Here we go again: In the running for my second term as mayor

Well, in case you forgot, there's an election coming up right after Easter. It's our local mayoral election and at this time I'm running unopposed. (There's still time for a person to run a write-in campaign but before they do that they should check in with City Hall and make sure they understand the rules as to how it works when your name is not on the official ballot.) Wards 2 and 4 are also up for election and for the first time in twenty years Cliff Bronstad will not be running for office. For two decades Cliff has been the Ward 2 alderman and he's decided that that's long enough. Denise Moran, who resides at Lone Oak, has submitted her name for alder-person and is presently running unopposed as is Ward 4 alderman Mark Edwards.

After 20 years he's calling it quits

Two years ago I decided to run for office. Prior to that time I had served in a number of capacities on a number of boards and organizations but always by default; i.e., nobody else wanted the honor and I seemed to be the only one willing. But in 2016 I ran in my first-in-a-lifetime election and was surprisingly successful. I had no agenda. No ax to grind. No scores to settle. Truth to be told, I hardly knew or understood what a mayor did but if the people of Chetek were willing to give me a shot I was willing to take it. And they did.

It's harder than you know to get these folks on camera

For the most part, it's been a wonderful experience. I have learned a lot about how our city works and runs. It's not by accident, I can assure you, nor by luck. What I have come to truly appreciate is that our city runs as well as it does because we have wonderful public servants who keep it running so. Public Works Director Dan Knapp and his crew are top notch in keeping our streets clear and clean. Chief Ron Ambrozaitis and his small but faithful force keep us safe and secure. City Inspector Joe Atwood is not only competent but also compassionate as he works with people to successfully resolve matters before having to resort to levying any kind of fine. And last but certainly not least the ladies at City Hall – Utility Clerk Karen Zimmerman, Deputy City Clerk & Treasurer Cassandra Larson and the belle of the ball herself, City Clerk Carmen Newman – are second to none in responding to each and every issue that arises in a given week.

She hates getting her picture taken
but there is no job that is beneath her

I recall that when I was running for office back in early 2016, at the Town Hall meeting that The Chetek Alert facilitated at Chetek Lanes I was asked that given my lack of experience how could I be certain that I could successfully serve as mayor. Spontaneously, I responded: “Two words come to mind: 'Carmen Newman'.” Honestly, I had no idea just how accurate that answer really was. In fact, when it comes to city business when in doubt, ask Carmen. She's like the female version of J.K. Simmons in those Farmers Insurance commercials - “We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two.” Over the past two years I've had a plethora of conversations regarding city ordinances, council meetings and committee activity with Carmen either in person or on the phone. Frankly, when it comes to all things regarding our city she's better than Google. Much better. I am so very grateful for her coaching and her input as I have sought to fulfill the duties of my office.

These girls aren't afraid to get their hands dirty

But lest I forget, the mayor certainly doesn't serve alone. There are two other groups that should be acknowledged for the role they play in the administration of our city: the City Council and the Plan Commission. In my first term, I am so grateful for the perspective I have gained from the experience of both these groups. These are the people who give their thumb's up or thumb's down to all kinds of decisions and endeavors – be it a new business (e.g., The Mill), a new purchase (e.g., the new garbage truck) or a new hire. While the City Council members are compensated for serving when you take into account the amount of time they spend at committee and council meetings, as well as being available to the public that they may express their concerns, it's better that they don't do the math. They serve because they care. The same goes for the members of the Plan Commission but in their case they're all volunteers who serve the city gratis. We all should be grateful that they do.

The first council I served with

So, what am I most pleased about that has occurred since taking office in April 2016? In no particular order of importance or significance:

• That the County Board of Supervisors agreed with our request to increase the speed limit on Highway SS as you head north of town from 25 mph to 35 mph (April 2017).
• New sidewalks that went in along Second Street and on Moore Street by The Center (September 2017).

Out with the old!

In with the new!

• The purchase of the old Jost Law building adjacent to The Center. (December 2016). The hope is to raze the building by this fall in order to put in a parking lot for the patrons of the community center.

Hopefully torn down later this year to make room for parking

• The purchase of the Moulette property on Moore Street as an expansion of Main Street Park (August 2017). My hope is to see public restroom facilities installed there in the not-to-distant future.

