mayor’s “public” hearings.
#20 – More modifications to the Parks budget – taking “Specific Parks Improvement” funds to fix a maintenance facility.
#22 – Taking money from downtown parks to pay for Breese Stevens Field. I’ve written about this here and here.
#35 – Approving secondhand book dealer licenses.
#38 – Creating Section 3.35(8)(g) of the Madison General Ordinances to establish limitations
on political and campaign activities of election employees. This was thoroughly rejected by the Madison Area Elections Committee and the Ethics Board, so apparently this will be referred while the authors come up with a new version.
#56 – Water Utility Contract with EMA. Here’s info on the last discussion the council had and the water utility in general. (Sorry, I meant to write more about this, but ran out of time, since Sunday night, I’ve been doing nothing but working. I had meetings on Sunday 4 – 8 then worked 22 of the next 26 hours so I can go on vacation starting early tomorrow morning. Will try to blog from 10K Lakes Festival, if electricity and internet connections cooperate with me.)
There’s quite a few items being introduced, but the agenda essentially ends there, with a relatively low number of items, but plenty to talk about.
