Tis' the Season

Election season that is. Now that winter is here, the partisan election has passed and now it is time to gear up for the local non-partisan election season.

We will see many of the usual faces running for office this year. King and Palmeri have decided to run for re-election, Esslinger will challenge F. Tower for mayor, and Bryan Bain has declined to run citing personal reasons.

For the OASD we will see Traska and Kavanaugh run for re-election while Weinsheim is still a mystery (although everything I have heard to this point is that she will not run again). I have also heard that Pat K. (I won't even try to spell it) will not challenge but Schneider will. I will not speak to Michelle's intentions as it is up to her to tell, not me. I have also heard of another Town of Algoma resident that is circulating but that is not confirmed so I don't want to give a name.

As usual, I don't really want to get involved with OASD issues but it may become inevitable as the referendum will take over the ballot and swallow all of the issues. The referendum will be all that is talked about whether you are running for BOE or City Council. I plan to avoid it as long as possible.

Looking at some of the City issues that I don't really agree with and we find the recycle bins, bridge lighting, and roundabouts. Starting with the recycle bins; why should taxpayers that were eliminated from city collection a few years ago under the condo agreement pay for bins that they will NEVER receive or use? My answer is that they shouldn't. The cost of the bins should go to those that actually will use them. Now, I am not really in favor of going to City Hall and paying between $50-$100 for a bin that will not fit in my garage. Now if single stream recycling is everything that they say it is, there may be an advantage to this move. I am not convinced.

Bridge lighting... do I really need to say more? This resolution was ridiculous right from the start. I cannot believe that the council approved it. Why on earth do we NEED lighting on the bridges? Budgets are tight, the economy is not stable, our taxes should NOT be spent on aesthetic lighting on our bridges. That is not the type of "public/private partnership" that this community needs right now. How about the type of partnership where the private half contributes to something that the city currently has to pick up the tab. For example, a local business can "adopt a park" and sponsor the upkeep of that park for one or more years. That is a partnership that we need. Not the city spending money on a feel good project that Progress Oshkosh couldn't fund themselves. For those who disagree, please feel free to tell any one of the folks living near a streetlight that has been extinguished because we cannot afford to keep it lit why you favor this project.

I have never been a fan of roundabouts. My opinion has not changed since I was exposed to a few that have popped up in neighboring communities like Neenah, Darboy, and a little farther away in Sheboygan. I don't believe that the statistic of accident reduction is accurate as I believe that the traffic through such a nuisance is reduced drastically. Less cars = Less accidents. Pretty simple. Right now we are looking at one at Jackson and Murdock. Not far down the road we will see TEN more between 9th Ave, Witzel, and Hwy 21. I think 20th St. will get a traffic boost as people will start avoiding the other 3 intersections. Just a thought.

I know I have neglected this for awhile. My job and school work (I am attending UWO) have kept me pretty busy. I will try to keep up now that I get a break from school for a few weeks.

Thanks to all for sticking around!

Thank You Veterans!

Today is Veterans Day. This is the day that we should all take a moment and thank our nations vets for their sacrifice to our country. For some that sacrifice was minimal. For others it was the ultimate.

Today is a day that we need to set aside our differences and reflect on the freedom that we all enjoy and how we came upon that freedom. So, rather than wait until the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month take a moment now and reflect. I would encourage you to pick up the phone and call any Veterans that you may know and thank them. They probably don't think they did much but they deserve the recognition for their service.

I would also like to thank the families. They give their spouse, father, mother, etc. to service. They should also be recognized for that sacrifice. Their support to the service member is critical for him/her to be successful. They are largely forgotten even though they are a big part of the network that are supporting our troops overseas. Hats off to them.

And although thank you hardly seems adequate, it is our chance to show appreciation for what we have been given.

Thank You.

Riverfront Concerns

Sorry that I have been off the blogs for a while. I have been pretty occupied with work and school so there is little time to spend typing about stuff with little or no impact.

A few weeks ago Akcess development backed out of the Riverfront project and attempted to hand the reigns to the Dumke group. I understand why they did that. Akcess was on the hook and would be held responsible for the development of that property. They signed an agreement with the city to have a certain dollar value on that property by the end of the year. They knew that they could not get it done so they looked for someone that could take over and relieve them of the responsibility. Makes perfect sense.

