West Lafayette District #2

One "no" for the Muinzer Plan

2012-02-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

While I admit that Mark Muinzer has made life interesting here in Tippecanoe County over the past few months, I am opposed to the Muinzer project.

I support the APC professional staff's recommendation of denial.

I believe the comparisons made with Big Ten schools by staff in their 12/14/11 Memorandum are accurate and appropriate.

I believe staff's criticisms of Muinzer's data in their 12/15/11 Memorandum are valid.

I have no doubt the block will be developed by Mark, if not today and in this form, then tomorrow with an altered, better plan.

I have no doubt that if Marc quits the property, he will leave having made a profit.

I have no doubt the block will then be developed by someone else, if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow.

They too will profit. As will the city in any case.

I hope the block will be developed, but:

AFTER the pending land use plan for the neighborhood is completed. Only after the pending land use plan for the neighborhood is completed. Carl Griffin and I began work on the New Chauncey land use plan in 2009. (Jay McCann and I still work at representing you in a planning group weighted toward commercial interests.)

AFTER the Chauncey-Stadium Historic Preservation District and the Chauncey Square parking experiment, which are also still pending, are in place or completed.

AFTER the city FINALLY joins PRF in beginning a study of the scope and efficacy of the redevelopment entity described in the settlement with PRF made in exchange for the Wang Hall rezone.

Unlike Wang, no voter has offered any support for this project. None. Not one. Criticism begins with the parking issue; the gateway to all other neighborhood concerns. They find the title "Landmark" humorous; suggesting it be called instead "Just Another One of Those". This project is hardly unique in West Lafayette.

Their opposition turns to anger when they learn of the 818 Northwestern apartment project now in the planning stages on land recently sold by PRF. Anger at the developer, at what they see as the naivete their city council members for past compromises, anger at the city for its failure to confront redevelopment directly, anger at what they see as a betrayal by PRF.

I like the name "Landmark". Hopefully it will be a "Landmark" in our discussion of development along the Fowler/Northwestern corridor. Hopefully it will move the New Chauncey land use discussion forward.

But to approve this plan now would also represent a "landmark" failure in urban planning. A "landmark" failure by all of us in public service who seem to have lacked either the will or the skill to address near campus urban development co-operatively, while the residents who are Purdue’s neighbors wonder if there is anyone who still represents the interests of voters and home owners.

Finally, a personal note. I have been disappointed by the “cyber attacks” of “Landmark’s” backers on the character and integrity of the APC professional staff. Even those of us who have opposed past decisions made by the APC staff, have never once doubted their professionalism or their interest in our common good.

A copy of the APC report on the Landmark project appears above at right.

Why West Lafayette Soon Could be Paying for Water It Doesn't Even Use

2011-12-12T05:29:00.000-08:00

- Charlie Tritschler & Marc Loudon Journal-Courier Op-Ed 12/12/11

Last week the Indiana Regulatory Utility Commission started hearings to decide whether Indiana American Water Co. gets its proposed 8.64 percent rate increase. By contrast, the state consumer advocacy group has called for a 4.1 percent decrease for the company that serves West Lafayette.

The catch is that the company and regulators implemented single tariff pricing (i.e., same price statewide) in 1997. The requirement now remains that the lower West Lafayette rates go up another 60 percent just to catch up to higher rates elsewhere. The Journal & Courier has reported expertly on the wide disparity of rates on the west and east side of the Wabash River and why.

What alarmed us and motivates writing is the perverse process of management and regulation in the water industry. While the regulators and the company settle on exact dollar rates, these experts still use both gallons (according to invoices) and hundred cubic feet (according to regulations). Comparisons are muddled. Transparency of data is hindered, but relevant points from the hearings can be extracted below.

Often the lower cost of municipal utilities, including those in Lafayette, is attributed to income tax exemption. The 35 percent corporate tax rate is often cited, but Indiana American now discloses that it has not paid income tax in the last three years - that's zero percent. Moreover, the company has tax loss carry forwards for years to come to avoid tax.

