Fire Department Gear...

The subject of replacement firefighter equipment that was approved and forwarded to the Board for consideration was on the agenda for last night.  The equipment request was nearly scuttled when the Fire Chief, asked if this could be postponed until next year, said yes.  As was indicated in the Village Buzz on August 7th, this equipment was agreed to in return for an ambulance that was able to be postponed.  The department determined that the need for the equipment was more important than the need for another new ambulance at this time.

Trustee Langer, as a former firefighter, initiated a discussion that probably turned the tide and the result was a unanimous vote of approval by the Board.

I am not a firefighter...but it is difficult for me to understand why the chief wasn't more adamant about protecting the safety of the men and women who fight the fires.  To simply roll over in the face of a question seems inappropriate to me.  I would, if I were a firefighter, be very concerned about the leadership displayed.  I am, as a citizen, happy that the people who may someday need to save me will be properly equipped.

~~~~~~~~~~

Citizen Observer Program: Yet More Thoughts...

I had indicated that I wouldn't identify the officer with whom I rode but he has indicated that he doesn't mind if I do so.  My assigned 'keeper' was Corporal Dan Delmore, a twelve year veteran of the Germantown Police Department.  He graduated with an Associate degree, found a part-time job as an officer for two different small communities in NE Wisconsin while he tried to find his break.  That came in the form of the Germantown department.

Since then, Cpl. Delmore has completed his Bachelor's degree and has just been awarded his Master's degree in Police Science.  This is an example of the professionalism in our department as well as amongst our police officers.  I confess that I grew up in a world where the local policeman might well have had to take the job because it was all he could find.  His training, if any, was rudimentary.  It is not that way at all anymore...(If it ever was; maybe my recollections have become blurred over the years)....and that is great for you and me.

We were engaged in supporting another officer in a Disorderly Conduct incident during my ride along.  This resulted in me being able to see the process of booking up close.  The person involved was not disruptive and had been through the process before.  I was the only 'newbie' in the booking room.  The photos were taken, the prints were taken (electronically now...not using ink), and the complaint was completed (also electronic).  The accused was permitted to make calls to try to arrange for bail money.  That looked promising early on but it fell apart after the booking was completed.  We learned that after returning to the squad and resuming patrol when a message was received from the arresting officer that he was en route to the Washington County jail.

As I reflect on these experiences, I am amazed that our officers don't become jaded by everything to which they're exposed.  It must be very difficult to avoid seeing the entire community through the prism of illegal conduct.  I was surprised that the officers who were on the scene in this incident were able to defuse a tense situation without any significant force being used.  The tempers were calmed.  The players seemed to have accepted their individual roles in the situation and were resigned to the situation that resulted.  The presence of authority, the knowledge that force was a possibility and the professionalism of the police officers made this something survivable for all the participants. 

I asked Cpl. Delmore about the thought of not surviving another day.  He told me that he is aware of that every time he leaves the Police station.  I guess you need to understand your vulnerabilities so that you're able to guard against complacency.  This is, after all, a matter of life and death.

It is not just a 'ride along' as it was for me.

MATC Director Response...

I sent an email to the MATC PR person on July 30th seeking information about former superintendent Victor Rossetti's continued membership on the MATC Board of Directors.

I mentioned that I was aware that Mr. Rossetti had vacated his home in Germantown.  I also asked, that since he had moved and since he was no longer the superintendent of Germantown Schools, if he would be removed as a Director.

Kathleen Hohl, MATC Public Relations Director sent her response to me today:

"Mr. Campbell,

Thank you for your July 30, 2008,inquiry.  Milwaukee Area Technical College does not have knowledge that Dr. Rossetti has moved outside the District boundaries, nor has he resigned from the District Board of Directors."

I have since learned that he moved to the Madison area which I know is "outside the District boundaries".  It would seem that MATC could've made that determination by this time, as well, if it were interested.  I wonder if there will be any change in the Directors prior to June, 2009 or if the District and Germantown will remain unrepresented.

~~~~~~~~~~

Change in Village Investment Advisors...

I received an email from a Germantown resident raising several questions about the announced change in investment advisors that saw RBC and its local representative named to replace the existing organization.  The resident was concerned as to whether or not other entities had been interviewed, or whether an RFP had been issued and competing bids received.  His concern was that this might represent too cozy (my words) a relationship.

I emailed Dave Schornack, the Village Administrator and received his response promptly. 

He advised that the local person had made an unsolicited approach to the village through Kim Rath, Village Finance Director/Treasurer.  That led to the proposal he made being reviewed by the General Government and Finance Committee which approved the proposal and submitted it to the full Village Board.  The Board approved the proposal with three dissenting votes.

Mr. Schornack said that the village is not required to go to bid and that this proposal represented better value than was being received.  Apparently the service being received left something to be desired according to Ms. Rath although no formal requests for proposal had been generated.

I feel sure there was nothing untoward involved in this change.  I am concerned, however, that there seems to be some precedent being established that may be difficult to follow in the future. 

Another recent matter involved a Germantown businessman who sought a meeting on the website redesign only to learn, after interest had seemed to wane, that the existing relationship with the Ruekert & Mielke engineering firm had been expanded to encompass this redesign effort without having been put out to bid.  This was done, apparently, in order to consolidate all such activities in one vendor relationship for the Village.

Beyond this, there have been instances where committee efforts with bids taken were superceded by direct action on the part of a village official.  This involved actions where vehicles were purchased by the village for the Police Department and for the Senior Center.  I am not privy to the financial aspect of these arrangements and, again, have no reason to believe anything improper was involved.

I certainly would favor residents and local business owners being favored with village business provided that everything was fully transparent.

My concern is that things handled in this manner can cause consternation that might have otherwise been avoided had they been handled differently.

