Quarry Draft Ordinance Too Dense for City Leaders

In its story covering last Tuesday’s Common Council Meeting FranklinNOW reported:

The limestone quarries on Rawson Avenue were at the center of debate at the city's Common Council meeting Tuesday, as alderman sought to create a citizen advisory board that would oversee monitoring of the sites.

To meet concerns of residents living near the quarries, the city has issued a request for proposals for a private contractor that would monitor blasting and air quality at the quarries. A draft ordinance tentatively defined a citizens [sic] panel that, together with the Plan Commission, would "check what they (the monitors) are doing," in the words of Common Council President Steve Taylor...  Read more.

In October of last year THE FRANKLIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL (FIJ) ran a story asking Who's Monitoring the Quarry?  At that time we wrote that the City admitted quarry operations had gone unmonitored for the past six years.  Were it not for concerned Franklin citizens living across the street from the quarry and upset with the Payne & Dolan quarry "enhancement” (expansion), who knows how long the quarry's emissions would have gone unmonitored.

Residents Call for Neighborhood Meeting

In attendance and representing the City of Franklin at this neihborhood meeting was Mark Luberda, Director of Administration. Mr. Luberda told those in attendance that it appeared Franklin has been lax about monitoring quarry issues.  Those in attendance were particularly interested in discussing the limestone quarry’s operations and why the quarries were not being monitored. Mr. Luberda said the contract that Franklin had in place to monitor the quarry lapsed in 2005 and the City never took up the issue again. When one of the Franklin residents asked him "why," Luberda answered, “Maybe there were no complaints.” Another Franklin resident pointed out that “perhaps there were no complaints because the quarries were not being monitored.”

In the end, the citizens group agreed that the blasting, dust and berms are getting much worse and the whole situation is out of hand. If that is the case, we ask why would Franklin city leaders allow the quarries to expand without any independent monitoring?

As reported by FranklinNOW, here are some of the aldermen’s comments pertaining to the draft that was presented and debated during the Council meeting.

Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm proposed that committee members be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, and that city staff support the committee. But a dense paragraph in the draft outlining the duties of the panel drew criticism.

Alderman Tim Solomon asked whether the committee would be "micromanaging the consultant." Alderman Doug Schmidt said he was "overwhelmed by the amount of verbiage" in the draft.

Finally, Aldermen Wilhelm and Olson said they would work together to produce a new draft, along with the city attorney and administrators.

In the end the Council decided not to take any action on the matter and the draft ordinance was set aside for more work.

Click here to listen to the audio of the May 15 Common Council meeting.

FIJ coverage of this story

• Is the Quarry Expanding? Well...yes and no
• Who's Monitoring the Quarry?
• “There is absolutely no expansion of the quarry with the approval of this project”
• City’s Elected Officials and Payne & Dolan’s Dirty Little Secret

Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm Walks Out of Common Council Meeting

Tuesday night’s common council meeting was not short on drama.  Near the end of the two and a half hour meeting on Tuesday, March 20, District 3 Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm abruptly walked out of the meeting before it was adjourned leaving District 3 unrepresented for the remainder of this meeting.

Mayor Tom Taylor can also be heard on the City’s recording of the meeting calling an unidentified person a “…moron with an IQ of 2.”

The mayor’s remarks came off as very juvenile for the mayor of a major suburb of Milwaukee County who is also the chairman of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council (ICC).

Is this the sort of "monkey shines” Franklinites expect from their elected representatives on the common council?

We strongly recommend readers listen to the entire meeting audio to hear the spending proposals offered by Alderman Steve Taylor’s Forward Franklin EDC (See budget, business plan and other meeting documents below).

Franklin Forward EDC Plan/Budget

How does the mayor, Alderman Taylor and commissioner Haskins propose to pay for their “vision?”  They want to spend unused funds from the comprehensive master plan.

Is this their idea of responsible leadership?

Good Cop—Bad Cop

Alderman Steve Taylor’s stance on the 2012 City budget posted last month on his FranklinNOW blog “From the Fourth” read like a  “good cop—bad cop” scene from NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," with Alderman Steve Taylor taking one for Mayor Tom Taylor while simultaneously throwing himself and fellow aldermen and Finance Committee members Tim Solomon and Kristen Wilhelm under the proverbial bus.  Political ambitions take no prisoners.

Alderman Taylor writes:

[All emphasis added.]

The Finance Committee’s proposed budget which the Mayor has vetoed had a levy increase of 2.3% but savings of $35 on a home assessed at $235,000. Unlike the “shell game” which the Mayor boasts as a levy decrease the approved budget is extremely transparent with actual savings.

