Top Stories November 9th

Bosak Gives Council Time To Consider Commission Change

11/9/11 - Juneau Mayor Ron Bosak read from a prepared statement during last nights regular council meeting to address the controversy surrounding his proposal to change the make-up of the city’s Utility Commission. Bosak says he removed the item from last night’s agenda to give city officials more time to consider his plan. The proposed change to the Utility Commission comes after other elected and appointed city officials received an 18% reduction in annual salary and per-meeting stipends. The council vote exempted pay decreases for the Utility Commission, which is city-owned but self-sustaining. The ordinance would reduce the number of citizen commissioners from five to three. Two alderpersons with voting powers would sit on the commission along with the mayor who would only vote to break a tie. Pay for the three citizen commissioners would be cut by 45% resulting in $1900 in annual savings. In addition, the ordinance would consolidate three personnel committee’s into one. The only other mention last night came from the Utility Commissions acting President Ross Canniff who said during his recap of the most recent Utility meeting that the remaining commissioners were in agreement that the mayor should re-appoint former President Dan Wegener. The proposal will be discussed by the council during their regular meeting in December. Bosak says his door is open to any constituent who wants to talk about the plan.

Estimated Juneau Mill Rate Lower Than 2010

11/9/11 - The public hearing for the city of Juneau’s proposed 2012 budget will be held on Tuesday, November 22 prior to its consideration by the full Common Council. The budget includes a tax levy of $1.28 million dollars which results in a mill rate of $7.48 per $1000 of assessed value, down 38 cents from this year’s rate. Debt service eats up $340,000 of the levy. Property tax payers would be putting $24,000 toward the replacement of a fire truck and $74,000 toward the city’s capital projects fund. Expenditures in the proposed budget outpace revenues by $115,000. The mill rate is only an estimate as municipalities across the state are awaiting numbers from Madison before they can finalize the tax rate. The public hearing will be held at 6:30pm on November 22 in Juneau City Hall.

No Tax Increase in Waupun

11/9/11 - For a third straight year there will be no increase in taxes for residents in the city of Waupun. Last night City Administrator Kyle Clark said the tax levy will remain at $2.4-million after they cut more than $230,000 in operating expenses from a year ago. That included a $50,000 reduction in overtime expenses for the police department. The total budget of $6.5-million dollars is down nearly $393,000 or 5.7% from the 2011 budget. The city did not release a projected mill rate. The public hearing and adoption of the budget is planned for November 29th.

Ohio Voters Reject Wisconsin Style Limits on Collective Bargaining

11/9/11 - Voters in Ohio have overwhelmingly rejected Wisconsin-style limits on collective bargaining for public employee unions. And the question now is whether it will give momentum to a union-backed effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. That remains to be seen. But Madison Assembly Democrat Mark Pocan called yesterday’s Ohio vote a sign that Walker and his fellow state Republicans are quote, “out of touch with the will of the people.” And Pocan, who’s running for Congress, said the G-O-P should quote, “close the deep wounds it created” by considering his bill to restore Wisconsin union privileges. 61-percent of Ohio voters favored the repeal of a law that Republican Governor John Kasich (kay-sick) signed in March. Like the Wisconsin law, it banned public union bargaining for health care and pensions, and forced public workers to contribute more toward both. But unlike Wisconsin’s law, Ohio did not exempt police and fire personnel. Nationally, pundits are not certain whether the vote is simply a rejection of Republican overreach in a unionized state – or if will provide a national pro-union spark that could help President Obama and his fellow Democrats in next year’s elections. Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire-fighters, said the Ohio vote was quote, “an absolute momentum-shifting victory for the labor movement.” And if unions and Democrats can pull off a Walker recall, Schaitberger said it would have quote, “a tremendous impact across the country.” But there’s a question as to how much national union financial support would be given to a Walker recall, at a time when unions will be raising money to re-elect Obama next fall. In late August, A-F-L C-I-O president Richard Trumka said various labor leaders were still discussing whether the national union movement would support the Walker recall.