Karthauser Greenhouse Construction...

I received an email asking what was being built in front of the Karthauser Greenhouse complex along Hwy 145.  I hadn't noticed this and asked Trustee Al Vanderheiden if he could shed light on this for the reader and me.

He responded that it was a berm.  A contractor involved in a DOT project was apparently looking for a site where dirt could be disposed of and thought to ask this firm if it would like a berm.  Unfortunately, apparently nothing was discussed with the Village Planning Commission and a halt has been called until that can be accomplished according to Vanderheiden.

Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Wednesday...

A Committee of the Whole meeting has been called for this coming Wednesday evening and will be conducted behind closed doors.  The indications are that this meeting has been called to review several personnel situations.  Fire Chief Gary Pollpeter's performance is to be discussed as well as that of Village Administrator Dave Schornack.  The inclusion of Mr. Schornack is a bit of a surprise from my perspective.  Chief Pollpeter has come under criticism from Trustee Jim Langer as has been reported.

In terms of unofficial 'buzz', I had thought that Mr. Schornack had been felt to be performing well based on comments, Board meetings, etc.  He had been tasked with a plan of action aimed at curing issues the Board seemed to feel were apparent with the Fire Chief.  I don't know if the two discussions each involve the other or not.

A third agenda item is said to be a discussion of the search for a new Public Works department head. 

No action is able to be taken in such meetings, so it is likely some time will pass before we begin to discern what has taken place and on what, if anything, action will be taken.

There can certainly be intrigue and infighting even at the village level.  Although few will ever admit this.

Zero Increase Budget...

The Village Trustees met to begin discussions about the coming budget process this past Wednesday evening.  The Village President has expressed his desire to see a 'no hiring' policy to cover the next five years.  Others have begun to talk about layoffs of existing village employees; shortened work weeks; service reductions, and so on.

This comes against the back-drop of discussions about a referendum on road repairs and tax increases to support that to the tune of $1 to $2 million dollars per year.  Short of that, the money would be borrowed and the costs of pay-back and interest would be added to the budget.

All this is a bit premature given the fact that we don't have a clue as to what the final figures from the State of Wisconsin will be and won't until mid-August or beyond.

My concern is very simple.  I would hope that we don't permit ourselves to get so focused on a zero increase budget to the exclusion of things we ought not be cutting.  There must be a balance between taxing and services.  Some services, such as police and fire seem to be about as thin today as would be prudent.  Fuel costs obviously will drive up the police budget; does that mean the police department should be cut in order to maintain a 'zero' budget increase?  I think that would be the rough equivalent of tossing the baby out with the bath water.

That is but one example.

~~~~~~~~~~

MATC Board Question Response...

I have received no response since sending the email requesting information as to the status of the Director position that former superintendent Victor Rossetti held for the past months. 

It may be that MATC simply has not had time to respond.  It may be that their 'non-response' is the response.

~~~~~~~~~~

Traffic Signals At Mequon & Legend...

Given that today is August 1st, it looks unlikely to me, as a layperson, that the intersection will have signals installed prior to the opening of the new Sendik's location.  My recollection was that it was scheduled to open in early-September...and, I don't doubt that they'll hit that target, if not open sooner, given the huge level of activity apparent.

The Citizen Input agenda item of the Village Board's meeting last evening saw Trustee Jim Langer state his request that Fire Chief Gary Pollpeter resign from his position.  Langer stated that the Fire Chief is lacking in management skills and has been a poor administrator for the department.

No action is taken under this agenda item, so there was no discussion following Langer's statement.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Trustees met as the Committee of the Whole following the Board meeting last evening and the agenda item discussed was that of a possible referendum for Road Repairs that would be on the November ballot if it were to be approved.

President Kempinski stated that he felt this needed to be addressed given the state of road repair in the village and given that there had been fewer road repairs over the past few years as budgets were squeezed and costs increased across the board.  Village staff had prepared an analysis that suggested something in the range of $1 million per year would be required to keep village roads in a good state of repair.  (This was half of the amount originally talked about when this news broke.)  The study concluded that nearly 30% of village streets were in need of structural repair.

Village Administrator Dave Schornack reminded everyone of just how difficult the coming budget was going to be based on the process of last year that would be compounded by increased personnel costs, increased fuel costs and increased salt costs among other things.

Village Clerk Knaack stated that September 19th was the deadline for filing the question with the County Clerk so as to have it placed on the November ballot.

Trustee Langer stated his opposition to the referendum, feeling that the Board needed to work through the issues and that a pay as you go plan was to be preferred over borrowing funds.  Trustee Ewert was adamant that expenses needed to be cut.  Trustee Zabel reminded the others that year-end spending needed to be carefully controlled and that this might generate a surplus that could be used for some repairs.

Trustee Wolter said he favored a three-pronged approach:  Reduce expense costs; then increase taxes; and, finally consider a referendum.  Several other discussion points centering on expense reduction possibilities were made by others.  President Kempinski discussed several points including the decision to replace the Village Engineer that would carry a cost in excess of $100,000 per year, overtime issues in various departments in the village, limited increases in state shared revenue over the past five years and stated that he would be proposing a hiring freeze for the village that would be in place for the next five years.

The question has been referred to the General Government and Finance Committee which meets tonight at 7:00PM to consider the issues. 

I may be in the minority on this, but I haven't had the thought that our roads were terrible.  Maybe I am not driving where there are real problems or maybe I'm just oblivious...many would say it is the latter reason.  I guess I have to presume that the staff-prepared analysis for the Board was on the mark;  I'll try to stay tuned into street conditions more over the next few days and weeks.

News reports indicate that Village President Tom Kempinski is considering asking the Board to approve a referendum that would appear on either the September ballot or the November ballot.  This referendum would deal with just how Germantown voters desire to fund some $2,000,000 per year in road repairs, if they desire to do so.  The choices apparently would be borrowing, increasing property taxes or a combination of both or none.

