Franklin Today

CCP Taylor addresses “New Day” in Franklin politics

There has been a decent amount of talk over the last year about “A New Day” in Franklin. The two people that haven’t really talked about it have been Alderman Wilhelm and I. This discussion for the most part has been left to the bloggers until now. The election that took place last April was important even though a certain individual, who will not be named, won’t admit it. Something must have happened last April because I have become a focal point of one bloggers life. Not only does this individual scrutinize any issue I bring forward, he also has spent time researching my voting record in La Crosse and puts words in my mouth as to my future intentions. By now you should know that if I have something to say I would let you know.

Incumbents rarely lose an election unless they have broken the public’s trust or had major negative issues during their term in office. The two incumbents who lost last spring do not fall in either category. Franklin has a history of recall elections and neither lost their seats due to one. So why did a dedicated volunteer and a newcomer defeat two incumbents? Maybe the people in Franklin wanted something different than the status quo. Maybe they wanted someone who would listen to them and carry their voice to City Hall. I guess to find out those answers you would need to talk to each and every voter and ask why they voted the way they did.

I am not going to spend any more time on the election of 2008. If people want to call it “A New Day” they can but like anything else it is debatable. We can talk about the fact that I defeated Lyle Sohns for Common Council President on the day I was sworn in. I would place a wager with anyone who believes the results would have been different if Alderman Olson weren’t in Italy. Did “A New Day” in Franklin lead to my selection? This too can be debated like I said earlier.

What needs to be addressed is how the Common Council operates. There is more debate than before and those who had their way in the past are not getting a rubber stamp of approval any longer. The bloggers who actually attend our meetings are reporting what occurs which helps keep you informed and us accountable. I have been trying since last summer to have our meeting digitally recorded in order for you to have better access to the issues important to you. Going to City Hall to get a cassette tape is unacceptable and archaic. This issue along with a more user friendly website will heading to the Common Council for debate in the near future. There is nothing more important than transparency of local government.

In the upcoming months we will be discussing the long-term vision of the City, which includes the discussion of a full time mayor. The Common Council can have this discussion but ultimately it is up to you which path we choose because this is your City.

It is hard to believe that it has been one year since I was sworn in as Alderman of the 4^th district. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you and I look forward to the next two years. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every moment and I hope that over the course of the past year you have been able to come to me with your questions and concerns. Please call or email me if you would like to know where I stand on an issue or want me to know how you feel. Thank you for your time and interest on this matter.

Steve F. Taylor

Who's Franklin's "Citizen of the Year?"

Last year, the Franklin NOW newspaper published a lengthy article about what who they felt was the 2007 Franklin Citizen of the Year - - Casper Green. I feel the NOW did a fine job on that article, and noted Casper's many achievements as President of Franklin Senior Citizens, Inc.

But 2007 is long gone. How about 2008?

Upon looking at other sites, I noticed that St. Francis got their 2008 Citizen of the Year published in the January 8th edition of the newspaper. Franklin's is still a big questionmark, unless of course the announcement comes out hours after this post is published.

So since at the time of this writing we don't have any announcements, I feel the need to ask all of you: Who do you think should be Franklin's 2008 Citizen of the Year? From my point-of-view, I can think of two off the top of my head; although I don't know if they would exactly be considered "citizens." Oh well, here they are:

