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http://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-wisconsin/

Planning Commission

This evening, Monday, February 13, starting at 7:00 p.m., the Planning Commission will hold a meeting.  Highlights include:

Public Hearings:

The Planning Commission will hold two public hearings.  A public hearing is a portion of  a meeting  at which all people interested in a matter can express their support for or opposition to the application. Public hearings are formal public comment sessions required by state law for certain matters. Following the public hearing, the Planning Commission will take-up these proposals.  Public meetings will be held for the following:

1. Outpost Foods, at 7590 West Mequon Road, requests approval for deliveries on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Currently, it is only allowed to have deliveries from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  It wants a two hour extension.  Additionally, it requests approval to be allowed one delivery on Sunday, by a box truck or van it owns, sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
2. Riteway Bus, LLC, the bus company that transports the school district’s children, seeks a conditional use grant to operate at 6926 West Donges Bay Road.  The company’s prior site is being sold to be incorporated in a project involving the old brewery building on Mequon Road.

Other Approvals Sought:

1. A 5,000 square foot crossfit health club at 10520 North Baehr Road.
2. A non-conforming addition at 10062 North Wauwatosa Road.
3. The reconfiguration of two lots at 12447 and 12543 North Farmdale Road.
4. A new sign for the Dairy Queen in the Pavilion.

More information regarding the Planning Commission meeting and these items can be found by clicking here.

Common Council

On Tuesday, February 14, starting at 7:30 p.m., the Common Council will hold its February monthly meeting.  Highlights include:

1. Amendments to certain deadlines and other technical provisions of the contract to sell the property located at  6200 and 6300 West Mequon Road and 11300 and 11350 North Buntrock Avenue (wrapping around the Public Safety Building).  The project is known as Mequon Town Center II or the Shaffer Project.
2. The development agreement for Mequon Town Center II
3. A request by We Energies for a waiver for certain amounts payable in connection with specimen trees being removed in connection with the pipeline being installed along Donges Bay Road and Swan Road.
4. A contract to create a new website for the City.
5. A new contract with the police union.
6. Allocation of certain road construction dollars.

More information regarding the common council meeting can be found by clicking here.

City Committees

I currently serve on the City’s Finance-Personnel Committee and its Public Welfare Committee. I also am an alternate aldermanic representative to the Economic Development Board. All Common Council members serve on the Appropriates Committee, the Sewer Utility District Commission and the Water Utility Commission.

Public Welfare Committee (Tuesday, February 14, at 5:00 p.m.). Click here to learn more. The Public Welfare Committee will continue to review City committees.  The Committee is trying to ensure that we have consistent ordinances for the organization and operation of committees, and is looking at whether some committees have outlived their usefulness.

Finance–Personnel Committee (Tuesday, February 14, at 6:45 p.m.). Click here to learn more. The Finance-Personnel Committee will consider all of the above-described Common Council items except #3.

Public Works Committee (Tuesday, February 14, at 7:00 p.m.). Click here to learn more. The Public Works Committee will consider item #3 described above under Common Council.

Architectural Board (Monday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m.).  Click here to learn more. The Architectural Board will consider seven new homes and six additions or other residential construction projects  Three of these items are being resubmitted because they were not previously approved.  Applicants are in aldermanic districts 3 through 8.

Park Board (Wednesday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m.).  Click here to learn more. In addition to reports about what is happening in the City’s parks, the Park Board will consider a donation from TMYBA for an outfield fence for a baseball diamond at River Barn Park.  TMYBA would sell advertising banners for such fence.

Milwaukee River Advisory Committee (Thursday, February 16, at 6:00 p.m.).  Click here to learn more. The Board will discuss:

1. Reviving the spring or fall river clean-up.
2. Attending the  next Public Safety Committee meeting.

Of course, please provide comments to me or to any elected official.

A couple of people have sent this article to Mequon aldermen, congratulating us for making the newspaper. They highlighted a quote from River Hills resident, PR executive and Buffalo Water Beer Company owner Craig Peterson.

Mr. Peterson said “We don’t want to be Mequon.”

Perhaps Mr. Peterson was being cute. I know the Mequon residents who sent the article thought they were being clever. They were pointing out that they do not like apartments (more on that below).

But Mr. Peterson is right. River Hills residents do not want to be Mequon. They shouldn’t. River Hills has its own distinct character. It is a commuter, bedroom village with big homes mostly on five acre lots. It is a nice place, if you like that sort of thing. The village board should keep it that way.

