Fire Department Discussion...

The Village Buzz of January 6th concerning the Christmas day fire has drawn some intense response.  There is more to the story and I learned that from others yesterday.  I have agreed with village officials to wait until later today to post that information.

It will most likely be somewhat in conflict with the original information I received from another individual and I believe it important to print the 'official' version of this incident.

Please stay tuned.

Fire Department Staffing Question...

I received an e-mail from a concerned citizen (whom I know, who has no axe to grind and who isn't a 'crackpot' in any way) yesterday who raised the question as to whether we might be at the point where we needed to add to our full-time firefighter staffing numbers.  He was talking about the Christmas day fire and his e-mail read like this:

"I can't believe that our Village leaders will not provide us with full-time fire protection.  We have many dedicated on-call firefighters upon whom we rely for protection, however, on that Christmas day fire were 3 people who showed up on the 1st truck that went out, and they had to pull an EMT person from the ambulance to be the 2nd person on the other truck that went to the fire.  So Germantown had 4 firefighters at the fire and had to rely on mutual aid from surrounding communities.  As a result, the home sustained a lot of damage.

I think its time to really push the Village to upgrade the paid fulltime fire positions.  As our community has grown, we have seen the increased tax dollars gladly taken in, but not spent on the essential services like fire and police protection, and improved roads."

I recall having broached this subject some months ago with nothing much coming from it at that time.

What are the thoughts from those in the community?  Is it time for this subject to be aired fully?  Are you willing to see some of your tax dollars put to this use?

Happy New Year Germantown...

2009 is upon us and brings with it hope for a better year.  Those of us who are optimistic see the new year as containing many exciting new challenges and opportunities.  Those of us who are pessimists tend to dwell on the problems of last year and see those continuing.  We each have the personal decision to take as to how we'll view the start of this year.  I have always been of the belief that each new year will be as good as I make it...no better and no worse.  I am also a firm believer in attitude making a big difference in our lives.  If we pursue each day with a positive attitude, we're much more likely to end each day feeling good about how we spent it.  The choice is mine, and not anyone else's.  Obviously, we'd define some days as being better than other days, but each has its special lesson for us if we search that out.

New Bank In Germantown...

Actually, it is the same bank that has been in Germantown for many years and that we most recently knew as the National City bank.  It is now owned by the PNC Financial Services Group based in Pittsburgh.  I am not aware of the branding changes we may see but expect that PNC will become a very visible presence in our community and in our area as logo changes are introduced.

I happen to do my banking, such as it is, in that bank here in Germantown.  The employees who make that bank what it is will continue to make it that no matter the logo that appears on the signage.  As I've mentioned earlier though, they will probably need to expand their clothes closets to handle yet another set of bank logo clothes.  I confess that I marvel at the number of times the veterans in that bank have had to endure re-training on products and systems.  I can only hope that the transition from National City to PNC goes as well as that from Mid-America to National City.

Village People...

We lost an employee in the village hall a short time ago who had been on an extended leave of absence about which we'll likely never know the details since those things are never made public.

Now the report of Fire Chief Pollpeter having been on a medical leave since December 1st surfaces in the Community NOW news.  Again, since these things are sealed and not made public, there will likely be no way that we'll learn the nature of this situation.  Given the somewhat rocky tenure of the chief, I find myself wondering if something more might be afoot.  Time will tell. 

I read an article over the time off following Christmas that puzzled me...not that many don't have that same effect...but this one said that we, Germantown, "thirst for comprehensive water plan".

As I went a bit further, I noted that the vaunted Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission was behind this 'movement' that would result in at least $352 million in construction expense and 53 miles of new water pipe.

Germantown, and other communities would be forced to shut down their water facilities and would buy the Lake Michigan water from the Milwaukee Water Works.  The costs are estimated to be as much as $8.5 million per year...BUT, we'd no longer need water softeners  and the attendant salt and we'd all SAVE at least $8.7 million.

Several things come to mind...

...will our water facilities be purchased from us or will we simply close the doors and the wells and the pumps and the towers and continue to eat those costs until everything is paid off?

...will this result in a fiasco on the order of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District with the high prices over which no elected board has control?

...why should we do this?  Are we starved for water?  Do we have radium issues that are not resolvable?

...would we be included simply to provide additional funding?

...who says we "thirst for comprehensive water plan"?

...what will happen when, twenty years from now, our former water facilities will be beyond re-use, and we have a Great Lakes problem that threatens to shut down the Milwaukee Water Works?  We'll obviously have no practical alternative at that point, and will be more victimized than I suspect we'll have been for the first twenty years.

How many of our trustees have been briefed on this and who are they and where do they stand on this issue? 

The only thing I've heard anything about are Menomonee Falls with its recent deal done, New Berlin with the radium issues and Waukesha with its radium issues.  Were we involved in these discussions?  Or are we simply being lumped in because, like the MATC, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) needed more money to even begin to make this boondoggle appear to be affordable?

I am growing very weary of being the flea on the tip of the tail of the doggy.  It is plain that we'll be unable to 'wag the dog' because we've no leverage; to my knowledge, we're not even represented on this Commission...but I guess that's okay since it works well for the technical college system.

Every time that tax eating dog wags its tail, we get whipsawed...if we don't end up being tossed to the ground and run over.

This report is found on the SEWRPC website by clicking here. 