• 3rd District Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm - - Working in the trenches of an aldermanic campaign in the middle of what I feel was the worst winter in my lifetime, I got to know then-Environmental Commission Chairwoman Kristen Wilhelm very well. She was just an average Franklin resident for many years, and originally would tell me how much she appreciated being only that. As Vice Chairwoman of the EC all the way up until mid-2007, Wilhelm had already merged into the Franklin political realm as a figure many knew. It was her feistiness that spurred debates and literally killed the Ethics Board; Wilhelm's points against then-Planner Mary Kay Buratto happened to be one of the last (if not THE last) complaint filed before our Board. Now who knows what happened, but right on my birthday in 2007 I received a call from her telling me about a birthday present. It was the announcement I was personally pleased to hear; she threw her hat in the ring against then-Alderman Alan Hammelman of the 3rd District. And so began an early and successful 2008 for Wilhelm. She bumped poor incumbent Hammelman aside and took over the aldermanic reins of the 3rd District. People knew of her and believed in her, and put their faith in her to do the right things for their district and the city as a whole. Since then, Wilhelm has been an alderwoman of secretative strength and courage. She's no one's boss and her voting record clearly shows that. She defied the odds of a Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership member becoming Common Council President by chosing to successfully back Steve Taylor for the position, who was also just elected. She made several key votes, including votes that supported fee waivers for Franklin nonprofits and recently a vote to hold back precedents on future Franklin hotels. Wilhelm backs whatever side she feels is in the right, regardless of past "political conflicts." For an alderwoman to have that kind-of ability, even several months after being newly elected, is quite a distinction. While some could call her a novice, she's fitting in very well and from what I've been hearing, the people of Franklin welcome her style of leadership to the Council.
• FranklinNOW blogger Janet Evans - - 2008 started off rather rough between Ms. Evans and myself, but fortunately things eased up and after meeting face-to-face for the first time, the NOW blogging world as we knew it completely shifted. Janet went from just being focused on negative issues with the Franklin School Board to an individual who became extremely passionate on bringing in alternatives and fresh results for Franklin's students. It was this passion that most likely led her to formally announce her candidacy for an open school board position this coming April. I have already endorsed her and will keep on endorsing her until April 7th. But I think the biggest talking point for Ms. Evans for 2008 would be the whole concept of "open government." That's right, it was Janet who began knocking on doors (figuratively speaking, of course) at Franklin City Hall demanding better recording systems and other communications/constituent outreach. It was this that convinced her to purchase and then bring in her own digital recorder to every city meeting she attended for the past several months. When she'd come home, she'd go over the content and upload the recordings online via Podcasts for all of Franklin to hear. This is when residents began hearing the silly proposals and grandstanding efforts by Steve Olson...right on their own desktops. Unfortunately, Alderman Olson is a member of the Technology Commission, the very commission responsible with bringing our city up-to-date on matters like Podcasts and digital recorders. It was only a matter of time until Janet became a focal point for discussion and criticism by members of the Technology Commission, but she never let up. Providing Franklin residents with a tiny glimpse of open and transparent government, as well as working her hardest at keeping our kids well-educated earns her such an honor as Citizen of the Year.

The true winners in 2008

As all of you have seen, we can all do out Top lists for the past year. However, what really makes those items truly a "top" item is the fact that they all have something in common; they're noticed and create discussion among people like you and I. Due to the fact that every item on my Top 5 had to do with Franklin residents taking action in one way or another, I declare that the real winners and heroes in the City of Franklin are every one of you out there, reading the blogs and keeping in touch with what's happening around you.

Because of persistence and insistence by the people of Franklin, the following things happened in 2008:

• Two new aldermen, which led to a new Common Council President
• Two new school board members, which led to a curb in spending
• The Mayor signed a tax pledge to maintain a tax levy of only 3% until 2011
• The elimination of the name "Boomgaard District" as the replacement for the South 27th Street Corridor
• Franklin High School's Marching Band was brought back into the 4th of July Parade, providing a better sense of community for residents attending the parade with their children.
• The Environmental Commission was granted more flexibility on items relating to the commission's responsibilities
• The 27th Street Steering Committee has been knocked down from being one of the strongest (if not the only strong) subcommittee(s) to near death
• Open government practices by bloggers convinced some individuals to simply resign their posts, such as Ted Grintjes whose wife most likely had a conflict of interest due to 27th Street real estate
• Plan Commissioners became more aware of the desires of the residents and Council before making final recommendations
• The tiny beginnings of discussions regarding digital integration into City Hall
• The Drexel interchange was killed due to lack of funding support from Franklin

Congratulations, my fellow neighbors - - you truly had a strong and signifcant impact this past year. I sincerely hope it doesn't diminish as we roll into 2009, where the following issues could sprout up:

• Expanded membership of the 27th Street Steering Committee
• The City's court date with the Foxes (January 23rd)
• A new plan for the Fountains of Franklin overall
• Additional retail outlets for the Shoppes at Wyndham Village, as well as how Sendik's Fine Foods is doing next to a Target
• Proposals for the Shoppes at Legend Creek
• Additional development along 27th Street
• A massive School Board campaign, depending on how many individuals sign up to run
• Final decision on the community center & spending of impact fees
• Final revisions and submittal of Franklin's Comprehensive Master Plan

