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By Linda Richter
Monday, May 4 2009, 08:11 PM
In 2005, when then-Mayor Ted Wysocki ran for re-election, he was defeated by Jack Chiovatero. Last month's New Berlin mayoral race was touted as a "re-match" between the incumbent (Mayor Chiovatero) and former mayor (Wysocki). Well, Jack Chiovatero not only won re-election, he beat Ted Wysocki by a bigger vote margin than he had in 2005.
Jack Chiovatero also "bucked the trend" of our having a new mayor every four years.
He has the distinction of being the first since1993 to serve back-to-back terms.
Speaking of breaking with "tradition"---
The School District of New Berlin's usual practice is for the Board Clerk to swear in the newly elected school board members at a board meeting in April. But at the April 27 Board Meeting, Judge Dorlack swore in the new board members (Susan Manley and Peggy LaSalle) instead. At the meeting's onset, Matt Thomas indicated that Keith Heun (who was Board Clerk) and Jennifer Eitel would not be attending.
Another oddity at that meeting:
New Berlin School Board members have traditionally elected their officers by secret ballot. At the meeting, six of the seven board members appeared to vote by secret ballot. The exception was Art Marquardt. Marquardt, who was attending by phone, cast his votes "verbally" for the officer positions.
Matt Thomas (who was Board President the past year) declared that he did not want to be board president. He made those wishes known publicly before the votes were cast.
Guess what? Board members voted and Thomas was not elected to ANY of the school board offices, nor appointed to any.
John Kegel was elected Board President
Dave Maxey was elected Vice President.
Joan Doberstein was elected Board Clerk and Art Marquardt, Treasurer.
Kegel made the following appointments:
Peggy LaSalle--Representative to CESA 1, Susan Manley, Representative to WASB, and Dave Maxey, Liaison to City.
Either John Kegel was confident he'd be elected Board President or believes, like the Boy Scouts, in being prepared. He quickly took control of the meeting, announced those appointments (mentioned above) immediately, and appeared to be reading from a script when making his "acceptance speech".
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By Linda Richter
Tuesday, Apr 7 2009, 08:00 AM
Under the "conservatives" leadership, New Berlin Public Schools had a drop in student test scores. See my August 25, 2008 blog entry. See my May 10, 2007 blog entry about decline in proficiency. They hired a Superintendent with minimal experience at a very handsome salary. NBPS also has an Assistant Superintendent who gets a generous salary. The District took on mega-millions in debt for extravagant facilities that include a huge new elementary school with expensive wooden ceiling and mosaic floor tile, and NB West renovations that include a humongous auditorium and a field house. NB West's treatment plant is failing and needs to be replaced or hooked up to City sewer. Meanwhile NB Eisenhower needs a lot of expensive repair/renovation. The DNR charged NBPS with violating laws in the construction of the Ronald Reagan School and the contractor paid a fine. A wad of money has been spent on surveillance cameras at the secondary schools. Under the leadership of the so-called fiscal conservatives, a PR consultant was hired and money spent to implement the District's new Expect Excellence slogan.
As for people NBCRG has endorsed---Let's start with the elusive Donna Rathsack. Because Rathsack served on the New Berlin School Board but was rarely attending Board meetings in person, had filed for divorce, her house was for sale, and it was rumored that she was living out of state, I made an Open Records Request of the School Board and District for her address. I received no response from Rathsack or other School Board member. The only response I got came from the District's Human Resource Director, which was "no records exist". Rathsack's many absences got the attention of the press. She later resigned during her Board term.
Tim Cramer was another School Board member/officer who was too busy with work or other activities to go to School Board meetings. In fact, as Board Clerk he administered the oath of office to a newly elected board member by telephone. Like Rathsack, he quit before completing his 3- year Board term. He didn't even show up at the School Board meeting to announce his resignation--he did it by phone.
Matt Weiss Prior to his election to the School Board, Weiss was Treasurer of Wisconsin Coalition for Voter Participation, a group sued by the State Elections Board for taking in money and illegally coordinating their expenditures with (pro-voucher) Justice Jon Wilcox's campaign.
Jennifer Eitel claimed in fliers that she was running a "positive campaign" and had signed a pledge against negative campaigning, personal attacks. However, she publicly and falsely accused me (a politcal opponent) of harrasing the pastor of our church to get dirt on her.
After election to the School Board, Eitel argued she wanted to "get politics out of schools". Under the leadership of Eitel, the School Board revised Use of School Facilities policy to ban political speech and candidate forums. I filed a complaint and asked for a hearing with the School Board, but didn't get the hearing until almost 4 months later. And Eitel, the Board President, held that meeting on a Friday in early morning in violation of School Board meeting policy. When I protested, Eitel, who had been holding meetings for over 6 mths replied that she didn't know the policy. School Board members take an oath to uphold the Constitution when they take office. Ultimately, a lawsuit was brought against the School Board/District, alleging the revised policy violated Constitutional protections of free speech and assembly. When the School Board was legally required to respond to the lawsuit, it rescinded the policy.
Eitel and Weiss and three other Board members sought to intervene in a lawsuit about domestic partner benefits and were rebuffed by the Courts--including the Wisconsin Supreme Court. See my blog entry.
When he was Board President, Keith Heun flubbed his recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at a Board Meeting, confusing it with the Lord's Prayer.
He initially dismissed a parent's concern about mold at Eisenhower, ignorant of or in denial of the mold problem at Eisenhower.
