PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Ripon native Father Wally Kasuboski arrived in Panama in 1988, doing missionary work in an area of the world where school and hospital facilities are almost unheard of, roads are mainly rutted mud trails, and polluted water causes sickness and death; and,
WHEREAS, Father Wally addressed the problems of his new vast congregation, by becoming a leader in establishing schooling and medical care, building a catechetical center, established road and home construction crews, initiated water projects, and created a fishing industry for the Kuna Indian tribe; and,
WHEREAS, in 1996, Ripon Rotary raised $15,000 and obtained a $15,000 matching grant from Rotary International to help finance the largest water system in rural Panama, providing clear, potable water to about 7,000 people living in more than a dozen communities who up to this point could rely only on polluted lowland stream water; and,
WHEREAS, a group of people of all ages and gender from the Ripon area have traveled to the jungles of Panama to do mission work with Father Wally beginning in 1994, on seven different trips varying in length of approximately ten days;, and,
WHEREAS, the City of Ripon has in the past several years adopted and linked themselves with the sister cities of Opelousas, Louisiana and Ripon, England;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Aaron Kramer, mayor of the city of Ripon, Wisconsin, do hereby formally declare, on this 26th day of November in the year 2007, that the city of Ripon and its inhabitants are officially linking, as a sister city, with the city of Wacuco, Panama and its residents, as well as those who call the surrounding area home, and encourage further interaction and cooperation between the two regions in a continuous effort to foster further understanding of our cultures and traditions.

Aaron Kramer, Mayor

Father Wally's website

Ripon Produces Strategic Plan for Downtown Development

FROM RIPON MAIN STREET:

Ripon Main Street, Inc. and the City of Ripon have been working with Vandewalle & Associates over the last several months to create a Strategic Plan to guide future growth and development throughout Ripon's central business district. Input provided by representatives of the Ripon Chamber of Commerce, Ripon Community Development Corp. (RCDC), City Council, Ripon College, and Ripon Main Street, Inc. helped the consultants get a better understanding of the problems and opportunities that confront our community, identifying common goals, and developing a feasible, comprehensive strategy for achieving the goals.

The document is now complete and is available for review on the Ripon MainStreet web site (a direct link is provided below). We are extremely excited for the downtown and the entire community regarding the vision and futuredevelopment potential represented in the Plan. The document includes broad economic strategies for how Ripon can leverage its assets to improve itshistoric center, as well as detailed recommendations for public improvements and redevelopment opportunities within the central business district. Although the Plan describes a very high level vision for the downtown andsurrounding area, we firmly believe the vision is achievable.

The City Plan Commission will hold a formal public hearing on the Plan and act on its adoption later in December, with the City Council expected to dolikewise in early January. Prior to that, we hope that community organizations will take action to endorse the Plan and collaborate in itsimplementation. Granted, the mechanics of the implementation structure will take some time and discussion to work through, we want to assure you that we are committed to doing this in a fair and open process.

COUNCIL RECAP - November 26, 2007

The Common Council met Monday night, November 26th. Among the highlights:

BUDGET APPROVED FOR 2008
Prior to the regular meeting, the council passed the 2008 budget. No one spoke for or agains the budget. While the overall levy will go up, due to a growth in assessable property, the mill rate will remain the same. This is the fourth time in five budgets that the mill rate or levy has remained the same, which I credit our hard-working, diligent staff for.

DOWNTOWN PLAN UNVEILED
The proposed downtown strategic plan has been unveiled. The plan (it is a large PDF file, so beware) can be found here. It is located on the Ripon Main Street website - http://www.riponmainst.com/. The next step for the plan is approval by the Council on December 11th and the Plan Commission on December 19th. About 50 people were present for the unveiling and discussion. Needless to say, there will be more debate in the future on the 100 or so specific recommendations, but this is a positive step for the downtown and the city, as a whole. Change can be frightening, and it can bring out the worst in people, as they can be afraid of the changed future. Yet, change can also bring out the best in people as minds work together and ideas are brought into the light, and that is my hope for this plan and the downtown.

WACUCO BECOMES SISTER CITY
The city of Ripon has officially linked with Wacuco, Panama, where Ripon native Father Wally Kasuboski does his incredible missionary work. Father Wally spoke before the Council last night, and highlighted some of the wonderful water and road projects his group is working on. On seven different occasions, groups from Ripon have gone down to Panama to help with various projects, including the construction of a high school. Ripon is now sister cities with Opelousas, Louisiana, Ripon, England and Wacuco.

