Franklin Today

Ferch's featured in this week's Business Journal

In this week's Print Edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal, Ferch's business model and expansion were featured as a growing business focusing on nostalgia to attract customers. It briefly discusses the future opening of Ferch's at the Shoppes at Wyndham Village, which the Business Journal notes will be in May of this year.

The Franklin location will be the 2nd of what the owners hope will be at least 5 locations. Other sites that attract the owners include Pewaukee, Grafton, and Milwaukee's East Side.

I obtained a copy of the preliminary site plan for the Ferch's at Wyndham Village, which is available for download below.

Download Ferchs Wyndham Village

How trashy!

This week's FranklinNOW took focus on Franklin's trash services (or lack there-of). We have a contract with Veolia Environmental Services, which operates the landfill in Muskego, directly across from the Waste Management landfill.

Veolia should be held accountable for their (in)actions regarding their garbage & recycling pick-up. What's disappointing about this is that the City of Franklin has to obtain a trash hauler from outside the city when we should be getting excellent rates from Waste Management. For them being the "hometown" garbage hauler, they sure aren't interested with making any kinds of deals. The NOW article writes:

According to city records, Veolia underbid Waste Management, its major regional competitor, by about $893,000 for the last three-year contract.

Honestly, that shouldn't be happening. With Waste Management working on expanding its landfill in Franklin, perhaps one of the clauses the city should insert in the negoiations should regard discounted rates for garbage & recycling contracts. It's kinda like Florida residents not having to pay high taxes due to all the theme parks residing in the state.

Maybe then residents wouldn't have to trust on the (un)reliable services of Veolia.

The very heated e-mails between Alderman Olson & Common Council President Taylor

As a follow-up to this blog post over the weekend, as well as this one yesterday, I thought you would like to know some updates I received.

I obtained the information I requested from the City Clerk yesterday afternoon. From what I obtained, Alderman Olson only had two separate PDF files to send. One was a simple letter to the Council regarding his non-regulation of businesses ordinance, and the other was an in-depth and heated e-mail "conversation" of sorts with Common Council President Steve Taylor.

After reading the e-mails between Olson & CCP Taylor I came to the conclusion that neither of them will be agreeing on very many issues for a long, long time to come. Here's the conversation between the two, which started with Olson's e-mail to aldermen and commissioners regarding his non-regulation of business ordinance (I posted that in an earlier blog entry as well).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Steve Olson
Sent: Thu 1/8/2009 4:32 PM
To: Alderman; Tom Taylor
Cc: Mark Luberda

Subject: Sick Pay Ordinance

Lady and Gentlemen:

Since there's some hesitancy to make a policy decision about my proposed ordinance, I refer you all to the link below for additional information that may help you make a decision on whether preempting sick pay and other employee benefit direct legislation is a good idea or not.

http://www.bizforgrowth.com/

Since Finance, Personnel and EDC are kicking the cat I'm asking Mark to forward the link to those committee members as well.

Ald. Olson

Steve Olson
Alderman, 1st District

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Alderman Steve F. Taylor
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 9:03 PM
To: Steve Olson
Cc: Tom Taylor

Subject: RE: Sick Pay Ordinance

Steve,

I was a little bit amused at your "kick the cat" remark. I know that there is merit to your sick-leave ordinance and most likely I will support it.

But, I believe your rush to be admired by a legislative aid has clouded your judgment.

You spoke of economic development but failed to involve the Economic Development Commission. Alderman Skowronski has been working on this issue for some time and he is going to a conference on this issue next week. You would have known this had you spoken to the EDC Chairman. I received a copy of your proposal on Saturday and felt that it needed a few more set of eyes to look it over. It did not include a copy of either the West Allis or South Milwaukee ordinance. I am sure that after three "Citizen" committees look at this it will be brought back for our consideration. Franklin isn't like Madison where things get "buried" in committee. It may even come back with some improvements. I don't have a problem with that. Do you?

I just want you know that I am always willing to discus this or any issue with you. However, I will not vote for something without the proper due diligence. It may have worked like this in the past but I believe the rubber stamp days in Franklin ended on April 1st. Something to ponder don't you think?

