COMMON COUNCIL MEETING - APRIL 14TH AGENDA

UPDATE - The presentation on the Cornerstone Project has been cancelled for tonight. The Council will meet at 630 PM in closed session, then at 7 PM in open session. Also, the Plan Commission meeting for Wednesday April 15th has been cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. The Council will next meet on April 27then is tentatively scheduled to meet with the Ripon Area School Board on May 11th to discuss issue of common interest.

From bike and road races to road projects to the Mill Pond Dam, we have a lot on the plate Tuesday night.

* The Council will meet at 6 PM in the conference room to receive a presentation on the Cornerstone health and wellness facility project. Then the Council will adjourn to closed session to discuss a request to contract for services in creating two new Tax Increment Finance districts

COMMON COUNCIL MEETING-Council chambers, City Hall
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
* Presentation – FCEDC’s 2008 annual report by Brenda Hicks-Sorensen
* Resolution – recognizing and commending Annette Klein for 20 years of service
* Request for street closures
a. Bicycle race – Ripon College (June 13th)- Since our last meeting, Ripon College has sent letters to all property owners affected by the proposed race courses, and as of this date, staff hasn’t heard any complaints or concerns with this planned event on June 13th.
b.Running races – Noon Kiwanis (July 11th & August 15th) - Since our last meeting, the Noon Kiwanis Club has changed the proposed race course, and the new map is enclosed Information on this request and the race route has been included in the Commonwealth and other local media, and the Town of Ripon was notified, as it is now proposed to close Union Street at Skyline Road.
* Ordinance – Annexation of land on Highway 44 (Robert Grasee) - Mr. Grasse has requested annexation of approximately 9.5 acres of land on the south side of Highway 44, across from the City’s new business park. This land is being sold, and it is expected that an assisted living facility will be built on the site. The Plan Commission recommended approval, and the State has no objections.
* Resolution – sale of 301 Watson Street (former senior center) - In 2007, the City reached agreement with Boca Grande on the sale of the former senior center property at 301 Watson Street, but subsequent environmental testing revealed a small amount of fuel oil underground on the site. This has been cleared to DNR’s satisfaction, and we are ready to complete this transaction. The original sale price of $110,000.00
has been lowered to $109,537.50, with the adjustment based on which party covered which testing and remediation costs.
* Agreement for services and funding allocation – study of the dam - Based upon the results of a recent safety report from DNR, the City is required to have a study performed on its dam as outlined in the attached memo from the Public Works Director. Staff recommends that Council authorize contracting with Graef for the work at a cost not to exceed $17,200. The first $9,000 for a failure analysis would come from unused 2007 budget funds initially targeted for a rail study, and the balance would then be included in the 2010 budget.
* Authorization to enter contract for 2009 street resurfacing projects - The Public Works Director has solicited bids for the 2009 street resurfacing projects. His memo and bid tabulations are attached. The bids came in well below the budget amount of $125,000, and staff recommends that the Council approve the low bid of $87,720.00 from MCC, Inc. of Appleton.
* Possible reconstruction of the second phase of Newbury Street in 2009 - Based on a formal request, Mayor Kramer has asked that Council revisit Newbury Street, to determine if moving this project to 2010 makes sense, given the eagerness of local firms to find work. The Public Works Director will be prepared to discuss a rough timeline for the project. Staff has also attached a memo on next year’s planned start of the Ransom Street reconstruction project for your review.
* Public restrooms for downtown – Blackburn Street parking lot - It has been suggested by some downtown business owners that public restrooms be included in connection with Blackburn Street parking lot project. Others maintain that public restrooms are needed downtown, but question if this is the best location. Councilmember Schueler asked that this item be placed on the agenda for discussion.

THIS IS WHY PEOPLE TURN AGAINST POLITICS

Can we just accept the fact that James Doyle will go down as one of the least trustworthy governor's in the history of Wisconsin? OK, if you won't go that far, how about one of the most ethically challenged? Still won't go that far? How about most fiscally irresponsible? Why the outrage? Simply put, the news of the past week shows just how far the Governor and his party will stoop to secure their electoral future at the risk of our children and grandchildren. Let's present the evidence:

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I PROMISED
Back in 2002, when Doyle was running for governor, he made the following statement -“I have said this before and I'll say it again, I believe that the state budget is a powerful and important financial document, but should not be a political vehicle to hide hundreds of policy items that deserve separate consideration and debate.” Now that is the kind of leadership Wisconsin was looking for. Except that seven years later, with his party controlling both houses, Doyle has done a complete 180-degree turn and is trying to use the budget to shovel through controversial issues which demand their own day in the sun for debate.

In Wisconsin, it has been common practice for more than a decade to take all items that do not directly relate to the budget out of the document before the debate begins. Governors have stuck these items in their budgets, hoping they would pass under the radar screen and keep some special interest group happy. The Joint Finance Committee would then remove the items, issue some press releases railing on the Governor (if he was from the other party, of course), try and stick some of their pet issues into the budget and start the process all over again.

