Village Spillage

UPDATE:  Wispolitics.com has interviews with 3 of the 6 candidates.  I have added links to each profile to direct you to the stories.  Plus, read the comments below, as Yash Wadhwa phoned me up to discuss this article.

UPDATE 2:  Dan Kohl knocked on my door this evening.  He knew I wrote this blog entry, although hadn't read it himself.   He was under the assumption I was a "Guy Guy" (for Guy Johnson.)  I am not.  I am uncommitted, and will remain that way until the Debate this Tuesday, and perhaps after any interviews I would write about the candidates.  I will endorse someone in the next 2-3 weeks.  As I did for the Whitefish Bay Trustee race, my first job is to perform a public service.  Do I have favorites?  Sure.  I let you know my thoughts on each candidate.   For the millionth time, I am not a journalist.  I will walk you through how I researched each person, and later, why I endorse a candidate.

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Since Sheldon Wasserman is running against Alberta Darling for her State Senate Seat, his Assembly seat is open.  So far, there are 4 Democrats and 1 Republican running for his spot.  

Here's my run-down:

Yash Wadhwa - Republican - Glendale - Website: http://yashforassembly.com

Honestly, I have no thoughts about Wadhwa.  It's hard to get excited for a Republican running in a Democratic district.   Looks like Whitefish Bay's own (County Supervisor) Joe Rice is his treasurer, so he's got that going for him.   Wadhwa's first issue statement, "I strongly believe that our state is in the midst of a fiscal crisis." is spot on, of course. 

Guy Johnson - Democrat - Shorewood - Website: http://www.electguyjohnson.com

Johnson is the current Village Board President for Shorewood, and has been on the Board for a decade.   He got his engineering degree from Marquette, and an MBA from UWM, and currently directs the MBA program at UWM.   He's easily the candidate with the most public service experience, with the Shorewood board, plus NSFD Director, Chair of Shorewood's Plan Commission and Budget & Finance committees.

As a resident of Whitefish Bay, I have Shorewood envy.  They've got their act together. Easily the crowning achievement is their rejuvenated business district.  Johnson also touts the Shorewood smoking ban, which I'm pleased with.  Maybe he can figure out a way to get that passed in the Tavern League dominated Wisconsin legislature.

Johnson's issues:  Schools, higher ed, fiscal policy, smoking ban, Great Lakes & shore protection, Non-Partisanship, Health Care.

Link: Johnson's WisPolitics.com Interview

Dan Kohl - Democrat - River Hills - Website: http://kohlforassembly.com

Kohl's name should sound familiar.  He's Sen. Herb Kohl's 41-year-old nephew.  Previously, Dan worked for uncle Herb as an assistant GM for the Kohl-owned Bucks for 14 years. 

It's hard to tell what he does now, his website doesn't give his biography besides that he "currently holds a leadership position with a nonprofit working to fix some of Milwaukee’s biggest educational challenges." 

Sure hope that pays well, as the mortgage on his River Hills home has got to be monstrous!  (Oh, who am I kidding.  Do guys like him have mortgages?)

Ah, here we go.   According to this article, he's working for the SEED Foundation, creating a boarding school for at-risk Milwaukee youth.

It's amusing, back in August, the Milwaukee-JS had a line on him:  The 41-year-old .. shot down talk that he's dying to follow his uncle into elective office: "That's not true."

Well.  It wasn't true until 4 months later.

Kohl Issues: Education, Health Care, Environment, Econ growth, Good government.

Link: Kohl's WisPolitics.com Interview

Andy Feldman - Democrat - Shorewood - Website: http://www.andyforwisconsin.com

Feldman has a pretty decent resume.  He's got an Econ degree from Swarthmore, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard.   He was a Staff Economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton years.  (Gosh, I can't imagine the Wisconsin Legislature needing an economist brainiac, they are doing so well balancing state finances already.)

Feldman's issues  : Supporting Education, Improve Health Care, Environmental leadership, Attract more young people to area.

Sandra Pasch - Democrat - Whitefish Bay - Website: http://www.sandrapasch.com

Pasch has been a registered nurse for 30 years, and has her nursing degree from UW-Madison, a Masters from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Bioethics, and another Masters from the University of Rochester (NY) in "Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing". 

Clearly, her expertise is in the medical field, which was Dr. Sheldon Wasserman's wheelhouse.  

