Tag Archives: Steve Olson

Bad Behavior

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With the last Common Council meeting landing on the day after the 4th of July, I was unable to attend this meeting on July 5th. I was unable to bring you a video of Mayor Taylor, Common Council President Steve Taylor, Alderman Steve Olson and Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm “discussing” the difference between an “excused absence” and an “absence” for the June 21st Common Council Meeting.

In its place I have brought you the audio portion of the Common Council meeting with the discussion of the Council meeting minutes along with still pictures of those speaking (sorry, it’s the best I could do). You can find it on the WAG THE DOG VIDEO on YouTube and here on this posting below.


I can only imagine what Attorney Lynda Templen who was representing her client Steele Solutions Properties in a request for IDRB funding by the City of Franklin to expand their facility in the 9900 block of South 57th Street though as she spoke to the Council right after this “discussion”.

Mayor Taylor has whined over and over again how Franklin bloggers are ruining the reputation of the City of Franklin. Both he and Alderman Steve Taylor have blamed bloggers for the lack of economic development in the City of Franklin, yet this juvenile behavior must speak volumes on how this city is being run and by whom. How do you think Attorney Templen will portray, the Mayor when she goes back to her clients and her law firm, Whyte, Hirshboeck, & Dudek.

Please feel free to call and let him know how you feel. The Mayors numbers is 427-7529 or contact him by e-mail at tom2563@att.net.

This is the link to the City of Franklin Website and the full Common Council audio of the July 5th Meeting.

UPDATE – July 19, 2011 Council Meeting Agenda
G. Reports and Recommendations
1. Reconsideration of action taken at 7/05/2011 Common Council meeting to approve minutes of the regular Common Council meeting of 6/21/2011 to change the description of the absence of Ald. Wilhelm from the meeting from “absent” to “excused” (Alderman Taylor).

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Just Ask Alderman Doug Schmidt….

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Where is your news letter on what is going on in the Franklin’s 5th District? What are the changes in the 5th district boundry’s? What happened to your idea’s on the EDC? Will you have more than one bag of candy for the parade? Will you be distributing ice cream or just eating it?

Since Alderman Schmidt does not communicate with any of his constituents you can subscribe to Alderman Steve Olson’s e-mails like I do.

Here is Steve’s latest e-mail:

From: Steve Olson [mailto:steve-olson@wi.rr.com]
 Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 10:28 PM
 To: Undisclosed Recipients
 Subject: A few quick city updates

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I have a few quick notes to pass along to you regarding activities in the city.

First, Happy Birthday US!  I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday and look forward to seeing you at the parade.  As usual, make sure you catch my attention as we come by on the parade route and I’ll make sure (unless you’re at the very end of the route) that you and the kids get some Tootsie Rolls and maybe a handshake.  I may even have a treat for the dogs!  The Children’s Parade starts at 10:30am Monday.  Decorate the bikes and wagons and meet in the Police/Courts parking lot at about 10:00am.  The politicians follow at 10:40am followed by the usual gap, then the parade at 11:00am.

Don’t forget the festivities at Lions Legend Park.  There are bands, children’s activities and food.  The headliner Monday night is “Little Pink Houses,” a Melencamp cover band that I think is very good.

REDISTRICTING

For the first district (mine), the change will REMOVE residents west of Forest Meadows Drive between Forest Hill and Drexel and place them in District 2 (Ald. Solomon).  District 1 will ADD residents east of 76th Street to 68th Street between Drexel and Puetz Road.

Other changes involve the 2nd and 5th districts primarily.

There are legislative guidelines that impact the re-districting, but I believe that YOU, the residents should be able to view and make comment on the redistricting.  Please take some time to attend the Council meeting and offer your opinions.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Mayor and other members of the Common Council have made substantial changes in economic development activities and direction for the city.  I’ll only say that for the past 20 years I’ve been actively involved in bringing (and attempting to bring) a balance to our tax base by encouraging business development in our community.  In the past, I’ve served on the Economic Development Committee as a member and as its’ Chair.  I’ve serve on and chaired the 27th Street Steering Committee and was instrumental in forming the Economic Development Strategic Plan Oversight Committee (made up of Common Council, School Board, EDC, Plan Commission and Community Development Authority members) that developed the Ticknor Report and Franklin First plans for city wide economic development.

