ABSENTEE BALLOT INFORMATION

Election Day is Tuesday, April 7, which is during the Ripon Area School District’s annual spring break vacation. Every voter is eligible to use an absentee ballot to vote in advance of the April 7 election. If you will not be voting on April 7 due to being gone during spring break or for any other reason, please make your voice heard by casting an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots may be obtained from the municipal clerk of your city or town after March 17. Please contact your municipal clerk for absentee ballot information.

AMENDED - PLAN COMMISSION AGENDA - MARCH 18TH

Topics this coming Wednesday will deal with annexation, the vacation of a portion of Blossom Street, more discussion on our master plan for streets, and zoning regulations regarding homes in B-2 (Highway Business) districts.

PLAN COMMISSION MEETING - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2009
CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL - 7:00 p.m.

AGENDA

Call to order/roll call

Welcome – Melissa Hunt, Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation

Approve meeting minutes – February 18th

Action items
Ø Annexation - Robert Grasee & Robert Grasse, Jr. (Hwy 44 east) - The Grasee's are asking the city to annex roughly 10 acres between Highway 44 and Olden Road from the town of Ripon.
Ø Certified Survey Map (extraterritorial) – Robert Grasse, Jr.
Ø Request to waive site plan review process – Seneca Foods
Ø Vacation – Blossom Street (Watson to Ransom Streets) - This is a continuation of our discussions on the possible vacation of the street in downtown Ripon. The Council on March 10th unanimously approved sending this to the Plan Commission

Discussion items
Ø Master plan streets located west/north of Eureka and West Fond du Lac Streets
Ø Residential uses in B-1 (central business) and B-2 (highway business) districts

Ø Proposed land use for south side of Hwy 44 across from City’s business park - This has been added to the agenda since it was first issued.

Project updates & staff reports

Agenda items for next meeting

Adjourn

NERVOUS DAY FOR THE MAYOR

Nervous day on Friday...K-4 screening for my daughter. How will she do? Where did the years go? What kind of educational system will be there be out there in 10-15 years? Who will be more nervous - mommy or daddy (not Emmy...at 10 months life is simple)?

UPDATE: Kylie did great, and cannot wait for 4-year old kindergarten to start. A big thanks to the staff at Barlow Park (Rick Ketter, Carrie Naparalla, Mary Lyke, etc) for making it a great day for the kids and the parents. Our questions were answered, and we look forward to this September.

EMAIL FROM READER - DOWNTOWN QUESTIONS

Mayor:
I read in the paper that the city is looking at spending some money downtown on improving its appearance? Do you have any specifics? What lighting are you looking at?

First of all, thanks for writing. We have been discussing plans to spend up to $200,000, which will be financed through the downtown Tax Increment District and not the general tax levy, on a number of streetscape improvments. While we have not come up with a final plan yet for discussion and approval, here are some of the ideas
* New downtown lighting - The current poles are becoming more and more vulnerable to breaking down due to their age. Some of the ideas we have discussed is LED lighting, new poles, lights that are similar to the college's new lighting so there is a seamless transition, and more downward-directed lighting
* Trees - Planting between 25 and 50 new trees, and some new species, to create a warmer look to the downtown
* Flower planters - More of them to add color to the downtown
* Park Benches - And not the $12,500 variety. 10-15 benches around the downtown for people to just sit down and relax for a bit.

We are also aiming to improve the Blackburn Street parking lot this year, if we can resolve some property issues.

LIMBAUGH AND THE "I HOPE HE FAILS" CONTROVERSY

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just minutes before learning of the terrorist attacks on America, Democratic strategist James Carville was hoping for President Bush to fail, telling a group of Washington reporters: "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed." Carville was joined by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who seemed encouraged by a survey he had just completed that revealed public misgivings about the newly minted president. "We rush into these focus groups with these doubts that people have about him, and I'm wanting them to turn against him," Greenberg admitted.

The pollster added with a chuckle of disbelief: "They don't want him to fail. I mean, they think it matters if the president of the United States fails." Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: "Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!"

The press followed Carville's orders, never reporting his or Greenberg's desire for Bush to fail. The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail.
That omission stands in stark contrast to the feeding frenzy that ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail. The press devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the remark, suggesting that Limbaugh and, by extension, conservative Republicans, were unpatriotic.

"The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed," Carville railed on CNN recently. "He is the daddy of this Republican Congress." Limbaugh, a staunch conservative, emphasized that he is rooting for the failure of Obama's liberal policies.

"The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country," Limbaugh told Fox on Wednesday. "I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/11/carville-wanted-bush-fail/

FOR THOSE OF WHO GREW UP IN THE STAR WARS GENERATION...

WIND FARM IN GREEN LAKE COUNTY?

From the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel...