Pasch fractured her pelvis in April, and has been wheel-chairing around, knocking on doors.  

Pasch's issues: Healthcare, Education, Fiscal Responsibility, Environmental Stewardship.

Link: Pasch's WisPolitics.com Interview

And hey .. this is kind of fun.  I found the Campaign Finance reports on 3 of the 5 candidates, click to read:  Pasch,  Kohl,  Wadhwa.  I don't know why Feldman nor Johnson haven't filed yet, or their reports just aren't on the WI Election website. 

This is no surprise .. Wadhwa has a few bucks in his account, followed by Pasch.  Then there's Kohl far in the lead, with a bunch of $500 donors.  Shocking.

Here are my thoughts.  First off .. since the 22nd district is heavily Democratic, this race is all about the September 9th Primary, 7 short weeks away.   Whichever Democratic contestant wins that race, will win the seat easily.  Sorry Wadhwa.  I'm sure you're a fine guy.  I'm always pleased to have contested races, though.

Guy Johnson will do well in Shorewood. But I haven't seen a single yard sign, nor received any campaign literature from Johnson, which is a disappointment, as he is a highly qualified candidate.   This race will be decided in 7 weeks.  He's gotta get moving fast.   He's the only guy in the race who's actually run and won campaigns for office, and worked with other pols to make things happen, and Shorewood has a pretty good record.  I really like his extensive issue statements.

Sandra Pasch has probably benefited from breaking her pelvis.  Seriously.  It got her in the news, and people see her wheeling around knocking on doors.  That's some courage.  She probably picked up 5 points just from making the decision to continue the race.  That being said .. while she's knocked on my door twice, and I think she's a fine example of a citizen legislator, honestly .. I have trouble with her background. 

We've been represented by someone heavily into the health care world, through (Dr.) Sheldon Wasserman.   I like the guy, I really do, but I can't think of a single legislative item that he accomplished that interested me.   Take a look at his recent bills.  Most of it is completely focused on health issues .. defibrillators.. antibiotic drug treatment .. Birth defect prevention .. autopsy for prisoner deaths .. Health professional shortage ..  HIV test requirements .. Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection.   Now, I'm not saying that stuff isn't important. But .. health care just isn't in my personal top 3 issues for Wisconsin.  And, I think Wasserman is going to win the Senate seat.  Do we need two health care professionals representing us? 

At the moment, I think I'm most intrigued by Andy Feldman.  I really like his background, raised in WFB, lives in Shorewood .. White House economist, public policy professor, at Harvard no less.  That's a big fat resume.  And the Wisconsin legislature is in dire need of some professorial economic lectures, as our budget, and the budget process, is a shambles.  Feldman knocked on my door once, and I've been impressed with receiving three sharp mailing pieces.

Then you've got your Dan Kohl.  He's über rich, and über connected to unkie Herb.   He'll probably win.  Why?  Money, of course.   Look, besides Johnson, none of these guys are public figures.  That means, the race can purchased by putting out a ton of mailings, lawn signs, who knows, maybe we'll see some TV or radio ads from Kohl.  He'll have the cash to do it.   He even had the cash to roll out a phone-poll, feeling out the strengths and weaknesses of the other candidates.  Both my wife and I were polled .. it wasn't very hard to figure out the push the poll was giving.

Update:  After reading Kohl's WisPolitics interview (see link above) .. they bring up an interesting point, that Kohl may be using this as a "stepping stone" to later run for his Uncle's US Senate seat.  Kohl denies this up and down, but that's exactly what politicians say right up until the point that they decide to go back on their word.

How can he lose?  His donor list is riddled with Kohl family members .. 32% of his money has been raised OUTSIDE Wisconsin.   One can imagine he's got Unkie Herb's rolodex.    Nepotism rules, baby!

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IMPORTANT:  The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a debate for the 22nd district candidates.   It's at 6:30-8pm, on Tuesday August 5th in the Shorewood Village Center, 3920. N. Murray Ave, (lower level of Library).  Looks like every candidate minus Wadhwa will be there. 

I'll be there.  I can be impressed.  Maybe Guy Johnson will come on strong, he's got the issues.  Maybe Pasch isn't all about health care.  Maybe Feldman will crack out some econ lessons for us.  Maybe Kohl isn't a silver-spoon guy, buying this election.  You be the judge.  August 5, 6:30pm.

