"In Alder Words..."
And the water keeps flowin' along...The Common Council passed an ordinance accepting the LEAD PIPES replacement method rather than the chemical alternative recently, along with other provisions for people of lower incomes. However, the financing is something yet to be decided and will be coming up very soon. On March 21, 2000, the Council will vote on whether the cost of replacement from the terrace to the basement of one's house will be paid in whole by the property owner or split 50/50, half by the property owner and half by Madison residents overall. Some people feel that the replacement is something which strictly is attached to the owner because it's similar to a home repair; others see it as a community issue since we all will be benefiting with pipe replacement because there won't be adverse effects on our lakes and water treatment facilities. If you'd like to voice your opinion, you can contact the Mayor by phone or email, sbauman@ci.madison.wi.us, the Council as a whole by emailing: council@ci.madison.wi.us or speaking and/or registering your viewpoint at the March 21st meeting. You can register anytime between 6-7 pm and the meeting begins at 6:30 pm.
More news at home...I initiated and the Council just approved a new SYSTEMATIC BUILDING INSPECTION policy to enable Isthmus neighborhoods to maintain or improve the quality of housing stock we now have and not let it deteriorate. We already have in place systematic inspections but it's only had the capacity of doing inspections every 13 years. This new policy will still put highest priority on citizen complaints and "hot spots" as they occur in the city, but it involves a shuffling around of duties together with the use of a new software system to do the Isthmus inspections every six years. I've responded to longstanding neighborhood concerns and believe that in this way we'll be able to maintain the character and quality of our Isthmus neighborhoods, including the Tenney-Lapham area. Homeowners and small owner-occupied dwellings will be dealt with primarily with the exterior only and there is an extension policy for owners whose income is low-to-moderate.
Snapshots: The Council approved the establishment of the EAST ISTHMUS NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL, Tenney-Lapham included, which will enable the various East Isthmus neighborhoods to work collectively on issues of commonality; East Washington Avenue reconstruction and the Yahara Parkway to name a couple. NORTH BALDWIN STREET from N. Johnson Street-East Washington Avenue,which will undergo reconstruction this year, is now being studied by Traffic Engineering to extend traffic-calming using median islands, continuing the work already built on Baldwin between Johnson and Sherman Avenue. CITY/OVERTURE FOUNDATION town hall meetings will be held on March 8, 7 pm at Monona Terrace, March 10, noon hour, CUNA, Mineral Point Road and March 11, 9 or 10 am, MATC Truax. This will be the only chance to give public input on the Overture Project before its design stage is finalized. You can also give public input at the Overture Foundation Advisory Committee on the first Thursdays of the month, 5:30 pm.
Barbara Vedder
district2@council.ci.madison.wi.us
249-8428