The referendum could be advisory or binding in nature.  Obviously, if advisory, the Board would then decide what, if any action it would take, but it would do so with some idea of the public's mood.  If binding, the results would stand as the electorate decided at least until the Board was reconstituted or until the Board found some other approach to achieve the end if that were possible.

If property taxes were increased by $2,000,000 annually, the increase in village taxes over 2008 would be some 20.5% without consideration for any other line item increases in the village budget. It is unrealistic to assume that all other expenses will remain constant.  If the amount were to be borrowed, the debt service would be part of the tax increase each year so that both the amount spent each year plus interest would be added to the tax bills over a number of years.

The village's portion of our total tax bill in 2008 was 24.52%; that share would climb to 30.67% if all other taxing units remained at 2008 levels which, unfortunately, is very unlikely.  The actual increase in total property taxes due to the village's portion of the total could be something in the range of 1% to 2% I would suspect.

Use of a referendum will please some people and anger others.  Some will say that this gives the voter the direct voice on specific items that they otherwise lack in representative government.  Others will say the referendum gives the Board a place to hide; still others will say that there should be no referendum.

There are several questions that come to mind about which you may wish to make your views known:

1.  Do we need $2 million worth of road repair every year?  For how many years?

2.  What portion of the village's road surfaces need to be repaired today? 

3.  Have past Boards avoided their responsibilities and not funded road repairs properly?

4.  Is a referendum a good idea or is it a convenient tool for a Board that doesn't wish to stake out a position that may be very unpopular?

5.  If this referendum appears on the ballot, what impact will that have on any issue the School Board may advance at the same time?

6.  If we are to see a referendum, should it be simply an advisory referendum or should it bind the Board to a specific direction?

What think you G'town?

All the activity surrounding the new Sendik's store reminded me that I hadn't heard much more about the changes being discussed for the intersection of Legend Drive and Mequon Road. 

I had heard that the state was again thinking of a round-about for that intersection recognizing the increased traffic flow that would occur after the opening of the new Sendik's location.  There may have been others who had the same thought, but I understand that Trustee Langer raised the issue of pedestrian traffic navigating the round-about.

In communications with Village Administrator Dave Schornack late this week, I learned that the state had advised that the decision had been reached and that the intersection would have traffic lights rather than the round-about configuration.  Schornack advised that President Kempinski had been involved in securing this resolution and had attended the meeting with DOT representatives along with the Sendik's representative.

I asked about timing and Schornack indicated that he knew the Sendik's organization would be hoping for it to be accomplished by the time of their expected opening around September 4th, but that the actual schedule had yet to be set to his knowledge.  In response to my question about village funding for this project, Schornack indicated that his current thinking was that this would come from the TIF district in which the project is located.

Certainly there will be increased traffic when the store opens and this solution should help mitigate the traffic flow and keep residents safer.  Even without the store open, there has been considerable traffic at 'rush' times, so traffic signals will be a great assist.  Obviously, with the Pilgrim Road/Mequon Road signal-controlled intersection, it will take a little more time to travel Mequon Road, but that is probably the price to be paid for another competitor in the grocery arena coupled with growth in the village.

I have been on a brief vacation and, due to my own short-sightedness, was unable to publish new Blogs during that week.  I have received several emails during that period offering further comments or chastising for things said by me or some of those who have commented.  I'll set the essence of those thoughts forward in this piece.

* * * * * * * * * *

Trustee Dean Wolter has called into question several of the items in the first two Village Buzz Blogs:

He has indicated that he believes that the opinions I advanced as to my feeling that President Kempinski might be making himself a committee of one "is uncalled for, unsubstantiated by any facts, and made simply for the purpose and effect of comments to your Blog".  I have, unfortunately, come to have those feelings as I alluded.  It may well be that I'll change my feelings over the course of time, and I'll probably mention that if that happens.

I wondered if the signage in the front of Sendik's was of proper size.  Trustee Wolter advised that my "Statements to the signage of Sendik's ..being oversized is not accurate.  The Germantown Village Board has passed several changes to the sign section of the Municipal Code, allowing for taller and bigger signs to be placed at business entrances."

He has also criticized a comment that was offered by former President Charlie Hargan where he wrote that "The Village code state that the Planner has jurisdiction over the trees in Germantown, planting and removal.  He found out about them being removed only after it was done."

Trustee Wolter wrote: "Charlie Hargan's comment following your notes again is left to stand unabated and is in-correct.  I re-read the Germantown Municipal code, section 17.60 on Trees, and it does not state that the Village Planner has jurisdiction over the trees on public property.  I would like to have past president Hargan state which section of the code he is getting his information.  His statements are baseless, and incorrect."

* * * * * * * * * *

I appreciate the emails from Trustee Wolter and invited him to exercise his option to write comments if he wished to do so.  I do express my opinions often and I recognize that some may be polarizing.  Those who agree or disagree are free to post their comments.  I am forbidden from editing any comment.  I can remove a comment in full if I believe it is in poor taste, but those decisions are subject to review by the editors of the Community Now organization.

My opinions are obviously based on something or I wouldn't have them.  As with most everybody, I interact with a wide range of people and read and hear a wide range of information.  All this goes into the development of an opinion.  I cannot point to a specific 'fact' that caused an opinion to crystallize.  There may not be any 'facts' to which I could point, but I still have opinions.  My opinions may be out in left field; if that is the case from your perspective, so be it.  Help me change my opinion with more/better information or comment with your counter-opinion.