Heun spewed vitriol and made false statements about me and others via the internet and misrepresented a lawsuit brought against the School Board. After I commented in my blog that I'd consulted attorneys, Heun posted a retraction of some of his statements.
When I made an Open Records request for his communications published on MyCommunityNOW online, Heun initially refused, even for those he'd signed with his Board title. But Heun must have changed his mind, because he later provided the requested records, unlike Matt Thomas who did not respond to my Open Records Request.
Matt Thomas frequently used his NOW blog to attack his constituents. After I commented on my blog that I had consulted attorneys, Thomas abruptly deleted his past blog entries and the comments that had been posted to his blog. He ended his blog shortly afterward. Thomas, who claims to be a "fiscal conservative", has had financial troubles--his bankruptcy records are public records.
Matt Thomas, John Kegel and Susan Manley voted no when the Superintendent they hired urged the School Board to allocate funds to take care of some urgent, dire facility needs, including a hazardous asphalt situation at Orchard Lane Elementary School that endangered children. See my blog entry.
Susan Manley never responded to emails I sent her when she served on the School Board.
NBCRG endorsed Roger Hegeman when he ran for alderman. But when he ran for re-election, they opted to endorse his opponent Don Counsell. NBCRG withdrew their endorsement after Counsell's conduct at a bar got a lot of negative publicity.
NBCRG endorsed Ron Seidl for alderman, despite his past OWI/other violations reported by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.
Ken Harenda has had financial and legal woes. He's the owner of a company that was sued for violating regulations re: asbestos abatement. The case went to the Wis. Supreme Court and Harenda lost. There have been other actions involving the Courts, too. See Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.
Ald. Harenda, who has also been Council President for years, ran for mayor this year, but was eliminated in the Feb. Primary. His campaign reports listed contributions from himself and Vern Bentley. Bentley had also circulated nomination papers for Harenda .
Ken Harenda and Dave Ament voted to restrict City Hall and the City's Cable Channel to government units, thus ending candidate forums at City Hall. See my blog entry.
Our City's bond rating is higher than when Ted Wysocki was mayor and its not on the losing end of avoidable litigation.
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By Linda Richter
Friday, Apr 3 2009, 11:17 PM
On January 27, Alderman Dave Ament asked the city council to set the mayor’s salary at $83,772. According to NewBerlinNOW, the current salary of $90,634 had been scheduled to increase to $96,706 after April.
Obviously, he was proposing a substantial cut in mayoral pay.
Interestingly, Ald. Ament brought forth his request AFTER deciding against running for mayor. NewBerlinNOW reported that Ald. Ament took out papers in December for the mayors race, then opted not to run, citing business commitments.
NOW also reported: “Ament said he was not targeting Chiovatero with his proposal. There are three other candidates in the February primary election, and the pay reduction would affect them, too.”
Uh, nice spin. But let’s get real here. It’s Mayor Chiovatero who’d be getting the big pay cut. If re-elected, his salary would go from $96,706 in 2009 to $83,772 (using the figures reported by NOW) That’s a whopping $12,934 decrease in pay. If Ted Wysocki or Ken Harenda were elected mayor, they’d gain monetarily. After all, $83,772 is considerably more than the $10,000 they each currently receive as aldermen. If Paul Lincoln Scheuble was elected mayor, his income would increase by $83,772.
When the Common Council was contemplating reducing the mayoral salary, I suggested in a privilege of the floor speech, that our aldermen lead by example and decrease their own pay. After the meeting, I asked Ald. Ament if he had ever taken action to reduce aldermanic pay. He replied no.
Hmmm.
Back in October 2004, an ordinance change regarding mayoral salary was initiated by Ald. Ken Harenda and was approved by the Common Council. It was not enacted because Mayor Wysocki’s administration and the acting city clerk failed to ensure that the ordinance was put on the meeting agendas for the required three readings and published in the newspaper. The Common Council led by President Ken Harenda, was also apparently asleep at the wheel and failed to notice. Ald. Ament was on that Council.
State law requires that mayoral pay be established before a term begins; changes cannot be made after it begins and be effective that term.
Although Ald. Ament had ample time to propose an ordinance change re: mayoral salary to take effect for the next term, he waited more than 4 years to do so--and not until 3 weeks before the primary election. To top it off, Ald. Ament’s push for it was so last-minute slam dunk, he proposed waiving the second and third readings and having the mayor sign the ordinace into law that same night.
Click here to read a previous blog entry on the topic of salary.
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By Linda Richter
Wednesday, Apr 1 2009, 10:18 AM
The Journal Sentinel has endorsed Jack Chiovatero for Mayor.
Click here or visit http://www.jsonline.com/ to view the newspaper's editorial endorsement.
The Journal Sentinel recently endorsed Tony Evers for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Shirley Abrahamson for Wisconsin Supreme Court.
To view those editorial endorsements click here and here or visit the Journal Sentinel website.
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By Linda Richter
Thursday, Mar 19 2009, 07:55 PM
During his privilege of the floor speech at a hearing/city government meeting held at New Berlin City Hall in November 2008, Ralph Heun referred to himself as representing New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government.
He then went on to say: "We seem to be the last political action group in our area."
Huh?
New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG) has been around since 2002.
We Care New Berlin has been registered with the City of New Berlin as a political action group since October 1, 2007.
We Care New Berlin supported a candidate in the 2008 elections, Alderman Bill Moore. Bill Moore won. Heun's New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government group had supported Moore's opponent, JJ Blonien in that race.