Therefore, on Tuesday, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, a non-partisan agency, issued a list of 80 policy items in the budget, which included such issues as repealing the QEO and banning smoking in public places. Republican lawmaker Robin Vos had requested the list. Ready to debate the budget? Well, not quite.

The Bureau also wrote a memo for the chairs of the Joint Finance Committe, Mark Miller and Mark Pocan, both Democrats, with a different set of criteria for identifying non-fiscal items, which included any "item (that) has no effect on state appropriations or state or local revenues in the 2009-11 biennium" and that the provisions "could be accomplished without statutory directive, such as reports, studies, and audits." LFB identified 11 items of the 80 in the first memo that have a state or local fiscal impact.

Miller and Pocan identified 45 non-fiscal items they plan to pull from the budget, including photo enforcement for traffic violations, reassigning executive branch employees and doing away with a requirement for a cost-benefit analysis before entering into state contracts. They left in the repeal of the QEO, a statewide smoking ban and various tort reforms, including changes on requirements for car insurance and joint and several liability, and establishing domestic partner benefits. Needless to say, each of these items would generate a healthy and wide-ranging debate if they were held up on their own merits under separate legislation. I am not saying that I am opposed to each of these issues, but let's give them their day in court, or at least the Capitol.

Of course, it costs money to implement all of these changes, and that is where this debate starts to have an impact on your wallet...

ROSY GLASSES FOR ALL
In 2007, Governor Doyle delivered his budget address for the current bienium. He said that it had "taken a long time to recover from the financial mess created in the 1990s, but this is the budget that turns the corner." He pointed out his budget had created a small surplus in 2005 and a surplus in 2007, though most economists will argue that if we used standard, accepted accounting rules, and stopped the gimmicks of fund transfers and conviently moving obligations out to future budgets, neither budget would have shown a "real" surplus. The kicker in his speech came when he promised "a surplus of $130 million in 2009. Now that’s progress."

Where is that surplus? Buried under a $5.9 billion deficit, which the Governor has now deftly blamed on the policies of the Bush administration, despite the fact that he has introduced four state budgets, each containing structural deficits and raised state spending 32 percent. Of course, Doyle will waive his magic wand, and the deficit will vanish, thanks to $4.5 billion in stimulus money, $3 billion in additional taxes, and another overly-optimistic view of the future. The Doyle administration is projecting general fund tax revenue growth of 2.5% in Fiscal Year 2010 and 4.1% in 2011.

All this shows is that the Governor was a poor student of economics, and even less intelligent when it comes to history. According to the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, during the mild recession of 2001, it took the state three years to see any real revenue growth. I use the term mild in comparison to the deep, dark recession we are currently in. Would it not be better to take a more pessimistic view of the future in order to build in safeguards and failsafe measures for the proposed budget? Not when you makes claims that your proposed budget will help the middle class

SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU AND ME
The bottom line is that you and I will pay more to Madison, at the same time economic worries are at an all-time high for this era. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau analyzed the Doyle budget, and estimated that it would increase property taxes for the median Wisconsin home by $91 (a 3.2 percent increase) on this December’s tax bill and another $134 (another 4.5 percent increase) the following year. Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who hails from Dodge County, pointed out that "while the report estimates that the median-valued home will lose approximately $6,800 in value over the next two years, the owners of that same home will be forced to pay $316 more in property taxes." This from the same governor who railed on his predecessors' budgets for “expensive new programs,” the “excessive use of one-time money,” and “runaway deficits”.

Mark Pocan, one of the men responsible for the inclusion of the non-fiscal items in the budget debate, has even go so far as to claim that the budget "goes to great lengths to minimize negative impacts on average working families." He also claims that we paid more annually in state taxes under the Thompson-McCallum administrations. Excuse me, but Pocan has shown he is another poor student of history. Wages were increasing, home values were increasing, and we actually had s budget surplus during that time. That is not the case today.

In the end, there is only two certainties in this classic case of he said, she said, they said. Wisconsinites need to stop making jokes about Illinois' former governor, when our own has shown his past promises aren't worth the paper they are written on. And we are all going to pay now and later for the failure of our state's leaders to make tough decisions at the risk of alienating their base for the benefit of our state.

Interpreting the election results

The voters have spoken, and some messages are coming through on this election night. First, in the Ripon School District, the referendum questions came out just as the Commonwealth-Press recommended. Voters said yes to spending more money on infrastructure (boilers, roofs, textbooks and technology) and no to spending more money on the less tangible items such as staffing and payroll. The debate will now turn to what cuts, if any are needed to balance the 2009-2010 budget. Yes, some teachers and other support staff are going to likely lose their jobs unless some changes are made in the current benefit and wage structure throughout the entire district.

Voters also returned the two incumbents to the school board, and added Denise Martinez to the mix. I wish all three of them best of luck in the upcoming months as the district faces some tough decisions with its dollars.