Steve F Taylor
Common Council President

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Steve Olson
Sent: Thu 1/8/2009 9:36 PM
To: Alderman Steve F. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sick Pay Ordinance

I appreciate your sage wisdom and crack about rushing to be admired. It isn't I who rely on others to publicize anything that I do or plan to do. Nor is it I who makes votes based on who's in the audience. I don't make plans based on what a newspaper or blogger have to say.

I note that you felt the need to copy your e-mail to the Mayor. I wonder the motivation is behind that move.

And as for the referral to the EDC and Chairman Skowronski; were this an issue that he or the commission felt was important it would have appeared on an agenda by now. How is it that Ald. Skowronski can be "working on the issue" without the knowledge of the EDC or his colleagues on the council?

If he has been "working on the issue," then why no proposal from him or the EDC or your CDA?

I don't answer to committees or other aldermen. I answer to my constituents. If you haven't sensed it by now, I do what I feel is best for my constituents and the community when and via what methods I choose. I don't need to check with anyone.

You mention that things don't get buried in committee here in Franklin.

Explain the sign ordinance (EDC), the Comprehensive Master Plan (Plan Commission), the benefit analysis of the Drexel interchange (CDA). All were referred from the council and none have come to conclusion, and in some instances, not even discussed.

You've been here for about two years. I've been an alderman for five times that length of time. I've lived in the community ten times that. Should you come to a conclusion at some point that there is a history in this community that you may not know, I'd be happy to share with you. Contrary to what some may think happened last April, the calendar did not start over.

History did not begin when you won an election by less than 10 votes.

We'll see what effect the three committees have on the proposed ordinance. If there are changes, that's fine. If not, well then perhaps we can make other judgments about the effort.

I assume based on what I've heard that you're a staunch conservative.

Saying that you will "most likely support" an ordinance that limits government intrusion on private enterprise would not be a philosophical stretch. Some would say it would be a "no brainer" vote for a conservative.

We'll see.
S.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Alderman Steve F. Taylor
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 10:06 PM
To: Steve Olson
Subject: RE: Sick Pay Ordinance

Steve,

I appreciate and respect your well thought out response. However, I would like to make a few comments if you don't mind. The Drexel Interchange issue has not been before the CDA.

I can't speak for Alderman Skowronski but I would guess that when his proposal was ready he would have brought it to the EDC first. I am not quite sure whose votes are based on citizen attendance in the Common Council Chambers. Finally, how is it that a certain aide of a State Senator knows when you will speaking to another municipality about Franklin's sexual predator ordinance? Am I to believe that another elected official of that city provides this information to this aide? There has been a few blogs about your most recent travels to neighboring communities.

Isn't that considered being publicized?

Steve F Taylor
Common Council President

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Steve Olson
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 7:20 AM
To: 'Alderman Steve F. Taylor'
Subject: RE: Sick Pay Ordinance

You weren't around at the time but on September 9, 2007 the CDA was directed to, along with staff, determine any benefit to the city of Franklin of a possible interchange at I-94 and Drexel. It has yet to appear on an agenda.

As you have your beliefs about me, I believe that your Buckhorn vote was to benefit you based on your association with the bloggers.

I can't account for Kevin Fischer's ability to derive stories from the published agenda's. Perhaps he researches and seeks out these stories. After all, it's common knowledge that agenda's are posted on the web late in the afternoon of the Friday before a council meeting. Perhaps his job with the State Senator is to keep track of agendas?

You have engendered support from the local bloggers. Am I to believe that only you should be "publicized?" And how would you feel if I had made many more meetings around the area that weren't publicized?

If Sonic built in Franklin, where would it go?

Yes, the question is rather broad, but considering the franchise wants to expand in the metropolitan area, and already has Oak Creek in its sights, why not Franklin?

Sure, there are plenty who will dissent to a Sonic location in Franklin. My first entry discussing this subject receieved some flack from residents of Franklin, including two of the newest Economic Development Commission members, John Michlig and Jon Zawacki (in the comments section of Michlig's blog). While I agree and have been at the forefront of demanding high end and upscale venues for Franklin, I also realize that the community needs venues that might not fit the bill of "high end" or "fine dining" anytime soon. I argue that as much as we need a Cheesecake Factory or a Bartolotta's, we need places like Sonic, too. What's great about Franklin is that it's a large city, with a ton of open land on its major streets to construct a variety of retail, restaurants, offices, and even drive-ins.