Rebuffed in its bid to build a Wisconsin coal-fired power plant, Alliant Energy is shifting toward more power from wind turbines as one element of its future energy supply. The Madison utility holding company has reached an agreement with NextEra Energy Resources, a unit of FPL Group Inc., to buy wind power from NextEra under a 25-year contract. Under the deal, Alliant also would buy development rights to a future wind farm in the Green Lake area, utility spokesman Rob Crain said.

The agreement comes as Alliant prepares for stiffer renewable energy mandates from the state Legislature and reacts to the state Public Service Commission decision last year to deny its bid to build a coal-fired power plant in Cassville on the Mississippi River. “The PSC expressed concern over carbon, and we listened,” Crain said. In order for the deal to go forward, Wisconsin regulators must approve the Bent Tree wind farm in Minnesota, projected to cost $400 million to $450 million, Crain said.

The agreement ends NextEra’s opposition to Alliant’s Minnesota wind farm, and NextEra has withdrawn its involvement in that case, a company lawyer said in a filing. Terms of the deal were filed in a confidential document submitted Tuesday to state regulators. NextEra, formerly FPL Energy, had argued Alliant’s proposal wasn’t competitive because NextEra was ready to sell power from its Crystal Lake wind farm in Iowa. NextEra is a major supplier of wind power — owning the Montfort wind farm in Wisconsin — as well as nuclear power. It operates the Point Beach nuclear plant in Two Creeks and an Iowa reactor it bought in recent years from Alliant.

Securing a strong candidate for a Wisconsin wind farm in the Green Lake area could help Alliant if Wisconsin lawmakers require that wind power generated in Wisconsin must be part of a company’s renewable energy strategy, Crain said. “It”s good because it allows us to lock in value now for our customers for emission-free energy in a rising cost environment,” he said. “Certainly, as federal and state renewable mandates come down, it’s logical to assume the costs will increase, so locking this in now, we think, is a benefit to customers.”

Under state law, 10 percent of electricity sold by state utilities must come from renewable sources by 2015. Under Alliant’s new plan, Wisconsin Power & Light Co., Alliant’s Wisconsin utility, would exceed that, generating 12 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, Crain said. The announcement is linked to the rejection of the coal plant because a portion of the energy generated by the Cassville plant would have been renewable, burning switchgrass and wood. Legislation is expected to be introduced this year seeking to require that 25 percent of electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. The higher renewable requirement is one piece of the recommendations issued last year by a state global warming task force.

As part of its energy supply plan, Alliant is expected to look at other energy options beyond wind. The company has signaled it intends to upgrade a natural gas-fired power plant in Neenah. Also under consideration is construction of one or more biomass-to-energy plants. The cost facing ratepayers for future wind power projects at a time when the state has enough power to meet electricity demand has become a concern for some utility customers. Though specific details about the pricing terms to buy wind power from NextEra are confidential, Crain said, “These are reasonable and cost-competitive projects.”

Local Government Gone Wild? New Report Shows How to Rein it In

I received this from one of the blog's readers. This has some good ideas....

Goldwater Institute suggests 10 rights that local governments should guarantee their residents

Phoenix--There are almost 90,000 local governments in America, with an average of one new local government born each day. Few are models of limited government restrained by a system of checks and balances. Often they are unaccountable, and special interest-driven. Facing a maze of regulations and powerful local bureaucracies, ordinary citizens often can't fight City Hall. They need a concrete set of rights to protect them from the abuses of local government--the equivalent of a local bill of rights.

Today the Goldwater Institute released "A New Charter for American Cities: 10 Rights to Restrain Government and Protect Freedom." This ground-breaking report recommends enacting a "Local Liberty Charter" consisting of 10 judicially enforceable rights to rein-in out-of-control local governments.

"The Local Liberty Charter is not a pledge signed by politicians," said Nick Dranias, Goldwater Institute constitutional policy director and author of the report. "It is meant to be enforceable in court by ordinary citizens. Each right would be implemented by policies that furnish a private right of action, empowering individuals to file lawsuits, when necessary, to compel local governmental officials to respect freedom and perform their legitimate responsibilities."

The Local Liberty Charter is designed to become part of a local government's charter or statutory legal framework. It would function as a constraint on all ordinances and regulations that a local government passed, much like a constitution defines and restricts the powers of state and federal government.

The Local Liberty Charter is a trailblazing roadmap for local government reform. The 10 rights in "A New Charter for American Cities" are:

Right 1: The Right to a Presumption of Liberty.
Like the Declaration of Independence, the Local Liberty Charter presumes citizens are free to act peaceably and honestly without legal restraint. Therefore, the Local Liberty Charter requires simplifying or reducing burdensome regulation through 'sunrise' and 'sunset' review, and eliminating regulatory delay.