People in public office are in the public eye; that is simply the way it is.  We each will have varying opinions concerning those folks.  We'll probably agree with some actions and disagree with other actions.  I've often found that an initial opinion altered over time.  Similarly, I've also found that an initial opinion was proved to have been warranted. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Finally, there may be some who might believe I'm anti-Sendik's.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  I am very excited about more competition in our community.  I will be a regular shopper when the new store opens.  I've not picked on our other grocery establishments lately but certainly could've since there is much to be desired.  The opening of a tough competitor will be the best cure for poor selection and/or poor service elsewhere.

I don't know if the MATC has a public relations agency under contract but, if it does, they deserve a raise..more than the president of MATC deserves the one he just received!  It is impossible for any PR firm to cover the smell of this institution.

That's right.  The president of MATC, Darnell Cole, just received a pay increase of 5.2%.  This is the same Darnell Cole that was trying to get out of MATC by applying for a position with Lansing Community College in Michigan.  This is the same Darnell Cole that thumbs his nose at the constituency and gets higher and higher budgets passed that take more and more of our money in property taxes.

This almost seems like the college basketball coaches and football coaches who apply for other jobs simply to 'justify' increased compensation when they change their minds and stay in their already over-paid positions.  Maybe this is the way of the world of academia.  Maybe I simply am so out of touch that I can't comprehend that fact.

Cole now receives, effective today, $223,675 in base salary.  That's not all, of course.  He gets a total of $259,131 which includes retirement plan contributions and travel allowance.  The base pay increase was 3.25%.  The retirement supplement increase was 6.7%, and the travel allowance increase was some 44%.  His travel allowance doesn't cover the trips he takes by plane, etc.; it covers the cost of him driving around the MATC world in his automobile.  The retirement supplement is in addition to his already very attractive retirement under the Wisconsin Retirement System.  A little gravy for the gravy, as it were.

Even worse, if that is possible, is the fact that three of the nine members of the MATC Board didn't think it worth their while to be in attendance at the meeting where this was approved.  The remaining six voted, 5-1, in favor.  The sole dissenting vote was from Rep. Pedro Colon (D-Milwaukee) who felt Cole's long-term commitment to MATC was called into question by the recent attempt to leave the college for a better-paying job. 

Kudos to Rep. Colon!  Was his decision prompted by the fact that he must face the electorate?  Obviously, if the full MATC board were comprised of people who were forced to face the electorate, we would very likely see a much different MATC. 

There is but one conclusion.  MATC simply rubs our noses in it every chance it gets.  MATC is impervious to our scolding.  It never has to face the music.  It simply goes on its merry way increasing programs whether or not there is a return on that investment.  It simply goes on providing largess for its own.

This is an example of why the overall tax increase caused by the recently approved MATC budget was 4.9%.  Of course, we weren't told, before the budget was cast in stone, that Darnell Cole had yet to get his.  That might have been too obvious...even for we members of the great unwashed who only pay the toll on this road to nowhere!

Where does the secession petition stand?  Will it be filed on time?  Will the school board and the village board see eye-to-eye on the desired district?  Will our elected officials, both local, county and state, get behind this is a vocal and meaningful way? 

Former Village President, Charlie Hargan, responded in a comment to the Village Buzz published on Friday with this:

"The trees on Mequon Road in front of Pick 'n Save were diseased and will be replaced in the same locations. The trees in front of Sendik's were healthy ash trees that, as you indicated, had the misfortune to be in front of Sendik's over-sized sign. Sendik's asked Pres. Kempinski to have them removed, who told Adm. Schornack to have them removed, who told the Village Parks & Grounds Sup. to remove them. These were planted in accordance with the Village Street Tree Program, part of the reason we were voted as a Tree City USA community, and the only authorization for this had to come from the Village Board, after a recommendation from the Public Works Committee. It was never brought in front of either of them. They should be replaced in the same location. I think Sendik's will be a great asset to the Village but the trees were also and they were "grandfathered in" (here first)."

I am assuming that Mr. Hargan has his facts correct; if others wish to comment, please take the opportunity.

It seems that, more and more often, the President is making himself a committee of one and determining resolution of issues, and then implementing those resolutions by direct order to village administration and staff.  In my opinion, those kinds of actions can be seen as undercutting the staff and committee members, certainly can adversely impact morale, would appear to be contrary to established protocol and limiting of the proper public discussion that should precede such actions being taken.  There is no public meeting involved if that should've been taken prior to this action.  There is no audit trail available to the public to enable a review process.

If there were diseased trees, it is possible that there could be a reason to circumvent protocol, but the trees that affected the Sendik's signage certainly were a worthy subject of debate before precipitous action (such as destroying them) was taken.

I cannot help but feel that this is unhealthy in any government, even that of a village.  What decision-making will be next in line to be short-circuited if that is what has happened?  

This marks the first of a new class of Blogs that will be labeled 'Village Buzz'.  We'll discuss things that are gathered from what I consider to be reliable sources.  I'll sometimes share the source' names and other times will avoid doing so for obvious reasons.

Barley Pop Update...

I am hearing that the Barley Pop Pub will be able to handle its tax obligation and continue to maintain its liquor license.  Employees have apparently been told that mortgage refinancing or something along those lines will make this possible and they are very upbeat about their futures as employees.

We'll see if this was a reliable barometer.

Mequon Road Trees Cut...

I watched as the new Sendik's Village Center signage was being put into place and thought about the change that seemed to have taken place when the new replaced the old.  It finally dawned on me that this new sign was quite a bit taller than the old and that had caused visibility to be hampered because of trees that had been planted as part of the Village Street Tree program of some years ago.

Now I see that three trees have been removed and the former spots are landscaped over probably indicating that nothing will be there to replace those removed.  I don't know when that happened but it must've been within the past two or three days.

And then, I noted that ten trees had been cut down in the Pick 'n Save area although those stumps are still there.