Widespread Snow Expected Today

11/9/11 - Most of Wisconsin is expected to get at least some snow today. But it’s starting later than projected, and at least some places won’t get much as what was first talked about on Monday. It was either cloudy or raining in the Badger State during the night. Northeast Wisconsin is the only place with a full-blown winter storm warning, with 5-to-8 inches of heavy wet snow possible. Many other areas have advisories posted. Four-to-six inches are forecast for central Wisconsin. The La Crosse region could get 1-to-5 inches, mostly on grassy surfaces in higher elevations. Two-to-three inches are projected for far southwest areas. Parts of the south could get a couple inches – and that includes Madison, which was not expecting any accumulation yesterday. But snow has been taken out of the forecast altogether for far western and northwest Wisconsin, including the Eau Claire area. The white stuff was expected to move into La Crosse about sunrise and continue throughout the day while spreading to the northeast. The morning commute might not be easy in some spots. The National Weather Service warns that visibilities could be reduced to less than half-mile when the snow begins to fall. The snow is expected to leave Wisconsin tonight, but blustery conditions might continue into tomorrow – when today’s snow could start to melt, with highs expected at least in the upper-30’s.

Hopper Pleads Innocent to Drunk Driving Charge

11/9/11 - Former state Senator Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac has pleaded innocent to driving drunk while returning from a Green Bay Packers’ game he attended on October 16th. The 45-year-old Hopper was supposed to appear yesterday in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, but he submitted his plea in writing – and that prevented the need for a court hearing. Hopper was arrested for first-time O-W-I and driving to the left of a center-line. According to the Fond du Lac Reporter, witnesses said a driver who resembled Hopper passed an S-U-V on a two-lane road on Highway 151 – and he then swerved and almost ran into an oncoming vehicle. One witness followed the vehicle to a Fond du Lac grocery store. And when Hopper left the store, he reportedly denied to the officer that he had been drinking. When asked again, officers said he admitted having two beers at the Packer game. A few hours later, authorities said Hopper still had a blood alcohol level above the minimum point-zero-eight for drunk driving. Hopper was one of two state senators recalled this summer over their votes in favor of the new limits on public union bargaining. He lost to Democrat Jessica King in August.

Poacher Sentenced

11/9/11 - Shane Vis had eluded law enforcement for years until a hit-and-run wreck led to large fines and a loss of his hunting licenses. Since 2009 authorities in Dodge and Fond du Lac County had heard about Vis’ suspected illegal night poaching activities, including the shining of raccoons and shooting them from trees and illegally taking pheasants. But as Conservation Warden Paul Nell of Horicon says Vis would never stay in the same spot and was always on the go which made it tough to catch him. Nell says Vis would shoot anything that presented itself to him, whether it was on the road or out in the field. The break in the case against Vis came last December when he was the driver in a hit-and-run accident that led to him being sentenced to a year in jail. Following the accident his truck was seized by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department and a deputy discovered three hen pheasants, which are protected birds, in the back of his truck. Following an extensive investigation and prosecution, Vis was convicted on five charges that led to fines of nearly $2,000 and a loss of his hunting privileges for two years. Nell says closing the case was huge because of the number of animals involved and the bold nature in which Vis killed them.

DCCU Warning Customers of Scam

11/9/11 - Dodge Central Credit Union is warning customers about a calling scam. Officials say numerous account holders have been receiving calls from a group called National Security saying their card has been blocked and to press the number “1” for more options. Bank officials are asking customers not to call these people back or give them any personal information. Anyone who has been contacted or have already given out some of their information should contact their bank immediately.

Final Leaf Pick-Up In BD Announced

11/9/11 - Officials in Beaver Dam have announced the final day for curbside leaf pick-up by the Department of Public Works. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says leaves -- along with lawn grass rakings resulting from leaf gathering, garden vines and stalks – may be placed in the terrace areas of the street edge in loose piles no later than Sunday, November 20. Stoiser says yard waste cannot be placed in the street or gutter, or in any containers. Leaves, rakings and garden debris cannot be mixed with other forms of waste like brush or shrubbery cuttings. Stoiser says fruits, nuts and vegetables are not acceptable and should be disposed of as garbage. After November 20, city crews will make only one more round in no particular order.