Therefore, it's not hard to believe that the company rejected the 100 percent depreciation tax reduction, part of the federal economic stimulus for 2010. Not paying the estimated income tax expense is ignored for rate making. Rather its income tax expense is reimbursed by you - by the water customers - in your rate paid to the company to cover future tax. One witness testified that "the fact that the company pays no tax in any given year is completely irrelevant to whether or not it incurs tax expense for ratemaking."

What residents and businesses have also paid for can be found way out at 4803 N. Ninth St. The Indiana American facility sits by the old Davis Ferry Bridge on the other side of the Wabash River. Back in West Lafayette, on Happy Hollow Road, there were seven water main breaks last year. Some resulted in considerable yard damage. The point is that the company is not maintaining their aging West Lafayette infrastructure.

In spite of neglected maintenance within the city, existing ratepayers are being asked to pay more for system expansion outside the city to serve future customers. Indiana American President Alan DeBoy conceded that "our current replacement rate of 0.7 percent (143 years) is beyond the expected useful life of water mains." So less than 1 percent of water mains are being replaced, which would date back to the founding of Purdue and of the water company.

The company's consultant Kerry Heid testifies that in 2009 the city "received an overall average increase of 25 percent. On a standalone basis because of the new water treatment plant being constructed in West Lafayette, the West Lafayette increase would have been approximately 147 percent." If this expert is correct, then the plant should not have been built at all. Purdue has wells already and so does any home or realty development out in the county not tapped into - or trapped into - company water mains. Failure to maintain our old mains and building new mains to nowhere means old customers pay for new customers, if they materialize.

Heid testified that the company provides water "whether the customer uses one CCF (hundred cubic feet) or 10,000 CCF. Approximately 96 percent of company costs are fixed; only 4 percent of company costs are variable, i.e. varies based upon customer usage." Of course, the water usage itself costs nothing, zero, except for treatment.

This leads to the latest tactic of Indiana American pricing. The customer must pay for not using water. The water rates must be increased to offset conservation. Indiana American Vice President Bruce Hauk testified "the more successful our conservation efforts will be, the less water we will sell, which will mean less gallons over which we can recover fixed costs."

DeBoy testified: "Reduced consumption is a driver of the rate increase. Our authorized revenues are slightly more than $199 million. With our current consumption levels, however, our pro forma revenues at present rates are approximately $194 million. Making up that difference represents more than 24 percent of our overall requested increase."

So the company asks for rate increases to offset volume declines due to conservation.

In any event, close to $10 million (include sales tax) will leave the town every year and is not spent in Tippecanoe County, except for some property tax. Indiana's secure and sustainable water resources cannot be exported, but the profits and company fees derived from our water can be drained away.

" Truthiness" and Trash Talk in WL

2011-11-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's fashionable to be anti-intellectual, but WOW this is a great piece of rhetoric, composition, and creative writing from Dr. Richard Johnson . . .

Truthiness and trash talk in WL race

They say truth is the first casualty of war. The same could be said of elections.

A recent letter claimed that West Lafayette City Council District 4 candidate Diane Damico wrote the "pay as you throw" ordinance. Actually, a city council member authored the bill. That letter was short on some other facts, too.

The trash ordinance would have saved taxpayers money. The rates we pay were already scheduled to increase, so the city asked the Go Greener Commission, chaired by Damico, to study how to cut costs by reducing trash and increasing recycling. The commission partnered with Purdue's highly respected EPICS program to develop some money-saving alternatives.

EPICS recommended a two-tiered system that has worked well in other towns. The plan came down to whether you use a regular garbage can or a large garbage can. People who chose the regular can would save money, while people who chose the large can would pay more. Plus, large items would be taken for a fee.

Most West Lafayette citizens would have saved money, despite council member Vicki Burch's claims. Also, the city would have made more money on recycling. It was a win-win.

Unfortunately, the bill was vetoed for political reasons, and those higher trash costs were creatively hidden in the city's wastewater budget where you wouldn't notice them. So, Burch's opposition actually cost us money.