Because of the direction decided on by the Mayor and Common Council, I have decided to withdraw from these activities.

On a brighter note; Joining with Alderman Taylor, I fought to have EVERY dollar of assessed value of the Franklin Business Park be calculated as a tax reduction for the taxpayers of the city.  The Business Park was developed under a TIF district that this year will be completely paid off and put on the tax rolls.  That means that approximately $160,000,000  (one hundred and sixty MILLION dollars) in new tax base will be added for your December tax bill reduction.  I note that the TIF was retired in 18 years, 5 or 8 years ahead of the plan even though there were 2 rather substantial rules changes during its’ life that impacted the payback period.

SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS

You may know that the new tornado sirens have been installed and tested.  I, to this day, believe that the $150,000 that the Common Council spent this year to install these is a waste of money, but they’re in.  Let’s hope they never get used.

For substantially less money, (less than $10,000), we have also implemented a “Reverse 911” system in the city to provide parallel and expanded notification of not only severe weather, but other events which may warrant resident notification.  EXCEPT FOR TORNADO WARNING, participation is VOLUNTARY.  There are many events which you may be interested in receiving notification via phone, cell phone, text or e-mail notification.  Please sign up for this FREE (well, it did cost $10,000 to set up) service on-line by completing a form on the city web site at: http://www.franklinwi.gov/Home/Services/FranklinNotificationSystem.htm

That’s it for now.

Say Hi at the Parade or when you’re getting FREE ICE CREAM donated by Hiller Ford after the parade.

Steve

Steve Olson
8091 S. Meadowcreek Ct.
Franklin, Wisconsin 53132

414-425-9060
E-Mail: solson@franklinwi.gov

As for Alderman Doug Schmidt, I would not hold my breath waiting for any communication from him.

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UPDATE: Kowalski Apologizes – Common Council moves to Private / Public EDC

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It was no surprise that after Greg Kowalski – President of the Citizens for Community Development (CCD) apologized publicly in his Franklin Today blog  to Alderman Steve Taylor saying ” I hope my readers know me well enough by now to understand that my personal passion for helping our community move forward easily could trump writing this blog. If the blog became something that didn’t serve a justice to the city and its residents, it should be shut down. I told CCP Taylor that what he had to say was fair and I fully understood and appreciated his remarks.”  Kowalski then went on to say ” I did, in a nutshell, read “in-between the lines” with CCP Taylor’s remarks to me, which wasn’t appropriate on my part, and I have already personally apologized to CCP Taylor for doing so.”

Lastly Greg states “For the record, I do not fear my 1st Amendment rights will be trampled in any way, shape or form (referring to Taylor’s city editorial review). I believe it was simply CCP Taylor giving a friendly reminder that people are reading and watching, and some might take things a bit too seriously and offensively than others. CCP Taylor did not at all recommend Franklin Today being shut down, noting how the site is basically the new cord that connects the community together, and how that would be a shame if it were to be eliminated.”

Greg did not mention the fact that Alderman Steve Taylor has a politically charged blog on FranklinNOW which his topics often cause the city to be looked at in a unfavorable light.

So now as of last night it looks like Greg is getting his wish as the Common Council looks to be going forward with a combined private / public Economic Development Commission.  In turn last night, Alderman Steve Olson stated for the record, he no longer is a part of the Economic Development Commission. I have been told that Commissioner Joe Haselow will most likely resign today also.

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Economic Development in Franklin – Try Number II

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Rick Romano of the omnipresent FranklinNOW posts the story of the upcoming proposals for the city’s approach to economic development in three plans being considered at the June 6 Committee of the Whole and the June 7 Common Council.

Alderman Steve Taylor is pushing forward his past failed agenda for a seven-member body, that would including one alderman, which would report to and work more closely with the CDA. Note that Taylor is pushing for businesses to deal more directly with the mayor. Then again, Steve Taylor is always looking for more power for the Mayor, a position he relishes for himself in the near future. Steve Taylor’s plan did not pass during the May 17th CC meeting due to a lack of a second and the wariness of the rest of the council for Taylor to rush his plan through as a frustrated Taylor wanted.

