New Berlin police team up with plow drivers, rescue motorists

Debunking Heun/NBCRG Blog Statements

Posted by Linda Richter on April 1, 2008

Aldermen, Blogging, City government, community, Development, Events, Local groups

New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG) President Ralph Heun spouted lots of nonsense in the NBCRG March 7 blog entry. See my previous blog entry titled NBCRG Spin and Blunders.

In that March 7 NBCRG blog post, Ralph Heun complained that citizens and civic groups cannot use City Hall. He bemoaned the “short-sighted policy that has kept election forums, Christmas and July 4 parades and other events from being televised”--and he blamed Alderman Bill Moore for it. He accused Ald. Moore of being a prime instigator in passing an ordinance two years ago that prohibited any non-city group from using City Hall/or City Channel 25 for any purposes. What a distortion of facts! Actually, in 2006 Ald. Moore argued against and voted against the restrictive policy/resolution No. 06-11. Furthermore, Ald. Ken Harenda---whom NBCRG has chosen to endorse not only voted in favor of this awful policy/resolution that Heun has complained so bitterly about, he made the motion to approve it.

NBCRG congratulates Election Winners

Posted by Ralph Heun on April 2, 2008

Common Council, New Berlin Elections

New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government congratulates all the winners of the various election races. Although all the candidates we endorsed did not win we feel that the campaigns they conducted were issue oriented.

You will note that NBCRG flyers were all positve on what the issues were.

Lioness breakfast helps campers with handicaps

Posted by Audrey Juds on April 4, 2008

When the New Berlin Lioness serve their 31st Annual Champagne Breakfast Sunday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., they are not just offering a great buffet. All proceeds help provide an opportunity for children and adults with special needs to attend the Wisconsin Lions Foundation Camp at Rosholt, located mid-state.

The event, held at the Holy Apostles School Gymnasium, on 159th Street, north of National Avenue, is known for its fruit pancake rollups with vanilla sauce, along with the usual scrambled egge, hash brown potatoes, hot ham, sausage links, fresh fruit cups and desserts.

I'm a guest of Mike Gousha's

Posted by Mary Lazich on April 4, 2008

Mary in the media

I will be a guest this Sunday morning on Channel 12’s Up Front with Mike Gousha.

We will discuss the state Supreme Court race and calls for reforming judicial campaigns.

You can see Up Front with Mike Gousha this Sunday morning on Channel 12 at 9:00 a.m.

Bill Moore Triumphs

Posted by Linda Richter on April 6, 2008

Aldermen, Elections, Local groups

In the New Berlin Aldermanic April 1 races:

New Berlin resident explains meanings of Wisconsin Open Meetings Laws

Posted by Ralph Heun on April 8, 2008

Guest Editorials

The following article is published as a Public Service of NBCRG
NBCRG does not endorse or repudiate any comments made by the writer.

Subject: re:Debunking Heun/NBCRG Blog Statements From Linda Richter Blog of April 1, 2208

Linda, (Richter)

"Let's get something else straight: Ald. Dave Ament called the Feb. 16 meeting at City Hall, but it was for area residents--not only his own District #7 constituents. The meeting dealt with Coffee Road changes, as well as sidewalks, side paths or bike trails in various areas of the City. Heun's statement that Ald. Poshepny (District #5) was not shouted down is untrue. When Ald. Poshepny attempted to speak, some members of the audience rudely yelled out. I witnessed that. Heun admits that Ald. Ament asked Ald. Poshepny not to speak. And yet, others at the meeting were allowed to speak."

I have not spoken to Ald. Ament regarding 'why he did what he did' - because I automatically understood the 'why he did what he did'.

The reason for Ald. Ament's action (not allowing Ald. Poshepny to speak), was to avoid any discrepancy within the Wisconsin State Open Meetings Laws. The Feb. 16th meeting was not an 'official' city meeting:

*An 'official' city meeting is comprised of: A meeting where 2 or more aldermen address the public. an "official notice" must be published prior to 2 or more aldermen speaking to the public; "official minutes" must be taken if 2 or more aldermen address the public; those "minutes" must be available at a later time to the public via an open records request.

Ald. Ament's meeting was a neighborhood meeting. Any impropriety at this meeting would have happened had Ald. Ament allowed Ald. Poshepny to speak.