Unfortunately, the truth rarely seems to matter in politics. Some elected officials count on that. Damico has been a pillar of this community. Vote for progress.

Richard Johnson

West Lafayette

CHAUNC-PAC ENDORSES Polles/Dietrich/Thomas

2011-11-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New Chauncey Neighborhood Political Action Committee Endorses John Polles for West Lafayette Mayor, and Steven Dietrich and Gerald Thomas for At-Large City Council.

West Lafayette, IN – Tuesday, November 1, 2011 – Community Homeowners and University Neighbors Committee PAC (CHAUNC-PAC) endorses challenger John Polles for West Lafayette Mayor and incumbents Steven Dietrich and Gerald Thomas for at-large city councilors.

Mr. Polles advocates a strong proactive role for the city in planning for development in the New Chauncey neighborhood. He cites the Wang Hall project on Northwestern Avenue as an example of the current city leadership’s failure to make planned development work for both neighborhood and developer; we agree. Many residents are open to development in and around the neighborhood, but seek an administration which more forcefully preserves, protects and enhances the owner-occupied residential character of New Chauncey.

Though it only emerged at the eleventh hour, one of the promising features of the Wang Hall process was the professionally mediated dialogue that emerged between the developer, Purdue Research Foundation, and the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association. Notably, this dialogue was instigated by the partners themselves, and not by the mayor or the city.

CHAUNC-PAC seeks a long-range vision for development and the fortification of institutions and relationships that serve to build a stronger neighborhood, such as the New Chauncey Housing Incorporated and an historic preservation commission. Without denying select accomplishments of the Dennis administration, we strongly assert that its passive and reactive approach to neighborhoods will neither stop nor reverse the trend away from owner occupancy in New Chauncey.

Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Thomas have records in favor of neighborhoods. Both candidates are in support of retaining strict parking ratios for new developments in and around New Chauncey. Additionally, Mr. Thomas views the recently approved Wang Hall project in the same way as CHAUNC-PAC: as a missed opportunity to plan comprehensively, strengthen relationships, and secure strong commitments from those who wish to profit from growth in our neighborhood.

CHAUNC-PAC solicited written responses from two candidates in the mayoral race and three candidates in the at-large city council race. It received responses from candidates Dennis, Polles, Thomas, and Dietrich. The endorsement committee considered both the responses and the public record in its deliberations.
Contact:
Tom Mustillo, CHAUNC-PAC Chair
chaunc.pac.wl.in@gmail.com

100 W. Stadium/101 E. Stadium

2011-10-10T12:26:00.001-07:00

Four years I took a photo of 810 Grant (the Bowden property; then in court) with its Republican signs and then 101 E. Stadium with its Democratic signs. This year I didn't want to walk as far, so I photographed 100 W. Stadium (Karlaftis; Assessor Record) and then the Suitor/Feld home again.

Why do you think the landlord's always support John Dennis?

Which house gives you hope?

Vote for Polles

2011-10-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have two reasons for asking you to support John Polles in this November's West Lafayette mayoral election.

Budget Transparency

In 2010 I blogged about the city budget ("Budget Kabuki" - 10/6/10) and subsequently voted against it. I could have just repeated that piece. Again this year, I voted against the city spending plan.

Briefly, the city administration is claiming credit for opening two "lock-boxes" (funds in the Waste Water Utility and TIF monies administered by the Redevelopment Commission) to meet what have long been general fund expenses.

The great irony of course is that city Republicans complained long and loud both about the establishment of the Tax Increment Financing districts and the increases in the waste water rates that have provided both a world class waste water facility and funds, as the system approaches its limits, for further expansion.

Now both are identified as wonderful revenue streams for near term expenses.

The true fiscal conservative in this election is Democrat John Polles.

Strong Leadership

New Chauncey needs new friends. As I wrote regarding the proposed Muinzer project (9/28/11 - "Muinzer Project Prelude"), we look with envy across the river at the leadership provided by Mayor Roswarski in the Centennial neighborhood. Why this "sluggishness" (my thanks to J&C reporter Amanda Hamon for the perfect word) in regards to New Chauncey?