Wow!  It's Snowing Again (Still)...

The last prognostication I heard from the weather professionals this morning indicated that we could have another foot of snow between now and Christmas.

I visited with Dave Schornack, Village Administrator, yesterday on another subject and he mentioned that Germantown had burned 1,200 gallons of fuel just on snow clearing over the past week-end.  That also required that our village crew members were on the job for sixteen straight hours at one point.

Dave did mention that as soon as there was a sufficient break in snow falling, the village will begin to haul the accumulated snow banks away to make room for more.  It doesn't sound very promising for that activity in the next few days.

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Property Tax Bills...

That reminded me that I had planned to mention our community tax bills.

My property taxes, in total, increased $5 year over year.  I can live with that quite nicely, thank you!  There is a growing interest within Wisconsin to see the property tax system relieved of the ever-increasing pressure felt by property owners.  Among other things, that would see increases in sales taxes and in numerous fees.

An organization called Wisconsin Way has presented its plan for accomplishing this and we'll likely write about that plan in coming weeks.

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Winter Safety...

The snow that is costing us all money for road maintenance has more serious effects.

First, the rate of accidents, most relatively minor thank goodness, has increased even after we've gotten the 'hang' of winter driving.  The powdery dry snow falling this morning on top of snow-packed streets has certainly made for slick streets.

The huge piles of snow that have accumulated are making our intersections more hazardous and causing youngsters out enjoying winter to be more difficult to see.  We really need to adjust our driving habits and our driving speeds around the community to preclude loss of life in addition to damage to and loss of property.

Germantown Streets...

Our village employees are doing a great job today on the remains of the snow storm that appeared to dump about 12 inches on my house.  Our street had a swipe taken by about 6:30AM today so that it was passable.  I have resorted to paying to have my driveway plowed and that had been done before 7:30AM.  After some clean-up shoveling, I decided to drive to my office only to find that parking lot full of snow and just beginning to be cleared, so I deferred until later.  The traffic was sparse at that time.

The main streets are very passable considering the snowfall and the wind, and the side streets appear to be a good shape, too, although there is some touch-up remaining to happen.  If I'm not mistaken, I think I noticed that sidewalks on Mequon were being addressed with the small maneuverable plows the village deploys.  If not, they were certainly clear for having had the snowfall that we had.

Germantown People...

On the same theme, when I did go out again about 11:00AM, I was reminded of how nice it is to know that you live in a place where people take the time to help neighbors, and where you can almost always count on a smile in return for yours to others.  Even today, with nerves maybe a bit frayed, that seemed to hold true.

Of course, smiles tend to have magical qualities about them.  They provoke thoughts of kindness in others who almost always have to smile back; such a great payback for so little an investment.

Shopping in Sendik's was easy.  There were still just a few people who had ventured out, but the store was ready and the staff was friendly and helpful...as always.  The parking lot was quite well cleared just prior to noon, and had looked to be quite passable during the Fox 6 reports that were aired from their parking lot during the early morning hours. 

We had free run of Menard's, as well, where employees outnumbered customers by two to one or better, although that parking lot left a great deal to be desired. 

Snow days always seem to have something special about them, even for me as an adult.  Maybe it is the idea that I can justify not being in my office or being a little lazy in the morning until the driveway gets plowed.  And, if we but look about at the youngsters having so much fun when they can be out of school on a school day, maybe that is infectious, too. 

All in all, it is a great day in Germantown!   I hope you feel the same way about your town, too, if it isn't Germantown!

John Doe Investigation Follow-Up...

My Blog of December 10th dealt with the  John Doe investigation ordered by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez at the request of a prisoner by the name of James M. Hermann.  Mr. Hermann had been arrested in a disorderly conduct-domestic violence situation and claimed his rights were violated by Germantown Police officers.

That John Doe hearing occurred today and was dropped after Hermann refused to answer the questions posed to him by Judge Ramirez.  Ramirez said he believed that Hermann had requested the John Doe simply to harass the police officers involved.

Hermann claimed he feared that he might incriminate himself if he answered the judge's questions.  The questions concerned whether or not he was on illegal drugs when arrested, and whether the drugs found in the black box in his safe were his.  The judge advised Hermann that he had no credibility since he'd been arrested nine times prior with eight of those arrests involving crimes of dishonesty and thievery.  He was ordered to pay restitution to one of the officers who had incurred $2,000 in attorney's costs as the result of this investigation.  I suspect pigs may be flying about as soon as the restitution is paid.

My point in the first piece was that these things have become habitual and are used by prisoners too often in frivolous ways.  It appears that once again this was the case.  The fear of self-incrimination appears to have been warranted based on the questions he refused to answer.  It seems that most thinking people would understand the non-answer was likely a very positive statement.

I would think that our legislators, who seem to jump at the chance to pass new laws, could craft some kind of law that would help to reduce or eliminate the frivolous actions while still protecting the rights of the truly aggrieved.

Armed Bank Robbery...

I would also expect that crooks are re-thinking any plans to hit banks in Germantown.  That doesn't seem to produce very good results as was proved once again.

Kudos to the Germantown Police for another apparent success!  One person remains to be captured but that'll probably occur reasonably soon since the other one is in custody and will likely get lonely.

Officer Bosco Update...