...and finally, a certainty:

• The beginnings of aldermanic campaigns in the 1st, 2nd, and 5th districts

The #1 Franklin issue: "A New Day" has arrived

As much as I'd like to say that Boomgaardmania was the #1 issue in Franklin for 2008, I couldn't simply look past the fact that the beginning of the end started a few weeks prior to Boomgaard's announcement. On April 1st, 2008, two incumbent aldermen lost their bids for re-election and thus paved the way for further changes.

3rd District Alderman Alan Hammelman and 4th District Alderman Peter Kosovich were the two aldermen of which I personally didn't see much happening from on the Council. Both were rather silent in Council meetings, and there were times where I swear I saw Kosovich nod off to sleep on an issue or two. Simply put, it wasn't pretty and many viewed them as rubber stamps. What both candidates never expected was two candidates who were experienced challengers and felt that they were ready to serve in a broader role for the Franklin community.

Steve Taylor arrived in Franklin about a year and a half ago, and prior to announcing his candidacy he was appointed to serve on the Environmental Commission, of which I was Vice Chairman at the time. While a year and a half might not be long for the average resident to "get acquainted" with the community, for Steve it was no problem. His political knowledge, in my opinion, is 2nd only to that of Mayor Tom Taylor with experience. Steve served as an alderman for La Crosse while attending UW-La Crosse to obtain a Political Science degree. He then moved to Lansing, Michigan where he served on the Board of Zoning and Appeals. After Lansing, he moved closer to his family in Muskego by buying his current home in Franklin.

Kristen Wilhelm was well known in the Franklin political realm. She has been rather outspoken on many issues, with the most recent being the Shoppes at Wyndham Village project. Kristen served on the Environmental Commission as Vice Chairman for 8 years before finally becoming Chairman in mid-2007. She was a perfect fit for the EC because of her background and work experience as an employee of the River Revitalization Foundation. For those who don't know of RRF, they've been the organization largely in part with aiding on the creation of "Milwaukee's Central Park" along the Milwaukee River on the East Side/North Shore. Due to Kristen's ability to work with officials and residents alike, she decided to take the plunge into politics.

Both incumbents (Hammelman and Kosovich) were members of the now-defunct Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership (FCRL). FCRL was the organization that ousted several aldermen and successfully recalled then-Alderman Basil Ryan, of which the victor was Peter Kosovich. FCRL members have been heavily supported by developers, who believed the organization would provide better rubber stamps on their projects. Furthermore, FCRL members were appointed to key spots on the Economic Development Commission, Community Development Authority, and took both spots representing Franklin on the Joint South 27th Street Steering Committee. I don't think I need to go into further length as to how powerful this tight group was in our community. Taylor and Wilhelm faced a tough battle.

Fortunately for Taylor, he formed a bond with Kosovich, and thus residents received no harsh language from Kosovich regarding Taylor. In what made me feel like I was in the Twilight Zone, both Kosovich and Taylor were patting each other on the back with compliments and praise all the way til April 1st! While that can be considered a plus, I was surprised that there wasn't at least one critical comment said of the opposition on either side.

On Wilhelm's front, she made strong connections with many 3rd District families. Hammelman was noted as rather cold and his achievements and accomplishments weren't really that impressive. Residents wanted someone to hear their voices up at City Hall, and from many reactions on the street that just wasn't the case regarding Hammelman.

April 1st arrived, and by less than 10 votes on both districts, Taylor and Wilhelm won seats on the Council. What's never noted in this was the fact that even though they both won by less than 10 votes, the numbers that turned out were extremely impressive. In looking at the previous election cycles, less than half the numbers that turned out in 2008 showed up in 2005. So after noticing those numbers, that's an amazing turnout of residents looking for new leadership to represent them...and thus it began.

The blogosphere rang out that "a new day" arrived in Franklin, and after several months of this "new day" I'd have to say something's going right. FCRL is now just an archive in Franklin history. The 27th Street Steering Committee has been chopped down to near nothing. Franklin blogger Fred Keller's efforts landed residents with a guarantee that until 2011, the tax levy won't be above the rate of inflation (this year's was 3.3%). And to be frank, all of that is just on the city level!

