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The Monona City Council met tonight (Monday, December 6 at 7:30 PM).
Ding-dong the sign is dead.
1. Unfinished Business (Approval Requested Unless Otherwise Noted).
a. Consideration of Resolution 10-11-1740 Approving the City of Monona’s 25 x 25 Plan for Energy Independence (City Administrator). Passed 6-0.
b. Consideration or Ordinance 11-10-621 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 13 of the Code of Ordinances Concerning Billboards (Plan Commission). City Planner Paul Kachelmeier's report gives an extensive summary of the Plan Commission's discussion at their November 22 meeting. Rejected 6-0.
This revised version of the prior proposal would have amended the ordinances to conditionally allow billboards in the Gateway zoning district (along the Beltline). The rejection of the proposed ordinance effectively kills the outdoor advertising sign at Ahuska Park. I had supported keeping the sign revenue in the budget, but my mind was changed by several factors. No one I talked to was in favor of more billboards. Also, thanks to alder Scott Munson for alerting us to the sign's very large energy usage (equivalent to about 4 or 5 homes), which would have been paid by the sign company, but seemed inocnsistent with our efforts to reduce the city government's enrgy usage. I also took note of the very intelligent and persuasive arguments presented by Brian Grady and Ben Redding. I thought alder Jim Busse made a very effective appeal tonight to the basic ugliness of these signs and the value of preserving the views in the area.
The loss of the $22,500 in revenue will require a budget amendment, which will either be to reduce spending or increase use of the reserve fund (or a combination). It is too late to change the city's levy for 2011. We'll see what the Mayor proposes, but I'd be surprised if it involves cutting the park & rec position that was added in the budget.
2. New Business.
a. Convene in Closed Session under Wisconsin Statute section 19.85(1)(g) Conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved (Litigation status report, Attorney Cole). This was mostly a status report on pending litigation (Bourbon Street and Stephanie Miller).
c. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1731 Establishing an Ad Hoc Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Committee (Mayor Kahl). Passed 5-1 (Wiswell opposed). Focus is initially limited to the sotuh Winnequah Road stretch. If the Committee can resolve the issues there, then it may move on to other areas. By the way, if you think you have safety issues on your streets, contact the staff, mayor or alders.
d. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1742 Approving the Low Bid and Authorizing Staff to Proceed to Contract to Raze and Remove Parcels at 4505 and 4603 Monona Drive (CDA). These are the two parcels the city purchased in the past year. Passed 6-0.
e. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1743 Approving the Low Bid and Authorizing Staff to Proceed to Contract for Assessment Services (City Administrator). Passed 6-0.
g. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1747 Calling Upon the State of Wisconsin and Dane County to Lower the Levels of Lakes Mendota, Monona, and Waubesa (Ad Hoc Flood Mitigation Committee). Passed 4-2 (Kugle and Wood opposed the specific call for lowering all of the lakes by 10").
Monday, December 06, 2010
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Why did Jeff Wiswell vote against having a pedestrian and bike committee? Did he object to the principle of bikes and pedestrians, the make-up of the committee, or that he wasn't selected by the mayor to be on it? It has no fiscal impact so it's strange to see a "no" vote for something so harmless. Just would like an explanation for this baffling behavior.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reporting all of this. It will be a sad day when you decide to end your council service. The H-I does a good job of reporting, but your detailed and timely posts are a huge service to Monona. Plus, we never know when our most excellent H-I editor will decide to move on and we'll be plunged back into marginal reporting on local issues.
ReplyDeleteThank you also for killing the sign. I did not take time to write, but was bummed out about it.
Doug,
ReplyDeleteCan you consider this a contact to an alder on street safety issues?:
Because we do not have sidewalks in Monona, those of us who walk for recreation and exercise must walk in the streets. However, the recent relatively small snowfall has left most of our streets extremely dangerous for pedestrians with most of them snow covered and icy. I have noticed the same conditions do not exist on Madison side streets. I don't know what Madison did differently, but could we consider finding out? Our streets are not just for cars, but for bikes and pedestrians. If our streets were sidewalks, which they are in Monona, the city would need to cite itself for failing to clear the walkway.
"Why did Jeff Wiswell vote against having a pedestrian and bike committee?"
ReplyDeleteI hesitate to explain why another alder votes one way or another. My sense was that he felt that the standing committees (Public Safety and Public Works) should handle it.
"Can you consider this a contact to an alder on street safety issues?"
ReplyDeleteA: First, I was thinking more of localized issues specific to neighborhood rather than a general concern. Second, sure, it's a contact, but it's also an anonymous comment on a blog. A direct contact to alders, mayor, or staff is more effective. Appearing at a committee meeting to raise awareness of an issue is often even more effective. And if you get some neighbors to show up with you, that will get people's attention.
"...[T]he recent relatively small snowfall has left most of our streets extremely dangerous for pedestrians with most of them snow covered and icy. I have noticed the same conditions do not exist on Madison side streets."
The secondary Madison streets that I've been on are in worse shape than the ones in Monona. However, those streets also have sidewalks and for the most part our streets don't and that makes it hard and not very safe to go for a walk after a snowfall.
Monona's PW crews started using salt brine more widely this year - we added at least one salt brine setup on a new snowplow truck and we had one last year. We'll see how that works.
The anon poster is right. The pedestrian lanes of Winnequah Road are in AWFUL shape right now. At a minimum, they need to be salted ASAP. We walk nearly every day, and from our observances, it would appear that the plows didn't even plow most of the bike / ped lane areas at all. And now it is packed down and iced over, making for quite dangerous conditions. It was never great last year, but i don't recall it being this bad, either.
ReplyDeleteThanks to our police force and their actions yesterday. Not today and not in our town- My thoughts are with the force-they must all be under an extreme amount of stress yesterday and today.
ReplyDelete