Right 2: The Right to Use and Enjoy Property.
As long as they do not violate the rights of others, property owners should have the right to develop and use their property however they wish. The Local Liberty Charter requires simplifying and eliminating land use regulations and transforming zoning into a freedom-friendly legal framework.

Right 3: The Right to Separation of Powers.
Municipalities typically concentrate executive, legislative, and quasi-judicial power into one unchecked entity, increasing the likelihood of power abuses and biased decision-making. The Local Liberty Charter requires diffusing the concentration of local power, and giving citizens hurt by local government action the option to request alternative dispute resolution.

Right 4: The Right to Freedom from Crime.
Protecting citizens from crime is government's core function. The Local Liberty Charter requires performance benchmarking for law enforcement, using overtime as an incentive for high performance, and contracting out failing police departments to other localities.

Right 5: The Right to Fiscally Responsible Government.
Government at any level should not be larger than necessary and should be fiscally accountable to its citizens. The Local Liberty Charter requires outsourcing services, keeping government spending from exceeding growth in population and inflation, and limiting the business of local government to core functions.

Rights 6: The Right to Freedom from Favoritism.
Local governments should not be in the business of singling out individuals or groups for special benefits or harms. The Local Liberty Charter requires eliminating laws, taxes and spending that unfairly single out a particular person or group for benefit or harm.

Rights 7: The Right to Accountability.
Government officials serve the people and should be held accountable for their actions. The Local Liberty Charter requires a "three strikes you're out" policy for public officials who repeatedly misapply the law. Under this policy, nonelected public officials would be terminated if they violate the law, causing citizens to suffer substantial harm, on three occasions.

Rights 8: The Right to Genuine Local Sovereignty.
The offer of federal funds is tempting, but often comes with strings attached that require matched spending by state and local governments. Additionally, new federal regulations are often implemented without local government coordination. The Local Liberty Charter requires cities, counties and towns to reject federal funds that come with strings attached and obligates local officials to demand coordination from federal agencies to stop the implementation of burdensome federal regulations.

Rights 9: The Right to Transparency.
Transparency in government is crucial to holding public officials accountable and preventing corruption. The Local Liberty Charter requires the public posting of government financial information, deadlines for public records requests to be granted, disclosure of critical public information, such as performance benchmarking, and open municipal contracting.

Right 10: The Right to Reconstitute Local Government.
When local government goes bad, sometimes the best answer is to hit the "reset" button. The Local Liberty Charter requires allowing citizens to vote for "none of the above" when all candidates on a ticket are unacceptable, to dissolve unaccountable special districts, and to mandate bankruptcy filing by fiscally irresponsible localities.

Costly dunk at H.S. game

This was a "teaching" moment that comes up for high school coaches from time to time. You know, one of those, "We just got a bad break, and that's life, we have to deal with it."

A shattered backboard sent Harlem to the losers bracket.On March 5 in Cut Bank, Mont., Isaiah Martin, a 5-foot-11 senior guard for Harlem's boys basketball team, dunked during warmups for a high school tournament game with Shelby. There was a shower of glass as the backboard shattered. Harlem had to forfeit the game. According to the Montana High School Association, dunking is not allowed in pregame warmups in tournament play. If a backboard is damaged by a pregame dunk, the offending school must forfeit. The rule was put in 10 years ago.

Harlem, which had finished second in its district, forfeited the Northern Divisional game to Shelby. Harlem was dumped into the loser's bracket and won on Friday night, but on a quick turnaround Saturday morning it lost in overtime and was eliminated.

"We had that talk about life being tough and you roll with the punches and how you pick yourself up," Harlem coach Harlan Mount said. "It took a lot out of the team."

Almost a week later, you could hear the dismay in the 48-year-old Mount's voice, as if the talk and the lesson did not soothe his team's disappointment. The Wildcats had made a 168-mile trip only to be left face-down with an improbable forfeit, which goes down in the books as a 2-0 defeat.

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=922635

READY FOR MORE FOOTBALL - THE UFL?

From UFLAccess.com:

The United Football League had a banner day today, formally announcing their first head coach and the site of the first ever UFL game on October 8, 2009. It has long been said that start up leagues have two chances to make a good impression. The first being the day of their announcement, the second being the inaugural game. From every indication the first day should leave a positive impression on football fans.

The press conference was held at AT&T Park in San Francisco, which was also announced as the home of the new United Football League San Francisco franchise. AT&T Park will also hold the inaugural UFL game on Thursday night October 8, 2009, which will be broadcast in High Definition on Versus. League executives including Commissioner Michael Huyghue were present at the conference, as were lead investors William Hambrecht and Paul Pelosi (yes, this is the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi).

STAYING POSITIVE....