I received an e-mail today from Chief Pete Hoell who had this to say:

"I am pleased to inform you that Bosco is back on the job and we have raised $2,420.00 so far.  Thank you everyone for your very generous donations and kind thoughts and words."

With the goal of $4,000 in mind, the Germantown Police Department K-9 Fund is still in need of $1,580.00.

Remember that you can make a contribution by mailing a check made out to the Germantown Police Department K-9 Fund to the department at P.O. Box 96 , Germantown, WI 53022 or by stopping at the Police Department building at N112 W16877 Mequon Road to drop off any contributions. 

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Germantown Sidewalk Clearing...

Is it just me or did it seem to you, as well, that the sidewalks normally cleared by the village very promptly after a snowfall were left untended for a while this time?  I noted this morning that they had been cleared.  Maybe it was simply that the week-end fell at an awkward time.  The weather doesn't always cooperate.

Speaking of which...please take care to be sure that you aren't one of the reasons for an ambulance run during and after this next storm being forecast for us.  We've had the opportunity to re-learn our winter driving skills, and to remind ourselves of just how heavy snow can be.

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"Normal" Winter Pattern?

We seem to have a good start at what came to be last year's normal winter pattern...several inches of snow, colder weather for a few days...and then more snow.  We have friends who are avid snowmobile riders (or should I call them "snow machines" now?) and I know they're probably excited.  But, let's not get carried away!

The current "big storm" appears to be a "for sure" happening as I listen to the weather reports, with the only real question being that of who will receive what in terms of snowfall.

I really hope we're not on our way to breaking last year's record snowfall so soon.  Once those records are set, we normally would have some time to brag about how we handled "that record-breaking" year.  People aren't going to believe our stories if we repeat the same ones year after year.

Sendik's Food Market 60 Days Later...

I have yet to encounter a Sendik's associate who wasn't happy to be there and who wasn't happy to help me.

I have noted that the facility remains bright and cheery with a very clean floor, which I thought might be problematic given carpeting.  Winter will be a bigger challenge.  Shelves are always fully stocked; delicious samples are scattered throughout the store.

I don't know about you, but I am happy Sendik's selected Germantown as the site for one of their beautiful grocery facilities.

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Veterans Day 2008...

Remember that the 2008 Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial at the corner of Freistadt Road and Park Avenue on Sunday, November 9th at 10:30AM.  If you've not seen the memorial, it is worth your time.

A little history...

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day when proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson for November 11, 1919 to celebrate all veterans of World War I.  It finally became known as Veterans Day on November 8, 1954 when Congress amended the act to change the name and to have the day honor all veterans who have served their country.  The President was Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The American Legion will also conduct a flag disposal ceremony following the program so that you can properly dispose of any torn, tattered and/or faded American Flag you may have.

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County Supervisors Cut Property Tax Levy...

The supervisors agreed to take half of the county's sales tax revenue into the operating budget for 2009.

Unfortunately, this budget cuts the $35,000 for the County Convention and Visitors Bureau and cuts $15,000 from the Fair Park.  The Village of Germantown is working to assist the Convention and Visitors Bureau since it receives significant promotion from that organization and felt that the funding cut by the county would have consequences for the community and its merchants.

The county set a 2009 tax rate of $2.71 per $1,000 which is down about $0.10 per $1,000 from this year.

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SRO Officer In Schools...

I had the pleasure of meeting SRO Tim Miller during the Citizen Police Academy session this past Wednesday evening.  He gave us an overview of his duties in the schools and discussed the changes that have been brought about since this program was initiated.  "SRO" means School Resource Officer.  The SRO is a sworn officer and funding for this position is paid jointly by the school district and the police department on a 75%-25% ratio, respectively.

Our high school is a much quieter place of learning than before the initiation of this program several years ago.  Student fights seldom occur now; the SRO has formed relationships that help both students and administration.  And, students develop, I suspect, a much different view of police officers having had this experience.  The SRO is available for class instruction whenever the subject matter entails.  SRO Miller, in this case, can 'tell it like it is' during driver education and health classes, for example.

This strikes me as a very good use of taxpayer dollars that provides both a current payback as well as future benefits.

GEA Members Protesting...

I have learned that teachers in Germantown, members of the Germantown Education Association, are apparently protesting by wearing black clothing, or black armbands and pins over their lack of a contract that expired a few months earlier.

The offer from the Board/Administration was in accordance with the QEO (qualified economic offer) rules still in effect in Wisconsin that cite a maximum of 3.8% compensation increase including benefits according to my information.

I Blogged yesterday about the QEO going away in Wisconsin given Democrat control and WEAC support.

Could this be the first salvo in that battle?  Is it just coincidence that this occurs the day after the election, or is it part of well-planned scenario to force that issue sooner rather than later.

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GOP Voter Turn-Out Down In Washington County...

I learned from an benefits industry newsletter this morning that voter turn-out on the GOP side of the race for president were off from the most recent similar race.

Washington County showed 50,641 votes for Bush in 2004 while there were a total of 47,725 votes cast for McCain.  Waukesha County showed 9,837 fewer votes for McCain versus Bush in 2004, and Ozaukee County reported 2,744 fewer votes for McCain versus Bush.

Given the intensity of the campaigning and other races that were involved, this would seem to suggest that conservatives were really 'put out' over being forced to cast votes for the least desirable of the Republican candidates that started the race.