Here is the interesting part... What if there is another interested party? Shouldn't the city explore other options? During a subsequent RDA meeting, Mr. Esslinger mentioned that he was contacted by another interested party and requested that the decision to hand the project over to another developer be delayed in order to give this person a chance to come forward. We later found out that it is the owner of the Sweetwater development between Main St and Oregon on the south side of the river. He was out of town the week of the RDA meeting so he called Mr. Esslinger to speak on his behalf and give him the chance to talk with the RDA himself.

Now we move ahead a week. Mr. Lindemann has withdrawn his proposal with the city. It seems that he has met with the Dumke group and may work with them on developing the property. Sounds like a good idea, right? Maybe not.

My question is this... Why doesn't the city put out and RFP for this project? It has gone through 2 developers without one and now appears to be on a 3rd. Does anything seem off the mark on this or is it just me? I am not an attorney but I cannot imagine that this is normal operating procedure for a community to favor developers with public owned property. Maybe I'm off base but it may be worth asking the questions anyway.

On another related note, it seems that once again the matter is turned personal for another local blogger. She has focused on the fact that Mr. Esslinger stepped forward at an RDA meeting to give Jason Lindemann an opportunity that he would not have had. When will it end? When will she finally let it go and just get on with life? This should not be personal.

Just a thought.
KM

Ken, we will miss you.

I would like to take a moment to extend our condolences and prayers to the Bender family.

Ken Bender passed yesterday at Theda Clark. Ken was a pillar in this community for his entire life. He was extremely passionate about Oshkosh and was regularly seen addressing the Council on Tuesday night. Even over the last few years when his health was poor, he would be right there fighting for Oshkosh. I am proud to have known him.

Please take a moment and remember Ken. Feel free to share your memories of him but negative comments will be deleted unless they are signed (real names only please). I have the utmost respect for him and know that he will be missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bender's in this sad time.

The Monte Family.

What is next for the Riverfront?

This morning we wake up to see that Akcess has requested out of the Riverfront project. Blaming the crash of the housing market and poor economic times, they feel that the Dumke's are better suited to develop and manage the property.

Let me preface my comments by saying that I supported Akcess despite their desire to build an office complex on the site. I attended the first meeting at City Hall when they proposed a mixed use commercial development (at that time an office building was not the cornerstone) and I liked the idea that they were looking at. Since then, they changed course to make the office building the prime foundation for the development. I think it was then that things began to go downhill for this project. When they could not convince any major businesses here in Oshkosh (and make no mistake, Oshkosh Corp. is always looking or building more office space) to occupy space in that building, they could not break ground.

I am not a developer, nor am I an expert. I simply make observations and based on those observations I form an opinion about things that are happening. I find that people like new. If it is new and fancy it is sought after as long as it is new and fancy. If it becomes old and common, it is not as desired and therefore left to gather dust. Some cases in point are the strip malls along Hwy 41. I don't think anyone will argue that the 41 corridor is prime real estate in Oshkosh as it gets the most traffic. But there has become a great deal of empty commercial space all along that area. Most of that is the strip malls. Some of that vacancy began when WalMart relocated to Washburn. That mall has just about died since then with JCPenney hanging in there (I think that Miles Kimball is still there too but am not sure). Most of the shops that were there have either relocated to another newer strip mall or found independent locations nearby. Another case is the relocation of FEDEX/KINKOS from by PETCO and ALDI's to just north of Red Robin. I guess my point is that although new development is a great and wonderful thing for our city. It is usually at the expense of another older development when all of the businesses move to the new location leaving the old vacant. How many have we seen lately? I cited a couple of examples. are there readers out there that can tell us some more (perhaps some smaller less noticeable ones)?

Your thoughts?

(I will post again a bit later on what is proposed for the new developer on this project...)

KM

Near East in the news again

In todays ONW we see that Susan Kepplinger has inserted her extensive architectural background in a project to renovate a residence in the Near East Neighborhood. On a house with a porch that has serious structural problems she objected to the owner using modern treated lumber because it is square rather than round from the "period" that it was originally constructed.

One question I have is... who's money is it? OK, more than one question. Why does she have the say? I posted on the "teaser" story on the ONW site but when they reposted for today, the comment didn't transfer so I will post a copy here...