Make sure to read Homeowner Rights Suffer Blow.  and ARC-ARGH.

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I know this has nothing to do with Whitefish Bay .. but it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of Villagers have vacation homes in Wisconsin's "Up North".

We are fortunate to have extended family who own a vacation home in Rome, WI, and we avail ourselves of their graciousness 2-3 times per year.

Rome has three lakes, Arrowhead, Camelot, and Sherwood, all of which were created by damming rivers around 1970.  The lakes were planned out to maximize the number of lakefront homes. 

We just got back from a long weekend there, and what struck my wife and me were the dozens .. hundreds of homes for sale on those lakes.   Literally every 3rd house had a "For Sale" sign in their front yard.

I checked a couple of real estate websites for that area .. Shorewest lists 196 waterfront homes for sale, Zillow maps about 200 of them .. There are a boatload of houses that are not on either website, perhaps indicating they are for-sale-by-owner only..  With this in mind, the number may be far higher, perhaps in the 300s.

Whitefish Bay has 124 listings, for comparison.  Rome's housing stock is probably 1/5th the size of WFB.

So, we all know about the tough times for home sales, and for our economy in general.  While my observations are clearly anecdotal, it would indicate a tremendous drop in second/vacation home ownership.

Besides the general malaise in the market, I think one big reason this may be happening to Rome is high gas prices.  Rome is 160 miles away, a very manageable 2 hour trip from Milwaukee.  That fuel cost, as we all know, has doubled in the past couple years.   Going up there 2-3 times each month in the summer has become a costly adventure.

I'm a pessimist on gas prices .. I think the cycles we've had over the past 3-5 years will continue, where prices will dip in the winter, rocket in the spring and summer.  I'll predict $4.75 gas prices for the summer of 2009, $5.50 for 2010.   Imagine what that will do to the (secondary) real estate market and tourism.

I've been meaning to drop in a story about our newly elected Trustee, Tom Fehring.   He's trying to put me out of business.

Sort of.

He has his own blog!   Imagine that, a Village official, tinkering with internet outreach.   So far, Tom's been writing about topics from construction to rain barrels .. he's got a great page on Exploring WFB History .. and one explaining his take on how to Improve the Village .. I hope to see future blog entries on all the secret wheeling and dealing behind Trustee doors. 

Heck, I'd be happy to read about the public wheeling and dealing, as our media coverage is pretty thin.

Oh, and here's something else.  He has a public email address, TrusteeFehring@WFBVillage.org.  Imagine that. 

All the Trustees have private email addresses that some people are fortunate enough to have, but they're not technically public information.  If you want to reach the Trustees via email, the official way is to email the Village Manager (manager@WFBVillage.org) who will forward/print your email for Trustee consumption.  Hardly 2007 technology.

Of course, the reluctance has something to do with open records laws, whereby official communication should be archived.  Now that WFB has a new website, with GovOffice servers, the technology should be available.

I think email correspondence is vital to a more responsive government.  Let's face it, Whitefish Bay's demographics are dominated by busy people.  Families with soccer games to go to.  Dance recitals, kung-fu tournaments.  Not many have the time to go to Village meetings and voice their opinions, or just converse with their officials.  

Email is the great equalizer, as it lowers the bar, making it very easy to communicate with the people who represent you.  Of particular import, though, is that with more communication, vocal minorities can be equalized by the greater community. 

In Shorewood, you can contact your Trustees via email.

In Glendale, you can contact your Trustees via email.  They even have Trustee pages, on their (otherwise abysmal) website.

In Mequon, you can contact the Mayor via email.  Partial credit.

In Brown Deer, you can contact most of the Trustees via email.

In Cedarburg, you can contact your Trustees via email.

In Grafton, you can contact your Trustees via email.

In Port Washington, you can contact your Trustees via email.

Fox Point and Bayside have pretty nice websites, but no Trustee access.  

But extra credit goes to Bayside.  Somehow, their tiny town has got their internet act together, minus Trustee email address.  You want a list of New Ordinances?  How about Resolutions?  (Oh, and notice how a resolution was passed 5 days ago, and posted immediately?  Warp speed.) How about a WEEKLY newsletter on what Bayside officials are up to?  Great stuff.

WFB Trustee Fehring requested his Official email address.  Let's see Pritchard, Roemer, Schmidt, Cheng, Siegel, and Brennan do the same!