The addition to Main Street Park

• The successful extraction of the City from the wake created by the “sinking” of the titanic Central States Pension Plan (February 2018).

Mind you, I'm not taking sole credit for these accomplishments as the mayor is only one voice in the multiple conversations that occur to make these decisions come about. Real credit goes to the city council members who have motioned to move forward on all these endeavors – and so many others.

If I am re-elected, here's a couple of things I'm hoping to see progress on during my second term:

• 

  Still more work to be done

  Ongoing progress on replacing old and deteriorating sidewalks in the business district.
• Creating a parking lot adjacent to The Center.
• Developing a comprehensive park plan for all our parks but specifically Southworth, Phillips (“Beach”) and Airport Parks.
• Developing a long-term beautification program for our downtown area.

(I've got other ideas but it is, after all, only a two-year term and one must be realistic).

I don't mind telling you,
that was fun

I think one of the greatest things of being mayor is the opportunity to meet all kinds of people whether they're residents at Atrium, students at Roselawn, business owners from town or big wigs from out of town (as in the thrill of meeting Governor Walker last year when he came to C-WHS/MS for a visit). During the last two years I have sat down and had coffee with residents at Atrium once a month (“Coffee with the Mayor”), ate regularly at The Center on Fridays, broadcast monthly with WJMC radio host Amber Gonske, been available to speak to various groups as well as to students from Roselawn Elementary to UW-BC, regularly submitted video and text to the mayor's Facebook page (Jeff Martin, Mayor) and by my count to

"Look, Mom, I'm on the radio!"

date have posted 45 entries at my on-line blog “The Mayor's Mind (or at least a piece of it)” as well as submitted a dozen or more articles to the Chetek Alert which they have kindly published with very little editing every time. The whole point of all this is to be accessible as possible to the citizens I promised to serve. With me the door is always open and while we may not agree what's the best way to resolve a particular matter, I'd like to think I'm open to what others have to say about it. It's our town, after all, and we all have a vested interest in how it works and runs.

It's been fun and I'm hoping to continue to serve this community as mayor for another two years. I'm grateful and blessed by the honor that has been bestowed on me and I hope to continue to prove that this trust has been well placed.

Whaddya think about...a residential lawn parking regulation?

Not anyone's home in Chetek...but it could be

“The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Disassembled, inoperable, scrap or wrecked motor vehicles, truck bodies, tractors, trailers means motor vehicles, recreational vehicles, truck bodies, tractors, farm machinery or trailers in such state of physical or mechanical ruin as to be incapable of propulsion, being operated upon the public streets or highways or which is otherwise not in a safe or legal condition for operation on public streets or highways due to missing or inoperative parts, flat or removed tires, expired or missing license plates or other defects.

Unlicensed motor vehicles, truck bodies, tractors or trailers means motor vehicles, truck bodies, tractors, recreational vehicles or trailers which do not bear lawful current license plates.

(Code 2005, § 10-5-8(b))

Sec. 102-363. - Definitions in the City of Chetek Code of Ordinances

In her mind, it looks like this...

In my nearly two years in office I really haven't received a lot of complaints. But of the ones I have received definitely the most common is a neighbor complaining about another neighbor whose yard is full of cars or other assorted stuff. At last month's city council meeting during the Public Comment time, in fact, a neighbor went on record about her neighbor. In her words, “When I look out my kitchen window I feel like I'm looking into a salvage yard” (or words to that effect). When I suggested that she take up the matter with City Inspector Joe Atwood she assured me that she already had and both her and Joe informed me that it was, in fact, a police matter (Chief Ron was out of town at a police seminar and not present).

When it comes to our city ordinances about vehicles as far as I understand it there are essentially two requirements for the things that we drive around in: they have to be currently licensed and they have to move (i.e., they have to be working vehicles). If they don't run or if they're not licensed the owner can be cited. (In my experience with the city, the owner is normally given ample warning and time to move any vehicle or license it before a citation is issued.)