STANTON STREET ASSESSMENTS DELAYED
The final proposed assessments for the Stanton Street reconstruction have been delayed until December 11th. The new owners of the Stanton Street apartments are opposed to the current formula, which has them picking up a large portion of the assessable costs. The council has asked the staff to look at shifting more of the costs to the Tax Increment District which includes the apartments and Alliance's warehouse. Work is still expected to begin in the spring of 2008.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
* State Representative Joan Ballweg discussed the state of affairs in Madison and her vote for the 2008-10 state budget
* A number of increases in ambulance fees were approved to keep pace with inflationary pressures
* Work continues on the proposed deer hunt in Ripon. A number of locations have been identified where bow hunting could take place
* A bid was approved for the remodeling of the lower half of City Hall into a senior center. The budget included $25,000, while the low bid was less than $14,000. This allows for some cushion when it comes to furnishings and unexpected cost overruns. The project cannot begin until the fire department is moved out of City Hall

STATE DEBT CLIMBS 87 PERCENT IN TEN YEARS

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=689757

This is not good, not good at all:

Madison - To pay for highways, buildings and environmental programs, state government slid 87% deeper in long-term debt over the past 10 years. That decade spans the leadership of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and Republicans Scott McCallum and Tommy G. Thompson.
According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the state had $8.28 billion in general-obligation, transportation and environmental debt in mid-2006; the same debts totaled $4.41 billion in 1996. The 87% increase was three times the U.S. inflation rate over that period. Figures show that debt rose the most - by $1.8 billion- under Thompson between 1996 and 2001, when he resigned to become a cabinet secretary for President Bush. Debt increased by more than $1.5 billion in Doyle's first three years. Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said the growing debt is another risky budget decision governors and legislators have made to benefit themselves politically. Also rising is annual debt-service payments on those bonds: Principal and interest payments on general-obligation bonds will exceed $700 million for the first time this year; and payments on transportation bonds will cost an additional $174 million.
That $874 million is cash that can't be used for other important programs. By comparison, that amount is close to what it cost to run the state's prison system last year.
Officials say there are several reasons for the soaring debt:

• Hemmed in by past no-tax-increase promises, legislators and governors have instead OK'd record borrowing to have the best of both election-year worlds - continued spending for popular programs while pushing paying for those programs off into the future.
• The need to maintain spending on highway repair and construction projects such as the new Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee. Investments in transportation projects translate into economic development, said state Budget Director Dave Schmiedicke. But bonding for transportation has soared over the past two years. When Doyle finished rewriting the Legislature's budget with vetoes two years ago, it authorized $716 million in new transportation bonds. Transportation bonding dropped to $540 million in the budget passed last month, but only because several fees paid by drivers and truckers were raised.
• New construction on University of Wisconsin System campuses - projects paid for with student fees and general tax dollars. The most expensive UW System project authorized in the new state budget is the $87.7 million replacement of Union South on the UW-Madison campus.
• Environmental protection and cleanup programs. The Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program, which buys pristine recreational land to keep it from being developed, started in the 1990s and will require an additional $86 million a year in debt starting in 2011.
Supporters of the stewardship program say its costs have grown because the value of those recreational lands has increased, in part because of development pressures.

Doyle aides say the state's debt remains manageable. "Total outstanding debt will continue to grow in absolute dollars, but should not grow faster than the economy or the budget," said Capital Finance Director Frank Hoadley. About 4% of all general-fund spending this year will go to pay off state debt, which is reasonable, Schmiedicke said. "While the (debt) total is going up, its share of the budget is remaining relatively constant," he said. Schmiedicke said incurring more debt allowed Doyle and legislators to protect public schools, aid to local governments and the transportation infrastructure. It also freed up state aid to control increases in property tax bills, he added. Greater debt was a reasonable trade-off, Schmiedicke said. But a major bond agency, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, last week frowned at the state's finances - including the growing debt load and an emergency fund of less than 1%. The agency changed its rating outlook from "positive" to "stable," but did not downgrade its ratings for specific bond issues.
Berry said state government's worsening debt load is irresponsible and risky. That amount of new debt "is unequivocally a step away from - not toward - reducing state deficits," Berry said.
And rising annual payments to pay off that debt handcuff what the state can spend in the future, he said.