[Susan Kepplinger knows what is best for her "crown jewel". She is the champion of this neighborhood and heaven forbid someone spend thousands of dollars to improve a house if it doesn't "fit" in her opinion of what should be there. Make no mistake, I am not a favorite of Kepplinger. I was a vocal critic of the Near East Neighborhood when this all started because she blew her budget on condemned houses to tear down rather than let the owners deal with it. One of those houses was owned by a corporate entity from out of town.The bottom line is that if the Redevelopment Authority has an idea or opinion of how it should be, they will do just about anything to make sure it is that way.You know what they say... "it is our way or the highway". That should be their motto.It would serve Kepplinger right if they left it alone and let it be an eyesore. That would be so much better.]

Leave it to the Redevelopment Authority to screw up a good thing. Rather than letting this house get a face lift into the 21st Century, it will remain an eyesore. I think it would be good for Kepplinger if they left it... maybe then she will use grant money to buy it and tear it down.

This would be a good chance for our new City Manager to take a look at this and actually take control for the taxpayers sake.

What are your thoughts??

Who's fault is it?

I have spent a little time reading what has been posted online about the OASD selection for Superintendent walking away from his offer made last week. I have to say, it is an absolute JOKE that people in this community could actually think that ONE PERSON could have the influence to prevent him from taking the job. I would like to point some things out that I feel NEED to be pointed out... I will use the same format as another blogger;

1.) Who has said that Gundlach turned down the job because of Mr. Becker's inquiries? UPDATE: It was reported in todays ONW that Mr. Gundlach had withdrawn his name before Mr. Becker made the inquiries... Guess we should wait before pointing fingers and assigning blame.

2.) How could this NOT be a conflict of interest? There is no public position that would EVER allow such a relationship to exist. UPDATE: The state ethics have ruled that the conflict would have been "manageable". He would not have been able to participate in contract negotiations. Even though that aspect is a significant duty, it could have been handled by the Deputy Superintendent just as well.

3.) Related to point #1, How could one person out of 7 make that big of a difference? After all, it only takes 4 to hire a Superintendent.

4.) Who said that the language in the conditional offer addressed Mr. Becker's concerns? Hentz must have the power of mind reading to know that one.

5.) Does anyone know why Mr. Becker had to leave on Thursday? Better yet, how long was the meeting scheduled to last?

6.) Why did the board majority feel that they could offer the job to Gundlach saying that the decision was "unanimous" without even a call to Mr. Becker?

7.) Here is the question of the hour... and closely related to #6. How do you "adequately address" a conflict of interest? Perhaps in Mr. Becker's opinion the proper addressing would be for Mrs. Gundlach to resign her position in the district. I know I would expect nothing less.

8.) Where does it say that Mr. Becker "ran" to the media? Couldn't it be equally assumed that the ONW called him to ask his opinion simply because it is known that he is the only dissenting opinion on that "brain trust"?

9.) Mr. Becker should NOT be hailed as a "hero". Nobody can verify that he had anything to do with Gundach's decision to withdraw.

10.) Now looking towards the future... There are 2 other candidates that were good enough to be considered for the position last week but now are not good enough to have the job? What sense does that make? I guess that makes sense if you want to blame Mr. Becker for something else.

11.) About the referendum, and this may be even more important that finding a new Super... How can we put it off for ANY amount of time? Does anyone even remember why this came up in the first place?

The referendum was born because THERE ARE SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT THAT HAVE LEAKING ROOFS!! THEY HAVE BEEN LEAKING FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS AND REPAIRS ARE NOWHERE IN SIGHT!! Yep, it's true. The first phase of the plan doesn't even address the deferred maintenance. That means that the roofs will not get repaired until a later phase which cannot start until phase one is complete. The OASD BOE feels that building a new school on the north side is more important than fixing the leaks... Brilliant.

When is this community going to finally see that we are being led by the blind and dumb? It a wonder that the buildings are even still standing.

I know the schools aren't my thing, but I just can't sit and watch the destruction without saying something.

KM

When will the city learn?

Tonight we see in the news that part of Oshkosh are again flooded. I truly feel for people like Lori Stang that just replaced all of her appliances just to watch them get ruined again within hours.

When will the city learn?

I have spoken out on the purpose and viability of retention ponds. I am not convinced that they will do what the public thinks that they will do. Sure, they will reduce the pollutants flowing into the lake but it will not prevent the flooding that we are seeing in Oshkosh.

When will the city learn?