We Care New Berlin and NBCRG have been filing campaign reports regularly with the City Clerk. Those reports are public records and are easily accessible at City Hall.
Both political action groups have filed as independent committees when supporting candidates for election.
We Care New Berlin has endorsed candidates in the April 2009 election. So has NBCRG.
Hopefully, the information contained in this blog entry clarifies matters for anyone who may have been misled by Ralph Heun's public statement.
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By Linda Richter
Saturday, Mar 14 2009, 11:12 PM
Alderman Dave Ament was sitting in the audience at today’s candidate forum at New Berlin West School. Isn‘t that rather hypocritical? Dave Ament, you may recall, was one of four New Berlin aldermen in 2006 who voted to limit the use of City Hall facilities to government units, thus barring citizen groups from using them. Their action put an end to voters forums at City Hall.
Whenever I think about voters forums in our community, I remember Jean Crotty, who died last year at age 82. She ran candidate forums for many years. Several years ago, Ms. Crotty asked if I would assist her with an aldermanic forum she was having and moderating at City Hall. The forum would be broadcast on the City cable channel. Ms. Crotty simply wanted me to operate the camera. Although this task was unpaid and meant giving up some hours of my time on a Saturday, I was happy to help her out and said yes. A few days later, Ms. Crotty called again. Sounding terribly distraught and apologizing multiple times, she told me that Ted Wysocki, who was mayor at the time, objected to my assisting her with the forum and told her to get someone else. I felt very sorry for Ms. Crotty, who seemed so distressed and hastened to assure her that it was ok. I thought it was very petty of Ted Wysocki, though.
In 2002, as an incumbent, I participated in a candidate forum held at one of our District elementary schools. Rules were announced at the onset of the forum. We were instructed to give a brief opening speech, stick to issues and not make personal attacks. I listened and complied with those rules. My speech was about what I had accomplished on the School Board and hoped to achieve if re-elected. Then came my opponent Jennifer Eitel’s turn to give her opening speech. Did she obey the forum rules, concentrate on issues, present facts? Heck no. She immediately launched into a vicious personal attack against me--even accusing me of harassing our church pastor to get dirt on her! Needless to say, Mrs. Eitel’s accusations were untrue. But that didn't stop her from including them in her campaign fliers and on a radio broadcast. Ironically, Mrs. Eitel and her running mates had earlier signed a pledge against making personal attacks. My father-in-law had suffered a massive stroke at the beginning of the year, continued to deteriorate and died in April on election day. Dealing with my family’s grief at his suffering and loss was of far greater importance to me than Mrs. Eitel’s false allegations and shenanigans.
The next year, Jennifer Eitel was elected to the New Berlin School Board and became Board President. Not long afterward, she contended she wanted to “get politics out of our schools” and promoted a School Facilities Use policy change that prohibited political speech in school facilities and specifically banned candidate forums. The School Board (by majority vote) approved that atrocious policy change. By the way, when Jean Crotty requested the use of the district cable channel to announce a voters forum she was having at City Hall, New Berlin Public Schools denied her request, citing the policy. The District’s lawyer maintained that the cable channel could be construed as a “facility”. The School Board stubbornly clung to their awful policy which trampled on people’s Constitutional rights of free speech and assembly, despite a public outcry--- until the District/Board was ultimately sued. And guess what? When the School Board was legally required to respond to the lawsuit, it backed down and rescinded the policy.
So, Jennifer Eitel participated in voters forums in District school facilities when running for office. After election, she decried “politics in our schools” and took action to get political speech/candidate forums banned. Today, not only was Mrs. Eitel sitting in the audience at the candidate forum at New Berlin West Middle-High School, she actively participated by submitting a card with a question for the candidates. Quite a flip-flop.
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By Linda Richter
Sunday, Feb 15 2009, 10:55 AM
Greetings. I was away on vacation for a couple of weeks (Disneyworld) and have been doing my best this weekend to catch up on local news.
One issue that's gotten attention lately is mayoral salary.
New Berlin does not employ a City Administrator in addition to having an elected Mayor, as many cities do. So, that’s a substantial cost savings for our city. Often an administrator receives well over $100,000 annually (salary/benefits compensation).
New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero performs many tasks, including doing the work of a city administrator and director of utilities. His current salary is $90,634. Recently, the Common Council voted to cut the mayor’s salary, beginning with the next term. But more about that later.
New Berlin has a population of over 38,000.
We get quite a bargain with Mayor Jack Chiovatero.
By the way, New Berlin Public Schools employs both a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent.
According to information provided by the school district:
Superintendent Paul Kreutzer’s current salary is $155,277 (which includes a $1,500 stipend for tuition). He also gets other benefits including life insurance, long term disability coverage, state retirement (WRS) and FICA benefits, making his total compensation package $185,000.
Assistant Superintendent Joe Garza’s current salary is $118,660. In addition to the benefits listed for Dr. Kreutzer, Garza also takes the district health insurance, making his total package cost to the district $162,308.29.
As for its other administrators and NBPS elementary and secondary school principals, I didn’t ask what their salary/benefits packages currently cost the New Berlin School District. But I expect it’s more than what the City of New Berlin pays for its mayor.
New Berlin Public Schools has a student enrollment of around 4,700.
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By Linda Richter
Friday, Jan 30 2009, 10:27 AM
Because four people are running for mayor and there are six New Berlin School Board candidates (for 2 seats), a primary election is necessary. The primary is on February 17 and the general election, April 7.
Our representative form of government depends on an informed citizenry. People should be as informed as possible when they go to the polls to vote.