Our school board also received a big kick in the pants on April 1st. With no incumbents running, newcomers David Works and Linda Witkowski won seats to take the places of Sue Huhn and Scott Bauer. While perhaps this election wasn't as significant, residents can attribute their solid opposition to a blank check referendum and massive levy increases last year to the fact that taxes this year only went up 3%. The "new day" also eliminated what I believe was the only member that was close to FCRL. Mary Karolewicz has decided not to run again in 2009. She was joined by current Board Vice President Jim Ward, who was also up in 2009. This means that the Board will have 4 new members in roughly one year. That's amazing!

This is why I'll continue to note that "a new day" came to Franklin. It opened up new doors to travel down, and knocked FCRL members out of their seats. Because of this, Franklin residents have got a more transparent government and a government that is beginning to look out for those who elected them instead of those who gave them the biggest campaign contributions. To further the new day, residents will have to wait until 2010, where three more FCRL members will be up for re-election; most notable of the three is Alderman Steve Olson.

FranklinNOW's Top 5 Franklin Stories

#5 (TIED): Sendik's & Target open in the Shoppes at Wyndham Village/Drexel interchange funding concerns
#4: The Boomgaard District "Boomgaardmania"
#3: The terrible winter of 2007/2008
#2: Major construction completions on 27th Street - - Northwestern Mutual & Wheaton Franciscan
#1: The April elections

Read why they put them in those spots by clicking here.

The #2 Franklin issue: Boomgaardmania

To be frank, I'm very thankful for the word "boomgaard." It did a lot more than attempt to rename a business corridor in Franklin. In fact, that one word reshaped the entire political spectrum locally, and will probably have an impact for several years to come. I firmly believe because of Boomgaard, Franklin residents began yanking back at the "old guard" that was named strangely enough "Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership." In looking back, we discover that there was anything BUT "responsible leadership" in terms of naming the South 27th Street Corridor.

Boomgaard District came to light for Franklin residents in late April, just weeks after residents ousted two incumbent aldermen, both of which straddle the newly named district. The announcement of Boomgaard didn't come with praise or overjoyous celebration. Instead, it came with lots of anger, disgust, and scorn from taxpayers who asked a few simple questions:

1. How much did this cost?
2. Why weren't we involved with the naming process?
3. Where's the transparency?

Since I was already being ridiculed by our State Senator's aide in joining residents with asking for the costs of this naming process, I figured I'd go all the way and file an open records request on the matter. Just a day or two after I filed the request, I met with 27th Street Steering Committee member Jim Rhiner over at 5 Star Coffee, where I was dumped with a pile of documents relating to the corridor from the Zizzo Group, which was hired with the task of this naming process. After overlooking the documents and figures, I discovered that both communities paid Zizzo roughly $160,000 a piece to get them onboard with this process, which included naming, branding, a website, and other odds and ends. When it was all said and done, my discovery rattled throughout the metropolitan area, and residents of both Franklin and Oak Creek demanded answers. It went as high was having the two talk radio giants, Mark Belling and Charlie Sykes, discussing the issue on the radio and then-Chairman Ted Grintjes phoning in Sykes to debate him on the matter.

The costs were enormous considering that residents in a naming contest could have came up with something a lot more realistic for extremely reasonable prices. Furthermore, because residents weren't involved with the process it just added more criticism on the issue, since people felt they weren't represented. I think individuals like Rhiner and Grintjes forgot that back in 1776 Americans fought a revolution because they felt the British weren't properly representing them. This cloak over transparent government knocked doors down and people were extremely frustrated over the entire matter.

Sadly, we couldn't look anywhere in Franklin government to provide taxpayers a way out of this boondoogle. The Common Council refused to discuss it...not even in a Committee of the Whole. The Mayor originally denied any such strong negativity towards the project, and actually met up with me personally to try and persuade me that Boomgaard wasn't too terrible of a name. In our discussion we came up with stuff that would blend in with the Boomgaard title, with streets named Macintosh and other varieties of apples. 27th Street could have been renamed Apple Blossom Boulevard and the streetscaping could have included a line of crabapple trees along the median. Heck, we could have even had an apple cart or two on 27th & Rawson as a "Welcome to Franklin's side of the Boomgaard" statement. In the end, however, the Mayor received enough criticism on the district to finally tell Grintjes and Rhiner to scale back on the plans and to put the Boomgaard on hold until further discussion.