Perhaps they won't. Ms. Stang had to watch as the sewer drain gurgled water (including raw sewage) into her basement. Storm water retention would do NOTHING to stop that. The SANITARY sewer backed up. These are two completely separate systems that are independent of one another. The only thing that they have in common are the houses that are not compliant with code that prevents the pumping of basement sumps into the sanitary sewer. Granted, it is not the sole reason for the backup... but it would go a long way to prevent flooding of this nature.

When will the city learn?

For those like me that realize that the leaders of this city may never learn may want to take a trip to Menards or Lowes to purchase a new drain cap that has a check valve that closes when the water backs up. I've been told that there is a city code that prohibits the installation of this valve, but if the city doesn't enforce the sump code, what makes you think that they would enforce the valve code either? Besides, the fine is far cheaper than replacing your basement contents and appliances.

In the meantime... I think that the city needs to pray for the rain to stay away.

KM

What effect do retention ponds have?

That is a question that has been lingering for a while now. If you have read the news, you know that approximately 50% of Oshkosh had some type of water damage from the storm. Most of the central city had their sewer back up into the basement creating quite a mess. That mess was raw sewage, not storm water.

Now back to the question... what good would storm water retention do? How would that solve the sanitary sewer backup problem? My answer... it wouldn't. It looks good on paper but how would STORM WATER retention prevent SANITARY SEWER from backing up? They are NOT connected. They are 2 separate systems and retention would only help the storm water related flooding. You could build 20 retention ponds in the city and the crap would still float in basements.

Now if you want to actually solve THAT problem, we need to figure out the root cause of the issue. It is no secret that houses built 25-50 years ago set up the sump flow into sanitary sewer. That means that every time the sump needs to be pumped out, it pushes the water to the sanitary pipes. Those are the same as the sink, tub and toilet in your house. It also is the same as the basement floor drain and the washer drain which is the source of most of the flooding. Since that time, codes have changed to prevent such plumbing dilemmas but it did not ensure that houses built prior were corrected. Well, perhaps that would be a better way to spend $11 million. Find and fix all of the improperly routed sump pumps and actually relieve the pressure put on the sanitary system of the city.

On another related subject, we have Westhaven retention proposal. Here is an artist rendition of the retention area. If you note, it looks nice and pretty with all of the trees and blue clear water forming several ponds throughout the area. I have news for you... it will NOT look like that. In order for the retention area to be effective, it will be nearly or completely empty for around 340 days a year. Only in the spring when Sawyer Creek swells out of it's banks will the retention area see water. The rest of the time it would most likely be a low lying swampy area with cattails and weeds.

For those who still think it's a good idea... feel free to buy a house in that area as the people who currently live there will want to move. I live across Oakwood to the west and I have not met anyone who really favors this plan. It is far too expensive and will not serve the intended purpose of preventing floods east of 41. Nice thought but planners should hit that drawing board again.

I know I am not an engineer but I don't think you need an engineering degree to see that this plan is not adding up. As with most plans, it looked good at first and nobody is willing to admit that it may not work after all.

KM

Would Water Retention in Westhaven help?

There appears to be great debate over making Westhaven Golf Course a water retention area. There were even comments made by Mr. Patek after the first round of storms on June 7th/8th that some flooding could have been avoided if there was water retention there.

I don't believe for one minute that flooding could be avoided on as large of a scale as he would like us to believe. What purpose would a pond that far west serve? The golf course served as water retention as it was and basements still flooded all over. It sure wouldn't have done any good for areas south and east of the course. The flood waters would still have gotten there. It wouldn't have done any good for homes or businesses north of 9th Ave. either. The largest backup was created at the bridge over Sawyer Creek at 9th. It turned Oakwood Rd into a raging river and Homestead flooded when the water retention west of Pheasant Creek failed. It sure created a mess for many homes west of Oakwood. All the water retention would have done in this situation is take care of the water backing up at 9th and allowed it to go elsewhere besides basements on Ruschfield/Homestead/Wheatfield/Fairfax/etc.

So you need to ask yourself, is spending $11 million on a golf course/water retention project worth it to protect less than 100 basements? I sure don't.

BTW, I live in the subdivision that would benefit from such an expenditure. I still don't like the cost. I think that there are cheaper and more viable alternatives... even finding a location farther downstream would be better. I think Public Works needs to go back to the drawing board and take another look rather than bail out a retiring golf course owner.

KM

How influential is Special Interest?