In response to Steve Taylor’s resolution, two members of the EDC – Alderman Steve Olson and resident-appointee and acting chair of the EDC Joe Haselow - drafted a new plan that allows up to 12 members who have “passion” as well as a “profile of relevant skills” who will proactively develop and respond to economic opportunities. Several comments were made at the last council meeting that the Mayor has appointed unqualified members with little passion for the appointed positions on the EDC.




A third economic development resolution, authored by Alderman Doug Schmidt,  was all but dismissed at the May 17th Common Council meeting, also cuts the commission to seven members and consolidates some of the same Steve Taylor elements but does not place it under the CDA.

Be ready for some red faced arguments and a generally fun time at the two meetings on June 6th and June 7th (see Fred Keller’s Food Fight posting). Bring popcorn but please refrain from throwing it at the council.

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Franklin Technology Commission Member Passes Away

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I just received notice that one of my fellow Franklin Technology Commission members passed away this past Saturday April 30th. Warren Mittlestadt Sr. passing came unexpectedly at age 64.

The commission group just saw Warren at our last Technology Commission meeting on April 27th. We will all miss his great sense of humor, and his great personality.

Here is his Obituary:

 
 

Warren Mittelstadt Sr. - Franklin Technology Commissioner

 

Warren A. Mittelstadt, Sr., 64, Franklin, formerly of Marshfield, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, April 30, 2011, in Milwaukee. He was born March 27, 1947 in Marshfield, WI, son of the late Wilfred and Janet (Alban) Mittelstadt. He graduated from Marshfield High school, and served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Warren married Laurie Toonen in Milwaukee. Warren was a Manager of Information Technology at the Parenting Network in Milwaukee. He played in a band his whole life; he really loved music. He had his commercial pilot’s license, and he loved to fly.

He will be deeply missed by his three loving children: Amanda Mittelstadt and her fiancé-Derek Rhodes, De Pere; Warren A. Mittelstadt, Jr., and his son, Landon, De Pere; and Tiffany (David) Cruz, Highland, IL, and their three children: Angela, CeCe, and David, Jr.; special friend, Kathy Ausbrook, Mission Hills, Kansan; one sister, Linda Raymond, Boca Raton, FL, and her two sons, Will and Allan Raymond; and his former wife, Laurie Toonen, De Pere.

Friends may call Thursday, May 5, 2011, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cotter Funeral Home, 860 N. Webster Ave., De Pere. Visitation will continue on Friday at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service at 11:00 a.m. Burial with full military rites will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, De Pere. Online condolences may be expressed at www.cotterfuneralhome.com

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Emergency Notification System (ENS or Reverse 911) Up and Running

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I got a call from my adopted Alderman Steve Olson (no one ever hears from Doug Schmidt in Franklin’s 5th District) that the City of Franklin’s Emergency Notification System or better know to some as Reverse 911 was up and running. You may remember me posting about this last September when this was brought forward and approved by the Technology Commission then later OK’d by the Council. Back in October we paid for the system through a $20,000 grant but it was put on hold until now for implementation (no doubt to coincide with the Air Raid sirens the city installed for Tornado’s). Unlike those horns, where ever you are, you can get either a text or voice message to let you know when their is a Tornado headed for Franklin. This may come in handy if you don’t live in Franklin (but have family here) or you don’t work in Franklin and can’t hear those sirens. It might also come in handy if you have a elderly parent or family member that you want to make sure knows about impending tornadoes, in case they can’t hear the siren from inside of their house as many can’t with modern well insulated homes.

Either way, we now have both systems. The one big difference is that you can have either a text message send directly to you or a phone call. In addition their are options for a voluntary opt-in of non emergencies such as:

  • Notification of a temporary or emergency change to the regular solid waste and recycling pick-up schedule
  • Notification of Declaration of Snow Emergency (includes parking restrictions)
  • City road closures and local paving or construction projects

Please Note the last three contacts are only made between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

For more information please see the city’s web site page FRANKLIN NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.