A number of recent postings on this blog have received a lengthy amount of responses. Not all of them are kind, but that comes with the terrority. I wanted to take a moment and focus what is positive in Ripon. I set a goal of ten items, so here we go:

1 - We have a strong economic base. From Alliance Laundry to Spartech to the downtown businesses to the West End, Ripon is blessed with a variety of industries and enterprises which makes it a little easier to weather a downturn, whereas some communities are severely hit when one business fails. Of course, if Alliance or Bremner were to close tomorrow, we would see a ripple effect throughout the community, but we have a situation where a large number of our residents work out of town, and a large number come into town. In fact, we are a net importer of workers, according to the numbers I have seen

2 - We have a progressive and open local government. One of my major goals ever since being elected was to get the public involved and keep the information flowing in both directions. Yes, we have had some controversial issues, such as closing the streets through the College, but the public has had ample opportunities to express their opinions and share in the fact-finding. One of the hardest things to keep in mind is that, just because something does not go a person's way, it does not mean they were not heard or their opinions were not considered. Not every decision will go your way, or my way, but the main point is that ideas are shared, and shared without prejudice.

3 - We have a progressive and open school district. Yes, we are struggling right now as a community with the proposed referendum and the tightening budget situation, but the bottom line is that we are turning out great students and have a district which is willing to try new things (charter schools, for example) without sacrificing the core fundamentals of education.

4 - We are blessed with a college. Ripon, with less than 8,000 residents, is one of the few cities in the nation that can boast of a college with a student base of 1,000. From the athletic events to the cultural activities, the presence of the college adds to the richness of the community and overall quality of life

5 - We have a modern health system. Many town the size of Ripon have struggled with the loss of their major medical facility. Here, ours is considering a move to new, larger, more-modern facility, while we have several choices with the clinics in town, as well. I know some people are concerned about the number of clinics, but I would argue that it brings people and dollars into Ripon and makes us a regional health hub for East Central Wisconsin.

6 - We have made strides in improving the infrastructure of the city. From my first day as mayor, I have pushed for increased spending in the areas of street repairs and upgrading the equipment we use to keep the city running, from our police cars to the ambulance to the Public Works department. As the costs of repairing and building streets and sidewalks increases, the challenge will get harder and harder, but we have to address the issues today, and not expect future leaders and taxpayers to take care of the problems, which do not heal themselves.

7 - We have a strong network of helping each other out. From the United Way to our food pantries to our local churches to the massive amount of volunteer hours put in by Ripon College students, residents in need have a number of sources to turn to. As the economy sours, this network will be even more important. Want to do something that makes you feel good inside? Purchase food at one of our local grocery stores (help the local economy) and donate it to one of the food pantries, or go through your closet and donate those clothes you just don't seem to wear anymore or can't fit into.

8 - We live in a safe community. Thanks to our dedicated police department and the public safety programs (such as the school liaison officer) we have put in place, we live in a community where there are considerably less fears than others. Of course, there is crime, and that is an unfortunate fact of life, but people are still comfortable leaving their doors unlocked. That does not mean we should let our guard down or lessen our investment in public safety; it shows the investment is paying off.

9 - We have a strong local media presence. From WRPN-AM to the Ripon Commonwealth to Channel 97, residents have a number of options to turn to find out what is happening. We may not always like what we hear and read, but many communities our size have fewer options. One comments I have heard many times in my 10-plus years of covering local sports is how other schools wish their games were on the radio, or that they would receive similar coverage.

10 - We have the leadership in place to move Ripon forward. From the City Council to the school district to the college to the Main Street program to the local business organizations, we have people in place who are willing to step up to the plate and make difficult decisions, if conditions dictate they need to be made, listen to new ideas, if the current situation requires one to get out of the box, and work collaboratively to make goals reality. We are seeing the dividends from this atmosphere with the recent investments by Boca Grande and other interested parties from outside the City. Instead of fearing outsiders who want to invest money and time into Ripon, we should be honored and flattered and excited, and doing what we can to maximize the returns on these investments for the benefit of all residents.

Come clean on the quiet tax

Great column in the West Bend Daily News:

Call I.D. fees what they are
Our government has long drawn a distinction between taxes and fees, but that distinction is quickly evaporating.

Taxes have traditionally been a general levy on the taxpayers that is used to fund the government. All of the money is placed in a general fund and then the government decides how to spend it. Taxes in Wisconsin include the sales tax, income tax, and property tax. Each of these taxes is used to fund the government.

Fees are unlike a tax in that they do not go for the general operations of government. They are levied to directly fund a specific governmental service. For example, the state collects a fee when Wisconsinites register their cars or renew their driver’s license. These fees are intended to be used to maintain the road infrastructure that the drivers who are registering their car will presumably use.

