Water Utility and Watch Programs
Since my last post, quite a lot has happened in Madison. However, given that it is summer and most of my constituents are still in their hometowns, I have less to report that directly impacts UW students. While campaigning around campus before April’s election, I discovered that many students did not understand the basic functions of Madison’s Common Council. Through this blog and my alder office hours at Lakefront on Langdon, I hope to educate students about the City of Madison’s governing body and how the decisions it makes affect their daily lives. In both forums, I will strive to keep my work as transparent and accessible to my constituents as possible. I strongly encourage my readers to e-mail me at district8@cityofmadison.com with questions, comments, and concerns that arise after reading my posts or about any city issue. With that said, and seeing as I just received a constituent email that read only, “I COMMAND YOU TO POST!” I felt it prudent to comply.
During the past two meetings, much of Common Council’s time has focused on items pertaining to the Water Utility. At our July 17 meeting, those watching in TV land would have seen harsh questioning of the utility’s director, David Denig-Chakroff, over what turned out to be nearly $140,000 in unauthorized spending for a consulting firm named EMA Inc. The debate revolved around whether or not the council should bail out what was obviously a major misunderstanding or disregard for city procedures. In either case, the management of the water utility had put the city in a terrible position. EMA-gate, as I like to call it, has illuminated for me some of Madison’s bad habits. I have learned that it is common for consultants to hold the Common Council hostage by overcharging and overspending, then coming to us with weak arguments as to why we should continue to fund their work.
Let me be perfectly clear: I support having an external consultant work with the Water Utility leadership because they are obviously in need of management advice and a change in organizational culture. What I cannot accept, however, is the presumption that the Common Council will simply roll over and play dead whenever it is strong-armed by a division, utility, or other entity regarding funding and services provided to Madison taxpayers. As a city we cannot afford for this to be a frequent practice. Last evening, I voted against extending EMA’s contract for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I have very little confidence that this contract will solve the long-term problems at the Water Utility. Also, I felt that Common Council deserved to be presented with more options instead of being forced into a corner. My frustration was compounded after hearing testimony from Lori Kief, a former member of the Water Utility steering committee, who revealed that several employees at the utility are not buying into the EMA-led process. Alders Brandon, Konkel, Rhodes-Conway, and Rummel – a strange coalition to be sure – also voted against this measure.
On the topic of student safety, several initiatives are quickly taking shape around campus. As I talked about with great enthusiasm during my campaign, neighborhood watch programs (which have been dormant in the summer months) are getting administrative upgrades and assistance from around the city. I have been working with Kelly Arendt, the leader of ASM’s watch program, to plan the fall launch of the already established campus watch program. We will be working closely with both the UW and Madison Police Departments. Also, Downtown Madison Inc. and its president Susan Schmitz have been working closely with us to find support for these programs. I am very happy to be working with the folks at DMI, who are emerging as key allies for UW students. I hope that when the time comes, the UW administration will be willing to offer their support to these essential programs.
Also of note, there will be an “Alder Retreat” to discuss the proposed Alcohol Density Plan next Thursday. The purpose of this meeting is to give us the chance to discuss the plan outside the Council chambers and the restraints of parliamentary procedure. Although the public will not be able to testify during the discussion, anyone is encouraged to come and watch. The meeting will be held Aug. 9 at 6:30 in the Police Classroom (GR-27) in the City-County Building (210 MLK Drive). I look forward to reporting on the fruits of this conversation.
As the summer progresses and more student interest in the council starts to take shape, I plan on posting more frequently. Until then, feel free to stop by my “Alder Hours” (every Monday from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and every first Thursday from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Lakefront on Langdon) to have a chat.