Further to the above issue, any address to the citizens by Ald. Posphepny could have caused the 'appearance' of a negative quorum. In New Berlin, it has been deemed a 'negative' quorum equals 2 aldermen.

Wisconsin now has an official tartan

Posted by Mary Lazich on April 9, 2008

Governor Doyle has signed legislation that creates the official state tartan. I was the lead Senate sponsor of the legislation.

Take a look. The story behind the tartan is quite interesting.

Governor quietly drops cost-savings program, audit planned

Posted by Mary Lazich on April 12, 2008

Audits

The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that last year, Governor Doyle’s administration “quietly dropped” the Accountability, Consolidation and Efficiency, or ACE initiative. The administration promoted ACE, promising a savings to the state of $200 million over four years by determining more effective ways to make state purchases.

My colleague, state Senator Rob Cowles of Green Bay has asked for an audit of ACE. Cowles is correct that during a time of a $650 million dollar revenue shortfall, the state must take every step it can to ensure funding is being spent appropriately and effectively.

Read the Wisconsin State Journal article.

Information about the " 2007 Waukesha County Comprehensive Planning Public Opinion Survey Report"

Posted by New Berlin Land Conservancy on April 13, 2008

Community planning, environmental, Farmers, Land use

A little over a year ago, the “Waukesha County Comprehensive Planning Public Opinion Survey Report” was published. The New Berlin Land Conservancy, Inc. is of the opinion that the Survey Report is of such magnitude, importance and significance that municipal officials and the public should be informed of the findings of the Survey, if they are not already aware of the contents. Since the Survey Report is fifty-four pages of very detailed information, the Conservancy in this blog will print out only the Executive summary of the Report in its entirety. It should be noted that twenty-seven communities in Waukesha County participated in the Survey. New Berlin did not participate. That decision was made by the administration of former Mayor Wysocki when the idea of the Survey was first broached.

Waukesha County Comprehensive Planning Public Opinion Survey:

Survey Report :David Trechter, Shelly Hadley, James Janke, Denise Parks,

Survey Research Center Report 2007 - 3 February 2007.

