There’s a development proposal now pending between the City of Whitewater and Green Energy Holdings for a waste digester. The community’s heard only a bit about the proposal, from one newspaper story, and an item in then-city manager Brunner’s Weekly Report (publicized verbatim thereafter). The proposal’s been described in big terms, but there’s been little…
Development
CDA, City, Development, Green Energy Holdings
The CDA Session from 6.27.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Part of the Community Development Authority’s discussion for its June 27th meeting included consideration of a proposal for a digester, in a possible agreement with Green Energy Holdings, Inc. I’ve no remarks to make here about that company, or its work elsewhere, but about the conduct of Whitewater’s Community Development Authority there is reason for…
City, Development, Economy, Laws/Regulations, Planning
The 6.11.12 Joint City Council and Plan Commission Zoning Rewrite Workshop
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a combined meeting of Whitewater’s City Council and her Planning Commission scheduled for Monday, June 11th at 6 PM. The agenda for the meeting includes a packet describing the work of the Zoning Rewrite members, proposals they are considering, and a timeline for the zoning rewrite effort (extending from this year into next). I…
City, Development, Economy, Government Spending, Planning
Distressed TID 4
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an observation from 2011 from Whitewater’s city manager to consider about the distressed status of tax incremental district 4. (I came on the observation while reading this week about Generac.) Before going further, I’ll observe that when one talks about distressed tax incremental districts, one’s talking about rare birds. By the assessment of the…
Business, City, Development, Government Spending
Meet the New Public-Loan Applicant, Same as the Old Public-Loan Applicant
by JOHN ADAMS •
From Whitewater’s city manager and acting Community Development Association director comes word of a second public loan for DR Plastics. To follow the agendas, proceedings, and minutes of the CDA was to see this a mile away — CDA Approves Business Development Loan to DR Plastics The Community Development Authority (CDA) this week approved a…
City, Development, Planning
Sundry Topics about Planning
by JOHN ADAMS •
Remarks on Whitewater’s Planning Commission, and planning generally – Planning for Competion, or Planning against Competition? There’s an easy difference: one sets rules of the road, the other decides which cars get to use the road, or get built. It’s clear that some on Whitewater’s Planning Commission don’t see a distinction, and some others don’t…
City, Development, Free Markets, Liberty, Planning
How to Make Whitewater Hip and Prosperous
by JOHN ADAMS •
Some suggestions, in no particular order, of a list that’s only a sketch: Recognize the truth of the city, and all cities. This small town is filled with thousands upon thousands of smart, knowledgeable people. I don’t say this to make others feel good; I say it because it’s true. These many don’t need the…
City, Development, Economy, Free Markets, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Local Government, Planning
The Williamsburg Neighborhood in Brooklyn
by JOHN ADAMS •
I mentioned that I would write a bit about the Williamsburg neighborhood. Brooklyn’s huge (millions of residents) and there are many neighborhoods (themselves large) within that borough. One of them is Williamsburg, a diverse and eclectic community, with both Hasidim and hipsters, and a thriving arts scene. These groups within the neighborhood do not always…
City, Development
On the Search for a Community Development Authority Director
by JOHN ADAMS •
Small-town Whitewater, like so many small towns, has a community development authority. For several years, Whitewater’s city manager has overseen and directed that authority in the absence of a director responsible to the CDA alone. One can leave aside a detailed critique of the CDA’s past performance (performance that I consider often misguided), and still…
City, Development, Planning
The Tragedy of Urban Renewal
by JOHN ADAMS •
There are few worse tragedies than ones that come about by our own hands. New York City has seen more than her share of tragedies, of all sorts, and so-called urban renewal has been one of them. These experiments are mostly over for major cities, but the impulse behind them still persists, plaguing others as…
City, Development, Government Spending
Meanwhile, at our business park…
by JOHN ADAMS •
I regularly read the Weekly Report of Whitewater’s city manager. I feel that I’m being helpful by doing so; if I stopped, average readership would likely fall by a third. In the July 8th edition, there’s mention of a new business, Simonswerk, that’s bringing a few jobs to our business park. A few are better…
City, Development
Whitewater’s Downtown
by JOHN ADAMS •
Walworthy County Today has a story online from Kevin Hoffman about downtown revitalization in small towns. Whitewater is part of that story. See, Communities work to revitalize downtown despite challenges. Challenges there have been. The Great Recession took a toll everywhere in America, and 2007-2009 are among the worst years in American economic history. And…
City, Development, Economy
Whitewater’s May 17th Common Council Meeting
by JOHN ADAMS •
Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, embedded below, included a discussion of Whitewater’s calculation and charges for new construction permits. That discussion takes places from 21:50 to 31:20. Of that discussion, there were two positive changes to Whitewater’s current policy: (1) that the city should calculate new-construction permit costs by square footage, and (2) that the rate…
Development, Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning, Taxes/Taxation
Stossel: End Corporate Welfare
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at Reason, John Stossel writes about the problem – a big, expensive one – of corporate welfare. Particular businesses shouldn’t receive preferential treatment, including taxpayer handouts, from government. Taxes and fees should be lower across the board, and without preference for one corporation over another. Corporate handouts only reduce competitiveness and increase dependency, and…