What is going on?  Does the new sign exceed the height limits that the village has in place?  Why were those beautiful trees removed?  Who made this decision?  Did this go through an appropriate committee?  Is there a public record to be seen?

Why did ten trees need to be cut down a bit further west on Mequon Road?  Were those interfering with sight lines or was there some other reason?

I guess I need to visit with village officials to determine why this all was necessary, unless some of the readers already know the answers.

MATC has now ended the suspense.  Whew!  It has officially increased its tax take by the 4.9% that it miraculously managed to get down to from the original 'straw man' of 6.4%.  This codifies the fact that MATC's appetite for tax dollars has risen by some 30% over the past five years.  MATC's leadership, if it can be called that without demeaning the word, just can't seem to understand that, while it is impervious to the wants and needs of the citizenry it serves, it really has permitted its reach to exceed our grasp.

MATC strikes me as an iceberg looking for a ship to sink.  It is floating along with the tip showing while the bulk of the 'bloat' lies just under the waterline, out of sight and, too often, out of mind.  Until it hits the ship of taxpayers yet again.  The taxpayers on this 'ship of fools' have finally come to understand, at least in Germantown, that they would be better-served if they were permitted to disembark from the current ship that continues to be victimized by the MATC iceberg...year after year after year after year!

That disembarkation is, however, contingent on so many disparate factors as to seem nearly unachievable.  First and foremost is that failure to make the petition to the state technical college board seeking a move from MATC to another contiguous tech college district renders all the other points moot.  If that is filed, then we wait and see what the august state tech college board members decide is to be our fate.  The last such application was made in 2004 and was denied.  That doesn't necessarily mean that this petition would suffer the same fate...but it is probably a decent precursor.  The only other successful action of this nature involved Germantown's petition to be moved into the MATC district back in the early 1970s.  (Ironic, isn't it?)

Back to the basics, however.  This rate of increase could've been far better controlled if the governing board for MATC were subject to re-election.  It isn't.  It is subject only to the parochial appointment desires of MATC.  Talk about a great deal, huh?  If I'm going to be governed by someone, I'd love the opportunity to pick the person without any outside interference over things such as how effective they'd be in administering their responsibilities.  If I 'accidentally' picked someone that was in lock-step with my positions and goals, could I possibly be faulted?  Sure, but it would be meaningless because no one could do anything about it except maybe move away to escape.

Maybe more to the point, I could've used the euphemism of a polar ice mass, a glacier, grinding everything in its path into submission.  Pretty soon there'll be nothing left here to tax.  It'll have been destroyed by the taxes rendered.

I guess the good news is that you can't tax the same dollar for more than 100 cents, so there is some ultimate end point.  Yet, there are so many taxes being levied against each of our dollars that we get less and less while everything costs us more and more.

Maybe, IF we pursue the change in tech college districts, and IF the state tech college board approves, we can rid ourselves of MATC President Cole, his board and his kingdom of fire-breathing dragons that burn everything of value they can identify in their domain.

I believe a full scale audit of that institution is called for and I believe one or more of our elected officials at the state level needs to pick up that banner and carry it high for all to see.  This is way past the point of being mere Blog fodder, although it sure has been good for that!

There are apparently some rules regarding the conduct of exit interviews when an employee (or volunteer in the case of firefighters/EMTs) leaves the position.  Those don't always occur and, in some cases, could become an adversarial encounter depending upon circumstances involved.

Trustee Jim Langer has, I think, an excellent idea and that is requiring exit interviews and requiring that those be done by the human resource director.

I'd hope for there to be some caveats included:

The exit interview would be recorded (audio at least) from start to finish and the tapes would become public records.  The interviews would follow an agreed upon routine with all interview guidelines and questions published as part of the village policy statement concerning employment or volunteer positions such as those in the fire department.  The person being interviewed would have the right to be represented by counsel by providing notice prior to the hearing to that effect.  These new policies and procedures would supersede any and all existing policies and procedures.

All people who leave an organization leave for at least one reason and often more than one reason.  Those retiring may elect to retire early for some reason.  Those being terminated should have the opportunity to state their opinions and vent their grievances.  Those who have found a better job may be able to offer ideas or thoughts that will be helpful to the village in the future.

Exit interviews can be rewarding to both parties, one party or neither party.  That is simply the way it is.  But, there is a certain check and balance process that is triggered through exit interviews.  If, for example, one department loses three people in short order and if each has similar complaints that they claim led to their decision to leave, some initial conclusions might be drawn.  Leaders might conclude that there is a need to counsel the department head or to review compensation tables or any of a number of other things.

Exit interviews should be done by a person as disinterested as possible since the immediate superior may be the reason for the departure.  The recordings will, ideally, establish the full story of the departing person.  That story may be simple 'sour grapes', or it may point to very real issues needing resolution.  The weight of multiple departures with the same 'sour grapes' reason(s) claimed as part of the cause should serve to point to a possible problem even though it sounds like 'sour grapes'. 

Our village relies on relatively few people to make it work.  The loss of a key person can be problematic.  The loss of several people at the lower rungs can be problematic.  The loss of volunteers can be problematic.  The loss of anyone should give leadership the reason to pause and reflect.  Was there some underlying issue that could've caused the loss to be avoided?  If pay scales are the issue, then there may be a need to review that structure if we expect to be able to continue to attract solid performers.  If management styles are the issue, then village leaders need to reflect on those and make adjustments to avoid that becoming a continuing issue.  Managers can be 'in the dark' about their personal management styles, and exit interviews can help focus their own attention on personal shortcomings.

There is, inherently, relatively lower turn-over in villages and cities than in the private sector workplace.  Once one is employed by the Village of Germantown, for example, there is a clear set of expectations, there is a decent income, there are good benefit programs, there is stability of employment, and there is a decent working environment.  Turn-over rates of 15% to 20% are not at all unusual in the private sector, and yet those rates are unheard of in the public sector where 5% to 7% or even less might be closer to the norm.