Common Council president Steve Taylor—as noted earlier— also serves on the City Finance Committee.  It strikes me as rather odd that Steve Taylor would boast that a committee he serves on, and has served on for several years, would openly “boast” that the Finance Committee proposed a budget with a tax levy increase of 2.3 percent; taking care to note in the same paragraph that the mayor vetoed the Finance Committee’s proposal, adding “Unlike the ‘shell game’ which the Mayor boasts as a levy decrease the approved budget is extremely transparent with actual savings.  Again, Finance Committee: BAD—Mayor Tom Taylor: GOOD.

Common sense would dictate that none of the current members of the Finance Committee should be renominated by Mayor Tom Taylor for appointment to this committee when their term is up, considering the fact that Mayor Taylor vetoed their proposed budget increase.

We also found it interesting that Alderman Taylor found it necessary to printout that the “… approved budget is extremely transparent...,” begging the question: Why wouldn’t it be?

Alderman Taylor continues:

The Mayor proposed a budget in September which lowered the tax levy but placed a separate fee for garbage pickup on your tax bill. The levy decreased by 2.4% which resulted in $101 savings on a home assessed at $235,000. However, a $104 dollar fee, also known as a tax, for garbage pickup would be added to your tax bill and it is also not tax deductible. There may be a time when the City of Franklin has no choice and has to separate the garbage service cost from the tax levy but now is not the time.  Shout it from the roof tops with me..."Finance Committee: BAD—Mayor Tom Taylor: GOOD."

Three months or so later, it was time to add a NEW garbage pick-up tax, which Alderman Taylor fails to explain what exactly has changed in the previous few months to make it necessary to create a new tax on Franklin homeowners.

Being a cynic of government and particularly Mayor Tom Taylor's arguably long-time corrupt administration, I ask you to consider this question: Is it possible that the Mayor’s proposed budget which, Alderman Taylor claims, lowered the tax levy by 2.4 percent, amounts to the City’s annual cost for garbage pick-up and in a budget shell game the 2.4 percent "savings" was appropriated somewhere else, necessitating the a separate fee for garbage pickup on your tax bill?

Is the Forward Franklin Economic Development Committee Spinning its Wheels?

We humbly submit this multiple-source REALITY CHECK for the citizens of Franklin, Mayor Tom Taylor and the Forward Franklin Economic Development Committee members and ask that you remember what you see and read here when our bloviating, misleading City leaders declare "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" and claim that Franklin’s economic climate is improving thanks to this committee which,  since its creation on June 21, 2011, has held five meetings and one workshop.  A look at the committee’s meeting minute’s reveals little to no substantive progress in achieving the primary goals of this new committee, other than considering whether to reappropriate funds and spend $110,484 for marketing materials and possibly a website.  Here are the meeting minutes for “Forward Franklin’s” October 24 meeting; providing readers with a glimpse of its work.

Basically, according to the City's website, the purpose of the Forward Franklin Economic Development Committee is to promote and enhance the City of Franklin; to actively pursue commercial and industrial business development/investment for relocation into the City of Franklin to achieve a balanced tax base; to work with the business community in the retention and expansion of the businesses already within the City; and to promote the City in various manners as an excellent place to live and do business.  Read More...

Here is the REALITY CHECK we promised earlier.

FBC’s Neil Cavuto discusses job creation in America with Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus.

RELATED STORIES

• What the New Unemployment Numbers Are Telling Us
• Fox and Friends "DNC Chair Denies Unemployment Has Gone Up Under Obama"
• Wasserman Schultz goofs on unemployment
• Dodd-Frank Act Overview
• Story of Stuff, Full Version; How Things Work, About Stuff (A Tides Foundation anti-capitalism video playing in classrooms across America)
• Job Creators Alliance

Majority of Franklin’s Elected Representaives Ignore Survey

On Monday, September 29, we emailed a two question survey to all elected officials in Franklin government, including the Franklin School Board, asking each where their primary academic background lies and asked for their cooperation in participating in our survey.  The story generated the following comment from one of our readers:

"Unfortunately, you can have all the degrees available to you.   But, unfortunately there are no classes taught in 'common sense'.”

Amen to that!

To-date we have not received responses from the following school board members: President Debbie Larson, vice president, Jeff Traylor, Linda Witkowski.  That represents 's three out of seven elected representatives.  It certainly seems reasonable to conclude that the aforementioned school board member HAVE NOT read or choose to ignore the District’s Communications Plan.  From City Hall, only District 1 Alderman Steve Olson and District 3 Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm have responded.  That's two out of seven elected aldermen and Mayor Taylor that ignored the survey.  In alphabetical order, here are the responses we received.  When included by the respondent, additional comments are included in this story.