One clear message I see coming through is that, yes, voters and taxpayers are frustrated and looking for leadership and forward-thinking. They are also not buying into the recent flurry of accusations against the district of mismanagement and not minding the store which have become a monthly occurence in the editorial section of the local paper. The claims of mistrust and anger do not find themselves reflected in the election results. If that had been the case, I doubt even one referendum question would have passed, and we certainly would not have seen BOTH incumbents elected. Now is the time to put this negativity and mudslinging behind us, and focus on the future and in providing the best, but also most affordable education we can in Ripon.

UPDATED ELECTION RESULTS - 10 PM

RIPON SCHOOL REFERENDUMS
QUESTION I: YES: 1,311 - NO: 616
QUESTION II: YES: 1,121 - NO: 944
QUESTION III: NO: 1,170 - YES: 873

RIPON SCHOOL BOARD:
Lyke 1,300*
Hatcher 1,197*
Martinez 1,185*
Wunn 720
Jochem 508

TOWN OF RIPON SUPERVISOR:
Barry Vandebrink 158
Dan Johnson (inc.) 129

MAYORAL APPOINTMENTS - APRIL 7

DATE: April 7, 2009
TO: Common Council
FROM: Mayor Kramer
RE: Appointments

I’d like to make the following appointments, subject to Council approval:
Library Board - Vicki Pape (reappointment for a new term ending 4/30/12)
Plan Commission - Bill Hoch (replacing Rosemary Nelsen for a term ending 04/30/12)
Police Commission - Dennis Cotton (appointment for a new term ending 04/30/13)

These will come before the Common Council on April 14th. Rosemary is leaving the Plan Commission due to time constraints in her personal life. She has served the city of Ripon well, and, in light of her new venture with her and her husband, her presence will be missed, but her absence will bring hope and joy to her family and its newest members.

Ripon School Board -- 9 of 9 precincts reporting (100%)

H. Anderson Lyke - 1,173 30%
Joe Hatcher - 1,077 27%
Denise Martinez - 1,052 27%
J. Scott Wunn - 647 16%

Ripon Town Board Chair

Ripon Town Board Chair
Barry Vandebrink - 195 66%
Dan Johnson - 100 34%

I had a chance to speak with Barry tonight, and congratulate him on his victory. The interesting question is that he defeated Johnson for both town chairman AND town supervisor. In speaking with the Barry tonight, he said that it is his understanding that he will accept the town chair position, then he, supervisor Gary Page and the town clerk will fill the vacancy for supervisor. Either way, I look forward to working with Barry in the future as we have a number of issues that affect both the City and the town.

RIPON CITY ELECTION RESULTS

CITY OF RIPON ELECTION RESULTS - SPRING ELECTION APRIL 7, 2009

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
ROSE FERNANDEZ - 501
TONY EVERS - 736

JUSTICE OF THE WI SUPREME COURT
RANDY R KOSCHNICK - 370
SHIRLEY S ABRAHAMSON - 885

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE - BRANCH 3
RICHARD J NUSS - 882

COUNTY EXECUTIVE
ALLEN BUECHEL - 998

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF RIPON - SCHOOL BOARD
H ANDERSON LYKE - 873
JOE W HATCHER - 829
DENISE MARTINEZ - 774
J SCOTT WUNN - 477
JAKE JEROME JOCHEM - 341

SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENDUMS
QUESTION #1 - YES (940), NO (357)
QUESTION #2 - YES (766), NO (521)
QUESTION #3 - NO (667), YES (616)

% OF THOSE REGISTERED WHO VOTED - 26

PLAY BALL....Most likely Brewers to be traded

Ah, yes, the smell of leather and the sound of a ball hitting a bat (and splintering the bat into a million pieces lately). Baseball is in the air, and the Brewers hit the field today in San Francisco, weather permitting. Coming off their first playoff season since 1982, the Brewers have optimism, and a lot of questions. I would venture that this season could be pivotal in determining the direction of the franchise for the next 5-7 years, based on what the Brewers do with their roster as the July 31st trading deadline approaches.