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How Did Your Property Tax Bill Compare to Your Alderman’s and Mayor

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Thanks to the new handy dandy web portal on the new and improved City of Franklin website, you now can see how your taxes compare to your Alderman and Mayor. The results are very interesting, especially as you view the three alderman that are on the Finance Committee’s taxes numbers. 

Alderman Stevie Taylor and Mayor Tom Taylor say you have no reason to complain about your taxes and should shout from the rooftops how happy you are about them.

District Name 2009 2010 Difference
Mayor Tom Taylor $5,307.53 $5,426.46 $118.93
1st Steve Olson $8,626.96 $9,029.28 $402.32
2nd Tim Solomon $5,316.89 $5,170.74 ($146.15)
3rd Kristen Wilhelm $2,984.39 $2,756.46 ($227.93)
4th Steve Taylor $5,363.78 $5,040.19 ($323.59)
5th Doug Schmidt $4,278.39 $4,344.38 $65.99
6th Ken Skowronski $5,302.47 $5,224.18 ($78.29)
  • Compare your tax bill to theirs and see why they voted an increase.
  • Remember  that taxes have gone up every year since Stevie Taylor has been in office (two of those years he has been on the Finance Committee because Mayor Taylor wanted him there).
  • Remember Stevie pushed to have the Mayor’s office become full time so he could make it his full time job costing taxpayers more money. Voters rejected him and his referendum soundly!
  • Just remember one thing said by 4th District Stevie Taylor when talking about Franklin Taxpaying residents who feel he has done a poor job on holding the line on spending:

“IF YOU DON’T LIKE FRANKLIN then GET THE HELL OUT” 

4th District residents, please remember what Stevie Taylor said when you go to vote in April.

Of course he also says your won’t bother voting either!

Remember Stevie boy, you only won by six votes. As the song goes “WE WON’T BE FOOLED AGAIN”

See the video’s on WAG THE DOG Video and previous postings.

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Delafield Common Council Approves Sex Offender Residency Limits

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In a article today found on JS Online, Delafield’s Common Council joins Franklin with a Sex Offender ordinance.  Alderman Steve Olson, was asked to appear during the discussion of the ordinance. Olson was asked by the Delafield Council as has been vital in enacting, enforcing and defending the Sex Offender ordinance for the city of Franklin.

From JS OnLine:

Delafield enacts sex offender residency limits

By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Jan. 18, 2011 11:12 a.m.

Delafield - The Common Council adopted tough rules on where convicted sex offenders can live and prohibited them from loitering in places where children gather.

Aldermen on Monday night approved an ordinance that prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of places where children gather, including schools, day care centers. parks and recreational trails, and the library.

The ordinance also creates child safety zones for these places, and sex offenders are barred from them.

The sex offender ordinance residency rules do not apply to convicted sex offenders who already lived in the city prior to the measure’s passage.

However, it bars other convicted sex offenders from moving into the city. The ordinance says no designated sex offender shall be permitted to reside in Delafield unless the person lived there at the time of the offense resulting in the person’s most recent conviction.

The ordinance is similar to sex-offender residency restriction rules adopted by neighboring communities.

The Town of Delafield last week enacted residency limits for sex offenders.

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Mayor Tom Taylor – The Master of Redirection

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Given  Mayor Tom Taylor’s political past not only as an Alderman and Mayor or as a Milwaukee County employee, it is no surprise that he is so proficient at the Art of Redirection. When tax paying citizen writers of  local interest blogs (yes – his constituents) are mocked by both the Mayor and his hand picked Council President in a public meeting for showing opposition to the Mayors budget passed by 5 out of the 6 Council members is just bad political behavior.

In this posting you will see just how at the December 7, 2010 Common Council meeting your current Mayor Tom (YouTube ©) Taylor redirects the fact that for a second year the Mayor has raised taxes in the City of Franklin, WI.  He fills his political speech with disdain for anyone who does not sing the praises about EVERYTHING in Franklin. He blames local blogs for negative misinformation and claims they are the cause of the difficulties the City of Franklin , has had in getting development rolling again.