"If you spend a greater share of your budget on debt service year after year, it leads to one of three things - painful future cuts in services the public expects, significant tax hikes in a high-tax state or even more assumption of debt, which has been the choice of the governor and Legislature over the past six fiscal years," Berry said. It's another reason Wisconsin has the largest deficit of any state, under the so-called generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, system of budgeting, Berry noted. Berry said the state's annual deficit under GAAP - which reflects the imbalance between future spending commitments and expected tax collections - is $2.1 billion. But state officials discount the GAAP budgeting method. Wisconsin is unique because it promises to return $6 out of every $10 collected in future taxes to local governments - a cash-flow cycle that GAAP goes not take into account, officials said.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING - WORDS TO REMEMBER

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation - Washington, DC - October 3, 1863

"The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union." In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

Abraham Lincoln By the President: William H. Seward,Secretary of State.

ONE MORE TRY AT THE TURF FUNDING ISSUE

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FUNDING PLAN
* The length of the lease will be eight years between the Ingalls Field Group and the school district.
* The school district's commitment is $23,200 for seven years, with the Ingalls Field Group paying the school districts portion the last year. Taxes have NOT been raised.
* The College commitment is 250,000 plus interest for an eight year period
* The Ingalls Field group is going to pick up the balance, which will be around $360,000. The balance is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit from Johnson Bank. We will not be borrowing the entire amount. I would estimatethat we will borrow around $250,000-280,000.
* The city really has no financial obligation in this project
* When you start adding totals you are mixing budgeted amounts and commitments plus interest, so the totals are meaningless.
* Field Turf Financial is the source of funding for the project. The interest rate is not set yet, but will be approximately 4.8% for the District /College portion and 5.2 % for the Ingalls group.
* We have around $200,000 raised privately.
* Anyone who is saying the fundraisers did not sell all the raffle tickets for the GTO or are falling way behind on the fundraising are WRONG. I won't call them liars, but rather misguided.
* There are rumors that the project will exceed $1 million. I can swear on a stack of bibles that I am not aware of ANY cost overruns, and those people spreading the million dollar story are showing their true malicious side on this issue.
* I have supported the project because I believe it is a positive, long-term investment in our community. I support it as a private citizen. I have NEVER used my position as Mayor to push this project.

If you need more information, please contact Cris Johnson or Rick Ketter. I will be happy to provide emails or phone numbers to anyone who asks.

RIPON LOOKING AT A THIRD SISTER CITY

Two years ago, the City of Ripon linked with Opelousas, Louisiana as a sister city. Last year, we did the same with Ripon, England. On Monday, I will ask the Council to link us with Wacuco, Panama, where Ripon native Father Wally Kasuboski has done such wonderful work. We are also considering a fourth sister city in Continental Europe. It is my hope that little things like this can make this a better city and world to live, work and play in. Stay tuned. I will post the official sister city proclamation when it is finished. Father Wally is scheduled to address the Council this Monday night the 26th around 7 PM.

WISCONSIN'S BOND RATINGS CUT

This is not good for the state. I am proud of the bond rating for the city of Ripon, and I can only wish that the state begins to clear up its financial house and get their finances in order, soon:

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has cut its rating outlook on Wisconsin's debt to stable from positive, reflecting Wisconsin's continued efforts to build budgetary reserves consistent with a higher rating. The ratings agency affirmed its 'AA-' underlying rating (SPUR) on Wisconsin's GO debt while it assigned its 'AA-' rating to Wisconsin's 154.89 mln usd GO bonds series 2007C. S&P also affirmed its 'A+' SPUR on the state's appropriation-backed debt, its 'A-1+ rating on the state's CP notes, and its 'A-' SPUR on debt issued for Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority by the state. Wisconsin's high levels of nondiscretionary spending for schools, coupled with maintenance of the current revenue structure, continues to impede the potential for consistent and meaningful surpluses on a year-to-year basis, S&P said (italics mine). However, if the state's revenue forecasts prove conservative and the state demonstrates an ongoing commitment to building reserves, credit quality could improve over time, it added. The 'AA-' rating on Wisconsin's GO bonds reflects the state's improvement toward restoring fiscal balance to the general fund and maintenance of good liquidity, resilient economy, moderate debt burden and fully funded pension and other post employment benefit liabilities, the ratings agency said.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/11/15/afx4341856.html

Ripon United Way fund-raising dinner returns Nov. 19

Hope to see all of you there....

Ripon Area United Way's annual fund-raising dinner returns Monday, Nov. 19, with an Italian twist.

This year, the dinner moves to Ripon College's Great Hall, where an Italian buffet will greet diners. Dinner will be served 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Advanced tickets, $10 per adult, can be purchased at Pick'n Save, Ripon Drug, the Ripon Chamber office and M&I Bank. Tickets will be sold at the door for $12 per adult and $5 for children 10 and under and carryouts are available.