The preference of using fees or taxes to fund government has often been debated in Wisconsin. Some prefer general taxes because it allows flexibility to the legislature in deciding how to spend the money. They argue that all Wisconsinites benefit from the state government’s actions even if they don’t use all of the services, so all Wisconsinites should pay.

Some people prefer a heavier use of fees. They argue that only those Wisconsinites who use a government service should have to pay for it. For example, Wisconsinites pay a fee to use state campgrounds. That fee is used to maintain the campgrounds, so it is levied against the people who use them.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin has been moving toward making fees into just another tax. In the past few years, Governor Doyle and the legislature have raided fee-supported funds and used the money to fund the general operations of government. When they raid a fund, it transforms the fees paid into the fund into a tax, because instead of using the fee to fund the specific purpose for which it was levied, it is being used for general operations.

Gov. Doyle’s budget proposal holds more examples of transforming fees into taxes.

Several years ago, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner shepherded the REAL ID bill through Congress and into law. This law says that a state must have certain standards for issuing a driver license in order for it to be considered valid as identification for federal purposes, like boarding an airplane. REAL ID was designed to make it more difficult for terrorists to obtain legal identification.

Wisconsin was one of the states that did not have valid standards for issuing licenses. Wisconsin’s system was so loose that illegal immigrants could easily obtain a license. In order to revamp Wisconsin’s system to comply with the REAL ID Act, Gov. Doyle proposed, and the Legislature passed, an additional $10 fee for obtaining or renewing a Wisconsin driver license.

Doyle’s proposed budget does not include any funding to comply with the REAL ID Act, but he still intends to collect the $10 fee. In the private sector this would be called a bait and switch and Doyle would be prosecuted for it. In government, it seems to be par for the course. Not using the $10 fee for its intended purpose – to bring Wisconsin into compliance with the REAL ID Act – changes it into just another tax.

Another example in Doyle’s budget proposal is the fee that is collected for the purpose of the required background check when one buys a gun. This fee is currently $8. The attorney general requested that it be increased to $13 because that is the actual cost of completing the background check. Doyle is proposing that it be increased to $30.

The $17 extra on top of the actual cost of the background check would be another tax. It is money that is not needed for the intended use of the fee and will be dumped into the government’s coffers for general use.

We can debate whether or not Wisconsin should rely more heavily on taxes or fees, but it is dishonest to levy a fee under a specific pretext, like conducting a background check or complying with REAL ID, and then use the money for other purposes.

(Owen B. Robinson, a West Bend resident, is a blogger who publishes at www.bootsandsabers.com. His column runs Tuesdays in the Daily News.)

SCHOOL DISTRICT AGENDA POSTED

The actual agenda for March 16 - HERE
The notes attached to the agenda - HERE

Two interesting issues that I see on the agenda:
* Increase in Wisconsin Retirement System contribution rates - The board will review a proposal from the Wisconsin Retirement System to raise contribution rates by 42% over the next five years that amounts to approximately $2.5 million in increased contributions by the
District in the next seven years.
* Military dress at RHS graduation - There is a request by two RHS seniors for permission to wear their military dress uniform in lieu of a cap and gown for the RHS graduation. The District’s practice has been for all students to wear a cap and gown, but there is no Board policy pertaining to this topic.

HAVE INTERNET OR SILVER CREEK IDEAS? LETS HEAR THEM

The City Council last night approved a plan to create two teams to address two of the city's 2009 goals. The first is to deal with the city's website. The other is to address the Silver Creek corridor. Let's start with the website.

If you have not been to the city website - www.cityofripon.com - check it out. You will find basic information on the city, addresses and phone numbers for key officials and employees, the city's ordinances and links to related agencies and sites. I have placed the redevelopment of the website as a key goal for this year. The site can serve as the initial contact point for people moving to Ripon, business looking to relocate to Ripon, and residents looking for information. I would say our site is about 6-8 years behind the overall development of the Web. Some of the items I would like to see...
* More use of video, including copies of local meetings, unedited, and other city-related broadcasts
* A place for residents to post questions and have answers, not a blog like this one, as we see how easily it can be blogged down with comments.
* A central portal for local businesses and groups to be linked on, in addition to such items as church schedules, Little League schedules, local weather, etc.
* A page which has the city's open records documents uploaded. For example, the public would be able to view the council packets the same as the council members.
There has been some preliminary discussion about including Ripon College in the equation, which I think would be great. Now, if you are interested in taking part in this team, please let me or Steve Barg (748-4914) know. We will be aiming to put a team together in April.