Thanks to the efforts of some civic-minded people, New Berlin will have two voters forums:
A pre-primary mayoral candidate forum is scheduled for Saturday, Feb 7 from 1-3 pm. Marta Broge is the facilitator.
A mayoral and school board public forum sponsored by the Rotary Club of New Berlin is set for Saturday, March 14, 1-3 pm.
* Both forums will be held at New Berlin West Middle-High School at 18695 W. Cleveland Ave.
New Berlin Public Schools and the folks putting on the voters forums are performing a great community service. I understand that the forums will be broadcast. That’s wonderful, too.
Unfortunately, there won’t be a school board candidate forum before the primary.
However, NBPS could take action to bridge that gap by providing election and candidate information on its District Web site.
I called New Berlin Public Schools Superintendent Paul Kreutzer yesterday and suggested he look at the Elmbrook School District Web site. In addition to election information, that Web site features profiles of each candidate running for their school board, candidates’ answers to a couple of basic questions, and publicizes an upcoming voters forum being held at Elmbrook Schools Central Administrative Office.
I don’t see why the New Berlin School District couldn’t emulate such a positive and helpful use of technology to inform/educate people about the upcoming elections and candidates running for school board.
I also informed Dr. Kreutzer that a Muskego-Norway Public Schools’ parent told me he gets a booklet in the mail annually containing profile information about that district’s school board candidates.
* Why aren’t the voters forums taking place at City Hall or broadcast on the City’s cable channel? In 2006, the New Berlin Common Council passed a resolution that established policies limiting the use of City Hall facilities to government units, thus barring citizen groups from using them. It put an end to voters forums at City Hall and use of the City cable channel to broadcast such forums. Alderman Harenda made the motion to approve it. It passed 4-3 with Aldermen Harenda, Ament, Hopkins and Gallagher voting yes (Aldermen Moore, Augustine and Hegeman voted no)
Those awful exclusionary policies remain in effect.
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By Linda Richter
Monday, Aug 18 2008, 07:20 PM
On August 14, New Berlin’s Utility Committee unanimously approved the water agreement with the City of Milwaukee. See JS report.
I reckon that displeases unsuccessful NB aldermanic candidate JJ Blonien.
His vehement opposition to the water agreement and attack against our mayor had been popping up all over NOW.
Blonien’s rant was posted online in NOW’s Your Stories (Aug.1) and Community Voices (Aug. 4) sections and published in the Aug. 7 New Berlin-Muskego NOW newspaper (Best of Blogs).
And that wasn't all. NOW added a “forum” about the water agreement to its web page. The "forum" provided just two highlighted links: one to a reporter’s article, the other to Blonien’s blog deriding the mayor and water deal. The "forum" posed the question "What do you think of the deal?" (So far, only two individuals have posted comments to it)
The interactive “forum” NOW created did not include a link to the Your Stories July 31 blog item by Tiffany Wankowski that was supportive of the water deal. With the author's permission, I am posting it here.
New Berlin Residents to Receive Safe, Healthy Water Through Agreement with City of Milwaukee
By Tiffany Wankowski
NewBerlinNOW.com user
Posted: July 31, 2008
20-year water-sharing deal resolves New Berlin's radium problem while complying with Great Lakes Water Resources Compact
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero today praised separate water-sharing and regional benefit agreements approved by the Milwaukee Common Council, saying the agreements will provide safe and healthy water for New Berlin residents while demonstrating regional cooperation on important issues. The New Berlin Common Council is scheduled to vote on the agreements in the next several days.
"The water-sharing agreement is a major health and safety victory for the City of New Berlin," Chiovatero said. "After being ordered by the state Department of Natural Resources to resolve the threat posed by radium-contaminated wells in the central third of New Berlin or face substantial fines, our engineers researched a number of alternatives. Repairing the system would cost many millions of dollars, and purchasing water from Racine or Oak Creek would not be cost-effective at this time. The agreement with the City of Milwaukee is the best combination of cost and providing New Berlin citizens with the safest, healthiest water available."
The City of New Berlin has purchased Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee to serve the community's eastern third since 2005. The new agreement expands the service area to also provide Lake Michigan water to New Berlin's central third. The agreement will be in effect for 20 years, with water supplied through existing New Berlin water mains and pumping stations. New Berlin's western third, largely undeveloped land that is not served by City water or sewer systems, is not part of the plan, will not receive Lake Michigan water and will retain its rural character.
A second, separate agreement calls for the City of New Berlin to make a one-time, $1.5 million regional benefits payment to the City of Milwaukee. Chiovatero said the payment recognizes that important issues extend beyond community borders and shows regional support for Milwaukee's efforts to address shared Milwaukee-New Berlin concerns such as transportation, job creation and other issues. The New Berlin Water Utility will fund the full cost of the one-time payment, and tax dollars will not be used, Chiovatero said.
"Our joint and successful efforts such as passage of the Great Lakes Compact and the water talks between our two cities show the good that can come from suburban and urban leaders finding ways to work cooperatively," he said. "The City of New Berlin looks forward to finalizing these agreements with the City of Milwaukee and to future positive partnerships."
The water agreement adds Lake Michigan water service to approximately 3,930 New Berlin customers, as well as approximately 400 new homes projected to be built in the approved service area over the next 20 years. New Berlin will pay Milwaukee a rate determined by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which regulates the state's utilities. The current average rate is $1.12 per 1,000 gallons, and the City of Milwaukee could see over $40 million in revenue because of the deal. The agreement sets a peak rate of pumpage from Milwaukee at 6.5 million gallons a day. (For comparison purposes, average 2007 water demand for the entire City of New Berlin was 3.184 million gallons per day.)