What is obvious is that Tom Taylor is unlike Mayor Dick Bolender of Oak Creek who has taken the bull by the horns while Oak Creek flourishes with development and full malls.  Mayor Tom Taylor now looks for excuses, as he is up for re-election and has little to take credit for in the past three years except for Higher Tax Bills, major companies like Harley Davidson moving out Franklin along with half empty strip malls and a failed Fountains of Franklin development. I guess what he says is true that it is all about elections (who wins and who looses) only now that the Mayor is up for re-election with his Kindergarten Politics to blame.

In all fairness, I am including the complete audio portion of Item G10 Comparison of municipal property tax rates and other municipal charges.

Mayor Tom Taylor on How Great Franklin is and no one should say anything negative about Franklin:

  • We should be on the rooftops shouting how great Franklin is instead of the negativity about taxes.

  • The Mayor finally in 2010 put together the Mayor Ad hoc Committee to get development back in Franklin. This just happens to correspond with the year of his re-election bid.

  • “There should be NO NEGATIVITY in this community – We have a fantastic community!”

  • I had foreign nationals from South Milwaukee at the Christmas Tree lighting say that “They all want to move to Franklin!”

  • The Mayor blames the Franklin Public Schools for the higher Taxes not the Oak Creek – Franklin Public Schools.

  • The Mayor feels he can speak for Northwestern Mutual’s Chief council. I do not think she would appreciate that!

 

Council President Steve Taylor tells us “If You Don’t like Franklin then Get the Hell out!”

Sorry Steve but I like Franklin just fine and I have for the 21 plus years I have lived here, I just don’t like the things you have voted for that have consistently  raised my taxes. You have been able to screw things up with the 4 short years you have lived here!

  • The Press doesn’t  cover the City of Franklin anymore. Just a few negative individuals.
  • Nobody comes up to him at baseball games, St. Martins Fair or ribbon cutting telling him that taxes are too high. I guess those same people told him that they wanted a full time Mayor!
  • There are only a handful of people that think Franklin is a Tax Hell.
  • If you GOOGLE Franklin you won’t find anything positive just that it is a Tax Hell. This is the fault of those few bloggers. (Which he is one of them)

 

Alderman Tim Solomon – “Read My Blog Baby” 

  • Is this the Kindergarten Politics the Mayor talks about?
  • 85% of City Taxes goes for Police, Fire and DPW (what about the other 15%?)
  • Without Development your taxes will go up. What have you done Tim to reverse that trend?
  • “The Apathy OBVIOUSLY is that it is a good city to live in!” It is if you can just ignore your tax bill!
  • Alderman Tim says no one is complaining to him at baseball games, and social gatherings so everything  is Okey Dokey!

Kristen Wilhelm our 3rd District Alderwoman

  • Now completing her second year on the Finance Committee
  • Can’t expect taxes to go down.

Ken Skowronski – 6th District Alderman

  • Property Taxes are a small part of the decision for Business to move to Franklin
  • They (developers) just don’t want to be beat up by all the paperwork required by the city.

 

Alderman Doug Schmidt – 5th District – Taxes! – We don’t have anything to be ashamed of!

  • Doug has difficulty following the actual subject being discussed (property tax comparisons) so he talks about what he knows. Franklin’s Historical Society.
  • People come from all over to celebrate Christmas in our historic chapel – Not for the taxes silly!

Steve Olson – 1st District Alderman – Lets pay attention to what we are doing!

  • The only Alderman to find ways to cut property taxes.
  • Tax Rates are misleading.
  • Lets pay attention to WHAT WE ARE DOING and then move on.
  • Let’s not worry about selling our Tax Rate ,our bloggers or what people are writing.
  • Let’s just go sell our city just as we have done for 54 years. We have clean open land, we are a welcoming community, we’ve got Great Residents, a good School System and we want to work with you!

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With deepest Sympathy to Alderman Steve Olson and Family

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I found out today that my friend Alderman Steve Olson’s father Robert Charles Olson, MD (83), passed away this Saturday evening in Davenport, Iowa.

It is truly a rough time of year to loose a loved one in a Season of Joy such as Christmas.

Alderman Olson and his family has my  support and prayers during this time of grieving.

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