First, I do not expect a major deal like the Sabathia trade if the Brewers are 10 or more games out by the Fourth of July. BUT if the team is still in contention, I can see them pulling the trigger on a deal involving a Jake Peavy (who will mentioned in 1,000 rumored trades before Memorial Day). It begs the question: Who could the Brewers package in a deal? There are number of candidates, starting with a player who appears to be the biggest one-hit wonder since Taco put on the ritz in the early '80s:
1 - Bill Hall - He hit .270-35-85 in 2006, and was rewarded with a large contract. Since then, he has hit .254 (2007) and .225 last year, and 29 homers over the two seasons. Needless to say, Hall has not paid dividends, and with Mat Gamel breathing down his neck, his days could be numbered. The question is whether a team will take his salary, or will the Brewers have to pick up some of the tab.
2 - Rickie Weeks - One of the most likely scenarios is Weeks gets moved, since, if he finally produces this year, he will be priced out of the Brewers' budget in the off-season, and, if he does not produce, the Brewers may finally throw in the towel on the former Number One draft pick. If you see the Brewers sign J.J. Hardy to a long-term deal, it would increase the chances Weeks is dealt, with Alcides Escobar moving into the shortstop role. Another scenario could be Escobar going to third (if Gamel's defense does not improve - he had 85 errors over the past two seasons) and Hall goes to second. 3B Taylor Green is two years away from being a contender for a spot on the roster, which would give the Brewers some more flexibility down the road.
3 - Mike Cameron - The Brewers could move him to a pennant contender for the stretch drive if they are out of the race, and let Tony Gwynn, Jr. have one last chance to prove he can stick in the majors. Either way, I expect Lorenzo Cain to be the centerfielder in 2010 or 2011 at the latest.
4 - Corey Hart - If the late-season struggles continue for him into this season, the Brewers may try to move him before his arbitration numbers climb past the team's comfort level. OF Cole Gillespie has not shown enough to be considered his replacement, but I could see a scenario where the Brewers convert Gamel into an outfielder (see Ryan Braun) and use him to replace Hart.
5 - Dave Bush - A big season for Bush will mean big contract numbers come November. Unfortunately, the options in the minors to replace him are limited. Former top draft pick Jeremy Jeffress has a great fastball, but also has a history of substance abuse, and is being touted as a closer in the future, perhaps as soon as next year. RHP Omar Aguilar struggled with control, and is also being projected as a reliever-closer, not a starter. LHP Zach Braddock has struggled with his health (a common problem with top pitching prospects in the farm systems), and RHP Cody Scarpetta is at least two years away from being a big league pitcher, though he shows signs of being an innings-eater if he reaches Miller Park.
6 - Jason Kendall - This is the wildcard. At his age and with his overuse (in my opinion), the Brewers have to be looking at an eventual replacement, and may decide to to get what value they can if they are out of contention come July 31st. The Brewers have two legitimate prospects - Angel Salome (one to two years away) and Jonathan Lucroy (who will be in Class AA this season) - but they are not ready for the majors yet. The Brewers could turn the reins over to Mike Rivera if they move Kendall, and sign a free agent in 2010 to a 1-year deal.
7 - Prince Fielder - He has a 2-year deal, but it appears more and more likely the Prince will end up a DH in the American League if he prices himself out of Milwaukee. The problem for Milwaukee is that they have no viable replacement (Brad Nelson?) on the roster or in the minors.

With those options out there, here is a peak into the crystal ball:
THE 2011 BREWERS
C Angel Salome
1B Prince Fielder or Brad Nelson
2B J.J. Hardy
SS Alcides Escobar
3B Taylor Green
LF Ryan Braun
CF Lorenzo Cain
RF Mat Gamel
SP Yovanni Gallardo
SP Manny Parra
SP Carlos Villanueva
SP Cody Scarpetta
SP Zach Braddock
CL Jeremy Jeffress

ONE OF LIFE'S GREAT MYSTERIES...

I came across this article from last week's news:

RACINE — A Racine lawmaker says it’s time to give 17-year-olds the right to vote in state and local elections. Democratic state Rep. Cory Mason is circulating a proposal to that effect and seeking co-sponsors. Mason said 17-year-olds commonly are in their senior year in high school, and they should be able to put their civics lessons to work by exercising the civic duty to vote. Voters now must be 18 or older to cast ballots in Wisconsin — the same as the federal requirement. Changing the law would require amending the state constitution. An amendment must be passed by two successive legislatures and then by voters in a referendum.

And it led me to ponder one of life's great mysteries...
We let people vote at 18, smoke a cigarette at 18, enter into binding contracts at 18, go to war at 18, marry as young as 16 in some states, go to prison as an adult in some states as young as 15 (maybe 14 in some), and now, possibly, allow them to vote as young as 17, but...
They have to be 21 to drink a beer. I still can't figure that one out completely.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW

Of course, we have the superintendent, Supreme Court justice, school board and school referendum decisions on Tuesday, which should boost the turnout for Ripon. Based on the recent letters to the newspaper, the referendum has certainly generated its fair share of interest. I am not going to make any endorsements, but am going to make predictions instead:
SUPERINTENDENT
Tony Evers will win a close race with Rose Fernandez. The WEAC-supported candidate, who is currently the second in command in the Department of Public Instruction, has had some issues surrounding him regarding improper campaigning, but I don't think they have done enough damage to his campaign. Sadly, I think Evers will be a lapdog for WEAC if elected, whereas Fernandez may have been willing to bring some different ideas and perspectives to the office.
SUPREME COURT
Abrahamson should roll in this contest. It is hard to unseat a sitting judge unless they have been caught in a scandal or made a decision which really gets the public riled up. Abrahamson has done neither, and should beat back the challenge of Randy Koshnick.
RIPON REFERENDUM
I think the first question (regarding the boilers and roofs) will pass, but I think the second and third questions will go down to defeat (but will come back in a slightly altered form this fall). I think the primary reason is the uncertain economy. People simply do not want to see their taxes going up before every other option is considered and/or tried. Yes, I have heard about a lack of trust in the district following the 2006 referendum, but, honestly, if you believe the school district thumbed their noses at the voters and went ahead with the turf, then you did not read the referendum question, which clearly asked for permission to borrow money to install the turf. I do not think that there is a massive distrust of the district to spend the money, if the questions are approved, in a manner different than we vote on. If people really did not trust the current board, then there would be more than five names on the ballot for Tuesday's election. Besides, there are enough measures in place, and I speak from experience involving municipal debt, to prevent any elected body from spending bonded money in a manner inconsistent with the original, stated intent.
SCHOOL BOARD
I am not going to venture any guesses at this point, but I am surprised by the lack of "buzz" and interest in these races. Perhaps people have a little election fatigue following the presidential marathon.