The New Berlin-Milwaukee agreement fully complies with the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact, which Gov. Doyle signed in May. The Compact allows Lake Michigan water to be temporarily diverted outside the Great Lakes Basin to serve communities like New Berlin that straddle the basin dividing line, provided the water goes back into the lakes. Because eastern and central New Berlin are served by existing Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District sewers, all water going to New Berlin will be returned to Lake Michigan.
"This is a good agreement
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By Linda Richter
Monday, May 12 2008, 12:44 PM
Congratulations to Wayne Hamilton, who was presented with the 2008 Citizen of the Year award* on April 22 by Mayor Chiovatero.
Gary Drinan nominated him, maintaining that Wayne Hamilton was deserving of this honor because of his active involvement in New Berlin youth sports for over 41 years.
Mr. Drinan’s compelling nomination letter conveyed that Wayne Hamilton-----
- Is an upstanding citizen, committed volunteer, Korean War Veteran, married 52 years to Audrey and has 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
- Joined the New Berlin Youth Athletic Program (NBYAP) in 1967
- Volunteered for the newly created New Berlin Athletic Association (NBAA) Board in 1972, which succeeded NBYAP and continues to be an active board member
- Besides his duties on NBAA Board, served as county coordinator for youth sports from 1975-1987
- In his 41 year association with NBAA, has coached, recruited others to coach (boys and girls sports---baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, track and bowling)--and coordinated award dinners & ceremonies, including arranging for prominent speakers. Echoes the NBAA philosophy: “The NBAA was formed to give all kids a chance to play. There is no cutting. If they come out to play, they make the team.”
In addition---
- New Berlin Lakes Baseball, Inc. was formed in 1971 to serve talented youth and adults who wished to play baseball after high school. In 1972, it combined with NBYAP to form the NBAA. Wayne Hamilton not only played on the team for 2 years, he managed it for 3 years, winning the Land O’Lakes Grand Championship in 1977.
- In 1977, Wayne Hamilton assumed the General Manager position, helping the team secure financing and to keep it functioning to the present. He worked closely with the City Parks and Recreation Department and NBAA board to keep the hardball diamond at Malone Park in excellent playing condition, installing modern lighting and reconditioning the playing field with a new drainage system and playing surface. Wayne Hamilton was inducted into the Land O’ Lakes Hall of Fame in 2004.
* Nominations for Citizen of the Year are judged by the Mayor’s Office and City Clerk on this criteria: Contribution to community welfare; Civic achievement; Contribution of something of a lasting effect on the community; Volunteerism; Enrichment of the cultural, civic, and youth facilities of the City of New Berlin.
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By Linda Richter
Tuesday, Apr 1 2008, 09:34 PM
New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG) President Ralph Heun spouted lots of nonsense in the NBCRG March 7 blog entry. See my previous blog entry titled NBCRG Spin and Blunders.
In that March 7 NBCRG blog post, Ralph Heun complained that citizens and civic groups cannot use City Hall. He bemoaned the “short-sighted policy that has kept election forums, Christmas and July 4 parades and other events from being televised”--and he blamed Alderman Bill Moore for it. He accused Ald. Moore of being a prime instigator in passing an ordinance two years ago that prohibited any non-city group from using City Hall/or City Channel 25 for any purposes. What a distortion of facts! Actually, in 2006 Ald. Moore argued against and voted against the restrictive policy/resolution No. 06-11. Furthermore, Ald. Ken Harenda---whom NBCRG has chosen to endorse not only voted in favor of this awful policy/resolution that Heun has complained so bitterly about, he made the motion to approve it.
Let’s get something else straight: Ald. Dave Ament called the Feb. 16 meeting at City Hall, but it was for area residents--not only his own District #7 constituents. The meeting dealt with Coffee Road changes, as well as sidewalks, side paths or bike trails in various areas of the City. Heun’s statement that Ald. Poshepny (District #5) was not shouted down is untrue. When Ald. Poshepny attempted to speak, some members of the audience rudely yelled out. I witnessed that. Heun admits that Ald. Ament asked Ald. Poshepny not to speak. And yet, others at the meeting were allowed to speak.
Perhaps if NBCRG President Ralph Heun had not stood beside Ald. Ament at the front of the room, facing and addressing the audience, for part of the meeting --which did occur-- it would not have appeared so much like a NBCRG meeting or political rally. Interesting that Ralph Heun, the president of a political action group, was allowed to do that and grandstand, but the 5th District alderman who tried to speak during the meeting was silenced and not permitted to speak! A so-called “informational meeting”-- that prevents someone--an elected official-- from asking questions or providing information? Does that serve the public's best interests? Well, the format gave Heun the opportunity to spew negative comments about the Transportation Committee, sidewalks, etc.
If it was just an “informational meeting” as Heun contends, why was there a stack of inflammatory “Just Say No” fliers opposed to sidewalks (and referring to a petition) prominently displayed on a table inside the meeting room ( by the entry), a petition for people to sign--as well as two individuals seated at the table, apparently to assist them?
And why wasn't a City traffic engineer invited to the meeting? Kudos to him for coming to the meeting anyway (it was held on a Saturday) to answer people’s questions. Ald. Ament introduced the City traffic engineer, but acknowledged during the meeting that he hadn’t invited him.