On the other hand, perhaps to Mr. Peterson’s surprise, most of us in Mequon do not want to be River Hills.

Ours is a vibrant community with excellent neighborhoods. That’s right, we have neighborhoods. We don’t only have a patchwork of individual homes (but we have those also for people who want them). We have kids. We have schools and churches. We have great restaurants, nice shops and a theater. We have parks and a pool and nature preserves and farmland and some bicycle lanes. We have community events. And, although (like River Hills) we have a lot of expensive homes, we also have a variety of housing types. We have places to live when we are younger, and places to live when we no longer want a big home.

And we have lower taxes – about $10 per thousand, or 40%, less than River Hills. So, a $500,000 home in Mequon pays about $5,000 less per year in taxes. We like that too.

The article argues that Mequon has traffic. Yes, we have a lot of traffic on Mequon Road and Port Washington Road. However, the last time I checked, River Hills has Brown Deer Road and Good Hope Road, and those two roads also have some traffic. The difference is Mequon residents shop, go to restaurants and work on Mequon’s busy roads. Some even live on those roads. River Hills’ main roads just pass through it. Most of its traffic is not even its own. Yet, everyone in River Hills lives within a mile of its busy roads. Much of Mequon is miles away from Mequon and Port Washington Roads.

I am not arguing that Mequon is better. I am simply arguing that is better for those of us who live in Mequon. I expect River Hills is better for those folks who live there (just as Greenfield, Whitefish Bay, Brown Deer and most other communities are better for their residents). Some people like chocolate ice cream, and some like vanilla.

If I was on the River Hills village board, I would not support the new apartment project. It is not what River Hills is about. However, here in Mequon, we have allowed a limited number of apartments in a limited number of places. They are consistent with Mequon. They are high-end, quality apartments. The most recent development rents its units for $2,000 to $4,000 per month. Most of us do not want Mequon to become a community of apartments. As a percentage, we have appreciably less than most every neighboring community other than River Hills. It will stay that way. And all of the new apartments are in a very small geographic area.

Most people in River Hills do not want to be like Mequon. We understand that. However, most people in Mequon do not want to be like River Hills.

The Mequon planning commission approved an indoor shooting range tonight for the property at 9653 North Granville Road (the Dhaliwal building).  The approval was a “conditional use grant,” meaning that the owner can operate the business under a set of conditions established by ordinance and the planning commission.  The planning commission can also later revoke the approval if the business owner does not satisfy those conditions, or if circumstances in the immediate area dictate that the approval is no longer appropriate.

The facility consists of eight indoor shooting lanes, some classroom space and some offices.  You can read about it by clicking clicking here.

I am not on the planning commission and did not have a vote tonight.  However, I do have the ability to request that the common council review the planning commission decision.  I have to make the request within 14 days.  The common council cannot review the decision unless at least one other alderman also makes the request.

In 2015, before I was on the council, the council debated a similar application for a location on Port Washington Road.  That application would have required a rezoning.  The council denied the rezoning request.  The argument was that Port Washington Road was a bad location because of the number of people there.  In my opinion, that is backward.  The more people in an area, the greater the natural surveillance – more people would be around to keep an eye on what is happening.

Then, in November (again before I was elected), the council changed the zoning code for areas zoned B-5 and B-6 to allow this kind of use as a conditional use (meaning it needed specific planning commission approval).  The city has very limited B-5 and B-6 land.  The ordinance largely limits such a facility to this site or the business park.  Our former alderman, John Leszczynski, voted against the change that allowed this in these zoning districts.

I have mixed feelings about this proposal.  I am not opposed to guns, I am a hunter, and I believe the owners will be responsible.  Indoor ranges in other communities have proven to be safe and do not make noise or emit odors.

On the other hand, I would prefer to see such a facility in a place that is better patrolled with better natural surveillance.  I also do not think it should be next door to a residence.  It is quite a distance from Huntington Park (about one-half mile), but there are no natural barriers.  Moreover, I wonder if it is an attractive nuisance considering the crime statistics for the areas just south of the facility.

I would feel better about this approval if I thought it was the result of good planning rather than an attempt by people in the rest of Mequon to stick it in our neighborhood.

I would appreciate input from people in the area.  I have never made land use decisions based primarily on popular sentiment.  Decisions should be made based on sound planning with respect for property rights.  Ignoring sound policy and property rights for NIMBY arguments is a bad way to govern.  However, in this instance, I would appreciate input.  There are good arguments to be made for either position.

