Dear Residents of the 8th District,
Recent details about my attendance on the 911 Communications Board have raised many questions about what has happened over the past couple months.
On May 15th of 2007, about a month after I was sworn in as an alder, I was appointed to the Communications Center Board. I fully admit that I overlooked this specific legislative file and at that time I was not aware of my appointment. This spot on the board is required by ordinance to be filled by an alder that serves on the Madison Public Safety Review Board (which I had just two weeks prior been put on by the Mayor). While this is the case, at the time I was never told of the required appointment nor was I consulted on my availability to make it to the board's meetings. In fact, no information was passed to me about this body until I was informed, about three months later, that my attendance was less than exemplary. During that period I was moving into my fall semester of this academic year and I had classes scheduled during the monthly meeting time of the board. Understandably, I shared the reasoning why I was unable to make the meetings with representatives of the board at a Public Safety Review Board meeting in either August or September and suggested that I be replaced as the representative from the Common Council as I knew I would be unable to make it to meetings. I felt this was the responsible action given the need of the board to find a suitable replacement.
Some time passed and as the New Year rolled around I was informed by the Mayor of the frustration felt by some members of the board with regards to my continued absence. I was, as you might imagine, surprised and disappointed by this revelation given my previous suggestion that I be removed due to my academic conflicts. My spring semester schedule was equally prohibitive of my attendance at board meetings, despite my best efforts to make room for both the Communications Board and the several other committees I serve on for city business. I replied to the Mayor with the same suggestion that I offered the board representatives months prior which was to remove me from the board due to my conflicts academically.
I feel obligated to offer a full apology to my constituents, along with the City of Madison at large, for not having pressed harder for my removal from the Communications Board. I realize now that, although I communicated my inability to attend board meetings on several occasions, I should have marched into the Mayor's office and informed him that I would not leave until my removal was complete.
Questions have been brought up about my attendance on other committees that I have been appointed to and currently serve. For your reference, I have requested the record of all of my attendance since I was elected in April of 2007 (please note, some of the "excused" meetings are either duplicates or were double-marked in error during a roll call vote, indicating I was both present and excused. Council staff informs me that this indicates that I was "present"). That data can be found here. I would also point out that two of the “absences” noted on the list took place during other city meetings (the first during an “Alder Training” class, the other during the final night of the budget process). I believe the one absence in December and January was due to my brief return home to Chicago for winter break.
As a resolution to the Communications Center Board issue, during the Common Council meeting tonight, Paul Skidmore will be reappointed to the Communications Board as the Common Council representative. I hope to provide what support that I can for Ald. Skidmore in his representation of Madison to the county committee and I believe this will solve what appears to have been a case of miscommunication and red-tape at the city level.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this issue or any other, please feel free to give me a call (please use area code, 6083226358) or send me an email (district8@cityofmadison.com). We can either communicate through phone/email or set up a time to meet in person.
As always,
Eli