That is one question that has long been going through my mind. The opinion of many that I know can tell you that there is a great deal of influence. There isn't much doubt that money drives politics. That will always be true. Just look at recent elections and you will see that the candidates that raise the most and spend the most get the votes on election day. I really don't think that the message matters. Just that people hear the name.

The only election that has even been close was last year when Tower and Esslinger faced off for Mayor. Neither spent a bunch of money and the election was very close (51% to 49% if my memory serves). In that same election, Jessica King came out of nowhere and won a seat on the council. She spent over $7000 to do it, but the outcome seems to be worth it. Now she is looking for a seat in our State Senate.

Another example of how the message doesn't seem to matter. Last year there were four candidates for Oshkosh Area BOE (Becker, Monte, Bowen and Thiel). There is not much of an argument on agendas with that group. Becker and Monte align while Bowen and Thiel have shared opinions for many years. But the outcome was far from "party lines". Becker and Bowen were elected with only a separation of 100 votes. Monte came in 3rd with Thiel following in 4th. What on earth were the voters thinking? I don't understand.

Oshkosh has long been run by those who have power with deep pockets. Whether or not they will step up to the microphone or pull strings from the shadows, both will have the same results. As long as there is private money to "assist" in projects, the city administration will have their hand out. The Sundial was just the latest. A perfect example of how our administrators are spineless. Fitzpatrick stated during the last council meeting when Esslinger tried to bring a resolution to block the re installation of the fountain that nothing needed to be done and that the Sundial would not be put back until more discussion could take place. We can see how far that went. It didn't even make it to the next meeting. By the way, the influence was not C.R. Meyer (thank you for the correction) nor the $5000 that they were paid to R/R the thing. It could have waited.

I will open the door for other examples of Special Interest control... Please don't get personal.

KM

Welcome Back to the Sundial

I found out this evening that our Acting City Manager will have the sundial replaced in Oprah House Square tomorrow (6/5). Just one week after we heard him at the Council meeting telling Council Members not to worry. That it wouldn't be put back until a decision can be made to an alternate location.

I guess the "powers that be" in the community have spoken and convinced the City Manager to put it back. What does that say about the leaders of our city? Even the Council can't prevent an eyesore from being the center piece of our downtown.

And for those that think that I am being too critical about this fountain, keep in mind that this fountain has not been maintained in quite some time. Half of the nozzles were not working and it does not fit in with the architecture of its surroundings.

So, I would hope that the "welcome back" is short lived...

Will the Chamber get our money?

After watching painfully for more than 3 hours and through countless amendments to the Chamber resolution, I wonder if there has ever been a more controversial issue that the council has faced?

Most of the public comment in favor of this development have something to gain with it. Those who don't, didn't want to hear it. There were a few that would just a soon see the land given to the Chamber to do with as they please. Perhaps that could be brought up in the future. Kudos to those who took the time and spoke out. We need more people like that.

I agree completely with Ms. King. Why are we (the taxpayer) paying for land that we already own? It is clear that the valuation includes the land, so why are we paying the higher price? I don't understand.

Dr. Palmeri tried over and over again to convince the same council that voted 7-0 against this last summer that nothing has changed. But repeatedly he was told that the timing is better now. Never mind that the plans for that intersection rely on more than the Waterfront development to need the rerouting. Again, I don't understand.

Dr. Tower put a contingency that the office complex reach 50% completion prior to the purchase taking place. I have to say, I agree that if we are going to buy it, let's make sure that the office complex is really going to happen. No sense in committing more than half a million just to see the Chamber move somewhere else.

Mr. Esslinger made a good point with his "yes" votes on the amendments. If we are going to approve this in the end, at least it will be with contingencies and at the lowest dollar amount possible.

Miraculously, it finally did fail 3-4 with Mayor Tower, Dr. Tower and Mr. Bain the only Councilors voting in favor. Giant Kudos to Councilors King, Palmeri, McHugh, and Esslinger as common sense prevails.

I feel that the Akcess Group has their work cut out for them. With less than 33% occupancy on this proposed office building, it will be a hard sell to fill the building. I think that this development had a much better shot at success than the Five Rivers project had. But with a lack of interest in office space, I don't know that this specific portion of the development is viable. I am not a developer nor a real estate expert. This is simply my opinion.

As it is late, I will cut this off now and call it a night. I have had all the excitement that I can handle for tonight. Goodnight all.