There are other races around the county as well

Voters go to polls on Tuesday - The Reporter Staff

Numerous contested races — including three village presidents and four town chairmen — are expected to draw voters in Fond du Lac County to the polls for the spring election on Tuesday, April 7. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m...Voters in Fond du Lac will elect three candidates to the City Council. The ballot will feature the names of six candidates: Richard Gudex, Tim Lakin, James Nagle, Rick Rebek, Jeremy Thiesfeldt and Rob Vande Zande. However, Rebek said that due to employment issues, he will not accept the seat if elected.

In addition, Herbert Haywood Sr., who did not advance from the February primary, is an official write-in candidate for City Council.

Fond du Lac School District voters will elect two of the three following candidates: Eric Everson, Susan Jones and Peter Kujawa.

In the village of North Fond du Lac, voters will decide whether incumbent James Moore or newcomer Peter McCourt will serve as Village Board president. Village of Eden residents will select newcomers Dennis Immel or Steve Ouimette as president. Village of St. Cloud residents will choose between newcomers Jim Sippel or Carol Limberg.

Chairmen will be decided in the following townships:
Osceola, where incumbent LaVerne Immel is being challenged by William Benson III.
Ripon, where newcomers Barry VandeBrink and Dan Johnson are both running for chairman and supervisor.
Taycheedah, where incumbent Jerome Guelig is being challenged by Mike Wirtz.
Waupun, where incumbent David Lemmenes is being challenged by Randy Vande Slunt.

Village of Campbellsport residents will vote on an advisory referendum that asks whether to spend $400,000 to $500,000 of tax dollars to maintain the dam on the Milwaukee River; or $50,000 to $100,000 to remove the dam and allow the river to return to its natural course.

Turnout

Fond du Lac City Clerk Sue Strands said she is predicting a 20 percent voter turnout. Absentee ballot requests, she said, have been less than expected.

County Clerk Lisa Freiberg said, optimistically, she is hoping for a 25 percent voter turnout. A 25 percent turnout would total 15,395 votes countywide.

Freiberg said the more than two dozen contested races as well as several school referendum questions could attract voters.

She cautioned voters against the use of any stickers on their ballot that include a candidate's name. For reference purposes only, voters can take stickers or even the sample ballot into the voting booth.

Freiberg said a sticker affixed to a ballot will automatically be rejected and can shut down a machine. Repairs are costly and the county's spare machine would have to be brought to the polling place.

NEWS RELEASE - TREE CITY U.S.A.

On behalf of the Mayor, City Council, and City staff, I’m proud to announce that the City has again been named a Tree City U.S.A. community by the Arbor Day Foundation.This marks the 18th consecutive year that the City has received this award, which is given to those municipalities that achieve basic criteria designed to promote and facilitate planting and proper care of trees, as this provides many important benefits to a community and to the environment in general. A representative from the Department of Natural Resources will attend the April 27th City Council meeting to present this award. As we accept this award and pledge our commitment to tree planting and preservation in the future, we also strongly encourage all property owners and residents of Ripon to do the same.
Steve Barg - City Administrator

FDL REPORTER - Economic stimulus will benefit city, area schools

Economic stimulus will benefit city, area schools

The Reporter Staff

The Fond du Lac School District will receive almost $626,500 and North Fond du Lac public schools will get $91,000 in economic stimulus money to fund Title I programs.

The federal funding, which will total more than $1 billion for Wisconsin and be distributed in multiple phases, will go toward educating students from low-income families and students with special needs, expanding professional development opportunities for teachers, and helping promote reforms at schools identified for improvement under the No Child Left Behind Act.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold announced that the Department of Education released initial funding Wednesday from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also known as the economic stimulus, to school districts across Wisconsin.

This first phase of stimulus funding for education will be made available through formula Title I grants and formula Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants.

Area school districts are scheduled to receive the following funds:

# Beaver Dam, $281,382.

# Campbellsport, $78,878.

# Fond du Lac, $626,500.

# Horicon, $69,018.

# Kewaskum, $98,597.

# Lomira, $59,158.

# Mayville, $86,462

# New Holstein, $90,255.

# North Fond du Lac, $91,000.

# Oakfield, $29,579.

# Ripon, $98,597.

# Rosendale-Brandon, $45,506.

# Waupun, $153,964.

In addition, the Department of Education released guidance for states to access the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which will help states prevent cuts to education spending.