Make sure to read Homeowner Rights Suffer Blow.  and ARC-ARGH.

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Hecker's

There's an article in today's NOW about the demise of Hecker's shoes, the latest victim of Silver Spring's decline. 

Here's a few clips:

"(Marcia Hecker) said an increasing number of Internet shoe stores and a lack of foot traffic in the East Silver Spring business district added to the company’s demise."

"Hecker questions if the village could have done more in getting businesses onto the street that would have increased foot traffic, like approving the Silver Spring streetscaping plan to improve aesthetics and other development projects."

What was Village Manager James Grassman's response?

“Businesses don’t go out of business because of trees on the street.”

Wow.

How's that theory working out for you?

Make sure to read Homeowner Rights Suffer Blow.  and ARC-ARGH.

Don't want to keep checking for WFB news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

I've been to three meetings at Village Hall in the past year to witness three decisions I cared about.  I am 0 for 3.

The first I attended was to observe the annual decision to continue the practice of having Trick-or-Treating on Sunday afternoon, trumping tradition with convenience, flying in the face of how the rest of the country celebrates Halloween.  While I was disappointed, life will go on, and the GHOST-PAC army will grow each year.

The second, was to witness the debate on allowing Aurora Health Care build a clinic on prime Silver Spring property.  Again, I was disappointed in the decision, but I understood it.  When your business district is in a death spiral, you accept sub-optimal establishments, hoping it will work out.

I went to last night's Trustee meeting to hear the debate on curtailing homeowner rights.   To be honest, this one made me angry.

To summarize, the debate was over how homeowners may use their garages.   As Whitefish Bay residents seek to improve their homes, their dilapidated garages are replaced with glorious new structures, often with room above the car park that can be utilized in ways only bound by the homeowner's imagination.   Maybe a home office, maybe a toy room, maybe a neighborhood ping pong arena, or maybe just a simple room with a couch to read books in peace.

Well, imagine no further, Whitefish Bay residents.  You can't do that anymore. 

Four residents spoke at the meeting, two of them architects, all asking: Where is the public outcry for new regulation?   The answer is, there isn't any.  

The trustees based their decision on two specious elements.  Safety, and privacy (aesthetics).  Since fires can break out in garage spaces, Whitefish Bay "shouldn't" allow habitable space above them.   An audience member debunked that idea with two hits:  First, we allow people to live atop attached garages all the time.  Second, new garages are required to be built to fireproofing standards.  

As for the "privacy" rationale, whereby residents don't want tall remodeling projects blocking out their view, Trustee Siegel aptly suggested that occurs frequently in Whitefish Bay, as people are allowed to construct additions to their homes, which certainly alter the view of neighbors. 

Furthermore, we have an Architectural Review Commission who makes sure all projects are of "proper scale and mass."    For the most part, these garages with floorspace above will be built.  The question is, what can people do with them?

At one point, Trustee Roemer, who was chairing this part of the meeting, said he was uncomfortable with the rules at hand, and he thought the Board would not be able to vote on them until the issues had been resolved, since the debate had exposed many unaddressed problems.  However, since the "Plan Commission had worked on this for so long", sending it back to them wouldn't be productive.  It appeared the Trustees just wanted to move on, flaws notwithstanding.  They then passed each rule as written, with a couple feeble dissents per rule.

As a guess, I think Trustees Roemer and Fehring, who cast the two lone dissenting votes, were frustrated but swept up in the bunch.

Honestly, this kind of regulation is infuriating.  Whitefish Bay is landlocked.  Lot sizes are small.  Homeowners should be encouraged to do their best with the small property they have with the rules already in place, .   The answer to residents desiring more space to inhabit on their property shouldn't be "MOVE TO MEQUON."  

What angers me the most, however, is that this is a classic case of lawmakers passing a regulation that the public would overwhelmingly reject.   There were 4 village residents who spoke passionately and knowledgeably against passage.  There were ZERO residents there to speak in favor, besides the ARC chair who spoke informationally.  Yet the Trustees imagined hoards of Fonzies, secretly renting out 2nd floors of garages (with no plumbing).  The Trustees imagined fictional Villagers taking umbrage with neighbors using space above their new garages for offices, or recreation, or dozing.  