We all want Germantown to be a good place in which to live and work, and we cannot reach and maintain that 'nirvana' unless those who help keep everything working as we expect also see Germantown as being a good place to live and work.

Exit interviews such as described above will certainly help us get to and stay at that point.

The morning Journal Sentinel talks about a petition being presented to the Milwaukee Common Council today that would require all Milwaukee private employers to provide paid sick days.  Employers with ten or fewer employees would be required to provide 1 hour for every 30 hours worked to a maximum of 40 hours of paid sick time per year.  Employers with more than ten employees would be required to provide 1 hour for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 72 hours per year.  Unused sick days would roll over from year to year.

This petition has been pushed by "labor, educational and community organizations" according to the article with the lead organization being 9 to 5, the National Association of Working Women.  It uses a state statute that provides for what is known as 'direct legislation', and requires the petitioner to present petitions signed by 15% of the total residents of the city or village involved that voted for governor in the most recent election.

Presuming all is in order with the petitions and signatures, the city council or village board would then be required to pass it or to put it on the ballot in the next election for a binding decision by the electorate.

I do not believe that a mandated employer sick pay law is appropriate anywhere, and am not suggesting that it ought be tried in Germantown.  The article cites the food service industry, for example; can you imagine how that would affect that industry?  Can you imagine how the costs would escalate if this were to occur?  Can you think of a more 'anti-business' proposition?

* * * * * * * * * *

It is interesting, however, that such direct action is available to citizens in cities and villages in Wisconsin.  Someone at sometime thought this was a good approach, and it found its way into law.  It obviously has a double edge to it.  It could be employed for good things or not so good things.  What it does do, however, is place the ultimate decision in the hands of the electorate if the city or village officials chose to ignore the petitioners' demands.

Is this a necessary 'check and balance' functionality or is it simply a tool that can be misused by the few taking advantage of emotional responses from the many?  Do we destroy the concept of representative government?  Do we permit populism to run rampant?

Barley Pop Pub closing?  Say it ain't so! 

I had the opportunity to get clarification on the story below from the Village Clerk several hours after posting the blog below.  She advised that the license for the Barley Pop Pub had been renewed earlier this month along with all the other establishments' licenses.  The issue concerning taxes owed must be resolved by the owners not later than June 30th according to Village Ordinance to prevent the loss of the current license.  Any establishment that has a liquor license must remain in good standing so far as building codes, taxes and fees and so on in order to avoid the suspension or loss of the license.  Village officials are powerless to make any concessions since the ordinance governs the situation.  Discussion did occur on the subject of amending the ordinance, however that did not result in any action being taken. 

My thanks to the Village Clerk for her clarification.

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The liquor license of the Barley Pop is being threatened with non-renewal by the village unless back property taxes are paid by the end of June, and the owners say the Barley Pop may close if that happens.

The Barley Pop has been a fixture for nearly as long as I can remember.  I wonder how many of G'town's citizens have been in the Barley Pop at one time or another?  Probably a significant percentage and probably more than just once in awhile.

I don't recall hearing or reading of the occasional bar fight that I see reported every so often for other G'town establishments.  My food has always tasted fine; the portions are good; it isn't a gourmet stop, but it is a really good pub.  The non-smoking accommodations certainly point the way for an alternative to banning all smoking and the owners did that because they knew it would cater to most all the public.  I've always thought of the Barley Pop as being a well run business.

This business has been around for more than two decades.  I've not heard of this type of situation (unpaid taxes) regarding this business before.  I wonder just what the problem could be?  Could it be that the rising cost of food has slowed the business?  Could the cost of gasoline have depressed the business?  Every time I go into a grocery store, I'm reminded that food costs are rising regularly, and I know this has hit restaurants, as well.  It is not at all unusual to sit down and to be handed a freshly printed menu...with new higher prices.

We don't eat out as often as we did because the costs are going up and our budget is squeezed by other needs.  Maybe that has been the primary cause, or a major part of the problem, at least.

I hope that the owners and the village trustees can resolve this issue before we lose the Barley Pop.  It has become one of the icons of Germantown.  Our 'downtown' area doesn't need more empty store fronts.  Blight tends to lead to more blight and that isn't the mark of one of the thirty best places to live.

The move toward filing the documents necessary to seek secession from the Milwaukee Area Technical College tax district has begun to draw some debate amongst the politicos in Germantown.

Village President Kempinski has been quoted as being concerned with the seemingly slow movement in this process, and School Board President Erdmann says that we shouldn't worry because it is being taken up in July for ultimate filing in August.

Some have pointed to the earlier appointment of Superintendent Victor Rossetti as the death blow to any secession movement since Germantown is now directly represented on the MATC Board.

Mr. Rossetti will serve his last day as superintendent on June 30th.  What happens then?  Does he have to step down or is he permitted to serve out his term since he is then a 'former' superintendent.  What happens if he moves from the MATC district?  Is he immediately susceptible to removal if he doesn't resign?

Interesting questions all.  I have written earlier of some concern since the MATC discussion had been quiet for a seemingly long period of time.  Then we were advised that we shouldn't worry since the school board would resume its discussion in July. 

We are still a long way from the actual filing of documents and then we must await the decision of the state technical college board that is due within ninety days of the filing.  Then, even if we were to be successful...and that is far from a certainty...the actual secession wouldn't occur until the start of a new fiscal period for technical colleges.

And, of course, while this all plays out, we are being over-taxed and under-served by the money-eating monster that we know as MATC.

What we don't need are any artificial obstacles cropping up along the pathway to change.

Communities are fragile.  They are interdependent on so many disparate pieces as to be capable of being degraded quickly.  Maybe we can learn something from this morning's General Motors announcement concerning Janesville.