KM

Public Enemies in Oshkosh

This is something that Oshkosh has needed for a long time. Universal Studios has brought Hollywood to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is definitely a positive thing not only for Oshkosh but specifically downtown.

I took some time last night to tour downtown and take some pictures. It is amazing how the movie company has transformed our downtown back to the 1930's era. Talk about an investment for a few minutes of the "silver screen". Fortunately, it is their investment and not ours as Universal is paying the tab. The details are incredible and I recommend that if you have a few minutes, take a walk through downtown and look in the windows. It is really a sight.

I got my first look on Friday as I passed the airport on my way home. Unfortunately, my schedule didn't allow for me to stop. It was neat to see that tri-motor and the vintage squad cars lined up for the scene that ended up being filmed late at night through till morning. It would have been my only chance to see filming in person because my schedule just doesn't allow for it.

I did see where some people are complaining about the movie. I guess some would have a valid argument because it may cause some inconvenience to a select few that may live or work in proximity to downtown and have to tolerate the crowds or closed streets. I would like to say to those people, please be patient. This is good for Oshkosh as a whole and perhaps if we are good hosts, they will return in the future.

I guess it really pays to have a historic downtown.

Westhaven Wetlands

As most of you know, the city is currently considering the purchase of the Westhaven Golf Course to convert it into a wetland and allow for water retention on the west side/Sawyer Creek. On the surface, it seems like a good idea. The down side is what isn't widely known at this point. Most of the numbers I am seeing are not set in stone but are close enough to give the public an idea what is being considered.

The current estimate for this project is about $16 million (includes Armory portion). $3 million for the purchase of the course and the rest for the conversion and modifications for retention. On paper, it looks like a beautiful plan. It is what lies beneath that I am having a bit of heartburn over.

This deal is a great scenario for the current owner. He wants to retire/get out of the golf business and the city wants to buy it. Seems like a win/win situation. The catch is that there are covenants for that subdivision that guarantee to the residents of Westhaven that the space cannot be developed for a period of 25 years. Most of that area still has several years left on that agreement. That being the case, there is a significant restriction on the uses for that land. The owner would get somewhere in the ballpark of $3 million for the property (approximately double its assessed value) and the city will spend approximately $12 million more to convert it to handle run off.

I don't see that this is such a good use for the property. Jonathan Krause has a good idea but I don't see the current owner settling for $1.5 million in a private sale instead of the $3 million that the city will pay.

Now keep in mind that I have no dog in this fight. My property is not close enough to have any impact on what is taking place. As a matter of fact, my neighbors on Ruschfield will actually benefit from the ability to retain water downstream rather in their backyards. The city has already spent some money acquiring property along the Creek to alleviate future flooding issues. And although I am not an engineer, it doesn't take a degree to see what the bottlenecks are along Sawyer Creek. One of them is the 9th Avenue bridge by Mercy Hospital. It creates a backup every year. I think the city realized that when they did Oakwood because that bridge has a wider opening allowing for better water flow.

I know that something needs to be done as this area grows. Caseys Meadow is being developed and more water retention is a must. Is this the best course? You be the judge...

More Riverfront difficulties

I heard on WOSH this morning and read in the ONW that Mr Rikker reported to the RDA that they may not make the end of year deadline on value/construction due to lack of interest or commitment from potential tenants. He stated that he is "in this for the long run" and that they continue to pursue potential occupants so that this project can move forward.

I, like many, thought that this project would make a wonderful addition to Downtown Oshkosh. Now we need to hope that it actually becomes a reality. Mayor Tower suggests that any renegotiation of the deadline is not a sure thing and that if there is no construction by the end of the summer, the Council would need to visit the possibility of another project.

I still think that there is a lot of potential in this project. I think we should give Akcess Acquisition Group at least an initial extension. After all, we granted extensions to Doig for his mess that failed miserably.

What are your opinions?

Endorsements?

In the last couple of weeks, we have been seeing some local organizations endorse candidates for local offices. How important is this show of support? What if the bulk of the group doesn't agree with the committee that made the decision?

I read some posts created by Cheryl Hentz that got my attention. I didn't think too much of it until I read an anonymous comment on Michelle's site that led me in the direction of some older posts that directly contradict the statements that she is making now. Funny how she has changed.