Moving on to the Silver Creek corridor...We have many wonderful resources in this community, but there are so many that are underutilized, such as the Mill Pond, the Little White Schoolhouse, and the Silver Creek corridor. I have asked the Council, and they agreed, to set as a goal in 2009 the creation of a long-term plan for the development of the corridor. I do not simply mean residential or commercial development; I also mean recreational and environmental development. Some of the ideas I have thought about is:
* Creation of a walking trail along the creek. This would have to deal with property issues, but the first step is thinking about.
* Cleaning up the creek to remove the dead trees, garbage and other junk that has collected in the waterway.
* Creating a "green" belt along the corridor, which may include the purchase and demolition of some structures along the Creek.
* Developing a city park which incorporates the creek, though there are not many locations that are readily accessible.
* Working with neighboring agencies, including the Green Lake Conservancy District, to insure the cleanliness of the creek and its surrounding area so that future generations can enjoy its beauty.
What exactly is the Silver Creek corridor? It is a new term, from what I can tell, that I used last year during our Smart Growth discussions. I would define it as the Creek and the immediate surrounding area, say a tenth- to a quarter-mile on either side, from the eastern edge of the city to the western edge. I would include the Mill Pond in the equation, since the creek flows in and out of this body of water.
If you have some other ideas, or would like to expand on the ones I have thrown out, I would encourage you to get on the team and let the ideas flow. Once again, please let me know - arkramer@charter.net or 920-291-5250 - or Steve Barg (748-4914)

Sun Prairie sells naming rights to baseball field

With the announcement of the new Summit Credit Union Baseball Field, Sun Prairie has likely become the first Dane County school district to sell the naming rights for a specific school facility. And the high school’s varsity baseball field could be just the beginning: District officials want to sell naming rights to everything from the classrooms and the cafeteria to trophy cases and field lights at the new high school slated to open in the fall of 2010.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/442414

I am not sure how I feel about this. I know districts are struggling to increase revenue, and we went through a struggle over re-naming Ingalls Field when the turf debate began. Remember Richard Willich''s offer to pay for the turf if we renamed the field after him? I am not sure if this is a "slippery slope" situation, though Sun Prairie is taking it in that direction, I think, with the idea of naming classrooms and the cafeteria.

I know some people are concerned with overexposure of students to the message of the media, but with 100 cable channels and the Internet, what more exposure could there really be? I would only hope that the Ripon Area School District gets out in front of this issue and develops a sound policy to be pro-active. But, then again, maybe people have no problem with FieldTurf Stadium at Ingalls Field or the M-and-I Bank Ripon High School Gymnasium or McDonalds Diamond at Barlow Park? I would rather we name these sites after people who have made significant contributions to the community and district, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

UPDATE - SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) - A Dane County school district has sold the naming rights for a high school's baseball field, and says it's aiming for more sponsorships. The school is set to open in 2010. Sun Prairie School Board treasurer Jim McCourt says the goal is to have as many big items named as possible before then. Those items include the library, athletic fields and the cafeteria. Board members hope the deals will raise more than $3 million. Summit Credit Union donated $100,000 for the baseball field's naming rights. McCourt says all sponsors will be recognized tactfully, such as with a plaque. Josh Golin is a spokesman for the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. He says he understands economic realities but some places need to be off-limits for ads.

CHAMBER HAPPENINGS

From Tango/Uncorked - Wines Around the World
Thursday, March 12, at America 333 Watson St. - Stop in anytime 5:30 - 7 p.m. to sample wines from 8 countries - Enjoy America's tasty hors d'oeuvres with delicious wine selections - $15 per person; call 748-3422 if you plan to attend

From Ripon Area Builders
Last chance to get beautiful roses from the Rotary Rose Sale for only $15/dozen.
Flowers arrive March 12th; pick up or have them. Delivered to you or your designated recipient - Contact Laurie at 748-3996 for more info or to order

From The Ripon Chamber
Ripon Area Home Show - Saturday, March 21~10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contractors, builders, landscapers and other business that serve homeowners will display their products and talk about their services. Contact the Chamber office by email or at 748-6764 for information on how your business can participate

From Alibi's Dining and Spirits
Enter the Chili Cook-off at Alibi's - Grand Prize is Las Vegas Getaway!
Sunday, March 22 - Limited to 25 contestants; $25 entry fee - Stop in at Alibi's or call 748-7400 for more iInformation on participating - Chili tasting open to public 4-6 p.m. for $5/person - 1300 W. Fond du Lac Street

From Spartech Packaging Technologies
Women in Management Meeting/Dinner - Thursday, March 19, 5:30 p.m. at Harbor Lights in Green Lake - Program on managing work and home - Members $15; non-members $18 - Reservations needed by March 17 - Email Lori at lrich@cityofripon.com or call Jane at 748-1131 - For more information or to make reservations

From Moraine Park Technical College
Workforce Advancement Training Grants - Available to for-profit businesses - For incumbent worker training programs - Covers training occurring between July 2009 and June 2010 - Call (920)924-3449 or e-mail training@morainepark.edu for more information

From Community Thrift Store & Food Pantry
Available from the Ripon Community Church - "A Simple Guidebook for the Serious Job Hunter" - CLICK HERE to see and print - Anyone interested in help with job hunting, resume writing, and interviewing tips may contact Jack Ingle at Ripon Community Church, 748-2339

COUNCIL RECAP

Here is a recap of tonight's meeting:

Public hearing/Ordinance – proposed comprehensive plan for the period from 2009-2029 - The council decided to table the issue and continue the public hearing in late April. We will be working to get copies of the plan on the city's website and at the library. Copies are also available at City Hall.