With that sense of spirit in place, I believe a Sonic could work well in several areas of the city, such as:

• 76th & Rawson (perhaps to replace the vacant Ka/5 Star Coffee building)
• Near the Franklin Business Park, such as sites on both sides of Andy's on 51st & Ryan
• Near Showtime Cinema on Loomis Road
• On one of the outlots along Hwy 100 where Menards is located

If you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to post them below.

Is there a landfill gas pipeline in Franklin's future?

All there is right now is just confirmations, and MMSD officials and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are looking forward to a future landfill gas pipeline that would connect the Emerald Park Landfill in Muskego (owned by Veolia) and the Jones Island sewerage treatment plant in Milwaukee. According to today's Journal Sentinel article:

Pipeline work is scheduled to begin in July of this year, with a goal of completing the work by Jan. 1, 2011. Three possible pipeline routes being studied would use existing state Department of Transportation easements adjacent to highways and freeways.

Considering that, I suppose the quickest route to Jones Island from SE Muskego (or, should we say on Franklin's extreme SW border) would be to go along State Highway 36, aka Loomis Road. Some people might have been wondering why Loomis has such a berth to it; the state has controlled a lot of the land around Loomis, claiming it to be potential expansion of the road in the future. Well, in this particular case, it's also a great spot to place a pipeline!

Now who am I to complain? Heck, according to the article taxpayers are slated to have savings on their tax bills if the piepline is built. Furthermore, it allows us to utilize a renewable energy resource in the landfill gas. That's fine with me, and I do recognize that the state has total control over Loomis Road. I'd just like to see that Franklin officials are kept informed of the scenario if the pipeline goes through Franklin and that the project is done correctly.

Tonight's EDC meeting cancelled

Usually with cancellations of commission meetings it has to do with not having a quorum (not having enough members present).

With all due respect, it's one date per month to make a meeting. I just can't understand why some individuals choose to be on commissions when they can't even make this very realistic and minimal requirement.

I wouldn't make this an issue except for the fact that EDC members seem to have made it habitual to skip meetings. Take a look at their achieved meetings and you'll see what I mean.

Taking note that we have no Economic Development Director in this city to work on luring new retailers, restaurants, and office tenants to the city, I'd suggest that the EDC work a little harder in getting at least one meeting in per month. Considering the length of this habitual problem among EDC members, I hope Mayor Taylor takes note of the members who can't make it on a regular basis and remove them from the commission when their term is up. Better yet, I'd hope that the members themselves would note the importance of the commission they represent and if they know they cannot make even the simplest of obligations to the city, then they should do the right thing and step down so others can put the commission up to speed.

The Technology Commission will review e-mail protocols

On their February 25th agenda:

VI. City Related Email Protocol for Elected and Appointed Officials

What an interesting topic to discuss! It just so happens that this pops up on the Alderman Olson-represented commission just weeks after I filed an open records request with City Hall asking for copies of ALL e-mail communications from Olson to Mayor Taylor and CCP Taylor. It's been now 2 weeks since my request was filed, and I have received no information on it. What's up with the delay? I usually receive information pertaining to my requests within 48 hours. Why are we entering several weeks with not even a peep regarding this request?

It all goes back to what I opined about yesterday regarding Olson's tactics and negative behavior. He'll point at everyone else for being vengeful, but will attempt to make himself look like a saint. If he is truly a saint, I'd like to see proof of such. If Olson refuses to supply me with his e-mails to the Mayor and Common Council President, I might have to escalate my request to a higher authority.

As for the Technology Commission's review of e-mail protocols, I just hope the Technology Commission doesn't attempt to become Tech Czars for the City of Franklin and its residents.

"Printed political discourse in this city has turned from an expression of ideas to vendetta and personal destruction."

That's from Alderman Steve Olson, commenting on our State Senator's aide's blog entry regarding Franklin resident and blogger Fred Keller. That entry, labeling Keller as a liar and in later comments, a closet liberal (???), has been disproved by none other than Keller himself, along with another resident who wrote on our State Senator's blog.