The menu will include a mixed green salad with four choices of dressing, beef and pork lasagna medley and a cheesy vegetarian lasagna, homemade bread and a variety of cookies and bars for dessert. One non-alcoholic beverage is included with the price, although a cash bar will also be offered, according to an agency press release.

A silent auction featuring a washer donated by Alliance Laundry Systems, plus many other items, will be held during the dinner. Winning bidders will be announced at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the fund-raising dinner and silent auction help to fund Ripon Area United Way's efforts. Ninety-six percent of every dollar received will be used to support individuals in the Ripon community through 17 recipient agencies.

Great Hall, which is handicapped accessible, is located on the corner of Seward and Elm streets. Parking is available in the lot across the street at the corner of Seward and Woodside as well as on the west corner of Seward and Elm next to Great Hall, also next to Carnegie, and behind Smith Hall entering from Elm or Ransom.

Ripon College will offer shuttle services to and from all these parking lots throughout the evening. Parking is also available on Seward, Woodside and Elm streets.

PLAN COMMISSION TO MEET ONE DAY EARLY

The Plan Commission will meet Tuesday November 20th, one day early, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Here is the agenda for the meeting (my comments are in italics) :

* Call to order/roll call
* Approve meeting minutes – October 17th
* Action items
Certified Survey Map – Wachholz Funeral Home - The funeral home is looking to parcel off about seven acres to the east of their current property
Certified Survey Map – Jeffrey Bethke - Looking to add a section of land to the back of his property off Newbury Street
Certified Survey Map – Peter Gratton - Looking to subdivide two parcels along Highway E
Certified Survey Map – City of Ripon (industrial park) - Breaks the current expansion of the Industrial Park into sellable lots
Site plan – Seneca Foods - Looking to build a 10,000-square foot facility on their land
* TIF District #4 amendment - The city will be considering a plan to expand the current TIF (which consists of the current Industrial Park to add the land we purchased last year)
Review proposed project plan
Review proposed boundaries
Establish public hearing date
* Project updates
Status of comprehensive planning with Town of Ripon - The city and the town continue to make slow but steady progress on a Smart Growth plan for future development and plannning
Status of TIF District #6 neighborhood planning process - The city is looking to expand the TIF District (Highway 23 West) to include several parcels to the north and east for redevelopment and possible infrastructure projects
* Future meeting topics
* Adjourn

ANSWERS TO A POSTING - PART FOUR

Q7: Why was no landscaping plan required of the college, when it appears that one was required of Aurora Clinic?
I cannot speak for the entire Plan Commission, but, in my opinion, the landscaping plan for Aurora was necessary due its location on a main highway in one of our business districts. Aurora was very good to work with on the plan. As for the college's plans, they had said they would try to keep as many trees and bushes as feasible. One resident asked for large trees and berms to block their view of the dorm. That is simply not reasonable. Why would the college put up a $3 million building and then try to block the view? I would ask you to drive past the dorm and tell me what is disturbing to the eye landscaping-wise.

Q8: Surely the minutes of the Council meeting of October 9, 2007, have been approved by now. When will they be posted? Were the minutes of the October 22, 2007, meeting approved at the November 12, 2007, meeting? With regard to the downtown redevelopment proposal, I hold little hope for your statement “I am pushing for copies to be placed on-line at either the City of Ripon website or the Ripon Main Street site” when even the minutes aren’t posted in a timely manner.
The Council did not meet on November 12th due to the lack of a quorum. And I am sorry you do not think we will be posting copies of the Downtown plan on the Internet quick enough. I can only encourage the various groups involved to do so.

Q: If I correctly understand the financing plans for each group, it goes as follows:$250,000 Ripon College: Source of funds and interest rate irrelevant.$360,000 Ingalls Field Committee: Loan financed by FieldTurf; Interest rate unknown, guaranteed by Johnson Bank;Paid by donations.$162,491 RASD:Loan financed by FieldTurf;Interest rate unknown;Paid by 7 year continuation of the increased tax levy approved by 2004 referendum for track renovations.$772,491 Total, not including interestIs this correct? If not, will you state, clearly and succinctly, for each entity that is paying for the installation of FieldTurf, 1) from whom they are getting their portion of the $772,491 and at what interest rate, and 2) how they expect to fund the money to make these payments? I would also like to know the total amount of the installation cost that is being financed by FieldTurf’s financing company, and, if the loans are being made separately to each repaying entity, if the interest rate will be the same for each loan.
I do not have the interest rates on each specific loans. I would suggest you contact Cris Johnson, who has spearheaded the private fundraising, and Richard Zimman, the superintendent, for the specifics of each loan. For the record, I am not leading the turf fundraising, but I have contributed time and energy to the fundraising efforts. I am not privy to each and every detail. I have given you contact information, and I believe they can provide the clear and succint information you are looking for.