General Motors is closing the Janesville GM plant and that will put something in the range of 2,600 to 2,800 employees out of work.  This could happen as late as 2010 or as soon as next week, dependent only upon the marketplace.  There have already been over 2,000 jobs lost simply as the result of GM's slowdown in production.  This announcement will, unfortunately, cause many, many more announcements over the next months.

The economy of South Central Wisconsin is at risk.  Chrysler operates a similar facility in Belvidere, IL and many Wisconsinites work at that facility, too.

Communities either have or do not have spirit and vitality about them.  Those that do not seem to fit into one or the other categories are simply in transit from one to the other.  There can be no indefinite in-between in the life of communities.

Communities can move all too quickly from vitality to despair.  The trip back to vitality from despair takes much longer...often several decades if that quickly.

Germantown is not immune.  No matter that it was determined one of the thirty best places to live.  That distinction is solely in the eye of the beholder.  If the spirit of a community is broken, you can see that by simply driving through.  And, driving through is what prospective new inhabitants and prospective new employers do in communities without vitality.

I had the opportunity to drive into Beloit several weeks ago.  It had been years since I drove into Beloit; it was always easier and, frankly, more pleasant to drive around Beloit.  But this time, I had to go to the heart of the community...and I was amazed at what I saw and what I felt.  Beloit had re-captured the spirit that had eluded it most of my adult lifetime, and it was palpable.  It was present where ever I looked.  It was present in the lively steps of its citizens.  It was present in the well-kept boulevards, and in the pride taken by its residents in their homes.

If you can imagine a brightly colored balloon that is full of air, and then picture that same balloon as it has lost some of its air pressure, that might be the exercise we need to take daily as we think about our own community.  Those full, bright balloons exude their own sense of well-being.  And the half-full balloons send out their message, as well.

I hope that Germantown hasn't started losing air.  If I missed it and the air is already beginning to leave our balloon, then I hope we'll realize that something needs to change so that we can restore our fullness and brightness before we've lost too much air pressure. 

It is not possible to touch politics, but it is possible to sense ebbs and flows caused by changing political scenes.  It is the addition or subtraction of spirit.  It is the spirit of the community that determines its future.  Communities with spirit just seem to overcome the obstacles put in their way, while those that lose their spirit go into nearly perpetual decline.

I hope that our spirit isn't being eroded with the political in-fighting that seems to be flourishing today.

It has just dawned on me that the 'something' that seemed to be missing from the Memorial Day tableau was the American Flags that used to fly for this holiday/day of remembrance on the village light poles and utility poles.

My recollection is that they used to be in place for Memorial Day and flew through the July 4th holiday period before being taken down and stored away for the next year.

What happened to our flags?  Is this being done as a cost-cutting move?  Is this simply being done because someone thought it unnecessary?  Are the flags in such a state of disrepair that they can't be flown?

A few days ago I asked the rhetorical question about Germantown changing.

This seems another example of the subtle changes going on in the village.  I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about this change.  I confess that I cannot remember if this same thing happened last year.

We are supposedly one of the best thirty places places to live, but this kind of oversight, whether intentional or unintentional, seems to belie that honor. 

Our flag has been sufficiently desecrated by those who do not see the need to honor it as was always the case in our earlier years.  To miss or avoid the opportunity to fly flags on such holidays seems wrong to me.

We are, by all signs, involved in an oil cost run-up driven by demand being greater than supply.  It is exacerbated for us Americans because our monetary policy has seen an intentional softening of the dollar (our money is worth less than other peoples' money, so it takes more of it to buy a barrel of crude oil).  I paid $4.20 per gallon yesterday with the price of crude oil standing at about $130 +/- per barrel.  Predictions of crude oil prices of $150 per barrel or more are seen or heard regularly now.  And, the cost of oil could well be higher than that by year-end.

How did we get to this point?  We got there by congressional law making, by presidents rolling over and signing those bills, and by our country's increasing needs/demand for gasoline and diesel fuel.  Why would we permit ourselves to become part of such a quagmire?

Politics!  Politics played by those on both sides of the aisle.  Conservatives seem to have lost their voices.  Liberals never seem to lose their voices.

Laws were re-written more than thirty years ago to make it nearly impossible for a new refinery to be built.  Those were the result of congress being rolled by the environmentalists and presidents either believing the rhetoric of the day or fearing the backlash should they stand up to the rhetoric.  This has continued to this very day.  We are forbidden from drilling within 200 miles of the California and Florida coastlines but the Chinese are already doing so as we sit on our thumbs.  We are unable to pursue the shale oil deposits that span our northern plains and southwestern states.  We have ample untapped resources that are readily available but our laws don't permit us to make use of those resources.

We see the 'global warming' group and the 'environmentalist group' driving our economy into the ground...and we have not found the moral outrage/courage to stand up to them and say "no more"!  We could easily build new refineries in any number of locations around our country but we're not permitted to do so.  We know how to drill and refine today without ruining our world.  It takes from 6 to 10 years to bring a new refinery on-line so the time to have declared a moratorium on the rules that made it impossible to build new refining capacity has come and gone.  But, the typical congressional response of "that will take ten years" should remind us that if we don't roll back those silly laws today, it'll take ten years from whenever we do roll back those silly laws.  The time to begin is now, not next week or next month.

We witnessed the ridiculous 'hearings' held by congress in the past few weeks.  We watched as Sen. Herb Kohl embarrassed himself by chiding the 'big bad oil companies' for making a profit.  He is a former businessman who certainly understands that profit must be derived in order for businesses to exist and grow.  He knew how that worked when he ran Kohl's Food Stores.  He certainly must have some comprehension as the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.  His statement to the oil company executives that their profits didn't seem fair gives one a lot of insight.  He knows better but he will play/pander to the crowd he favors.  He 'feels' as do most liberals.  He doesn't necessarily reason.  He has his millions, so he can set out to control everyone else who aspires to similar success.