These three counties are solid conservative counties typically.  Maybe this was a backlash or maybe there were more casual Republican voters who were swayed to cast their ballots for Obama because they liked him rather than as a protest of their selection.

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MATC Response Opposing The Germantown School District Petition Filed...

A 54 page response is available for your review on the MATC website if you like.  I've gleaned some of that information as follows:

• "MATC offers the highest quality and greatest variety of programs and learning opportunities in the most diverse college in Wisconsin.  Germantown has benefited enormously from MATC's resources."
• "As discussed below, reorganization would certainly not be in the best interests of the hundreds of Germantown residents who attend MATC, utilizing programming and coursework that is unavailable at Moraine Park."
• "...Germantown has not presented any compelling reason to sever its productive, long-standing relationship with MATC and realign Germantown with Moraine Park.  To do so would-in effect-place an unfunded mandate upon MATC by reducing its revenues without any corresponding reduction in costs.  Programming and enrollment data strongly suggest that Germantown residents will continue to attend MATC and utilize its resources, even if reorganization occurs."

This could, and does, go on and on through the course of the 15 page letter signed by the MATC President, Dr. Darnell E.Cole, and the MATC Board Chairperson, Lauren Baker.

It asserts that there is no real reason for the petition other than our desire to get out from under the $5.7 million annual tax burden (that MATC fails to acknowledge has climbed exponentially over time).  It complains that the sole reason for the petition is financial and it says that isn't permitted as a reason for consideration.

I was struck by the fact that MATC can decry the petition on the basis of the financial havoc that would be visited on MATC but the citizens of the school district are denied the same opportunity.

MATC brags about the unique courses available, and the commuting distance differences.

That rings hollow to me since there has been no indication that Germantown students, as few as they are in total number, are seeking out MATC for those "unique" courses.  The discussion of "distance" rings hollow for me since I can drive "more quickly and more easily" from Germantown to West Bend than to either the Mequon campus or the downtown campus.

MATC points out the $2.7 million investment made in the Mequon campus over the past ten years but fails to acknowledge the $40 to $50 million in taxes paid by us citizens over that same time span.  Again, the point of money is made by MATC but cannot be used to defend the petition.

MATC says it would have to engage in "substantial" program/job cuts" if the petition were to be approved.  What a novel idea for this organization contrasted with the endless tax increases that have been and will continue to be levied.  Once again, they can use the fiscal fact set they create to defend against our petition but we cannot use the fiscal fact set we create to auger in favor of our petition.

I  have long maintained that the likelihood of a ruling favorable to the Germantown School District in its petition to move to Moraine Park was a long shot, at best.

Reading the story put together to defend the poorly run MATC organization makes me ill, as it also helps me see that the likelihood of a favorable ruling is probably much more remote than I had ever supposed.

This is such a classic case of a non-elected governmental body with taxing authority being judged by its own parent to the detriment of us citizens.  This simply has to change...but that isn't going to happen for the time period during which the Democrats control state government.  I'd simply better come to understand that and forget trying to tip windmills.

Wow, voting day is finally here and my telephone will quit ringing so much, my mailbox will be less cluttered and I can either celebrate or cry in my proverbial beer.  This election 'season' has seemed to go on forever.  Several things are at top of mind this morning...

Milwaukee Police Unit Disbanded...

The special investigative unit of the Milwaukee Police Department that generated the 67 page election fraud report has apparently been disbanded some five days prior to today's election.  The detective who led that operation has, according to the Wall Street Journal, been relegated to the sidelines today.  John Fund of the Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Detective Michael Sandvick had predicted that Wisconsin could see as many as 55,000 illegal votes cast.  He cited the cross-border flow from Minnesota and Illinois since Wisconsin is one of only eight states that have 'same day' registration coupled with the weak verification of eligibility.  His estimate was that as many as 30,000 votes could be cast today in that manner. 

There are only two people of whom I'm aware who could've caused this 'stand down' and those are Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and/or Police Chief Flynn.  Neither has been available for interviews today to my knowledge.

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My Voting Site...

I drove past the site where I vote at about 7:20AM today and was astounded at the number of vehicles parked and at the length of the line of people waiting to move into the building to vote.  I plan to vote in the 9:00AM range and we'll see if this surge was simply caused by people on their way to work as I suspect.

At any rate, it certainly seems that our voter turn-out will be in the range predicted by the Village Clerk's staff which I recall was in the 73 percent range.

On top of this was an inordinately high number of absentee ballots being cast based on my casual observations of parking lot loads during the preceding couple of weeks and of anecdotal comments from people working in village hall.

UPDATE:  I voted at about 9:20AM and was number 580.  The people were still streaming in and there was about a ten minute wait at that time.

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Media Hype...

I am angered with what now seems to pass for the mainstream media so far as their seeming promotion of Obama's 'inevitable' victory.

We have been fed the 'facts' for many days that there is no way for McCain to win.  There are, unfortunately, too many voters who are swayed by this 'stuff' and who don't think for themselves.  If just 1% of potential voters were dissuaded from 'wasting' their time voting, the swing could become a 'self-fulfilling' prophecy.

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Direct Legislation...

Finally, we are witnessing direct legislation in Milwaukee concerning mandatory sick days from employers.  This would create a burden for many businesses that would force them to close or move thus negatively impacting the residents.  But, there are too many who can't or won't think these issues through and simply vote because they like the idea that they can have sick days. 