Heun also maintained in the NBCRG blog entry that Ray McInerny, Sr. is president of a small group that apparently is not active as they claim to be exempt from state law requiring that expenditures over $25 must be reported to the City Clerk. What a bogus accusation!
Ray’s group formed late last year. It’s an active group whose membership is growing. Heun misrepresented the facts: State law requires that a group that is supporting or opposing candidates (political action group) be registered with the City Clerk before making expenditures over $25. Ray’s group registered in October -- before it even knew who would be running for office in April (candidates had until Jan. 2 to file to get their name on the ballot) and is in compliance with that law. As for filing an exemption: Political action groups and candidates are eligible for exemption from filing campaign finance reports if they don’t anticipate accepting contributions or making disbursements totaling more than $1000 in a calendar year and don’t accept more than $100 from a single source during the calendar year. Local candidates typically claim exemption status. New Berlin candidates for local public office (including those endorsed by NBCRG) often claim exemption from filing . Independent committees have to file itemized campaign finance reports. In 2008, when Ray’s group decided to support a specific candidate--it filed as an “independent committee” and filed the appropriate reports by the reporting deadline as the law requires.
Ironically, Ralph Heun stated, “ If Mr. McInerny does not know the facts, He should not make the complaints”. Mr. Heun should follow his own advice.
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By Linda Richter
Monday, Mar 31 2008, 07:48 PM
New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG) has endorsed a passel of candidates, including these fellows------
Ted Wysocki, who is the only candidate running for alderman in District 2. NBCRG is endorsing him anyway and apparently doesn't care about Wysocki's history of poor leadership decisions in public office that helped get the City into costly losing legal battles/lawsuits.
JJ Blonien, who is running in Aldermanic District 6. I guess NBCRG doesn't care that he's less qualified than the incumbent and lacks experience. A New Berlin resident for just a little over a year, Blonien has not held an elected public office. He's also been involved in numerous lawsuits. In contrast, the incumbent Bill Moore has been actively involved in our community, held elected public office (school board and now alderman), served our country (Vietnam Veteran) and passionately cares about the environment.
Speaking of the environment, the State Supreme Court has ruled against Harenda Enterprises, Inc. (an environmental consulting company) owned by Ken Harenda for violating government rules/regulations regarding asbestos, a hazardous substance/pollutant. See my blog:
NBCRG has chosen to endorse Ken Harenda, who is running for re-election (Alderman, District 4)
Ald. Harenda has been less than attentive to his duties:
On March 11, he pushed to table an item that's been on the agendas of Committee of the Whole/Common Council meetings month after month for 16 months---arguing that he was unprepared and wanted more time to review his file on the matter. Hopefully, a lawsuit against the City won't result from his failure to do his homework and this irresponsible stalling. See my blog:
At the Oct. 23, 2007 City Council meetings the mayor was absent so Council President Ald. Harenda presided. Vern Bentley seized the opportunity to give a privilege of the floor (POF) speech that included personal attacks against Ald. Bill Moore. Despite Council rules prohibiting personal attacks in POF speeches (those rules are read aloud by the City Clerk prior to POF), Harenda was silent and did nothing. One of Moore's constituents was so upset at Bentley's attacks being permitted against her aldermanic representative, she emailed Harenda to voice a protest. How do I know? I attended the Oct. 23 meetings. Later, I made an Open Records Request of Harenda, for any correspondence related to Bentley's speech/attacks. Click here for a previous blog about Vern Bentley's letter containing false accusations against Moore. As Council President, Harenda is paid $600 more than the other aldermen.
By the way, Matt Thomas, who has been posting blogs very infrequently on NOW, recently resurfaced to post one about Ike basketball and surprise, surprise! present his views on the election. After bashing Ald. Moore, he goes on to attack Harenda's opponent Paul Lincoln Scheuble. Thomas refers to Scheuble as a perennial losing candidate, points out that he's currently running for three offices simultaneously and snidely remarks that Scheuble was elected alderman once back in the 20th century. Actually, Scheuble was elected to a 3-year term which ended in April 2002. Thomas' one year stint as an appointed alderman also ended in April 2002. Thomas was serving simultaneously on the School Board and County Board when he applied for the aldermanic seat vacated by Wysocki. Thanks to Wysocki (who, as mayor, cast the tie-breaking vote), Thomas got the aldermanic appointment--making 3 simultaneous public offices for Thomas. Thomas chose to quit his school board office. But he kept his seat on the County Board which pays more than school board and served his one-year aldermanic appointment. Unlike Thomas, Scheuble served his entire elected term and did not quit in the midst of it. Thomas has called Keith Heun (son of NBCRG leader Ralph Heun) and himself "political strategists".
NBCRG has endorsed Michael Gableman for Wis. Supreme Court judge. Did you see the disgusting, sleazy TV attack ad by Gableman's own campaign committee against his opponent Justice Louis Butler? It has been denounced by many judges and other people. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorials condemn the ad. The MJS Editorial Board, which evaluated both candidates, has endorsed Louis Butler and claimed that Butler is more qualified than Gableman for the Supreme Court seat.
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By Linda Richter
Wednesday, Mar 26 2008, 04:27 PM
New Berlin aldermen receive $10,000 annually in taxpayer-funded salary and expenses (the Council President gets an extra $600). I don’t think it’s asking too much of Council President/Alderman Ken Harenda to do his homework and come prepared to vote/take action on items that are on the meeting agendas.