 JUDITH BIALK, Franklin School Board.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: My primary educational background is in education.

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: My first college degree was earned at Alverno College in 1964.  It was a Bachelor of Science in Education with my primary focus on elementary education.  I also hold two minors, one in Speech, the other in English.  I earned licensure and certification as a Reading Clinician and Diagnostician from the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois, and I hold a Master of Art degree in Pastoral Studies from St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee.

JANET EVANS, Franklin School Board.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: History

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: None.

Additional comments: I’m sure you wouldn't find a large percentage of local public officials in smaller cities such as Franklin who had political careers in mind when they made their educational choices. Also, very often citizens are reluctant to step up as candidates for School Board.

That said, generally, in public schools the Business Manager has most of the control over the budget process, with the help of other administrators including the superintendent, directors and principals. The final budget comes to the school board for approval. Note I said “generally,” as I believe there are key stakeholders being left out of the process.  Some school districts that have figured this out and are using other budget processes.

Too often I have heard it stated at our Board meetings, regarding the administration, “They’re the experts” when it comes to issues from building and grounds to budget. But the majority of the administration has backgrounds in education.

As far as the article you reference, as a citizen of the U.S, while I would prefer the congressional "supercommittee" on finding deficit reduction have backgrounds in economics, I prefer our congress be representatives of our people as a whole, and therefore, have diverse backgrounds.

Lastly, if the public is unhappy about the educational paths of elected officials are we going to blame them or ourselves? I'm sure there have been plenty of politicians without business backgrounds who have been elected because they are better public speakers.

MELISSA KLIEN, Franklin School Board.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: Engineering and business administration.

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: Growing up in central Illinois, I attended elementary and high school in a very small county-wide public school district. Shortly after earning an engineering degree from the University of Illinois in 1990, I moved to Wisconsin. In 2001 I completed a master's of business administration degree from UW-Milwaukee.

TIM NIELSON, Franklin School Board.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: Business/Finance.

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: Accounting.

Alderman STEVE OLSON, Alderman, Franklin District 1.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: My major area of study was broadcast management with a declared minor in Business Administration. 

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University in Speech Communications.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University in Speech Communications.  My major area of study was broadcast management with a declared minor in Business Administration.

Additional Comments:I am a thesis short of a masters degree in communications from Marquette but not pursuing it.  I have additional schooling from the American Management Association, MSOE and 35 years [of] experience in business management as an employed manager.  Also, see City website.

KRISTEN WILHELM, Alder woman, Franklin District 3.

Question: What do you consider to be your primary academic background?

Answer: my primary academic background in Organizational Management and Development.

Question:  If you hold a college degree, what was your major?

Answer: I hold an Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree, with a major in Electronics Technology and a Professional Certificate in non-profit management.

Additional Comments:  Your question should also address work experience. Academic background helps with an application but work experience provides knowledge. A rounded background is needed for aldermanic duties.  8-years as a volunteer in the city; ordinance and plat review, and more than 3 years on the Finance Committee as an example of some of my hands-on experience. Let us not forget Robert's Rules (Thanks to Dad and the USAF, I can also do my own brakes ; )

Thanks to those elected representatives who took the time to respond to our survey.

To comment privately on this article or any other aspect of this publication CLICK HERE

EDITORIAL: Achieving the Height of Incompetence: A not so hypothetical Case

Let’s say, hypothetically, you are the mayor of a city of 35,451 with pathetically little to no economic growth, a city where more businesses are leaving than setting up shop, and yet despite all of this, in the midst of a deep recession, you decide to gamble more than $31 million of taxpayer dollars for a sewer project to create a so-called “building boom” that would add an unsubstantiated $1.2 billion to the city's property tax base by 2025.  Here is how this “hypothetical case” might play-out in the newspaper.

But as mayor, you want this controversial project completed by 2014, 11-years early (coincidently, a mayoral election year).

If you were mayor of this hypothetical city wouldn’t you work closely with County and State officials to reconstruct South 76th Street to ensure a potential main artery into your “$1.2 billion” revenue project had an adequate roadway?

We will have more coverage on the hypothetical roadway issue in the days ahead.

Follows is a letter pertaining to the Ryan Creek Interceptor Project from my Alderman, Kristen Wilhelm (District 3) sent to her constituents this month, Kristen Wilhelm (District 3) sent to her constituents this month.