We are witnessing some 25 to 30 communities across the state that have ballot questions concerning 'mandatory health care plans similar to those afforded state employees'.  These types of issues are done at the state level but grass roots groups have begun to work at the local levels to bring some pressure to bear on state legislators.  The simple fact is that there isn't enough money in the state to provide that level of health care coverage for all the residents.  We would bankrupt ourselves.

Having family members in Colorado, I am reminded of the folly that those voters are subjected to in the form of ballot initiatives.  There are something on the order of fifty individual questions on ballots in Colorado today that require some real effort to understand.  The majority of voters do not take the time to do their own research and, instead, follow the direction of their associations or unions or professional affiliations.

This is a very dangerous thing, in my opinion, that lends some credence to the old saw about us voters getting the government we deserve.

Assembly Race Questions...

The Ozaukee County District Attorney, Sandy Williams, filed charges against Dan Knodl in Washington County for making false statements on campaign literature on Friday, October 24th.  This stems from his use of various names stating these people were "Friends and Supporters".  Some of those that were identified have indicated the they are not supporters of Knodl or didn't give him permission to use their names in that manner.  Knodl has offered up different reasons for this having happened although that hasn't satisfied critics.  One of those named on the Knodl list was Washington County DA, Todd Martens, who therefore named Sandy Williams to be the special prosecutor in the case.

Knodl faces misdemeanor charges that carry fines of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.  He obviously hasn't been proved guilty; he has only been charged.  Charging, however, seems to suggest that the case was sufficiently strong so as to warrant the trial.  DAs aren't always victorious when they bring charges, so this can't be suggested to be a 'slam dunk' either.

We will likely go into the voting booth on November 4th without resolution to this issue.  Obviously many have already voted using absentee ballots and likely weren't aware of this charging when those votes were cast.

Knodl was the victor in his Republican primary and faces Charlene Brady who was the Democratic victor in her primary race.  The voter turn-out was heavily weighted to the Republican side as is not uncommon in this district.

My question is, "What will this charging do so far as your voting decision?"  Will you change your mind if you had intended to vote for Knodl and vote for Brady instead?  Will you vote for Knodl in spite of the charges?  Will you use the write-in approach or simply not vote in this race?  What will you do when the curtain closes behind you?

Without regard to the eventual outcome, one thing is certain; this casts yet another pebble of doubt and mistrust into the political pool for the skeptics among us.  There were already plenty of ripples on the surface of that pool.

Remodeled & Expanded Senior Center...

I had the opportunity to visit the newly completed Senior Center yesterday and was very impressed with the facility and the people involved.  The Open House ran from 1:00PM to 4:00PM and we arrived at about 3:20PM and were met with a very full parking lot and with parking available only on the street.  I don't have any idea of the actual number of folks who were present but I'd suspect it was somewhere in the 200+ range.

The Center has just about everything you could imagine for such a building including a new kitchen that can accommodate many cooks and many varieties of food simultaneously.  There are special rooms for exercise, a library, a computer lab, places to sit and visit, rooms for recreational activities, and great equipment available along with instructions on its proper use, especially for the older folks.

The newsletter detailed a wealth of activities on a daily, weekly and monthly basis with several special trips and outings.  The meals program had a wonderful selection of foods daily and I can see where many would gravitate here for both the food and the friendship. 

I know that there has been some animosity over the fact that the village didn't put the expansion of this Center on any referendum, especially as our community has been involved in the debate over a new elementary school building, and that the building expansion and modernization was done through bond issues to borrow the money.

I admit to being a "senior" although this was my first visit to the senior facility and I do not expect to become a member or use it on a regular basis for some time to come.

Our population is aging and the 'baby boomer' generation is retiring and will swell the ranks of retirees very quickly and to quite a degree.  We seniors are living longer today than ever before.  So, there will be a very significant need for what this center has and it is good, I think, that the community has had the foresight to attack the issue sooner rather than later.

That doesn't mean that we can overlook the other needs that exist, and the school referenda items will be there when we all go to vote on November 4th.

That having been said, I think the community should be proud of the Senior Center.  The ongoing budget needs should be scrutinized thoroughly, however, since there can be no 'sacred cows' in the current environment.

Main Street & The World...

It wasn't all that long ago that I wrote about the St. Francis Bank being acquired by a northern Illinois banking company called Mid-America followed by the take-over of Mid-America by Cleveland-based National City Bank.

National City Bank has had its problems, as have many banks, with poorly performing mortgage loan portfolios and its stock has been in the dumps for some time.  It received a $6 billion infusion of cash not long ago from a private equity group by the name of Corsair Capital.

We'll have a new bank, at least a new bank name, in our world.  National City Bank agreed yesterday to be purchased by the PNC Corporation which is based in Pittsburgh.  National City "agreed" under duress since the government had told it to either get itself acquired or fail.  The PNC purchase is expected to close by year-end, and is being financed by a government infusion of $7.7 billion, some $5.8 billion of which will go for this deal.  The Corsair Capital group squeaks through this deal whole since it had the sense to build some protective language into the deal it did earlier this year.  That begs the question of why you and me are always at risk when the big capital organizations can do 'sweetheart' deals.