What's funny about Olson's comment is that I don't think it's very difficult to figure out that half the time it's none other than Steve Olson himself that feeds our aide information from City Hall, which then turns into political discourse. Seeing Olson try and warp this into a 180 making him look like some kind-of saint didn't please me very much, given the background and experience with my alderman.

This is the same guy that led barrage upon barrage of personal, negative, and smearing attacks against former alderman Don Dorsan back in 2004 to replace Dorsan as the alderman for the 1st District. To put things in perspective, Olson carried his aldermanic campaign so nasty that when the Kosovich/Taylor election in 2008 was happening, it spooked some people (including myself) because it was so friendly! Olson sent out so much negative material and rallied local media support against then-incumbent Don Dorsan that both still have issues with each other to this day...which is turning on 5 years now.

This is the same guy who was what I'd consider an integral part of the former political action group Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership, who knocked off several aldermen including Dorsan and had quite the past with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office. I'm sure if I had a chance to sit down with Basil Ryan he'd be real excited to spill some of those beans on the clique Olson was part of. Don't believe me? Read the quote from the Journal Sentinel (emphasis mine):

Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership emerged in March 2003, saying it intended to recall Ryan and anyone else members saw as blocking the city's economic development efforts. Over the next year, the group replaced four of the six sitting aldermen with one of its founding members - Ald. Steve Olson - and three others sympathetic to its agenda. Olson later distanced himself from the group.

The group made what turned out to be false or exaggerated claims against opponents in fliers, claiming in one case that the candidate knew a sex-offender home was being planned for Franklin and that the candidate did nothing to fight a landfill expansion whose height would "exceed the Empire State Building."

"It was 'take the office at all costs.' That was the tactic they used," said former Ald. Don Dorsan, who lost to Olson and complained to the district attorney's office that the group had knowingly distributed false information about him.

Dorsan said the group's actions had discouraged others from running.

"You'd need a lot of money to fight this group," said Dorsan, who chairs the city's Environmental Commission. "The average guy who wants to be in office for all the right reasons doesn't have those kinds of resources."

Sorry, Alderman Olson, but I'll never buy your political tactics and schemes. If we took the quote that you put up on your press secretary's blog seriously, then you'd most likely be the start of a lot of that "vendetta" and "personal destruction" you speak of in Franklin politics. If some friends of mine were to speak their minds to you, I'm sure they'd say something along the lines of karma being a you-know-what.

Mention my name on our State Senator's aide's blog, and you might get banned from opining on it!

What a sad turn of events that happened over on our taxpayer-paid legislative aide's blog. If you mention my name or Cindy Kilkenny's (a good friend of mine) in a comparable (or I'll assume even a positive light about us) on his site, you'll end up in his doghouse.

And if you compare me one more time to Klueless Kowalski and Not at all conservative Kilkenny, you just might get banned.

As disappointing as that language is, what's even worse was that it was to a constituent of the State Senator! How many constituents is her aide going to tick off?

Due to this consistent negative, condescending attitude and smear tactics towards residents with dissenting views of the State Senator, I feel that the Common Council should consider sending State Senator Lazich a formal letter requesting that more respect be given towards Franklin residents from her staff. It seems to me that her aide feels that he can treat her constituents anyway he feels like with no reprecussions. I'm sure many Franklin taxpayers would strongly disagree with those feelings.

Common Council votes to eliminate direct legislation on businesses

Last night, the Common Council passed Alderman Olson's desire to have another "pro business" sticker on his suit prior to a re-election campaign in 2010. The ordinance that's well known around these parts as merely a "sick leave mandate ban" was passed with 4 YES, 0 NO, and 1 ABSTAIN. The words "sick leave mandate ban" are in quotes because this measure was much broader than that. This encompasses anything and everything regarding a private business and their treatment of employees. As of right now, NO ONE in the citizenry can voice out and gather signatures to have ANY work grievance put on the ballot for an ordinance regulating them.

Folks, I don't know if we fully understand the severity of what Alderman Olson did to all of us, but perhaps that's for another blog entry in the coming days.

Read more at Sprawled Out.