This post is part two of my coverage of the December 10th Planning Commission meeting. I posted Part 1 earlier. Residential Space on the First Floor of a Downtown Building. A prior Planning Commission session debated, and the Commission rejected, two residential units for the first floor of the old Hallmark store building on Main…
City
City, Development, Free Markets
Planning Commission Meeting for December 10, 2007 (Part 1)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Two items stood out for me from the December 10th meeting: (1) a discussion of a sign for a downtown restaurant, and (2) a request of an owner to rent a first floor apartment in the back of the old Hallmark store location. I’ve mentioned before that while one’s opinions should not change from forum…
City
Common Council Meeting for December 4, 2007
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ll make two quick comments on the Common Council meeting for December 4th, 2007. First, there’s a serious point to be made about how tax incremental financing is less advantageous and riskier than appears. That’s not apparent until years after a district is established. Tax incremental financing — old or new — should be a…
City, Development
Planning Commission/Architectural Review Board for November 26, 2007
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ll catch up on my coverage of the Planning Commission with a post on its November 26th meeting. One topic stood out: should the Planning Commission meet once or twice a month? Under the rules of the Planning Commission, the chairman can make that decision, but he sensibly allowed it to be a board decision.…
City, Elkhorn, Police
Cat Has Your Tongue?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, I criticized a policy of confidentiality in municipal litigation. I offered seven reasons that a city should not seek or receive confidentiality as a condition of settlement. Confidentiality in municipal litigation is a bad idea, principally, because it deprives citizens of information about the conduct of public officials, on the public payroll, in…
City, Development, Economy, Free Markets, Press
On Nosek on Student Housing, Part 3 (McCann’s Story in the GazetteXtra)
by JOHN ADAMS •
In this third post, I’ll address the quality of the GazetteXtra story from Carla McCann entitled, “Neighborhoods Oppose Housing for UW-W students.” It’s one of the worst stories on Whitewater I have read in months, and is the same league as the biased and misleading stories from the Whitewater Register. The Register cuts short the…
City, Development, Economy, Free Markets
On Nosek on Student Housing, Part 2 (Culture)
by JOHN ADAMS •
In this post, I will consider the cultural aspects of Roy Nosek’s opposition to student housing. I am convinced that’s really where his opposition rests; he has no coherent economic theory that describes and addresses student housing demand in Whitewater. He does, however, have a clear cultural opposition, and that’s what I will consider here.…
City, Economy, Free Markets
On Nosek on Student Housing, Part 1 (Economics)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, a reader emailed me about a post over at the GazetteXtra.com, entitled, “Neighborhood Oppose Housing for UW-W Students.” The story highlights the views of Whitewater dentist-councilman Roy Nosek, on student housing, the housing market, aesthetics, and neighborhood quiet. I’ll address the GazetteXtra.com post with three of my own: Part 1 addresses the economic…
City, Police, Press
Against Confidentiality in Municipal Litigation
by JOHN ADAMS •
Longtime readers know that I have covered the federal lawsuit against Larry Meyer, a now-retired detective of the Whitewater Police Department. Plaintiff, Steve Cvicker sued Meyer federal court alleging violations of his civil and constitutional rights. In March, Cvicker’s Fourth Amendment claims survived a motion for summary judgment. In October, newspaper accounts reported that the…
City
2008 City Budget’s Disappointing Metrics
by JOHN ADAMS •
The latest City Manager’s Weekly Report shows that, on principal fiscal metrics of the 2008 city budget, Whitewater is heading in the wrong direction: Total city spending under the approved budget will increase 3.28% to $9,23,640 from 2007 and the city property levy will increase 4.27% to $2,718,958 up from this year’s $2,607,619. The city…
City
The (Nearly) Secret Career of Pierre St. Menteur
by JOHN ADAMS •
You are doubtless familiar with many people in town, but it is those you do not know who may be the most interesting. Perhaps a few of us, here and there, have made the acquaintance of Pierre St. Menteur, a shadowy French national, reputed to be a planner, consultant, and schemer. Nothing of certainty can…
City
Common Council Meeting for November 20, 2007, Part 2
by JOHN ADAMS •
This is Part 2 of my review of the latest Common Council meeting, on November 20th. Part 1 was posted previously. On Tax Rates. City Manager Brunner mentioned that tax rates in Whitewater have been declining year over year. That sounds impressive, but it’s not meaningful by itself. A reduction of tax rates in the…
City
Common Council Meeting for November 20, 2007, Part 1
by JOHN ADAMS •
Our latest Common Council meeting was a packed night, with approval of the city’s proposed budget for 2008. Here are the highlights, Part 1. Jim Coan’s Big Night. Background — the Common Council, at its last meeting on November 6th, increased the amount of the tax levy to the maximum that Wisconsin would allow for…