The most recent post was lashing out on Michelle because the AFL-CIO endorsed candidates for local office without so much as sending out a questionnaire for answering. They based their "endorsement" on the WEAC assessment. They stated that they had questioned Michelle and Ben in the past and didn't feel that they needed to question them again. I guess nothing has changed with the district since the last questionnaire made it's rounds. They also must have questioned Lemberger in the past too because they opted to "endorse" him without knowing his position on anything.

The anonymous post provoked me to do a little research on what I remember from that campaign. I found a past posting in March 2005 from Cheryl regarding endorsements. She didn't feel that it was necessary to respond to this same group as long as they didn't let their membership make the endorsement decision. As a matter of fact, she goes on to say "I believe people should be able to make decisions on their own; and they cannot make fully informed decisions if they do not have complete answers. This is the same stand I have taken with other groups and that includes the Oshkosh Northwestern." Going back a little farther, you will also find this regarding Forward Oshkosh.

Funny that her opinion changed full circle and said that Michelle had "sour grapes" (could this be the pot calling the kettle?) about the process. What is even funnier is that Michelle doesn't really care about the endorsement to begin with. Both her and I (in previous years) were endorsed by UAW 291 and 578. Those are two of the few labor unions that we have respect for.

The process that Cheryl has no problem with now is even WORSE than what she participated (or didn't participate) in the past. Perhaps we should start referring to her as "Hypocrite Hentz" since it seems that she sure didn't think too much of the endorsement process used by Steve Dedow and company then but has no problem with it now. She will do anything to be contrary to what a Monte says or does. She uses her specialized "journalistic" techniques to tell an "unbiased" story that gives us both sides.

AND if you believe that...

Riverfront: On the Rocks?

I am beginning to really wonder if anything is possible on that riverfront. Although the plans to create development this time around looked really good, it appears that the development has reached a stalemate due to lack of interest with tenants.

The developer is making the right choice not to break ground. It is much better to put off developing a site than spending millions of dollars just to find that there is really not enough interest in the area. Look at 100 Main Street. Ganther and his partners invested a great deal of money (with help from the city and taxpayers) on that building which is now bankrupt and in a state of disrepair. These are the types of things that will make you wonder what the Redevelpment Authority is really doing. Are they simply being too optimistic about development? They support just about every crazy idea that is presented to them (unless it involves renovation of a current facility that they want to tear down) and so far I haven't seen any real results. It is costing the taxpayers millions and we continue to let it happen.

How long can Oshkosh afford to let Jackson Kinney run that department? Is he really the best person for the job? On paper, the redevelopment of downtown and south shore looks really good. But how realistic is it? What does Oshkosh need with more condos or apartments? And what will be the cost to the taxpayer to aquire all of this property? I would encourage anyone to take a look a the plan and give an opinion on it's feasability especially given the fact that Oshkosh cannot seem to get the Riverfront project off the ground.

Our river is one of the best features of the city. What does it tell us when we cannot seem to get anything done on it? How much of the riverfront is actually owned by the City? Is this really the right direction or should we look at other alternatives? I don't think we should abandon the current plan, maybe a modification is needed to better suit the area. An office complex is a stretch during a tight economy.

Consequences

With every plan there comes consequences. A prime example was presented to the OASD Board by Tim Hess tonight. He stated that some of his students have developed a website that you can type in your address and see how much your property value would decrease if this 10 year plan includes all of the closures and K-3 4-8 restructuring.

Feel free to visit the site and see how far your value will plummet when the plan is put in place.

He also stated and I believe that it should be highlighted, that the area west of Oakwood, north of 20th Street and south of 9th Ave. will lose approximately $7million in property value. I will repeat... $7MILLION!!!

Translated-- increased property taxes to compensate the drop in value. And as the property rebounds (which it eventually will) taxes will reach an unbelievable high.

Just food for thought. (as a side note, my property will only decrease about $1700 since only the elementary school will change.)

UPDATE: Since I have received some comments regarding "disclaimers", I will add that I didn't feel the need to put one on my site because it is plain enough on the site I linked. Next, it was said that property value is based on assessed value. Although this is true, you need to realize that part of the assessment value is derived from the market value and appraisal data. This is what is effected by the CLOSURE of schools. My value change is minimal because K-3 is moving to Oakwood from Traeger. The true value will be effected in the neighborhoods that lose schools to closure.

This is a tool to get an idea of the effects of massive changes made in a school district. Another effect on value will be the state of the economy. If you think that these changes are what is best for the district, then all of us that think the referendum is too much will be in the minority and it will pass. If not, we will have wasted a ton of time with this process without a contingency plan for nothing.