Public listening session – charter ordinance increasing mayor’s term to 4 years - The Council decided to table any action until after spring.

Resolution – initiating possible vacation of a portion of Blossom Street - The Council voted to send the vacation to the Plan Commission for more study and a recommendation.

Agreement for employee assistance program – Ripon Medical Center - The Council approved a contract with Ripon Medical for mental health employee assistance at a cost of $1,115

Update – status of 2009 workplan items
* Appoint team for city website improvement - We will be looking for community members interested in providing insight and input on redesigning the city's website. Interested? Let me know - arkramer@charter.net
* Appoint team for developing the Silver Creek corridor - Interested in making recommendations on the future of the Silver Creek corridor, with the sky being the limit. Same as above - let me know.
* Discuss date for meeting with school board - The Council will meet with the School Board in May to discuss issues of common interest, including but not limited to the future of the new school on the north side of the city, near Murray Park.

THE DOYLE FLIP-FLOPS

From the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute:

Where You Stand Depends on Where You Sit by Christian Schneider

If any one thing characterizes the Jim Doyle gubernatorial administration, it is his willingness to change his mind given his circumstances. For instance:

* When running for Governor, he specifically supported eliminating the “Frankenstein Veto,” saying governors shouldn’t be able to write their own laws merely by making the budget into a word puzzle. As governor, Doyle flipped completely and said he believed this authority was a necessary power for the executive.
* As a gubernatorial candidate in 2002, Doyle ripped Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk over her plan to release prisoners early, positioning himself as the “law and order” candidate. As governor, Doyle has proposed essentially what Falk sought to do - release “nonviolent” prisoners early to save money on prisons.
* Facing a budget deficit in 2003, Doyle strongly emphasized how important it was for the government not to raise taxes. His budget in 2009, coupled with an already-enacted budget “repair” bill, raises taxes by $2.2 billion. Doyle also has repeatedly warned of the dangers of using budget tricks and one time money to balance the budget, then gone on and done exactly what he’s warned against in record numbers.

Finally, Doyle has flipped on a position that will rile his supporters. Environmentalists, who already feel some skepticism toward Doyle for his support of streamlining DNR permit processing, have been pushing for the Department of Natural Resources secretary to be picked by the Natural Resources Board, and not the governor. Attorney General Doyle supported shifting appointing authority back to the board. Governor Doyle clearly does not.

Here’s an excerpt from a blow-off form letter Doyle has sent to environmentalists, as posted at Wispolitics.com: “I recognize that there are legitimate arguments on both sides, but I believe that a system that has a strong board and a quality secretary appointed by the Governor is the most effective.”

Yes - I am certain Doyle has been sitting in his office rubbing the top of his head in anguish over this change in position. In fact, look for Doyle to have another epiphany when there’s a Republican governor in the East Wing. We’ll no doubt be hearing from him again about how awful it is for the governor to have appointment power.

More importantly, at what point do we start to tune out what Doyle says and start focusing on what he actually does? Quoting him in news stories is easy; digging into his contradictory policies is a lot harder. Let’s hope the regrettable decline in news coverage in this state doesn’t let politicians off the hook so easily.

COUNCIL AGENDA FOR TUESDAY - AMENDED

Sorry that the original posting was so garbled. Here is a "cleaner" version. Please note there will be a public hearing on the city's proposed comprehensive plan (copies available at City Hall), and a listening session on lengthening the mayor's term from two to four years. Also, so no one thinks I was trying to delete an earlier post on the agenda, a person asked if Blossom Street is vaccated for the new spa proposed by Boca Grande, is the spa going to buy that section of the street? The answer at this time is no:

AMENDED - CITY OF RIPON COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
Conference room, City Hall - Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 6:00 p.m.

1. Call to order/roll call
2. Adjourn to closed session under Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(e) “Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session”
RE: Request to contract for services – creation of new TIF district
RE: Possible purchase of property located within TIF District #6
3. Adjourn (6:55 p.m.)

CITY OF RIPON COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
Council chambers, City Hall - Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.