AUG 2011 Alderman Wilhelm Letter to constituents

 To comment privately on this article or any other aspect of this publication CLICK HERE

Never a "Dull" Moment in the Schick Campaign

By Basil Ryan and Fred Keller

District 3 Alderman Candidate Bob Schick, who lost his bid to unseat incumbent Alderman Kristen Wilhelm, has another campaign problem on his hands. Although the general election is over, THE FRANKLIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL has discovered that the Milwaukee District Attorney's Office is investigating Schick for possible electioneering violations. Schick has been accused of distriuting campaign literature which did not provide the required disclaimer, "Authorized and paid for by [NAME OF CANDIDATE.]"  The guidelines explaining these requirements are distributed to all candidates and elected officials prior to running for elected office. THE FRANKLIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL has verified with Franklin's City Clerk that Schick received this information. Also of interest is the fact that Schick's campaign literature was distributed in a clear plastic bag along with campaign literature for candidate for County Executive Jeff Stone.  No endorsement was made by Stone of either District 3 candidate and Stone was unaware that his literature was contained in the same clear plastic bag as that of Schick.

To comment privately on this article or any other aspect of this publication click here.

Franklin Voters Decide Winners and Losers

By Basil Ryan and Fred Keller 

Franklin Aldermanic District 3

Wilhelm Shaves Schick

Despite some controversy in the final days of the campaign concerning his Financial Statement, specifically his employment status with Waste Management, challenger Bob Schick was soundly defeated by incumbent District 3 Alderman, Kristen Wilhelm.  Here are the preliminary (unofficial) results.

• Kristen Wilhelm: 1066 votes, representing 71.39% of the vote.
• Bob Schick: 423 votes, representing 28.28% of the vote.

Franklin Aldermanic District 4

“Peko” Won’t Be Back— District 4 Voters Reject Kosovich, Again

In what could be described as the slimiest race in this election cycle, the citizens of Franklin’s District 4, again rejected Pete Kosovich; this time in his bid to regain the aldermanic seat he once held in this District.  Kosovich lost this seat in 2008, blaming Basil Ryan for his defeat by just a 10 votes to challenger Steve F. Taylor.  In 2011 however, the results were quite different.  Here are the preliminary (unofficial) results.

• Steve F. Taylor: 1250 total votes representing 62.66% of the vote.
• Pete “Peko” Kosovich: 738 total votes, representing 33.99% of the vote.

FRANKLIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL  cameras were on-hand for Alderman Taylor's victory speech and thank you to his supporters at Mulligans

Franklin School District

Voters Expel David Works from Franklin School Board

If the election results for Franklin School Board were a report card, David Works would receive a failing grade.   Newcomer Tim Nielson received 3,462 votes, ousting Works, who fell short with 2,845 votes.   Incumbent Linda Witkowski was reelected to her second three-year term with 4,260 votes.

Witkowski and Board member Janet Evans have been proponents of transparency within the district, making well-informed decisions rather than rubber-stamping proposals presented by the administration, and holding the line on spending.  With the fiscal responsibilities impacting school districts in the immediate future, the Franklin School Board needs to do their homework.  In reviewing Nielson’s campaign site, it appears citizens may have elected another School Board member who thinks independently.  Only time will tell. 

Neilson will officially take his seat on the Franklin School Board at their reorganization meeting, Wednesday, April 20, 2011.  Along with Witkowski and Evans, he’ll join Judith Bialk, Melissa Klein, Debbie Larson and Jeff Traylor.

Here are the preliminary (unofficial) results.

• Linda Witkowski (Incumbent): 4260 total votes representing 40.09% of the vote.
• Tim Nielson: 3462 total votes representing 32.58% of the vote.
• David Works (Incumbent): 2845 total votes representing 26.78% of the vote.

Unopposed Races

Franklin Aldermanic District 6

• Ken Skowronski (Unopposed incumbent): 1137 total votes, representing 98.44% of the vote.
• Write-in: 18 total votes, representing 1.56% of the vote.

Mayoral Race

• Tom Taylor (Unopposed, seeking third three-year term): 7757 total votes, representing 97.3% of the vote.
• Write-in: 164 total votes, representing 2.07% of the vote.

Here are additional results of the other races in this general election provided to us by Franklin’s City Clerk, Sandi Wesolowski.

Spring 2011 General Election Preliminary Results

To comment privately on this article or any other aspect of this publication click here.

Meet the Aldermanic Candidates: The First Three Tasks

The Franklin Independent Journal has decided to publish only video of the last question to all Aldermanic candidates from the March 16, Candidates forum.  If you wish to watch the full-length version—questions 1-6, as well as the candidates’ closing statements, please see Wag the Dog’s post “Candidate Forum Reveals Little.”

FINAL QUESTION: When you’re elected in April, what will be the first three tasks you wish to accomplish as an Alderman?

I need to get a tripod!

To comment privately on this article or any other aspect of this publication click here.