At the March 11 City government meetings (Committee of the Whole/Common Council), Ald. Harenda pushed to table an item: Resolution No. 06-42 A Preliminary Resolution Declaring Intent to Levy Special Assessments and Directing the City Engineer to Prepare a Report for the Installation of Sanitary Sewer System to Service Areas on the North Side of Howard Avenue (west of Sunny Slope Road)
Tabled since November 2006, that resolution has appeared on the Committee of the Whole and Common Council meeting agendas month after month.
At the March 11 meeting, District #5 Alderman Joe Poshepny rightly moved to take the resolution off the table (which allows discussion and possible action). The aldermen voted yes--except for Alderman Ament who voted no.
Ald. Poshepny implored the aldermen to take action to get the process to move forward.
It shouldn’t have been a difficult decision for our aldermen to direct the City Engineer to prepare a report and get the process moving along. However, not only did Council President/Alderman Ken Harenda chose to stonewall, he argued he was unprepared and wanted additional time to review his file on the matter!
Alderman Harenda certainly had plenty of time to familiarize himself with Resolution No. 06-42 and the special assessments affecting a handful of residents, prior to the meeting. His failure to do so was inexcusable. What a poor leadership example Ald. Harenda set for his fellow aldermen.
Using his deficient preparation as an excuse, Ald. Harenda then made a motion to table the resolution. He even refused requests to “defer” the resolution to a later date rather than “table” it .
Ald. Harenda’s motion to table was seconded by Ald. Seidl and carried with Alderman Hopkins, Augustine, Seidl, Harenda, and Ament voting yes. Ald. Poshepny and Moore voted no.
It was made clear during the meeting that a developer (who was present and spoke at the meeting) is owed many thousands of dollars for investing in Howard Avenue improvements. Under Ken Harenda’s leadership, the City Council keeps dragging its feet. That’s not efficient or responsible representation. I hope the stalling tactics of Ald. Harenda and his cohorts don’t result in a lawsuit against the City.
Ald. Harenda was elected with the help of a political group that calls itself New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government (NBCRG). NBCRG has a Web site that states one of its objectives is to hold government officials and employees accountable for their actions and lack of action.
"Lack of action", such as the 16 months of tabling Resolution No. 06-42 and the paltry excuse given by Ald. Harenda to perpetuate this irresponsible stalling indefinitely? But instead of holding Alderman Harenda accountable for his inaction, inadequate preparation for scheduled Committee of the Whole/Council meetings, and poor leadership, NBCRG has chosen to endorse and support him in the April election.
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By Linda Richter
Thursday, Mar 20 2008, 01:45 AM
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (March 18 CommunityWatch & March 19 Business section of newspaper) brings us the exciting news that the courts have given the Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center the go-ahead.
Last year, owners of an apartment complex near the proposed 405-room hotel/ water park at S. Moorland Rd. and W. Greenfield Ave. sued the City of New Berlin and its Board of Appeals claiming the hotel’s height had been improperly allowed to increase to 94 feet. This lawsuit stalled the project. Fortunately, the City and Board of Appeals won the court case. Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Foster ruled that the Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center development was within city height restrictions and that proper procedures were followed in approving the project.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also informs us the State Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Harenda Enterprises, Inc. is liable for violating state administrative code. The Court reinstated an order requiring the company pay penalties and surcharges for failing to remove asbestos during renovations of the Milwaukee Theatre. The state had initially filed a complaint against the company about it in 2003. The JS news story, which appears in the Regional News Watch section of the March 14 newspaper, did not mention the Harenda Enterprises, Inc. owner's name--- Ken Harenda. Yup. THAT Ken Harenda-- the New Berlin Alderman (District #4) who is running for re-election and endorsed by NBCRG.
Review the Supreme Court decision and you’ll find these remarks from a judge: " ….Exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, which is a rare form of cancer that affects the protective sac of most internal organs such as the lungs. "Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. Symptoms, however, may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure. The incidence of this rare cancer has increased over the past 20 years but may be stabilizing now. Once symptoms appear and the cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often very advanced. Mesothelioma is often associated with a horrible death."
Obviously, asbestos is a dangerous substance and poses a serious health hazard. Aldermen vote on issues that affect community development, the environment, people’s health and safety. We expect them to abide by state codes, regulations and laws. It's troubling that a New Berlin alderman owns a company cited for violating state code regarding asbestos, potentially put people’s health in jeopardy--and then sought to evade responsibilty.
A 2002 Journal Sentinel news article disclosed that Ken Harenda was the owner of the consulting firm Harenda Enterprises, Inc. It also reported: A state inspector alleged Ken Harenda’s brother (County Board Supervisor Keith Harenda) pressured him to drop the asbestos charges and offered the inspector tickets to a Bush appearance event. The official said he declined the offer, citing state law, which prohibits offering a state official "anything of value" if the gift could reasonably be expected to influence that official's actions or be considered a reward. The article also states, “Mark Davis, head of the state's asbestos-control program, said overtures by Waukesha County Supervisor Keith Harenda, the contractor's brother, included a plea to "make this case go away" because it could hurt his brother's political ambitions.”
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By Linda Richter
Tuesday, Feb 19 2008, 09:57 AM
Don’t forget to vote in today’s Wisconsin Primary Election.