PHOTOS OF THE TURF INSTALLATION

PICTURES OF THE INGALLS FIELD RENOVATION can now be found on the Ripon College page - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ripon_college/sets/72157603039764631/

ANSWERING TO A POSTING - PART THREE

Q1: “($15,476 principal plus $7,737 interest = $23,313 {sic} annually beginning in 2009)” Is that interest amount correct? I think there’s more wrong with that statement than the addition.Going back to my original Q1 posted on 11-1-07, “If that 2004 referendum approval expires in 2008, and the income derived therefrom also expires, what is the source for the funding for this continuing payment?”, how can the school board take money they no longer have coming in and use it for anything?It is commendable that much of the work is being done by volunteers; will that savings be shared equally between the college, school district, and private fundraisers?
With the risk of being chastised for regurgitating the data from the district, I will quote the district's newsletter to answer this question: "
As part of the effort to raise money without raising taxes, the group asked the Ripon Board of Education to consider allocating some money in the existing budget for artificial turf. Although there is no money currently available for allocation, the district does have a loan for the Ingalls Field track renovation that will be paid off in 2008. The citizens group asked the Board to earmark those funds for seven years, starting in 2009, to help with a loan to pay for installing turf. The group also received a commitment from Ripon College to pay one-third of the cost of installation. Contingent on the group raising the necessary funds with their own fundraising, the Board agreed to contribute to the turf project—beginning in 2009—the $23,213 annually that is currently allocated for the track loan. No new taxes will be raised. If the necessary funds are not raised by March 2009, then the agreement will be null and void."
The cost savings will be shared by all, as the amount needed to be raised will be reduced.

Q2: “Some money would have to be expended to replace or reseed” Isn’t that the expense covered under “Maintenance” on the IngallsField.org chart? It appears to be a separately budgeted expense that will be used for either grass or turf since there are maintenance costs for each. I didn’t think it was funded by the track renovation loan that is in question. As a separate question, can you tell me how much of Ingalls Field will be covered with FieldTurf? I assume only the playing field area, leaving the perimeter in some other surface, so will be maintenance costs overall be increased?
The turf will cover the playing area, along with the immediate area around the field where the teams stand. There is considerably less maintenance costs projected for the FieldTurf than there is for natural grass.

Q4: “other than saying the private fundraising is paying back the loan.” This was a shocker! Going back to my original Q4, this question was in reference to the amount being financed by FieldTurf’s financing company, which I thought was a loan to RASD. How does private fundraising enter into this? Is there private fundraising beyond the $360,000 guaranteed by Johnson Bank?
Without being privy to the exact details, it is my understanding that the FieldTurf company will loan the initial money to the fundraising group, then the group will pay FieldTurf back as they raise money. The letter of credit from Johnson Bank solidifies the loan and lowers the interest rate.

Q7: I can’t suggest any revisions to a plan I’ve never seen; however, I don’t think landscaping around a parking lot would detract in any way from the view of the campus. Parking lots are not generally the areas you want to stand out.I’ve read the Plan Commission minutes that are posted, and find that on 8-15-07 Aurora Clinic landscape plans were approved, with the following comment: “It was noted that the main purpose of this plan was to provide screening and buffering of the parking lot.” Did Ripon College submit landscape plans that would accomplish the same?
The minutes from the August 2006 Plan Commission meeting, where the dorm was approved reads as follows:
Site plan – Ripon College
Barg advised that Ripon College is seeking site plan approval for a 3-story residence hall (9,700 square feet) at the northwest corner of Thorne Street and Woodside Avenue. The new building would offer apartment-style living, with 14 four-person dwelling units. The residents will be asked to use current parking northeast of the building; however, the plan includes creation of 40 new parking stalls west of the building, which would be available for student parking. It was noted that Ripon College should combine the lots into a single parcel, and they indicated a willingness to do so.
Schueler moved and Rogers seconded a motion to approve the proposed site plan. Motion carried 6-0.
No landscaping plan was required by the Plan Commission, and I don't really know what more you would want from the college.

When will the minutes from the October 9, 2007 Council meeting be posted? Thank you for your continued patience.
Staff will try and upload the minutes of the most recent meetings as they are approved. For example, the October 9th minutes would be approved at the next meeting, or the meeting after that. They have to be approved to be posted legally.