This is how you can read our local "Bible" on
everything about living in Chetek

(If you care to research this for yourself go to our city's website, click on the “Government” tab and then click on “Code of Ordinances” and you can have access to our “Bible” that covers all the rules, restrictions, and requirements that govern all of us who live within the city limits.) I inserted the word “vehicles” in the search window and found the group of ordinances that govern what can and cannot be stored in our driveways or our yards, including:

• Section 102-363 – Definitions (see above) and the rule that says if it's in on your property it has to run and it has to be currently licensed. The prohibition against people storing old washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc. in their backyard is also found here. If it's junk, it shouldn't be stored in plain sight.
• Sec. 102-364. - Storage of scrap vehicles and appliances on private property.

That '57 that you have been meaning to work on in your spare time, it better have a license and it has to be road ready if one of our officers responds to a complaint from one of your neighbors.

Great weekend project but if it's in your driveway,
it has to work

• Sec. 102-366. - Enforcement. Joe was right, of course. It is a police matter. But again, the guys are not about to crash in like stormtroopers to get you to clean up your yard. They usually begin in low gear and encourage people to either have a plan to move the vehicle within the next few days after they stop by the first time.

• Sec. 118-171. - Storage of trucks, tractors and road machinery. A bus driver can't park their bus in their driveway overnight or for any extended period of time. That goes for your tractor that you picked up at an auction somewhere.

Stopping by for lunch? Sure.
 Parking there at night? No can do.

The point behind these ordinances, of course, is to keep our neighborhoods from descending into the appearance of salvage yards from the “collectors” in our community who either can't afford to dispose of an old appliance or sees potential in an old beater that just needs a little TLC. My neighbor used to have a yard full of collector cars in varied states of repair or disrepair. Honestly, it looked like a car lot most of the time. And he once quipped that if I got tired of cutting our grass he had a few more cars he could store there. Someone must have complained because now he cuts his grass like I have continued to cut mine.

Looks a little sketchy to me

Here's the thing: while we do have ordinances that limit the kind of vehicle we can store at our home we have no ordinance that limits how many we can store at our home. If I could afford to license and insure, say, eight vehicles I certainly have the yard to park them on. But maybe we should have an ordinance that limits vehicles per household according to how many can be parked in our driveway or designated parking area. We have an ordinance that limits how many cats or dogs I can own (2). It's essentially to prevent me from creating an animal shelter in my backyard. If anything more than two dogs or cats is considered a nuisance, wouldn't it be fair to say that if it can't be parked in a driveway or other designated parking area it's potentially an eyesore as well? We have an aesthetics ordinance (so people keep their house painted) and even a weed ordinance (so people cut their grass). Why not a residential lawn parking regulation?

I asked Joe Atwood if anything like this had ever been kicked around and he told me that to the best of his knowledge it hadn't. He went on line and found that the city of South Bend, Indiana (a wee bit bigger than our town obviously) does have such an ordinance and reads like this:

Sec. 14-42. - Parking prohibited in residential lawn areas; limited exceptions.
(a) It shall be unlawful to park a motor vehicle in a front yard, in a side yard, or in a rear yard which abuts a street of a lot zoned for a residential use or dwelling, except that parking shall be permitted on a hard-surfaced driveway or approved parking space. 
(b) Parking of any motor vehicle in violation of the regulations set forth in this article is deemed a public nuisance. 

I'd like to know your thoughts on this. Maybe it's not a good idea. Maybe I should let sleeping dogs lie and allow Chief Ambrozaitis to handle these things on a case by case basis according to the ordinances already in place. But I also know that Ron has a lot more weightier things to do than to make sure I don't collect junk in my driveway. I know of at least five neighborhoods in our town where this very thing is an ongoing issue. Joe Atwood assures me there are far more than five.

I realize that at certain households there are four or more drivers who each own a vehicle and we certainly wouldn't want to penalize them for doing so (I know when all our kids come home at Christmas our driveway looks like a parking lot and some of us have to park off-site for the weekend.) I also recognize that some folks might resent the city wanting to have any more say than what it already has on what we can and cannot do at our home and in our yard. But on the principle that one man's garbage is another man's gold some of us seem to collect more than our fair share of gold – or garbage, as the case may be, and who's to say which is which? Obviously, it's a matter of perspective and a lot of us see things very differently.