I went through this 'dry' explanation of the change for the simple reason of reminding us of just how global is our economy and of just how much each of us has at stake in the world-wide financial problems now on the front pages.  The people whom I see when I bank are about to get their fourth set of bank 'logo' clothing before the first set ever showed signs of wearing out.  They are about to be "treated" to the need to learn another banking system and another banking language.  I hope they all remain in place because they do an excellent job at customer service!

Even though we live in Germantown, we can't hide from the world wide realities of economics.  We're subject to the ups and downs of the global stock exchange system as much as we are to the ups and downs of Wall Street because it is all inter-connected.  The 'futures' trading in Japan and China set the tone for the rest of the world as it awakens to another day.  OPEC makes our gasoline prices fluctuate when it decides to reduce production...except for yesterday when it dropped production 1.5 million barrels and saw the price go down by $4 per barrel instead of rising as it had expected.  Even the oil barons are flummoxed with the current 'goings-on'.  It isn't just hitting you and me, although admittedly we feel it more intensely since most of us don't have the luxury of big cash cushions.

Another thing this should remind us of is this:  our government makes decisions we don't know about until after the fact, and those decisions are often critical to our existence.  We are the ones who determine who leads that government as we will again in a week or so.  There are already discussions going on in Washington that would impact our individual 401Ks dramatically and that would see the money accumulated being used by our government as it sees fit with guarantees of interest made to those of us holding the account.

Those promises are only so good as our economy and are only so trustworthy as our government.  Let us not go down the pathway that Argentina is on where we permit nationalization of individual accounts.

Perplexing Situation...

I have been struggling over the issues involved in the case of the alleged sexual harassment that was reported by Tom Kertscher, the resolution passed by the Village Board in unanimous support of Village President Kempinski, the budgeting process and the general cloud that hovers over some village workers.

It is true that the woman who made the accusations has not filed a formal complaint, at least so far as the public knows, and that may well be a necessary precursor before any other action could be considered.  I am not an attorney and do not profess to know the answer to my question.  If someone does, please comment.

It is true that the board has publicly resolved that it supports the president.

It is true, if the memo is to be believed, that the woman involved has stated that she simply wants to be left alone to do her job.

It is true that the village is involved in developing its budget for the coming year.

My problems are these:

Would the village and the president be sued by the woman who made the allegations if her position were to be adversely affected by the budget process as she has stated would be the case?  If so, is she, in effect, holding the budgetary process hostage?  Does that also transfer over to her job performance?  If so, is she now assured a position no matter the financial or performance questions that may exist?  If performance questions were to be raised, can she legitimately claim that her performance has been adversely affected by the harassment that she alleged? 

The identity of the woman has not been made public.  How do the other women working for the village feel about the notoriety that has been brought on them because they are women and might be viewed by some in the general public as possibly being the person who made the allegations? 

We have a 'she said' - 'he said' - 'they said' conundrum going on and it seems that simply hoping it will go away is fraught with problems.

Does that approach deal with the problem or simply delay the fact that it may have to be dealt with?

Do the citizens simply ignore the allegations and trust that the 'solution' so far revealed has been sufficient in this case?  Again, we are not privy to whatever process may have been used behind closed doors to bring this situation to the point it has reached. 

If there is no truth to the allegations, will the person making the complaint still be able to work in the same environment and be effective.  If there is no truth to the allegations, will the president still be an effective representative of the people or does he risk having been somehow compromised in this process?

I do not know if there is a good answer to all the questions.  I do think the questions are valid.

No matter how long nor how often I've pondered this set of questions, I have continued to arrive at the same position.

Toothpaste cannot be put back into the tube no matter if the squeezing of the tube was an accident or was intentional.  There may be no truth to the allegations made by this woman, as the board seems to believe, but the allegations were made nonetheless.  That toothpaste is out of the tube.  I cannot help but believe that her relationship with other employees has been affected whether rightly or wrongly, and I cannot help but presume this will never be something that doesn't have an effect on relationships.

For example, a male employee would have to think that he might be putting himself at risk if he were to meet alone with this woman if that were ever required.  Female employees could harbor a grudge as the result that would threaten to affect the overall harmonious environment in the building.

I believe that the village should be looking at some kind of termination buy-out that would help the woman through the process of finding other employment and that would bind the woman to making no other allegations or threats of suits against the village. 

I understand that this Blog will probably be something akin to a 'lightening rod' but I believe there is a very real problem needing resolution without any profession of guilt or innocence.  At this point, I don't care about innocence or guilt; I do care about the tenuous position the village could find itself occupying if something such as this isn't done.

I do not believe the current 'fix' is a lasting fix for the reasons I've discussed earlier in this piece. 

Guest Blog - Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis

"I am currently a member of the Germantown Kiwanis group and we are in the process of investigating a community project.  As a Kiwanis organization, our primary goal is to support children through grants for activities and projects, scholarships, donations for children's programs and other miscellaneous children's activities.

Some of you may be familiar with Kiwanis as our primary fundraiser is the July 4th Festivities here in Germantown.

The project we are now investigating is to raise funds and finance the construction of a band shell at one of our fine parks.  Possibly at Fireman's Park to enhance the July 4th event and many other events in the park.