I. Call to order/roll call
II. Pledge of Allegiance/Invocation – Pastor Schaus
III. Public communications and comment
IV. Proclamation – “Mom & Pop” Business Owners Day (Sunday, March 29th)
V. Public hearing – proposed comprehensive plan for the period from 2009-2029
VI. Public listening session – charter ordinance increasing mayor’s term to 4 years
VII. Consent calendar (Unless the Mayor, Council or staff asks that one or more of the items listed below be pulled, this list may be approved with a single vote.) - These items include a resolution writing off certain uncollectible ambulance accounts, a resolution increasing the fee for zoning variance applications and a resolution – creation of “Complete Count” team for 2010 Census.
VIII. Other business
1. Ordinance – adopting comprehensive plan for 2009-2029 - (Staff note: If no issues or concerns are raised at the public hearing, staff will recommend approving the comprehensive plan as presented. This will guide the City’s future development for the next 20 years.)
2. Resolution – initiating possible vacation of a portion of Blossom Street - (Staff note: As outlined in Wisconsin Statutes 66.1003(4), it has been requested that the City vacate Blossom Street from Ransom to Watson Streets to facilitate downtown development. The attached resolution would start the process, and send this to the Plan Commission for more study and a recommendation.)
3. Agreement for employee assistance program – Ripon Medical Center - (Staff note: As noted on the attached memo from Lori Rich, the City’s health insurance provider said that our mental health claims are above average, and it makes sense to start an employee assistance program. Staff recommends approving the attached contract with RMC, at a cost of $1,115, which can be absorbed within our health insurance budget.)
IX. Update – status of 2009 workplan items - Appoint team for city website improvement, appoint team for developing the Silver Creek corridor, discuss date for meeting with school board
X. Mayor’s communications and appointments
XI. Agenda items for future Council meetings
XII. Adjourn

If you would like to be considered for the teams involving the city's website and the Silver Creek Corridor, please let me know.

MOM AND POP BUSINESS OWNERS DAY PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, March 29th has been designated as Mon and Pop Business Owners Day across the United States, and;
WHEREAS, the event was created by Rick Segel, a nationally known motivational speaker and author who specializes in retail development, to bring attention to how small businesses are vital to the economy of towns all over America, and;
WHEREAS, Mom and Pop business owners across the country reflect and represent true American values, by treasuring their independence, spending countless hours developing and growing their businesses, and enjoying helping others, and;
WHEREAS, their workload coupled with a lack of staff requires that they work long hours and often weekends, and;
WHEREAS, their impact on the economy is even greater when considering that most of these people live in Ripon and buy the goods and services of other local businesses, as well as their children attend local schools, they are members of community organizations, and they contribute to charitable organizations, now;
THEREFORE, I, Aaron Kramer, Mayor of the City of Ripon, do hereby declare March 29th to be observed as Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, in recognition of the efforts of small businesses across the City of Ripon in supporting and building our local economy.

MORE DOYLE BUDGET TRICKS....

FROM THE STEVENS POINT JOURNAL...

State 'raids' $2.2M from UWSP

By Nick Paulson
Journal staff

The University of Wisconsin-System will need to forfeit $25 million in auxiliary funds to help increase financial aid and offset any tuition increase, as part of Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed budget.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's share of that is a little more than $2.2 million. And while the money still will be used for education, those in charge of the money aren't happy with the state.

"Bottom line, it's a raid from the state on our reserves," said Joe Totman, UWSP's director of residential living. "It's frustrating because we're being responsible with students' money ... and the state kind of looks at it and says, 'Oh, there's a pool of money.'"

Residential living is just one of the auxiliary funds -- extra fees paid by students set aside for future projects -- that will be tapped. Dining services, health services and parking could all see their savings raided.

The money will go toward a program that would increase financial aid to any Wisconsin resident whose family makes less than the state medium income of $60,000. The financial aid would increase the same amount of any tuition increase.

Much of the auxiliary funds already have been earmarked for specific projects, so this withdrawal could drastically alter budgets. The Residential Living fund, with about $2 million, was to be used to buy furniture for a new residence hall, cutting the project cost and eventually loan interest.

Totman said he is expecting about 20 percent to 25 percent of that $2 million to be drained. At that level, the changes may be minimal, but Totman worries what will happen if it goes higher.

"If we have that taken away, what do we do? Do we delay that project? That's a $33.3 million project," said Bob Tomlinson, vice chancellor of student affairs. "Do we go back to the state to increase budget in the project so we can furnish that building? Or do we cut it from 330 rooms to 300 rooms that have furniture?"

UWSP does have some discretion about which auxiliary funds it will draw from. But most of the funds already have been designated, and no one wants to volunteer their money.

"They all have good reasons" to keep their funds, said Greg Diemer, vice chancellor of business affairs.

A group of administrators will meet next week to begin deciding what funds will be used. But instead of lobbying to keep it, Totman said he realizes the money will help others at UWSP.

"As a university, we stand together and fight together," he said.