While I am at it, the site in question was developed based on a "study" of property sales and research done by students of Dr. Hess. It is amazing that a "study" is good enough to support SAGE and reconfiguration but it is not good enough for this purpose.

Your thoughts?

The State of Oshkosh

Just a short post to give some a chance to give some opinions on the current events happening in Oshkosh. I know, the title is tacky but I couldn't resist.

1. Floating docks. Looks like we are getting them, like it or not. The DNR is also getting their way by making the section of the river between Main Street and the Railroad Bridge "no wake" and no anchor. Sorry boaters that wanted to anchor for Waterfest.

2. Snow removal. How are your streets? Have the plows been keeping up? I did note that after the first significant snowfall, there were a few streets that had leaves churned up by the plows. That will be a mess in the spring.

3. Convention Center. Do we really need $307k worth of sign and blinds? I don't see the reasoning behind either. The sign is something that a business would use to attract customers. A convention center is not a business. It is not a building that needs a special sign out front to attract customers.

4. Sawdust Days. Approved without a hitch. Should it have been delayed? Should the public been given the chance speak about it? Would anyone have objected? Guess we won't know this year.

5. Kudos to Akcess Group. Perhaps we will finally see some progress on that empty lot on the river. Lord knows this city needs it.

6. And of course I will throw out there an opportunity to complain or praise the School District on their progress (or lack thereof) with the "plan".

As for the Eye on Oshkosh crap... leave it alone. I don't want to discuss it and I really don't want to read anymore about it. It is over and anyone who has been paying attention for the past year knows, it is not worth rehashing. She has already accused me of libel. Too bad she can't support it and I refuse to give it to her.

One request... please use the corresponding number when you are posting. It will make things easier to read. Thanks.

Will $60 Million be enough?

I have to wonder... What is next? I know I don't deal with OASD issues real often (and I am sure that someone will tell me that I don't know what I am talking about because of it) but there is quite a price tag that the district has put on this "restructuring" of the schools and I think that it should be addressed by the taxpayers too.

Now I don't know if the $60 million price tag is official or not. It is what the ONW reported along with building a new school on the north side. I would hope that the reporter that wrote the story had verified both statements with a district source. I am not inclined to verify it. It is what it is.

I will say that it is too much. That is way too much money to spend on a plan that in my eyes does not serve the purpose of which it was intended when they started.

Wasn't the original recommendation to close SIX schools? Now it is only 2 or 3 and one of them was slated to close even before this all started.

The plan now is to expand SAGE (my guess they are doing it to avoid laying off teachers and please the union), reconfigure several schools (one of which isn't even paid for from original construction), and bus kids from one side of town to the other.

My question is... WHY?

What would it take to just fix what we have and leave well enough alone? Stop deferring the maintenance and get the buildings up to snuff so that the district can actually do what they are supposed to be doing rather than focus on this "plan".

Just some thoughts on the issue. What are yours???

Campaign Season Begins!

And they're off... The deadline for turning in nomination papers has come and gone. It appears that the School Board will have the majority of the attention again this year. Not much of a surprise. After all, they will be asking for somewhere between $45 and $60 million for improvements to our schools.

Not only will the OASD race have the most attention, they will have it all as far as the city goes. It seems that the Council will not have ANY challengers for the 3 incumbants. The OASD on the other hand will have 5 people running for 2 seats. That means a Primary in February. Comment removed... see updated statement below

This spring will be interesting. How will the media handle the lack of competition in the City offices? Will the ONW still want to interview the incumbants? How about WOSH? The League of Women Voters? Will the candidates even do it? I would be surprised if they do. It seems that the only time there is a big interest in running for office is if there is an empty seat. If not, nobody turns in papers. Either that or the city is happy with the current makeup of the Council. If that is the case, we shouldn't hear any bitching from the blogosphere.

Now we get to sit back and see who throws the mud first. It is inevitable. Maybe with the lack of "unmoderated" blogs this year will hold the slinging to a minimum. Maybe it is wishful thinking. I guess we get to wait and see.

Feel free to take a look at the new polls on the right. I am interested in your opinion.

UPDATE: As of the time that this was originally written, I did not know that Kevin Janke has turned in his papers to enter the race as well (thus the reason for removing the comment above regarding the primary). I knew that he was circulating. Good luck to all the candidates...