OPEN HOUSE AND PRESENTATION

OPEN HOUSE AND PRESENTATION DOWNTOWN RIPON STRATEGIC PLAN

On Monday, November 26th, the public is invited to attend an open house in the City Hall Council Chambers from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Vandewalle & Associates staff will be present, along with representatives from the City, Ripon Main Street, and other organizations, to review the Downtown Ripon Strategic Plan, and to address questions and concerns. There will be a presentation (30 minutes) starting at 5:00 p.m. Please contact Steve at 748-4914 or sbarg@cityofripon.com if you have any questions about this event.
Steve Barg - City Administrator

QUESTION FROM READER
Will there be additional open meetings scheduled for discussion of this plan? How will they be publicized? Will there be handouts detailing the plan for the residents to take home with them and think about how these changes will affect their lives and property, and the overall effect on Ripon?

ANSWER: At this point, no additional meetings are planned other than the open house mentioned above. The final report will be available at the meeting on the 26th, and I am pushing for copies to be placed on-line at either the City of Ripon website or the Ripon Main Street site. One thing to remember is that these are "recommendations". Actual implementation will allow for more discussion before action takes place.

COUNCIL PREVIEW

NOVEMBER 12th
It appears to be a quiet meeting coming up on Tuesday night. The main items will be the accepting of bids for the reconstruction of the lower level of City Hall for a new Senior Center. The numbers look good right now, roughly half of what we budgeted. The work would begin once the fire department is moved to their new station. We will also consider a series of increases in fees and charges for the ambulance service to match the increases we have seen in the cost we pay for the products. All in all, a quiet meeting.
NOVEMBER 26th
The Council meeting on the 26th is starting to take shape. The main item of the day will likely be the unveiling of the downtown planning report. As it looks right now, we will have a open house in the Council Chambers from 430 to 630 PM for the public to view the proposals and the report. The consultants will make a presentation at 5 PM. The council will hold its budget hearing at 630PM, which is why the open house will end at that time. During the regular session, which begins at 7 PM, the council will officially receive the downtown report. A vote on adopting the recommendations will likely take place in December. Having seen the initial final rough draft, I am excited by the proposals, which cover a wide variety of areas and issues, from the Mill Pond to Thorne Street to the area north of City Hall. The consultants have already said the sky is the limit for the downtown and surrounding areas, and now the challenge will be implementation after adoption.

RANDOM NOTES

PROPOSED 2008 BUDGET
A public hearing on the proposed 2008 City of Ripon budget is scheduled for Monday, November 26, 2007 at 6:30. The budget summary documents are included in the documents below. The complete budget is available for your review at the city administration office 100 Jackson St. between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM. Come to the public hearing on this very important issue that affects how your city will operate for 2008!
Click here for a link to the budget.

CLASS B LIQUOR LICENSE AVAILABLE
The City of Ripon is now accepting applications for an available “Class B” liquor license. Requests will be evaluated based upon a variety of criteria, including creation of new tax base and jobs. Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 30th, and the City reserves the right to reject any and all applications. For more information or to apply, please contact Steve at 748-4914 or sbarg@cityofripon.com, or stop at City Hall during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday).

COMMENTS/QUESTIONS FROM READERS
Aren’t you jumping the gun just a bit here? Are you sure the vote will be to adopt the recommendations? You’re already working on implementation! What if there are objections or ideas and suggestions from the citizens, that can’t even be brought forward until after the open house when everyone gets to see the plans? Much of the turmoil that is going on now might have been avoided by giving the citizens a chance to speak before you made up your mind.
ANSWER: That is what we are NOT voting on the plan the night is introduced. The public has had several opportunities to provide input, and they will have a chance to voice their opinions at the open house, and in the time after the open house and until the Council meets again in December. I think the public involvement has been good, and many of their thoughts and ideas have been included. Of course, not everyone will agree with every proposal, but I think the overall plan is very promising.

ANSWERING TO A POSTING - PART TWO

Question 1
I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand this. If the 2004 referendum approved an increased tax rate for a defined period to cover a loan for track renovation, doesn’t the revenue disappear when the tax rate goes down at the time of the termination of the original loan? How can that approval for an increased rate be extended to cover an additional 7 years of payments? This situation is not similar to paying off a car loan, because, simply put, your personal income remains the same, and, in this case, the lower tax rate decreases the income.
The school board approved taking the money that was being used to fund the loan repayment and continuing it as their contribution to the field turf project ($15,476 principal plus $7,737 interest = $23,313 annually beginning in 2009)
Contributions/Investments are as follows, as I understand:
$360,000 - Private Fundraising
$250,000 - Ripon College
$162,491 - School District (The amount currently designated for the track loan)
$ 62,360 - School District's expenditures on natural grass maintenance
$834,851 - TOTAL
TO be honest, I don't know why their is a column that says "Loan" on the financing chart. The contributions above reach the $750,000 goal with room to spare. Also, we need to remember that a number of local groups and businesses, like R&R Wash, are donating time, equipment and manpower to remove the current field, which will save thousands of dollars. Also, a large group of volunteers are lending a hand, which means the final pricetag could be considerably less than the amount we would pay if FieldTurf did all the work themselves. This would reduce the contributions of the college, school district, and private fundraisers.