What I did find amusing throughout all of this was the fact that Franklin residents had to depend on Oak Creek leaders to give it the final death blows. You see, the Oak Creek Common Council was very open in noting that their vote to approve of Boomgaard was done in closed session. Franklin leaders couldn't make up their minds as to whether or not a vote actually took place! You see folks, a vote in closed session on something like this could have been very illegal...Franklin leaders didn't seem to be in the mood to possibly implicate themselves. So in the end it flipped and flopped in Franklin - - the Mayor told me there was a vote in closed session, while Alderman Olson told our State Senator's aide in a teleconference no such thing happened. I guess my question to Franklin leaders would be: How did Zizzo know you were OK with the name if there was nothing to substantiate Council support for it? Ultimately, the Oak Creek Common Council voted to nix the name, and thus came to end a word that'll live on forever in many minds of residents, including myself.

Shortly after the name was rejected, both Jim Rhiner and Ted Grintjes resigned from their posts on the Franklin Economic Development Commission, Community Development Authority, and 27th Street Steering Committee. Franklin cooperation with Oak Creek took a turn for the worse, and it doesn't look like Franklin is committed to the Steering Committee that leaders once hailed as the pinnacle of all suburban cooperatives. With only one individual on the Steering Committee from Franklin, Alderman Steve Olson, we're outnumbered 2-1...and the Mayor nor the EDC (which oversees this committee) seem to give a hoot.

What really shakes my head in disbelief is the fact that it seems the Steering Committee was more geared for behind the scenes work in getting some goals achieved without the need for public forums or thoughts. The Committee served as a ways and means to get things accomplished without too much attention, wherein the Common Council would quietly get it on an agenda and approve of their recommendations in haste. Once the secretative nature of the Committee was blown apart into many little pieces, everyone associated with it was scattered across the spectrum. No one wanted to be part of it, and what was once one of the most powerful subcommittees in Franklin has turned into nothing more than the tagline of a joke or two. Remember that this committee was formed to take in projects like Northwestern Mutual and Wheaton Franciscan's hospital "back in the day." Now, it can't even move forward on a proper naming process for the corridor, and Franklin (or at least its Mayor) is less than enthused to continue it.

Boomgaard was at the same time the pinnacle and the deathknell for the 27th Steering Committee and former members of Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership. Personally, I haven't seen anything this powerful in the Franklin political world in my time as a blogger. This is why Boomgaard will always be in our minds - - as a reminder of what we don't want to ever happen again.

The #3 Franklin issue: The Fountains & the Foxes

The City of Franklin needs commercial development outside of the South 27th Street Corridor. This would be geared to aid taxpayers who are overburdened with their Franklin Public Schools taxes, since the commercial developments would help balance the taxes between residential and commercial.

In light of this need, two years ago city officials welcomed with open arms a development that would revitalize and completely change the scope of what Rawson Avenue was going to become. At that time, Rawson from 51st westward was zoned for industrial and manufacturing uses. This was due to the fact that the Vulcan Quarry was directly across the street. However, a developer showed up in Franklin and they weren't interested in building factories or warehouses. Instead, the aim was for upscale and high end retailers.

Equitable Development worked with the City of Franklin to change the zoning ordinances from M-1 to OL-2, which paved the way for projects like Sendik's Food Market, Bank Mutual, and the now approved CVS Pharmacy. It also allowed for the Fountains of Franklin project to get underway. Under this ordinance, buildings as tall as 3 stories can locate on the site, and the amount of land available is in the tens of acres.

Unknown to Franklin residents and some elected officials at the time, the site that contains the Fountains of Franklin and Sendik's West currently has the demographics to be a lot more than just a meager strip mall with a food store. In fact, the demographics point towards a completely different directon altogether; the sites are comparable to Bayshore Town Center and Brookfield Square in population and household income. Because of this, Equitable Development reported to residents and elected officials earlier this year that several national developers have come forward with bigger plans for the site; images I received at the time showcased a Bayshore Town Centerish atmosphere with the potential of being a 3-story mixed use shoppingtown. Obviously, my jaw dropped and like many other Franklin residents, I looked deeper and was trying to figure out what was halting the project from moving forward.