We do understand that there are other groups in the community who are working on projects like a Performing Arts Center and a Community Pool.  By Kiwanis choosing a band shell, that does not mean we feel these other projects are any less important.  We do feel however that the band shell project is much smaller in scale and could also be a great venue for the other groups to host fundraisers for the other fine community projects.

We are in the investigative stages of this project and would like to know how the community feels about a band shell.  For the interest of being brief for this blog, I'll refrain from listing all the benefits we have identified.  But to name just a few, the band shell could become a destination for music and other performing arts entertainment.  It will provide children an opportunity to share their talents and to entertain our community and its visitors.

While we are on the topic of the Germantown Kiwanis, we are always looking for new members.  The only requirement to become a member is the desire to help kids.  If you are interested in becoming a Kiwanis member, call the Kiwanis/July 4th phone at 262-424-4457 for more details.

Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis"

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Thanks Pete.  I encourage readers to make comments to help the Kiwanis determine your feelings.  Obviously, their projects are funded without taxpayer dollars.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS...

JSOnline today carries an article by Tom Kertscher that begins, at least, to answer some questions that have been swirling in my mind for several weeks.  Rumors have been 'on the streets' since early-September to the effect that there had been turmoil within Village Hall.  This article points to a memorandum, written by Village Administrator Dave Schornack, that points to allegations by a village employee concerning sexual harassment supposedly involving Village President Tom Kempinski.

It seems there was sufficient impact in the allegations to warrant a special meeting of the Village Board on September 22nd, although that is supposition based on timing and the purpose declared for the 'closed meeting' being matters involving personnel.

The memo apparently indicates that the employee alleges her being tasked with personal work for Mr. Kempinski that included helping him apply for jobs.  All this supposedly happened on village time using village assets.

Forget, for the moment, that there were also supposedly sexual harassment elements included in the complaints made by the employee.  The simple accusation of the use of village employees for personal services on village time is sufficiently serious so as to warrant an open investigation.

There have been other suggestions of personal and/or non-village activities performed by staff on behalf of Mr. Kempinski.  One of these allegations centered on the Leadership Germantown project of Kempinski's that saw the Farmer's Market moved to The Livery in Rockfield.  That supposedly consumed some village employee time and materials.  The metal signage created to point people to The Livery was supposedly made by village employees using village equipment.

Individual allegations can usually be dismissed but the appearance of more than one or two such instances begs a public review.

Among the questions that arise is this:  If there was sufficient apparent substance to warrant the memo from Mr. Schornack, and he apparently felt that to be the case, and if there are other supposed situations where village resources were deployed on behalf of an individual, what else is there to be found in a detailed public audit?

If, as I suspect, some seek the resignation of Mr. Kempinski, the audit should be made anyway.  Citizens have a right to know about these allegations in light of this article and the disclosure of the memorandum that prompted it.

Becca Murray Proclamation...

Germantown's own Gold Medal Olympian, Becca Murray was honored by the Village Board last evening with a Proclamation lauding her accomplishments.  Unfortunately, she was back on campus at Whitewater to get re-oriented and back in that swing after her globe-trotting, but she will cherish this I'm sure.

Super Job, Becca!!

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Robin Norton Commendation...

Robin Norton was awarded a Commendation recognizing her ten years of contributions to our community in her EMT role with the Germantown Fire Department.

We have many unsung heroes and it is nice when one or more can be given a bit of the spotlight.

Thanks Robin!!

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IDL Solutions Lands Huge Contract...

The Small Business Times reported today that Germantown-based IDL Solutions Inc. has been informed that it won a $2.5 billion contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  IDL is the lead partner in a joint venture with another firm, Pragmatics Inc.

The contract involves a 10-year effort in Information & Computing Technologies for the 21st Century.  The team will provide a broad range of IT infrastructure management and support services.  IDL has fewer than 50 employees in its Germantown headquarters and will be hiring although the exact location of those new hires is unknown at this time.  IDL also has offices in Vienna, VA.

The IDL-Pragmatics team has numerous sub-contractors in the joint venture company called IDL-Pragmatics Innovation Partners JV.

Let's hope that a large number of the new hires come to Germantown!

Lilac Lane Closed Again...

I had mentioned that the new bridge was open and looked great last week.  Soon after, Trustee Wolter e-mailed to advise that this was only temporary since there was some road re-construction happening very soon on Maple Road west of the bridge over Hwy 41. on Lilac Lane from the new bridge to Maple Road.

That time has arrived.  The "Road Closed" signs are out.

It was nice while it lasted, but this will be over before too long.

Germantown Fire Safety Fair...

The annual Fire Safety Fair was held at Station #2 in Germantown last Saturday.  Several very interesting demonstrations were conducted. 

A convincing demonstration of fire in a room without sprinklers versus in a room with sprinklers made me a believer that  water damage is far preferable to the total damage and potential injury or loss of life where sprinklers aren't present!  The in-home equipment is quite pleasing to the eye, as well. 

I had my first opportunity to see Officer Bosco work his magic seeking out marijuana that had been secreted in an old vehicle's door panel.  He is a marvel to watch as he works.  This four-legged officer really rounds out the department's offering at no added cost to the taxpayers of the community.  Bosco is fully supported by contributions/grants as discussed a few days ago.

There was equipment present from the Mequon and Thiensville departments in addition to the rolling stock from Germantown.  Interestingly enough, a "live" call was received late in the morning that took a couple of units with it.