Executive SummaryIn the fall of 2006, the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls sent comprehensive planning public opinion surveys to 26,973 residents of Waukesha County. Samples were drawn to produce statistically valid results for all 27 participating jurisdictions (towns, villages, and cities) and the County as a whole. A total of 8,723 useable surveys were returned for an overall 32 percent return rate. From the returned surveys, the SRC constructed a random sample of 1,313 surveys as a geographically balanced sample of public opinion for the County as a whole. With this number of observations, County-level estimates are expected to be accurate to within plus or minus 3 percent. Key findings of the study include: · the demographic profile (age, income, education, etc.) of the sample matched the Census profile quite closely, but there were slightly more men, people with at least a 4-year college degree, and higher income groups in the sample than would have been expected. Different demographic groups often have significantly different opinions and priorities, which are noted as appropriate throughout the report · residents identified crime and safety as the most important reasons they chose to live in Waukesha County. Other important factors included the quality of schools, the natural environment, property taxes, the rural atmosphere and housing choices · with respect to these key motivators for living in Waukesha County: most residents were satisfied with efforts to deal with crime and safety issues; solid majorities were satisfied with their housing choices, the quality of schools, and the natural environment; a narrow majority was satisfied with efforts to maintain the rural atmosphere; and relatively few were satisfied with property taxes· respondents, when evaluating changes in the quality of life in their individual jurisdiction, cited the amount of development as well as road and traffic conditions as causing declines in their quality of life but the availability of shopping and community events as having improved it over the past 5-10 years · a solid majority (63 percent) rated the overall quality of the environment in the County as good or excellent (compared to only 6 percent rating it poor or very poor). Most are satisfied with the park system in the County and with air quality. The largest environmental concerns focus on preservation of farm/forest land and groundwater quality · citizen concern about the quality and quantity of surface and ground water was apparent in several places in the report: they identified groundwater as the most important (tied with air quality) natural resource and surface water as the third most important natural resource; more than one-quarter voiced dissatisfaction with current groundwater protection efforts; and a substantial proportion said that reducing water use in the home is important to them · similarly, citizens voiced concern about the pace of development in a number of ways in this report: a decline in the quality of life was associated with the amount of development and the condition of roads and traffic; a willingness to consider public purchase of development rights on selected parcels of land, a preference for more compact housing development designs, more than half (53 percent) said that the percent per decade growth experienced in the County was too much, and concern about preserving open or green space· with respect to housing development, the only types for which a majority of County respondents felt additional units were needed were housing for the elderly and the disabled. Many (46% of the 1,281 respondents) said Waukesha County needs more affordable housing.· there was very strong support (85 percent) for the proposition that homeowners should be able to make major modifications to their homes to meet the needs of elderly or disabled relatives by roughly 3 to 1 margins, residents preferred conservation designs over more traditional ones for residential developments · a majority of residents rejected the idea that landowners should be able to do whatever they want to with their property. · the most important Countywide growth issue, according to respondents to this survey, was tax rates. This issue was followed rather distantly by preserving green space, crime and safety issues, and water quality. While residents reported relatively high rates of satisfaction with the way the County has dealt with crime and safety (64 percent favorable), the same cannot be said for how it has dealt with tax rates (53 percent dissatisfied)· with respect to transportation, County residents tentatively agreed that the current road network meets current needs and that maintenance of the system is adequate but were substantially less sanguine about the network’s ability to meet future needs. Relatively narrow majorities recognized a need for additional biking/walking lanes/trails (57 percent) and links between I-43 and both I-94 (58 percent favorable) and US41/45 (51 percent favorable) · few people (3 percent) reported using public transportation; opinions were mixed among the users as to the adequacy and quality of the public transportation options available in the County · in terms of the types of economic development that citizens said they would like to see encouraged in the County, the clear favorite was “emerging technology”. Only slightly more than one-quarter of respondents (28 percent) said they were satisfied with County efforts to build a high tech sector; a majority (55 percent) were neutral on this question · residents were also strongly in favor (81 percent) of efforts to promote business retention in the County • there was little dissatisfaction with public services in local jurisdictions. Where dissatisfaction existed, it seemed to be associated with the general unease with the pace of development in the County as mentioned above. Specifically, somewhat large proportions of respondents indicated that the quality of road maintenance (15 percent) and planning and zoning (22 percent) were poor or very poor in their jurisdiction • with respect to sharing public services with neighboring jurisdictions; only recycling programs and libraries were seen by a majority of respondents as candidates for shared operations i i Two major themes ran through the survey results: 1. Growth and change dominated public concerns about the future of Waukesha County. These concerns manifested themselves in a number of ways: • concern about the future adequacy of the County’s road network • concern about the loss of farm and forest land and the impact of these changes on green and open space in the County • preferences for more compact development • the negative impact development and roads/traffic conditions seem to have had on local quality of life • concerns about current and future affordability of housing in the County Respondents seemed open to the public policy options for coping with growth and development about which they were asked in this survey. They were strongly supportive of having local jurisdictions buy development rights on selected properties to ensure they would not be developed. A majority is in favor of a project to link I-43 with I-94 and about equally split on project to link I-43 with US 41/45. Finally, they also recognized their own responsibilities, to a certain extent, by agreeing that they need to reduce water use in their own homes. 2. Tax rates were perceived as too high in Waukesha County. This theme, we are sure, will come as no surprise to elected officials in the County. Property taxes were mentioned by more than half of all respondents as a source of dissatisfaction with the quality of life in the County (Table 4). Tax rates more generally was the top-rated County-wide growth issue by slightly more than 50 percent of the respondents (Table 12), and a similar percentage of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the way taxes were being handled in the County (Table 13). There is, at least, a potential for a significant disconnect between these themes. At least some of the policies endorsed by respondents and summarized in point 1 above would require additional spending by local units of government. For example, if a town is to purchase the development rights from the owner of a farm or woodlot that the public wants preserved, it is going to need money to make the purchase. In the absence of an increase in state or federal aid to local governments, this probably means some sort of increase in local taxes. Finally, respondents chose the “neutral” or “no opinion” option in substantial numbers for many questions asked in the questionnaire. This suggests that opinions on a substantial number of topics have not been polarized or set in stone. This result, at a minimum, indicates a need for additional outreach and education efforts to better inform the public about land use and other public policies in the County. The SRC feels that the information contained in this report provides an interesting and accurate summary of public opinion about land use issues in the fall of 2006.

States look to Venezuela for energy assistance

Posted by Mary Lazich on April 14, 2008

Wisconsin is one of 15 states to accept free heating oil from Venezuela to help low-income families heat their homes this past winter.