Enter in Leonard and Verna Fox, the owners of several businesses on one site along Rawson Avenue. Among their businesses are a concrete facility and a storage center, where even items like RVs sit out and bask in the sun. Just looking at this from an average Franklin resident's perspective, I'd see nothing wrong with this place. However, after looking deeper into the uses and approvals, I discovered that they never received approvals on several items, including the outdoor storage. These were primary reasons on a complaint that was filed with the City of Franklin back in mid-2007, of which received little-to-no notice until just a few months ago.

Prior to the April elections, Mayor Tom Taylor spoke highly of the Fountains of Franklin, even dubbing it a "downtown" and "civic center" for our community. Such high praise and recognition went against the Franklin Civic Center District, but that didn't phase the Mayor's goals. During the public forum between him and Basil Ryan, Taylor went on record as wanting Franklin to aim to become the "next Palo Alto" and promote higher end businesses to come to the city. Sadly, several months after he was re-elected he shifted gears and now has become a primary obstacle in the legal process between the city and its filed complaint and the Foxes.

Being the obstacle, the Mayor was accused of withholding documents from the Common Council and in particular, Alderman Lyle Sohns. Sohns represents the district that has the Fountains of Franklin project. In a detailed and somewhat lengthy letter sent to the Mayor, Sohns believed the Mayor ultimately was doing questionable behavior. At the subsequent Common Council meeting, Sohns deepened his concerns by suggesting that the Mayor was violating State law in this situation. As any politican would do, the Mayor fought back against the allegations and at a later date told the Council he would personally oversee the Fox issue. What was never answered was why the complaint took over a year to come to light, and why the city was dragging its butt to enforce its ordinances. If the Foxes were sex offenders or served booze to drunks knowingly, I submit that the city would have been much quicker to take care of business.

I believe the answer to the obstacles and delays comes from one man who loves to toot his own horn regarding city dominance. Mark Carstensen, the developer of the Shoppes at Wyndham Village, has been seen over at the Foxes' residence roughly a dozen times since the city began being somewhat serious to the Foxes. It intensified after the Sohns letter to the Mayor and when the city began seeking a court hearing on the subject. Why Mark's vehicle, a pristine white Cadillac Escalade, would be making the Foxes a second home is beyond me...unless it's to provide the Foxes with legal advice and opinions to assist in delaying a competing project, which is the Fountains of Franklin.

Equitable Development went on record saying that they are deeply concerned with the violations next door to their property, and noted that these national developers share their concerns. They also told all of us that national developers were sought after by the Foxes, and shortly after the first hints of selling came out regarding the Foxes property an offer was made to them for $3 million, which is roughly double their current selling price. Then like a timeline, the Cadillac Escalade arrived and the Foxes quickly changed their minds and decided not to sell, even though they were fully aware of the complaint and the upcoming legal issues with the city regarding ordinance enforcement.

This is a big issue for 2008 because what happens presently will determine how the future will be played out for Franklin residents. If it turns out a victory for the Foxes, you will probably hear the roar of Mark Carstensen throughout the community. This would be due to the fact that he would truly control and run the city, since his ego would be intensified due to the halt of what could be Franklin's largest retail project in its history - - a project worth an easy $200 million and God knows how much worth in taxes to aid residents.

Don't be surprised if you see this matter become one of my big issues in 2009, since the court hearing for the Foxes will be held on January 23rd, 2009 in the South Milwaukee Municipal Court.

The #4 Franklin issue: Residents take aim on legal matters

Many Franklin residents have been keeping an eye on two big legal issues throughout the year: the Buckhorn and the fight to enforce our sexual predator ordinance.

The Buckhorn Inn & Tavern has finally come forth to the Franklin License Committee on December 23rd, almost a full year after a couple was murdered outside a Franklin home by a drunk driver, Eddie Lynn Keck, on Christmas Day, 2007. Earlier that day, Keck was at the Buckhorn getting plastered and the bartenders simply kept on giving him more and more booze to down. Due to this, Franklin residents, including myself, have called for the removal of the Buckhorn's liquor license.