Of course, I run a risk in making this request.  With certainty, I will disappoint some of the people who write.  However, I could use as much information as I can get, and I only have 14 days to decide whether to ask the council to review this decision.

Please mail me at jwirth@ci.mequon.wi.us.

Tonight I received a rather angry and condescending letter. It was anonymous.

People have the right to express themselves however they want, and certainly people have the right to criticize me.  It comes with the territory.  I received a few of these in the past.

If, however, the writer believes he/she made some sort of impression, he/she missed the mark.  I am not losing any sleep over it.  How can I when it is anonymous? It is hard to take any correspondence seriously when there is no name on it.

By all means, let me know what you think. Communication is important and, even if we disagree, I will listen and consider what you say – if you put your name on it.  I will call or write to you – if you put your name on it.  If I was wrong, I will apologize and change the way I act – if you put your name on it.

I have been sending email updates about the happenings at City Hall.  I thought they were auto-posting to this site.  Apparently they are not (although they have been posting to Facebook).  I will try to fix that.  However, the best way to get information is to sign up for the email updates.  Sign-up by clicking here.

I have not yet taken office (that will occur on Tuesday, April 19), so I will not be voting on the matters described below, but I said that I would provide more communication, and there is no better time to start than now.

Here is what the City is doing this week:

Planning Commission

This evening at 7:00 p.m., the Mequon Planning Commission holds its April meeting. Highlights include applications for:

1. Two room additions to each of the following schools: Donges Bay Elementary School, Oriole Lane Elementary School and Wilson Elementary School
2. A 35,239 square foot memory care center (Artis Senior Living) for 72 residents on the parcel immediately north of the Mequon Fire Department on Port Washington Road.
3. Additional signage and artwork on the new Café Hollander building in the Town Center.
4. Technical approvals (fill, sewer and so forth) for the next phase of The Enclave at Mequon Preserve, the new subdivision south of Brighton Ridge and Knightsbridge Estates. This application does not change the zoning or lot sizes of the already approved subdivision.
5. A nine home, single family condominium development on 10+ acres of land south of 11104 Oriole Lane. This item is not scheduled to be considered by the Common Council until May at the earliest.
6. Removal of 2.5 acres from the Sarah Chudnow Campus. This item is not scheduled to be considered by the Common Council until May at the earliest.
7. A produce stand on Farmdale Road.

There are also a couple of other less interesting applications on the agenda.

More information about all of these applications can be found by clicking here.

Common Council

On Tuesday evening, the Common Council will hold its April monthly meeting. Highlights include:

1. Item 4 above.
2. A request by Kohler Credit Union to change its zoning to allow for more diverse tenant uses in the building. Both planning staff and the Planning Commission (unanimously) recommended against the rezoning requested.
3. An ordinance to make Mequon’s ordinances regarding hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow consistent with state law.
4. Approval of crack sealing in certain areas of the city, including in the 4^th district parts of Huntington Park, Donges Bay Road, County Line Road, Wasaukee Road, the Industrial Park, Mequon Trail Townhouses and Windsor Estates.

More information about all of these matters can be found by clicking here.

Also, the City’s Public Welfare Committee will be reviewing a few provisions of the City’s Ethics Code on Tuesday.

Although I cannot vote on these matters this month, I will be following them carefully. Of course, please provide comments to me or to any elected official.

Thank you to everyone who posted a yard sign or talked to their neighbors about yesterday’s election. Mostly, thank you to everyone who voted! I am humbled by the overwhelming support. We will make positive change in Mequon, but we are not going to change all that is great about our community.

I also would like to thank Janette Braverman for running. Democracy works best when people get involved. Mrs. Braverman put in a lot of work, and ran a positive campaign. Running for office is far more difficult than most people appreciate. A campaign takes-up evenings and weekends; sacrifices family and work time; and costs money. It is stressful. For three or four months, a candidate’s life is put on hold, all for the honor of attempting to provide a community service. For all of that, she should be applauded.

Elections say a lot about a community, and should be learning experiences. Despite some of the vitriolic, and often incorrect, accusations by some candidates, Mequon voters clearly stated that all is not wrong. Our city government does a good job, and we live in a great community. However, as the dust clears, we need to look at some other messages from the election. Most of the complaints heard during the election can be resolved by better communication. Also, people have some very real concerns. I intend to work on these issues. I expect that my future colleagues on the Council heard these concerns. If not, I will remind them.