"Wisconsin's financially strapped school districts will begin to see some relief with this first phase of funding, which will help provide services to low-income students, cover the rising costs of educating students with disabilities, implement innovative reforms in our schools, and increase professional development opportunities for teachers," Feingold said.

He pointed out that 371 school districts in Wisconsin will receive stimulus funding from Title I grants.

Both the Title I and IDEA grants will be distributed to the State of Wisconsin, which will in turn allocate funding to individual school districts through federal formula.

Title I and IDEA grants can be used by school districts for a variety of purposes, including expanding early childhood opportunities for eligible students, implementing new math and reading programs to improve literacy and math skills among low-income students, expanding learning time for students outside of the traditional school day, and developing professional development programs to help train teachers who work with students with special needs.

Community Theater taking shape in the Ripon area

It's spring time again, and while we're still waiting for the spring weather to come out and play, the Ripon Area Community Theatre is gearing up to take the community by storm.

"We have a lot of plans on the drawing board," says Ripon ACT member Brian Reilly. "We're having a brat fry, the first Friday in April, which we're hoping everyone will come to. That will be at Pick N Save. We have a few different productions in the works, but a lot of it is in the preliminary stages yet; we're still looking for more people to join up with us and help get things going."

Even though acting isn't for everyone, Brian assures people that there's something for everyone.

"There's a lot that goes on backstage during a production. If you like to build things, or have computer or electrical skills; or maybe you have a good fashion sense most productions need some kind of sets, lighting, sound and costumes. It really takes all kinds to put on a show and it can be a lot fun."

Some of the activities the Theatre group is planning to do include a weekly improvisation workshop, a sketch comedy group and outdoor stage production on the green. Additional stage productions are also in the works.

The Ripon ACT brat fry will run from 10 am 3 pm, Friday April 3rd; at the Ripon Pick N Save on W Fond du Lac.

For more information on the Ripon Area Community Theatre, you can contact Brian at 920-748-2236; or email at riponact@yahoo.com.

STIMULUS MONEY TO BE USED TO BUY FORECLOSURES

Oshkosh, Neenah and Menasha receive funds to purchase foreclosed homes

By Jeff Bollier of the Northwestern

Three cities in Winnebago County have received more than $1.1 million to help buy and repair foreclosed homes.

The money is a portion of about $40 million Wisconsin received to tackle the massive foreclosure problem that contributed to the financial meltdown last year. The cities of Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and the Winnebago County Housing Authority will split the funds in an attempt to counteract massive increases in foreclosures throughout the county from 2006-2008.

The funding will be used to purchase foreclosed properties from banks, to renovate and upgrade them or to demolish properties too costly to repair. Only properties in regions of each city that have above average foreclosure rates will be eligible for purchase under the program, Oshkosh Principal Planner Susan Kepplinger said.

Those areas include a swath south of Packer Avenue between Bowen and Jackson streets, an area north of Ninth Avenue and East of Knapp Street, and other portions of the city.

Kepplinger said the problem of foreclosures isn't always visible, but remains an issue throughout the community. First American Core Logic released data that shows the 90-day delinquency rate on mortgages in Oshkosh-Neenah rose by 0.5 percent in February 2009. The real estate data firm also indicated 1.2 percent of homes in Oshkosh-Neenah remain in foreclosure, the same percentage as in February 2008.

"In the case of Housing and Urban Development-foreclosed homes, there are no real estate signs," Kepplinger said. "It's just houses sitting there vacant that don't jump out at you. But when you start looking at ads or printouts of where the water has been shut off, you begin to realize the magnitude of the problem."

Housing Authority Executive Director Brad Masterson said the award comes with the requirement the program be implemented immediately.

"They're expecting these things to happen quickly," Masterson said.

In Oshkosh, Kepplinger said the city will rely on its newly-inked partnership with Green Bay-based NeighborWorks to help dispose of homes purchased and renovated under the program. Habitat for Humanity would also play a role by using sites of demolished homes for its building projects.

ONE TAKE ON THE QEO AND REVENUE CAPS

The QEO, Revenue Caps, and the Funding Formula

By Kelly L. Herda - School Board Vice President - Nicolet Union High School

For over 15 years Wisconsin’s school districts have struggled to maintain our schools under a flawed funding formula. The Qualified Economic Offer (QEO), which is the pay increase a district can offer to the teachers during contract negotiations without going to arbitration, and the Revenue Caps, the limit imposed by the state as to how much a school district can levy their taxpayers, were meant to be a check and balance so that teachers would receive a fair pay raise and district property owners would not be overburdened by their property tax.
It is a good plan. However, those who figured the percentages got their math wrong. Unfortunately, until now, nobody had taken on the task of correcting the math so that the system could survive. The School Finance Network (SFN) has developed a comprehensive plan to overhaul the funding formula so that all school districts get fair funding from the state, while maintaining the important checks and balances of the QEO and Revenue Caps (to learn more visit www.sfnwisconsin.org). This will alleviate the burden on our property owners, properly fund our schools, and guarantee competitive salaries for Wisconsin’s outstanding educators.