Sen. Kohl is but one of the 535 members of congress.  Too many of those men and women are too intent on keeping their offices to actually vote the way they probably know they should.  You have probably heard the old phrase that states you must "go along to get along".  That should be inscribed over the doorways leading to the House and the Senate chambers since it is the rule that is followed by the vast majority of people who walk through those portals.  That is true on the national stage, the state stage and the local stage.

The people who go to Washington and who do not give in and play by the Washingtonian rules are few and very far between.

Whose fault is this dilemma in the final analysis?  Yours and mine. 

We're the men and women who have permitted this to happen.  We don't vote in the House or the Senate, but we do elect those who do...and we do not seem to unelect people very often once they've gotten into office.  Rep. Steve Kagen (D) from the Appleton area stands for re-election this November.  He is at his most defeatable point historically.  If he survives the first re-election campaign and keeps his seat, he is likely to be in that seat for so long as he desires without regard to how he votes or doesn't vote.

We're so unconcerned about our vote, it seems, that we don't even think voting is sacrosanct enough to require valid photo identification before we're permitted to cast a ballot. 

So, all this angst has been brought to us by us.  Remember that the next time you buy gasoline or diesel fuel.  Remember that the next time you go to the grocery store and try to make your food budget stretch.  Remember that when you ponder whether or not you'll be able to take a vacation this year, or buy new school clothing for your children, or go out for a fish fry.  Remember that when you try to stretch your retirement income to cover your basic needs.

And, when you've gotten yourself all 'cranked up', if that happens, make a resolution to get involved and stay involved and to talk with your elected representatives at every level of government and let them know what you think and what you want them to do on your behalf.  And, if they fail you, fire them with your vote at the polling place.

Had you and I done that two decades ago instead of simply going with the flow, maybe we'd not be in the situation we find ourselves in today.

The MATC has developed yet another draft budget after the first such exercise produced the need for a 6.4% property tax increase (see Blog of April 23rd).  At the time of that budget draft, the governor apparently said he would not countenance such an increase.  MATC announced then that it would go back to the old drawing board and see what could be done to get down into the range of 'as little' as a 5.0% to 5.5% property tax increase.

Guess what?  They can now apparently declare victory in this onerous task since the finance committee is only proposing a revised draft budget that would consume another 4.9% increase in property taxes.  The proposed draft will come to a vote by the full board on May 27th.

MATC has developed budgets since 2004 that will have caused property tax increases of more than 30% if this draft is ultimately approved.

Has your personal income increased by 30% in the past four years?  Has your savings account grown by 30% in the past four years?  Has yours become a single income family instead of a dual income family in the past four years?  I doubt it.  But, if so, congratulations!  Even with such an increase, if that has happened for you, I'll wager that you have better places to put your hard-earned money.

The MATC finance committee says it has cut all it could cut from the budget.  Jeannette Bell, committee member and former West Allis mayor, was in favor of not only this 4.9% property tax increase, but also favors reducing the reserve account held by MATC which has been done as part of this draft. 

People costs are budgeted to increase significantly.  Wages and salaries will go up about $1.5 million.  Health care costs will rise by some $2 million.  Other 'fringe' benefits will add another $4.5 million, including  $2 million required to bring the recognition of accrued benefits onto the MATC books like any other 'business' must do today.  That is $2 million of 'funny money'; where else would we find accounting tricks employed if we were to subject this institution to the standards maintained by businesses?

I cannot accept the statement that MATC has cut 'everything possible' and still needs this kind of increase budget over budget.  The paragraph above suggests to me that people costs are way too high, and a very quick way to achieve reductions there is to have fewer people.  Maybe MATC should think about outsourcing certain functions.  Maybe they should think about 'tough love' negotiations with union representatives.  There are or ought to be limits even for tax-funded entities.

Maybe MATC needs to review its class demand and determine the bottom third by attendance and end those classes.  If there is insufficient demand, there is apparently not an identifiable 'significant' need.  MATC cannot be providing services to a market that doesn't exist in sufficient numbers to show demand.  That would free up space for other uses, and it would, or should, enable staff cuts that will reduce costs.

It is impossible to forget, in this debate over MATC, that there is a very real problem with the Milwaukee schools system and we must recognize that some of MATC's costs should rightfully be paid for by the Milwaukee school system since MATC is mopping up after that dismal performance.  Adult high school education classes and GED classes are an example of how the public education structure in Milwaukee fails its students and the residents of the community.  Interestingly enough, this may well be an intended consequence rather than an unintended consequence.  It gets non-Milwaukee taxpayers to pay more of the Milwaukee education costs than is already done through state tax distribution formula.

Finally, I suggest once again that MATC needs to clean up its many acts.  It needs to get out of the failed business incubator function.  It needs to quit building physical monuments to itself and its leaders.  It needs to look at sale and lease-back arrangements.  It needs to reduce staff. 

Frankly, it is becoming more and more apparent that significant leadership changes may be required, as well.  MATC leadership seems to be ignorant of the public's needs.  This is an institution answerable to no one other than the governor through his ability to appoint members to the state technical college board.  The state legislature and the governor must act to bring this renegade system under absolute control.  There must be a change in the manner in which the state board and the district boards are created; voters need to determine who sits on those boards.  The current incestuous approach simply doesn't work...for anyone other than the leaders and those who sit on the rubber stamp boards.

All this brings me to the next obvious question:  Where do we stand in the quest for permission to move to another technical college district?  There seems to have been a long delay in the process; maybe it is justified.  I hope it doesn't mean that the movement has been quietly put to sleep.