Question 2
How can this be your error if it was said by Superintendent Zimman? Again I ask, “If the increased levy approved for the track renovation loan expires, shouldn’t the tax levy go down? If not, why not?” Regarding your better statement that the school levy would not increase, why won’t it decrease?
His statement was that taxes would not go up as a result of the turf. I would agree that the levy would conceivably go down if the turf was not being installed, but the amount is unknown as some money would have to be expended to replace or reseed the middle of the field where the grass continually dies off.

Question 3
What loan is being talked about here? Is this the loan being financed by FieldTurf’s financing company? It appears from your response that the school district will be paying a total of $38,689 annually for FieldTurf, not including the maintenance costs. Over 7 years, this adds up to $270,823, considerably higher than the 22% of the total cost of FieldTurf listed in the RASD Summer 2007 newsletter.
I think I answered this to the best of my knowledge above.

Question 4
If a low interest rate has not been locked in with the FieldTurf financing company, what will the interest rate be? And specifically what loan are we talking about here, for how much money, and who, if not the RASD, is repaying it?
That question I cannot answer, other than saying the private fundraising is paying back the loan.

Question 5
You seem to be saying that in both instances, you interpreted the wishes of the voters to be that they didn’t want to pay for it, but they wanted it done. Was the wording of the referenda similar, allowing you to make that interpretation?
What I was saying was that a voter can be for a project, but not in favor of the funding or the size of the borrowing.

Question 6
Congratulations on writing a successful grant application, that’s not an easy task. But again I ask: what was the amount of the grant, and which organization granted it? Am I correct in assuming this is part of the $360,000 to be collected by private donations?
The grant I wrote was from the Kwik Trip company for $5,000, I believe. I have also applied to CenturyTel and the Green Bay Packers, who both have community grant programs. If you know of any more, please let me know.

Question 7
Generally, city codes set minimum requirements, and I’m sure the college met those. I would think, however, that in the spirit of community relations, the college would consider revising their landscape plan, and I don’t understand how installing blinds on the windows would impact personal protection.
I really do not want to go around and around on this, but the lighting on the campus has met all the requirements we have in place. I simply find it ironic that some of the people who are complaining about the lighting have a street light in front of their home and they never have complained to my knowledge about light pollution. I cannot help but think that their issue is not the college put in LIGHTING, but the COLLEGE putting in lighting. Axes can be ground in different ways. One question I have - What revisions would you suggest Ripon College would make to their landscaping plan? They are NOT going to put up large trees and berms to block the view of their campus, nor would that be expected of them.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2008

Well, November is here, believe it or not. It is about that time to start thinking ahead to 2008. This is just a list of some of the things we are going to see in Ripon, and I welcome your thoughts and comments:

* Implementation of the downtown plan - Assuming the final draft is adopted, we can look for some changes to begin downtown. One step, which has already been announced, is a downtown beautification program, which I announced several months ago. While $100,000 is being requested for the project, the exact details of the program will be determined when the study is completed.
* Infrastucture in the new business park - Ground will be broken next spring for the road, water and sewer for the addition to the Industrial/Business Park adjacent to Highway 44. One interesting issue is what to name the new streets. I am working on a plan whereby the public can suggest names for the new streets
* Moving the Senior Center - Sometime early next year, the Senior Center will be moved to the lower level of City Hall. The city has already sold the current downtown location, and is waiting for the relocation of the fire department to move ahead with the Senior relocation
* Streetwork - Besides the new streets in the Industrial Park, the city will build a new road from Highway 23 to the Stoney Ridge subdivision. The road will run between McDonalds and the dollar store. Sections of Newbury and Stanton Streets will be reconstructed, while the city has also budgeted $150,000 to resurface a large portion of Union Street
* Subdivisions - I look forward to the construction of the homes in our new subdivisions. One is already under construction in the Sandmar subdivision, while streetwork is moving forward in the others

What are your thoughts on goals and projects for the near future? Share them with me, and let's see where we go.