The SFN is an impressive collaboration among the School Administrators Alliance (SAA), the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB), and the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC). Their efforts to correct our funding formula should be receiving sincere consideration from our Legislators and our Governor. Instead, in this biennial budget they are recommending the repeal of the QEO and changing the rules of arbitration. Both moves are politically motivated and will not address the problems with the funding formula nor will they alleviate the burden on tax payers – in fact they will only exacerbate the problem.

Repealing the QEO is not the answer. It would send most, if not all, negotiations into arbitration, a costly and morale destroying process for both parties that defies the intended purpose of the QEO, which was to give school boards an “out” when negotiations hit a stalemate while still providing educators with a cost of living pay increase. In most cases, districts have been able to negotiate with the unions without going to arbitration because of the QEO. Without this measure, teachers would have no guarantee of a pay raise and negotiations would not be settled without an arbitrator.

This leads to the Governor’s next proposal which is to change the rules of arbitration. With the repeal of the QEO, the rules will change in arbitration to the point where the district, and thereby the taxpayers, will be afforded no protection. These changes will prohibit arbitrators from considering the impact of revenue limits and local economic conditions when deciding cases involving school district employees. School districts will most certainly lose in arbitration since the sole basis of our offer in negotiations is based on economic conditions – we simply can’t pay out what we don’t have.

The measures that the Governor has proposed do not address the real problem with how our schools are funded and only creates another problem for our School Boards, teachers and communities to struggle with. I, for one, am getting tired of having to struggle with poorly written policies and ineffective legislation. I urge you to contact your Representative and Senator - let them know that you support the School Finance Network’s school funding reform proposal and that you oppose Governor Doyle’s’ plan to repeal the QEO and his proposed changes to the rules of arbitration.

SUPERINTENDENT APPEARS ON RADIO

Here is a link to the mp3 file for Ripon Superintendent Richard Zimman's appearance this morning (Thursday) on WRPN-AM to discuss next week's referendum.

For more information on the referendum, click here for the district's presentations.

THE RESULTS ARE IN....SIGN YOUR POSTS

After a less than scientific, but interesting to say the least, poll, the votes are in. And from now on, you must sign your posts. No more Anonymous postings. Of course, some will sign in under 10 different names, but there is nothing left to do then but shut down the comments period.

I am tired of every discussion coming back to turf. I put this blog together to post pertinent information about the city of Ripon, as well as other stories which just happen to catch my eye. Sorry about any inconveniences, but there really is no other choice.

So, please sign in.

Marketplace Magazine Blog - Idea of the Day

As someone who has advocated that the town and city of Ripon at least sit down to discuss the pros and cons of a merger, this op-ed piece has a timely significance:

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks favorably on a way to promote mergers of cities or villages and surrounding towns, in a discussion about two neighboring municipalities in Waukesha County.

(I point that out because, when you read the editorial, you need to know that the City of Pewaukee and Village of Pewaukee are not the same municipality. The City of Pewaukee is what used to be the Town of Pewaukee, within which historic boundaries can be found the Village of Pewaukee. I’ve done a little creative editing within the brackets to explain how it would apply elsewhere in the state.)

Normally, with a tax rate that is significantly lower, [town] residents could expect to see increases to equalize their tax bills with those of village [or city] residents. But the consultants argue that that by creating a special taxing district for village [or city] residents, such fluctuations could be avoided while achieving lower property taxes for everyone. Village [or city] residents would see their taxes go down, too, because the merged community would need about $2 million a year less to operate, the consultants said.

Noting that state law prohibits having two different tax rates in one municipality for municipal services, the consultants recommend seeking relief from the Legislature, which they call “the best and most straightforward option.” …

A merger of the communities makes sense from financial and municipal services perspectives. Such a merger could well result in savings and more efficient services. We also think it makes sense from a community perspective.

The state Constitution’s “uniformity clause” prohibits different property mil rates within the same community (unless the community is in more than one county). One hurdle to merging cities and their adjacent towns is that town residents usually pay lower property taxes than their city neighbors, and obviously town residents would frown on any merger proposal that would raise their property taxes.

The Pewaukees’ consultants recommend creating a special taxing district to reduce the overall property tax bill of the combined community. According to the Journal Sentinel, using a more generic example, if Town A and City A want to merge, city residents would pay taxes into the fund, which then would be used to reduce property taxes.

City residents would benefit because the merged city and town would operate less expensively than the separate city and town would. Town residents would benefit because the fund would be used to offset higher property taxes. Using the Pewaukee financials, property owners in the former City A would see their municipal mil rate drop from $4.25 per $1,000 assessed valuation to $3.97 per $1,000, while property owners in the former Town A would see their municipal mil rate decrease from $2.60 per $1,000 to $2.39 per $1,000.

