P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985

October 31, 2005

PD's Policy Priorities: 100 day update

This summer, PD's membership set its policy agenda for Madison and Dane County for the coming year. The priorities included three county and four city issues. Recognizing the efforts of the PD policy committee, our hard working issue taskforces and our endorsed elected officials, we’ve made real progress on several of our top issues.

At the county level:

Environmental Issues
Thanks to leadership from County Supervisor Kyle Richmond, PD's top two Dane County environmental issues look to be early wins. Manure digesters, which promote rural economic development and help protect the environment, will be studied by the county in the coming year using funds from an environmental impact fee and the Dane County Agriculture Advisory Council. The Conservation Fund, which protects habitat, open space, and recreational areas around the county, was funded at $5 million in the County Executive’s budget, set for debate by the full County Board this fall.

The Environmental Task Force plans to move ahead on other issues and is eager for your ideas. The next ETF meeting is Tuesday, November 8th at 6:30 pm at the Social Justice Center. For

Land Use Issues
PD Policy Committee members Amy Westra and Ron Richardson convened a kickoff meeting with people interested in working on Land Use issues (many formerly of People First Planning) on September 12th. The group decided to first look at mineral extraction overlay districts in the County Comprehensive Planning process to show where quarries can and should be sited. "Citizens and developers alike should know where the future quarries will be placed so that development can be planned around appropriately placed sites," said Amy Westra, point person for the Land Use group. "This will help avoid unnecessary turmoil like the situation that the Village of Brooklyn just experienced."

The Land Use group met again in mid October to work through ideas and do strategic planning and organizing to support this initiative. After that, the group plans to help propose legislation that protects green space and farmland while preventing urban sprawl.

Human Services
Human Services make up over half the county's budget. With need increasing and funds from the County decreasing in real dollars, the ever-contentious battle to adequately fund the human services budget is underway. Currently proposed budget changes and layoffs in the W-2 program would slash funding and service for Dane County’s most vulnerable residents. PD members have been working closely with SOS Dane, the Policy Committee and PD-endorsed County Supervisors to plan a strategy for this year’s budget fight. "We want to remind the County Board that, after years of erosion and not matching true inflationary realities with funding, social services are yet more strained, said Nick Berigan, Progressive Dane Steering Committee Member. ”The only way Dane County can still credibly say we're the best in the state is by noting that the rest of the state is in much worse shape than we are."

Join us at the public hearing on the county budget Monday, October 24th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 201 of the City-County Building.

At the city level:

Economic Development Issues
The Economic Issues Task Force (EITF) has made tremendous strides towards success on this critical area of City policy. Most recently, the Task Force worked hard on a list of proposals to benefit small, locally-owned businesses. Several proposals have been developed; the following were formally adopted by the GMM in September as specific goals for PD to pursue:
* Amending city purchasing policies to favor local businesses
* Increasing micro-lending opportunities
* Encouraging small businesses to buy their store-fronts
* Creating a transportation pool for small businesses
* Expanding the facade improvement grants program
* Requiring Economic Impact Statements detailing how new development will affect small businesses
* Helping businesses deal with problems caused by road construction
* Notifying tenants/businesses (in addition to the building owner) of construction and other projects in their area
* Promoting use of TIF for small businesses
* Encouraging the creation of small business incubator space
* Creating a health care purchasing pool

"Progressive Dane has long recognized the community and economic value of supporting local business," said Vicky Selkowe, co-chair of Progressive Dane’s Economic Issues Task Force, who also noted that the proposals have already received support from some key members of the business community and favorable media coverage.

The Task Force, which introduced this list to the public late last month, will host a forum at 5:30 pm on November 10th at the Villager Mall to gather input from small business owners and other stakeholders. All are welcome to come and participate. From there, the Task Force plans to prioritize the list and to request that they be formally drafted as city ordinance amendments.

The Task Force is also busy continuing its work to reform the City's TIF policies. EITF members will continue to speak to city committees, neighborhood associations and others about the importance of comprehensive TIF reforms that promote accountability, transparency and community benefits. Additionally, the EITF is continuing to build a relationship with the Allied Drive Neighborhood Association. The EITF meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Social Justice Center and always welcomes new energy.

Transportation Policy
A group that officially became the Transportation Task Force at the August GMM actively campaigned over the summer against bus fare increases at Transportation and Parking Commission meetings and before the City Council. “Through swift and effective organizing on this issue, we were able to hold the cash fare at $1.50,” said Progressive Dane's Transportation Task Force Chair Mike Barrett. “However, we were disappointed that the commission recommended increased monthly and quick ticket passes.”

The TTF is currently focusing on fighting service cuts and monitoring the implementation of a $40,000 program (proposed in the Mayor's budget) to assist low-income riders especially hard hit by this year’s fare increase.

Clean Elections, Neighborhood Support
Alder Austin King plans to introduce an ordinance to publicly fund city elections. A group will begin meeting on this in the next few months.

The membership also voted to improve neighborhood planning and support by working to create a Westside planning council, a city-supported Office of Neighborhood Support and continuing work on Madison’s Comprehensive Plan. The Policy Committee recently put out a call to members to get involved in this issue, especially PD members in near Westside neighborhood associations.

"It's great to see Progressive Dane volunteers, elected officials and numerous organizations come together to make these progressive initiatives become a reality. We know that when we look back, we’ll be able to say that our work made Madison and Dane County a better place to live," said Michael Jacob, a member of Progressive Dane's Policy Committee.

Posted by prodane at October 31, 2005 06:53 PM