Some states refuse to participate because of America’s political differences with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Stateline.org has the details.

Great Lakes water

Posted by Audrey Juds on April 14, 2008

New Berlin does not have a wall separating the east from the west like they had in Berlin, Germany. But we are separated by the Great Lakes basin divide which runs right through the middle of the our city -- mostly along Sunny Slope Road. Thus, those on the east side of Sunny Slope get their water from Lake Michigan, while many west of there use water from the citiy's deep public wells which are becoming contaminated with radium.

Mayor Jack Chiovatero is taking an active role fighting to get clean Lake Michigan water for the rest of New Berlin. In fact, last month he was awarded a 2008 Environmental Local Official Leader Award by the Clean Wisconsin Action Fund,. This was presented to him in recognition "for his support of strong implementing language in the Great Lakes Compact legislation."

A Pause

Posted by Linda Richter on April 16, 2008

Personal

An e-postcard to you.....

Greetings from outside New Berlin. I've been in Florida since Sunday, April 6, visiting some family members and taking a break from regular routine and blogging. I'm hoping the sunshine and warmer weather here will facilitate recovery from the influenza, health problems and complications I've been struggling with during these last two months. The Sunshine State is a great vacation and recreation spot. A fun place to visit. However, there's no place like home.

Deer Creek Inn & Conference Center Public Informational Hearing April 24, 5:00 at City Hall

Posted by Ralph Heun on April 17, 2008

Guest Editorials

The following notice from the Department of Natural Resources is a public service of NBCRG

DNR schedules Public Informational Hearing on for grading at site of Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center, LLC

Posted by New Berlin Land Conservancy on April 18, 2008

Community planning, environmental

The Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a public informational hearing on Don Kittens Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center, LLC. for a permit for grading in excess of 10,000 square feet on the banks of Deer Creek. The hearing will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 5pm at New Berlin City Hall.

Autism, the Fastest Growing Disability

Posted by Audrey Juds on April 22, 2008

Frightening statistics show that autism is being diagnosed for one in 150 individuals, and it is four times more likely to occur in boys than girls.

It is defined as "a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills."

Moorland Road Safety Concerns Addressed

Posted by Lieutenant Mike Glider on April 24, 2008

You may have thought you saw more police cars along Moorland Road in the last month. It wasn't your imagination. Based on several e-mails and phone calls from concerned citizens, the New Berlin Police Department has been stepping up its enforcement of traffic violations along heavily traveled Moorland Road. We are targeting all types of violations along Moorland Road, but have focused mainly on the busier intersections, where drivers have not been stopping for red and yellow lights, and have been making illegal u-turns. In the last month alone, this increased enforcement has led to violators receiving 18 tickets and 34 warnings. This is over and above the regular traffic enforcement on New Berlin's busiest roadway. The department plans to continue this increased presence over the summer months, when dry roads generally lead to increased speeds. These increased speeds through busy intersections lead to the more serious accidents, usually involving injuries and even fatalities. Please drive safely and don't forget to buckle up!

Significant Stuff

Posted by Linda Richter on April 26, 2008

environment, Events, Water

Now that I'm back from my Florida trip, in my spare time I've been trying to catch up on the local news. One news item stood out from the rest --the announcement of an agreement on the Great Lakes compact.

Autism Awareness

Posted by Linda Richter on April 28, 2008

Health

April is Autism Awareness Month

More about autism

Posted by Audrey Juds on April 29, 2008

The Mental Health Ministry, based at Holy Apostles Church in New Berlin, has assisted 40 people with mental illness since it was organized in 2002. According to its facilitator, Mary Hartinger,.an average of 10 people attend their monthly meetings, held the third Tuesday of the month. This includes those with mental illness as well as family members.

Last week, when writing about a program the organization was featuring about autism, I included promotional information Hartinger had given me. I briefley listing things children with autism wish people knew, This week I received a request from Ellen Notbohm, the author of the book, "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wisher You Knew," requesting that I list these 10 points in their entirety,

Holy School Board!

Posted by Linda Richter on April 30, 2008

School Board

At Monday’s New Berlin School Board Meeting at City Hall, Board President Keith Heun rose, faced the flag, and asked people to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, which he proceeded to recite with the words, “Our Father…”

CommunityWatch

${gotBlog.title}