As has been argued here before, 3,120 units of government is far too many in Wisconsin. But there is little incentive and much disincentive, including in our statutes, that prevents municipalities, such as cities and the towns that surround them, school districts, or other bodies of government that otherwise would operate more efficiently, from merging government bodies.

Such mergers are in the best interests of municipalities that want to be able to control their own destiny, instead of having their destiny decided for them by population, development or environmental pressures around them. As town chairs can tell you, cities and villages can grow into what now are towns, and the reverse is not the case. That is how state government set up towns in this and virtually every other state. City and village governments have much more authority than town governments; in fact, cities have zoning authority beyond their boundaries, thanks to the state’s extraterritorial zoning law.

Why, you might ask, is this the business of anyone other than a particular municipality mulling over a merger proposal? It is, in fact, the business of all of us taxpayers because Wisconsin is quite skilled at redistributing tax dollars all over the state. (That’s one way that state government is a lot like the federal government; whether that’s good or not is up to the reader to decide.) That shared revenue is one reason why our taxes are out of control, because there is little incentive to not spend money that you didn’t generate. But as long as we have this system, we taxpayers should have more authority on how and where tax dollars are spent. That includes how many units of government we taxpayers get to support.

How will you vote on the Ripon Area School District referendum?

I have put a poll up on the side. You can vote for each of the three questions or say no to all of them. Try to only vote once (we use the honor system here). The information posted below comes from the Ripon Area School District, and is not meant to influence anyone to vote one way or another...

Question #1 (Boiler and Roofs)
BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Ripon Area School District, Fond du Lac,Winnebago and Green Lake Counties, Wisconsin that there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $500,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of repairs and replacements consisting of replacing the high school boiler and repairing roofs on various school buildings.
What Will Question #1 Cost a Homeowner? - Question #1 seeks authorization to issue general obligation bonds for a 10 year period in the principle amount of $500,000 to pay for a new Ripon High School boiler and roofi ng repairs on school buildings. The estimated cost of Question #1 is 5 cents added to the equalized mill rate, which translates to $5 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home for 10 years.
What if Question #1 Doesn’t Pass? - If Ripon voters do not pass Question #1, sooner or later the boiler will have to be replaced and the roofs will have to be repaired. The $500,000 cost is the equivalent of six teacher positions. The loss of six teachers would result in significantly larger class sizes and the elimination of some courses and programs. Unplanned and unscheduled maintenance can be more costly than routine, scheduled maintenance which means that the fi nal cost of a delay could be much higher than the $500,000 being requested to perform the work now.

QUESTION #2 (Textbooks and technology)
BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Ripon Area School District, Fond du Lac, Winnebago and Green Lake Counties, Wisconsin that the revenues included in the School District budget for six years beginning with the 2009-2010 school year and ending with the 2014-2015 school year be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $500,000 a year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of replacing textbooks, updating curriculum, updating technology, performing maintenance and replacing vehicles.
What Will Question #2 Cost a Homeowner? - Question #2 seeks authorization to exceed by $500,000 in each year, for 6 consecutive years, the District’s revenue limits to pay for updating curriculum, purchasing textbooks, updating technology, performing maintenance, and replacing vehicles. The estimated cost of Question #2 is 75 cents added to the equalized mill rate which translates to $75 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home for 6 years.
What if Question #2 Doesn’t Pass? - If Ripon voters do not pass Question #2, sooner or later the textbooks will be worn beyond use and will need to be replaced, the computers will be so old that they will be beyond use, the deferred maintenance will have to be performed, and the vehicles will not be feasible to continue to operate. The $500,000 cost per year for 6 years is the equivalent of six teacher positions. The loss of six teachers would result in signifi cantly larger class sizes and the elimination of some courses and programs. Each year that the Question #2 expenditures are not taken care of it will be more difficult to provide consistent quality and will be more difficult to make the necessary updates in a timely and cost-effective manner.

QUESTION #3 (Exceeding Revenue Cap Limits)
BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Ripon Area School District, Fond du Lac, Winnebago and Green Lake Counties, Wisconsin that the revenues included in the School District budget be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, for the 2009-2010 school year by $575,000; for the 2010-2011 school year by $725,000; and for the 2011-2012 school year by $850,000 for nonrecurring purposes consisting of paying for classroom staff and related instructional expenses.
What Will Question #3 Cost a Homeowner? - Question #3 seeks authorization to exceed the District’s revenue limit each year, for three years, to pay for classroom staffing and related instructional expenses. The estimated cost of Question #3 is 88 cents added to the equalized mill rate, which translates to $88 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home for 3 years.
What if Question #3 Doesn’t Pass? - The total amount of the money being requested in Question #3 is the budgeted equivalent of more than 26 teacher positions. If Question #3 doesn’t pass, the equivalent of these 26 teacher positions would need to be eliminated to remain within the state’s revenue limit law. The elimination of these teacher positions would mean a significant increase in class sizes and the end of many courses and programs.