ANSWERS TO A POSTING

A reader of the blog posted these questions recently. I will do my best to answer them, but as the author points out, some of the answers are better answered by the school district, but I will my best. My comments are in italics.

QUESTION: The RASD newsletter lists the annual track loan payments that were approved in a 2004 referendum at $23,213, and states that loan will be paid off in March, 2008. Since continuing this annual payment amount would total $162,491 (the chart total is $162,591), this would seem to be the amount listed in the “District” column on the chart. If that 2004 referendum approval expires in 2008, and the income derived there from also expires, what is the source for the funding for this continuing payment?

ANSWER: Directly from the district's newsletter: Although there is no money currently available for allocation, the district does have a loan for the Ingalls Field track renovation that will be paid off in 2008. The citizens group asked the Board to earmark those funds for seven years, starting in 2009, to help with a loan to pay for installing turf. The group also received a commitment from Ripon College to pay one-third of the cost of installation. Contingent on the group raising the necessary funds with their own fundraising, the Board agreed to contribute to the turf project—beginning in 2009—the $23,213 annually that is currently allocated for the track loan. No new taxes will be raised. If the necessary funds are not raised by March 2009, then the agreement will be null and void. Deciding how the annual budget will be spent is a regular responsibility of the Board of Education. The decision to allocate funds from the existing school district budget abided by the voters’ decision and may result in a $750,000 upgrade of Ingalls Field for an expenditure of $162,491 which is 22% of the total cost of the project. After careful consideration of all the facts available, the Board decided that this would be a good deal for the district, the student-athletes, the college, the community, and the taxpayers.

QUESTION: “Superintendent Richard Zimman said the turf project would have no impact on the school levy.” If the increased levy for the track renovation loan expires, shouldn’t the tax levy go down? If not, why not?
ANSWER: I guess a better statement would be the project would not INCREASE the school levy. My error.

QUESTION: What is the annual payment of $15,476 listed under the “Loan” column, and what is the source of its funding? This amount is described in the notes on the chart as follows: “The school district commences payments in March 2009 after the current Ingalls Field loan ends ($15,476 annually)”. Is this another loan being taken out by the school district? Is this an ongoing loan already in place, and a change in where and how it is spent?

ANSWER: No new loan is being taken out. The money for the school district's contribution is the amount currently diverts to the paying off of the loan.

QUESTION: I am unclear on exactly what monies are being financed by, again from the chart notes, “the FieldTurf financing company”. Can you enlighten me? Your comments have raised other questions in my mind.

ANSWERS: From the beginning, FieldTurf has offered to finance a portion of the project through a loan from them. They offered a low-interest loan at the beginning of the year, but the deadline passed before the interest rate could be locked in.

QUESTION: “More than a decade ago, the voters said no to borrowing money for Murray Park Elementary. They did not say no to the school, as a second vote showed.” Without knowing the wording of either of these referenda, or the wording of the two referenda regarding installing artificial turf, it’s difficult to assess your comparison. Is this a question of the wording, or of the interpretation of the wishes of the voters?

ANSWER: My interpretation.

QUESTION: “First, let me say that I am a member of the committee raising funds for the turf, and have applied for and been awarded grant money for the project.” I would like to know more about this grant. To whom was it awarded? What is the amount of the grant? What is the funding source? What specifically does it cover, and what is its purpose?Another question also comes to mind.

ANSWER: I have personally written grants to two organizations, one of which has provided a donation to the project. A number of companies and groups, including the Green Bay Packers, make donations and grants for these projects. The money was awarded to the Ingalls Field Committee, which turned it over to the Oshkosh Area Foundation, which is handling the donations and grants at this point until funds need to be expended.

QUESTION: Have you, or anyone representing the City, approached Ripon College to see if there are possible solutions to the lighting problems? Perhaps something as simple as putting blinds on the stairwells to contain the light would alleviate part of the problem, and certainly would not endanger the students. Is landscaping planned that would help contain the light?

ANSWER: The college's lighting plans meet the necessary codes. City officials have not seen any reason to require the college to do more or less at this time. It is my understanding that the landscaping around the new dorm is done. I would argue that we would not want the stairwells to be covered from a personal protection standpoint. I know some people are vehemently opposed to what the college is doing, but they have broken NO laws or city ordinances, despite what some individuals have claimed. I look forward to more questions.

One final note on the turf - The winner of the raffle for the GTO will be announced at halftime of the college game this Saturday, and the ground will be broken for the new surface on Monday.