To an extent, I blame myself.  I should have written a column weeks ago, maybe snared a few more residents who care about their rights as homeowners to show up.  On the other hand, would the Trustees have listened had 10 people showed, or 20?   The Trustees were using their imaginations about unspoken, theoretical neighbor unhappiness which apparently trumped the passionate pleas from those actually in attendance.

(And for the record, I don't have a garage, so I am not biased to favor lax rules.  I do, however, realize my family has doubled in the past two years, and my 1300 sq. foot home is getting smaller by the minute.  A home with an extra room over the garage could be exactly what I'm looking for in my next WFB residence, but alas.)

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First off, I want to fully disclaim that I have a thin remembrance of the history of the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) and online media reports are sparse. 

From these Village Board minutes from October 2005, it would appear that the ARC replaced the "Building Board" at that time.  If I recall correctly, that was around the time that there had been a couple of home demolitions and rebuilds that made project neighbors unhappy.

So if I have this correct .. after a handful of neighbors took umbrage to the design and size of a few (and when I say few, I mean two) homes that were demolished and new, larger homes rebuilt, Whitefish Bay decided to create the ARC, which would forever forth scrutinize each and every homeowner project, so that no landowner may do as they please with their own property.  Feel free to peruse the 17 pages of guidelines you are living under.

I can imagine that about 90% of Villagers vaguely remember the creation of the ARC, thinking, vaguely of course, that it sounded like a decent idea. 

Don't want no ugly houses on my block, right? 

I'm going to further guess that 90% of the Villagers who have had to present their plans on bended knee, to the ARC for permission, to improve their homes, have come away irritated with the bureaucratic process whereby their rights as homeowners have been supplanted by others.

Looking at meeting minutes from the ARC, it appears that they indeed scrutinize each project and their details.  They debate whether the homeowner should be allowed a stone chimney, or one that's stucco.  What kind of lights can be installed on garages.  Whether to allow a hip roof or gable.   Patio door?  NO!  French door, says ARC.   The ARC tells you how many, and where you can put windows.   Not so fast on putting in flood lights .. ARC wants those coach lights.  Homeowners are not to be trusted to pick the color of their stonework, the ARC will do that for you.  The ARC will review where you put your downspouts.  Building a garage?  Better have casings around your doors and windows.  Oh, and the ARC will tell you how to center them.  And the roof pitch must meet ARC approval.

My neighbors recently went through this process, to demolish their dilapidated garage and rebuild .. paying the $100 fee for ARC review .. having the village videotape the area, mailing all neighbors about the plans, inviting them to the ARC meeting.   

Their plans passed muster, but not before a debate on the look of the garage window.  If the home's window has muntins (crossbars) .. well then, that garage window (no one will ever see) also must have them.  There was also a debate on the pitch of the garage roof, that it needed to match the higher pitch of the house roof.   Guess what that does?  Not to mention increase the cost, it makes the structure taller.  As a neighbor, do I want to see a garage with a high roof, just so it matches the main home?  Not a chance. 

And last week, this story, where the ARC (and CDA) decided that the new restaurant, going in to the former Murray's Wine & Spirits, needed more and bigger windows! 

"People don’t want to just look at blank walls,” Village Manager James Grassman said. 

Unbelievable.  That building has had "blank walls" for 60+ years. 

Now Whitefish Bay has finally lucked into a restaurateur who wants to move in and the ARC decides the business owners' plans for 3 windows just won't cut it?  GIVE ME A BREAK!  The Village should be sucking up to these guys like no tomorrow, granting them everything they desire, making it as easy as possible for them to be successful.   Or haven't they noticed one business leaves Silver Spring about every 10 minutes?

Now, I admit that it appears that 3/4ths of all ARC requests are approved without exception.  But the libertarian in me is disturbed.  The ARC should use the lightest touch possible.  Homeowners should have superior rights, with plans being scrutinized only when extraordinary.

Whitefish Bay is an old community, and we have a wide variety of housing stock that dates from 50-100 years old.  There are plenty of crappy houses in Whitefish Bay, just as there are plenty of historic, glorious ones.   There is little value in making sure new downspouts are aesthetically optimized when 8 houses down, someone's 87 year old home has rotting siding and a crumbling driveway.

Homeowners should be given every encouragement to improve their homes (cough, which increases the tax base, cough) and should be given a very long leash to do so, with only the most egregious being vetoed. 

Have an ARC experience? Write a comment below!

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