People were enjoying lunchtime treats that included a delicious smelling recipe of 'Firehouse Chili'.  It may've only been me, but it didn't seem there was enough advertising about this event.  It didn't find its way onto the Village Hall signage along Mequon Road and I didn't recall seeing any print mention.

Attendance seemed quite good; lots of youngsters that seemed to be enjoying themselves while learning valuable lessons.

Do We Need Nude Dancing In Germantown?

I had lost track of this issue after Boro Buzzdum's 'Diamonds Pub & Grille' on Maple Road near Hwy 41 was closed and recast as 'The Starting Gate Sports Bar & Grill'.

The first suit claiming the then existing ordinance was unconstitutional was filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee dating back to February, 2006 was scheduled for mediation when Boro Buzzdum brought a second action claiming the Germantown amended ordinance is also unconstitutional.  I certainly hope that Germantown prevails.

Our community does not need a nude dancing venue.

Germantown Police Department Building Follow-Up...

Several readers requested a timeline concerning the Germantown Police Department building process.  Chief Hoell had done just such a timeline for the Trustees and was kind enough to provide that for this piece:

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1982:  Both the original Police Building (N112 W16877 Mequon Rd.) and Library - now PD Annex - were built.   The shell of the range was completed but funds have never been approved to date for completing the indoor range.

1994:  The Public Safety Committee discussed an expansion project for the Police Dept.  No action was taken. 

1995:  The Village retained the services of HNTB to conduct a Needs Assessment Study of all municipal facilities.  The study recommended building a new library and that upon completion the police department should expand its building by connecting both existing structures.  HNTB estimated the cost of the police department expansion at $750,000.

According to the Public Safety Committee notes, the police department building expansion, indoor range and communications center projects would be moved from 1995 to 1996. 

1998:  Garage addition proposal submitted.

1999:  A request was made to budget $725,000 for the building expansion to be completed in 2003.  The amount was reduced first to $450,000 and then $350,000 at the final budget meeting. 

2000:  Garage construction started with a $270,000 budget. 

2001:  Garage addition completed.   January 16, 2001 the Public Safety Committee tours new garage.

Fischer, Fischer Theis, Inc. hired for $4,400 to design the police expansion.

2002:  Fischer, Fischer Theis, Inc. worked with the $350,000 budget constraints, submitted and received final approval from the planning commission for the architectural design plans.  The Village Board split the amount of which $167,500 was allocated for 2003 to remodel the interior of the old library, and $167,500 was set aside to connect the two buildings in 2006.  The Village Board then decided at the final budget hearing to withdraw all funding since the limited money budgeted created a design that fell short of their expectations for the long-term use of the police department facilities. 

2003: The Village Board approved $750,000 in the Capital Budget to connect the police department in 2004.

2004:  Police staff, primarily support services, moves into the old library (PD Annex). 

2004 – 2005:  Public Safety gave direction to hire Plunkett Raysich for $9,200 to design a connection and remodel both buildings based on space needs to accommodate the PD until 2025.  The total project, to include connection of both buildings and a total remodel, came in at $3,200,000 for a 2006 construction date.

2005-2006:  Homeland Security grant received to install building security upgrades.  Items chosen from a security study of the buildings and the ability to reuse the items with the building project.  Items added:  fob key system, lobby security drawer, fencing, cameras/monitor, and windows. 

2006:  Village Board tabled the PD building project till 2007.

2007-2008:  Third conceptual design for PD connection and remodel of both buildings.  Zimmerman Architectural Studios was hired for approximately $12,000.   This project is ongoing.  Cost estimate for a remodel of both buildings and connection was at approximately $6,000,000.  Village Board sent the plan back to be reviewed with the possibility of doing this project in phases. 

Notes on a couple important issues, but not inclusive:  90% to 95% of all the police department furniture is original (26 years old) and/or secondhand donated items.  Most of the furniture was not designed for computer usage.  

The completion of the indoor range has been discussed for 26 years but never completed.

The radio is too small to accommodate the county radio project coming in the fall of 2009.  The current radio console is outdated and not equipped to handle the computers. 

The radio and communications equipment should be removed from the basement.

Air quality due to electronics needs to be improved. 

Men and Women’s lockers are over capacity.

The flooring is old, worn out and in poor shape.  Also in need of repair are some of the ceilings and walls. 

There is no central location to handle and store evidence.  The evidence processing and storage is handled between two floors and the storage should be removed from the basement. 

No room to function as an Emergency Operations Center.

Because staff has outgrown the buildings, interview rooms were taken over for office space.   The police department is in need of both hard and soft interview rooms equipped with both audio and visual recording devices to be able to record interviews per State Statute.  The rooms should also be equipped with emergency notification/alert call buttons.  

A secure training and conference room that can be utilized by outside organizations and other law enforcement personnel is needed.

The PD Annex is an old library; it’s still an old library which is occupied by PD personnel.  This building is in need of security updates.

Records are stored throughout the PD and Annex; there is no central records location.

There is a strong need to create a safe work environment for the PD employees and the public while in and around the PD building and Annex.  PD staff should be able to move around without the constant exposure to the outside by having to walk through the courtyard.  The entrance to the main PD building is hidden from the parking lot.   We need the front door to be seen by those in distress because they may not have the time or ability to read a directional sign or follow arrows.