Voting information is easily accessible via the City of New Berlin’s web site ( click on How do I/FAQ )
You'll find the following information and more:
District Maps & Polling Places
District 1 - (Wards 1-2-3)
Vote at: Hickory Grove Senior Center, 2600 South Sunny Slope Road
District 2 - (Wards 4-5-6-7)
Vote at: New Berlin Community Center (Old New Berlin Library), 14750 West Cleveland Avenue
District 3 - (Wards 8-9-10-11)
Vote at: World Harvest Church, 1500 South West Lane
District 4 - (Wards 12-13-14-15-27-28)
Vote at: Peace Lutheran Church, 17651 West Small Road
District 5 - (Wards 16-17-18-19)
Vote at: Eisenhower High School, 4333 South Sunny Slope Road
District 6 - (Wards 20-21-22)
Vote at: Glen Park School, 3500 S. Glen Park Road
District 7 - (Wards 23-24-25-26)
Vote at: New Berlin City Hall, 3805 South Casper Drive
All polling places open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM.
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By Linda Richter
Thursday, Feb 14 2008, 09:37 PM
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today is February 14 and yet:
The most recent New Berlin School Board Meeting minutes posted on the NBPS District Web site are for the November 26, 2007 meeting!
The minutes of the December, January and February School Board Meetings are not yet posted on it.
In contrast, the City of New Berlin Web site is more regularly updated.
Click on the City's Web site, and you can view the minutes of the Common Council or Committee of the Whole Meetings that were just held on February 12---as well as minutes of previous meetings.
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By Linda Richter
Saturday, Jan 19 2008, 01:46 AM
The New Berlin Community Center located at 14750 W. Cleveland Avenue, New Berlin will be celebrating its Grand Opening, official ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Saturday January 19 at 10 am.
An Open House will follow until noon.
See press release for more information.
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By Linda Richter
Wednesday, Dec 19 2007, 11:54 PM
The New Berlin School Board’s request to continue holding regular monthly and any related special meetings at City Hall was approved by aldermen (4-2 vote) at the October 9 Common Council Meeting.
So, the School Board gets to use City Hall. And it does not pay a user fee.
That's ironic, considering-----
- We New Berlin residents/taxpayers aren’t allowed to use City Hall for meetings. (although our taxes pay/paid building, maintenance, repair, and utility costs for the facility) Community and citizen groups including Scout troops and charitable organizations, are not permitted to have their meetings at City Hall. We can not have voters forums there, either. Why? Because the Common Council adopted a policy last year restricting the use of our City Hall to City staff, local elected and appointed officials, and Federal legislatures.
- The School Board has imposed user fees on the City (and other groups) for school facility use. But the School Board wants or expects to use City facilities (City Hall) for free?!!!! What a double standard. (Of course, our taxes pay/paid building, maintenance, repair and utility costs for school facilities, too).
- Last August, the School Board unilaterally canceled a contract signed in 1968 that required the District and City to negotiate any changes to that agreement, including changes in charges (such as increases) for use of school facilities (mostly by Park & Rec. Dept.). The SB unilaterally opted to charge for school facility use and sent a new contract to the City. See NewBerlinNow article containing this quote: “This is not going to be a negotiated contract with the city, board president Keith Heun said. “It’s going to be ‘here’s our terms and conditions'.” ( The SB was unwilling to negotiate a contract? It resorted to 'my way or the highway' -type stance and swagger?!)
- The Common Council voted on December 11 to table its meeting agenda item “Agreement for Use of School Facilities-NB School District” after the City Attorney indicated there's an issue regarding any additional charges that may come up and how they are handled that needs to be resolved. There was some discussion on this topic at the Dec. 10 School Board Meeting, too.
- At the December 10 School Board Meeting, District Superintendent Paul Kreutzer assured the School Board that the Use of School Facilities Agreement does not give preferential treatment to the City. The District could choose to approve requests by groups for school facility use on a first come, first serve basis, give city groups higher priority than county groups, or whatever. It was also mentioned that some groups made it known they’d like to reserve a school facility for the maximum time the District would allow.
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By Linda Richter
Sunday, Nov 11 2007, 12:14 PM
Today, November 11 is Veterans Day, the national day set aside to remember and honor those who have served in the country’s military.
Mayor Jack Chiovatero will conduct the City’s Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 7 pm tonight in the Common Council Chambers at New Berlin City Hall, which is located at 3805 S. Casper Drive. The ceremony will be approximately 45 minutes in length.
New Berlin Hoeppner Horn VFW Post 5716 and American Legion Post 488 will participate.
The New Berlin Community Band will perform a selection of patriotic music.
New Berlin resident and WWII veteran Kenneth Sharping will accept a proclamation on behalf of all New Berlin veterans, and the guest speaker will be Donald Hermann, a WWII veteran and past VFW Post 5716 Commander.
All residents are invited to attend. The ceremony will also be broadcast on local cable channel 25.
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By Linda Richter
Tuesday, Oct 23 2007, 06:22 PM
Our city is in danger of losing its Paramedic service?
That is unacceptable.
From my experience as a registered nurse, I know how valuable it is to have highly trained and skilled personnel on the scene quickly in true medical emergencies.
Paramedics can and do save lives. Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Dobernig reports that since August 2006, the Fire Department Paramedic Program has documented 39 lives saved and treated 2193 people.
You can show your support for maintaining the Paramedic program by speaking at tonight's meeting at City Hall during Privilege of the Floor (POF). The Committee of the Whole meeting is at 7 pm. POF (the public comment period) follows it. The Common Council meeting is held after POF.
For additional information about the paramedic situation, see this morning's Journal Sentinel Community Watch article on New Berlin Now. The article provides a link to an important, heart wrenching email message from Tom Dobernig.
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