Again, thank you!

Twenty years ago, the story below could have been written about Mequon rather than St. Francis.  Ignorance and divisiveness ruled the day by all sorts of people in Mequon government (nobody who is still involved).  Over the last 18 years, our elected officials have learned to deal with each other respectfully and professionally, even when they had heartfelt and principled differences.  I hope voters in Mequon take this into consideration when they go to the polls on Tuesday.  We do not want to go back there.

By the way,  I am NOT referring to my opponent in making this comment.  From everything I have seen, she has handled her campaign well.  I cannot, however, say the same for some of the other campaigns.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/st-francis-mayor-common-council-locked-in-bitter-feud-b99696964z1-374261561.html

Madina Jenks, a senior at Homestead High School, published this article about the local Mequon races, including the 4th District aldermanic race:

A job well done!

Remember, April 5 is Election Day.  Besides the District 4 aldermanic race, the ballot contains the Presidential Primary and general elections for Justice of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Judge, County Supervisor, Mayor and School Board. Polls will remain open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and a photo ID (driver’s license, passport or other state-approved document that proves identity) is required to vote. Photo ID’s are also needed for absentee voting, either in-person or by mail. For a complete list of acceptable photo ID documents visit the Election Information Page on the City of Mequon website. In-person voting will continue to be available in the Clerk’s Office between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through March 31, and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 1.

Click here for the North Shore Now’s article providing answers to questions and background information.

Elections everywhere have become ugly and divisive.  That also includes those in Mequon.  I am proud to be running a positive campaign, and I applaud my opponent who appears to be doing the same.  However, some candidates in Mequon seem to be following the blueprint of our national politicians in waging a campaign of deception, ideological echo chambers, and personal attacks.  I trust voters will see through this, but I am fearful.  Candidates act this way because it works.

Earlier today, Paul Ryan gave the following speech lamenting the state of politics today.  Ignore what party he represents – he chastises both parties – and please hear  the message.

Winning an election is not worthwhile if it means sacrificing integrity.  Gutter politics are unbecoming.  As Ryan says, “[i]nstead of playing to your anxieties, we can appeal to your aspirations.”

Yard signs are coming.  If you would do me the honor of allowing me to post a sign in your yard, at your farm or in front of your business, please let me know.

I see no reason to litter the landscape too far in front of the election.  Also, unless you tell me otherwise, I will retrieve them right after the election.

Being an alderman is non-partisan, and should stay that way.  Still, it is a substantive job, and the perspective with which an alderman approaches the position makes a difference.

As an alderman, I worked to represent all of the residents of the 4th district.  I jumped in and lead vigorously when an issue made a difference to the residents of our district, whether that involved taking almost a whole month off of work to battle a sexual predator home the state wanted to put on County Line Road, or asking the police department to drive through our district more often, or fixing the turn lane on Mequon Road to make it safer, or installing a safe bike path on Dodges Bay rather than wide shoulders, or improving Lemke Park, or fixing local roads, or organizing meetings when there was a rash of burglaries.

As importantly, I worked to represent the entire City.  Mayor  Nuernberg and I met with Germantown officials to ensure that Mequon Road was not improved in a way that hurt Mequon.  I fought against a new water runoff tax.  I advocated to ensure that fees charged by the City were not just hidden taxes.  I took a major role in writing the water utility referendum and the Town Center ordinances.  I fought to keep government from harming local business.  I lead an effort to have the City work more closely with the school district and the Village of Thiensville.

But, through it all, I approached government as a fiscal conservative.  I believe that government must live within its means.  I authored Mequon’s tax levy freeze (which held the line on levy increases even before state law required such levy controls).  I worked with Council members of all political bents to ensure taxes did not increase. We still accomplished a lot.

Local government is and should remain nonpartisan, but local government candidates should not hide behind nonpartisanship in order to avoid letting you know where they stand on issues like fiscal restraint.  I have a record in which I take some pride that tells you were I am coming from.

Today, we distributed our first piece of literature to every residence and the businesses in the 4th District.  You can see it here.  I am going to keep this campaign positive.  I will  focus on my background, my long history of involvement in Mequon, my accomplishments as an alderman of which I am most proud, what I hope to do in the future, and so forth.  I see no reason to make this a negative campaign.