A few days ago, the License Committee made a HUGE step forward in that "due process" by not agreeing to recommend a proposed stipulation that was formed between our Special Counsel and the attorney for Chistopher Matecki, the owner of the Buckhorn. The stipulation called for the temporary removal of the Buckhorn's liquor license for 75 days as punishment for its bartenders not ceasing on serving alcoholic beverages to patrons like Mr. Keck. By not recommending this, the License Committee looks like it has taken the stance of notifying the other members of the Common Council at this time that Buckhorn's liquor license should be removed. This could always change due to upcoming hearings that include statements from individuals before the Council.

On the other front, the people of Franklin celebrated in victory a few months ago after a Circuit Court Judge ruled in favor of our sexual predator ordinance and ordered a convicted sex offender to high tail it out of his Franklin home within a certain time period. Steven Hanke lived just blocks away from Forest Park Middle School, and many residents became concerned about the situation. When it was discovered Hanke settled in after the ordinance was passed into law, the city pursued a case against him duly noting that due to the ordinance he had no rights living there.

After several months of litigation, we can be pleased with the outcome. By this ruling, our ordinance technically won its first legal battle against a sex offender. It will become harder and harder now for any future sex offender who chooses to violate our ordinance to fight it in court. This also gives the ordinance credibility, which now is being replicated in numerous communities throughout Wisconsin.

Therefore, both of these legal issues deserve a nod in Franklin's biggest stories of 2008.

The #5 Franklin issue: "Storks and Cranes"

After a good discussion with friends and family, I was reminded that no one really is the final authority on who or what's "the big Franklin stories." It all comes down to opinion and thoughts, and I'm sure every Franklin blogger at least has a "Top 5" on their mind for this past year. I figured to write mine for you, because that's what I seem to do best.

#5 might have just happened recently, but the overall issue has been going on for many, many years. "Storks and Cranes" describes Mayor Taylor's two attempts at putting Diane Baranowski on the Environmental Commission. It concluded two weeks ago with a 4-2 vote to deny her that particular commission spot, and according to Alderman Sohns she cannot be retried for at least one year.

The other day, another Franklin blogger and myself were confronted by an individual who spoke of the "harshness" of Ms. Baranowski's criticism, and somehow in the debate it morphed into a concept that Ms. Baranowski could have provided the possibility of moving the commission away from one that's "lock step" in every issue. I disagreed, noting that anyone who read the e-mail from Baranowski would immeadiately tell you that she would be the perfect person for a "lock step" mentality...not the other way around.

In general, the Environmental Commission has been quite an issue in Franklin politics as of late, but that doesn't exactly mean it was all negative. In fact, I'd have to say that every time an EC issue has come up, the Franklin public has come out in numbers to support it. Ms. Baranowski's appointment was just the most recent in a multitude of issues that had EC connections. The others include:

• The gathering of 400+ Franklin residents' signatures in an attempt to keep and expand the role of the EC (Nov. 2007)
• EC Chairwoman Kristen Wilhelm being elected alderwoman for the 3rd District
• EC Commissioner Steve Taylor being elected alderman for the 4th District and then elected Common Council President
• My resigning of the Acting Chairmanship in political protest
• The Mayor's desire to "clean-up" the Root River by who knows how many means
• EC review of SW Franklin for an environmental corridor which would include the Franklin Savanna State Natural Area and possibly a corporate sponsor in Waste Management

Ultimately, I would say 2008 has been a neutral one for the Franklin Environmental Commission. I say this because while the EC has had public notice and discussion, the Mayor's office still refuses to put in individuals of quality and experience on the commission. Because of this refusal and arrogance, the EC cannot move forward in becoming a strong commission, which is what the people of Franklin desire it to be.

So while the people of Franklin continue to fight for their Environmental Commission, the Mayor refuses to realize this. At least the Common Council...or at minimum 4 members of the body (thanks to CCP Taylor on making the 4th vote!)...are standing with the people. To be frank, that's a huge sigh of relief from the days of when there was little to no Council support. It's unfortunate the Mayor wasn't part of the overall Council wake-up call.