Inexperience? Disinterest? Lack of skill? Timidity? The discomfort of the usual commercial interests? THERE ARE OVER 200 MILLION DOLLARS (Muinzer presentation) WORTH OF PROJECTS COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY AT THE EDGE OF NEW CHAUNCEY! We should not need Carl Griffin to suggest creating a neighborhood land use plan. Ann Hunt ought not to be the one to ask the police chief for a parking study in the Evergreen St. neighborhood.

At this moment when Purdue, through the Research Foundation, has expressed new interest in a University-Neighborhood-City Alliance, there should be some energy present. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Sign the Memorandum of Understanding. Cut a check for $25,000 to begin to study how best to establish such a district. If we are proud of our "new (financial) normal", use waste water funds (they are moving a sewer line). Use redevelopment money.

We have a great community. But we can be even better. Vote for John Polles.

Muinzer Project Prelude

2011-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

New Chauncey needs to make new friends.

A dozen years ago the city, under Sonya Margerum, had a plan for New Chauncey.

Downzone. Then downzone again. With NUZO (New Unified Zoning Ordinance 1997), the number of R-1/R-1U properties was expanded with the addition of Lutz St. Then create a new zone. In 2002, the 600-home New Chauncey Neighborhood become a National Register (Department of the Interior) Historic District .

Use CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds to create (1998/99) New Chauncey Housing Inc. Federal dollars would be used to support home rehabilitation for low and moderate income persons.

Encourage higher-end redevelopment. Beginning in 2001 Deann Baker created and managed the private New Chauncey Foundation ($500,000) to mitigate the loss of single family homes in West Lafayette.

Increase enforcement of housing codes. The city won two landmark prosecutions of its over-occupancy ordinance; in 1998 (Benjamin) and in 2008 (Weida).

Deny rental certificates to scoff-law landlords. The "Good Neighbor Ordinance" was proposed during the last days of the Mills administration (2007).

Times have changed.

Down zoning did not work. Realtors "red lined" us. "Kiddie Condos" surprised us. Landlords became rental corporations. Historic preservation has received luke-warm support from this Republican administration.

New Chauncey Housing will see its Federal funding dwindle. The city's management of its CDBG funds has become the subject of council debate. NCHI's political adventures have proven inopportune.

"Mailcode" (the Baker business) is gone and so The New Chauncey Foundation is gone. It has become another rental corporation.

While the city housing ordinance has been strengthened by council action, enforcement has lagged. The focus of the well received Neighborhood Resource Team is on the cosmetic.

We look with envy across the river where Mayor Roswarski has demonstrated strong leadership in support of the Centennial Neighborhood. Here Ann Hunt, Carl Griffin and I have labored to negotiate with the Purdue Research Foundation and private developers on behalf of the neighborhood. The Land Use Plan currently underway is also the result of work we began in 2009.

In a better world we would not need to trade six story buildings for redevelopment entities or cash. But we need new partners. New stakeholders.

New Chauncey needs new friends.

Quick work!

2011-09-21T12:31:00.001-07:00

Wow, thanks to Chris Leroux and Dave Buck for their quick work, and to all the N. Chauncey neighbors who came out to the Traffic Commission meeting yesterday; "Phil" Daly, Sarah Mustillo, the Clevens (Adrian and Kristen), Cathy Potter, Catherine Grossman, and Patricia Henley. . . and anybody I forgot!

Look what you did!

Here are our digital speed/traffic counters. They should be here through the weekend. My question? Should we drive slower - or faster :) And no, I did NOT put the ball there.

Thanks Adrian !

2011-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Political action starts early in New Chauncey :)

from the 9/19 J&C

Thanks for the stop signs on my street

I would like to thank the city of West Lafayette for putting stop signs on Smiley Street at our street, North Chauncey Avenue. These stop signs will save cats and dogs, plus kids.

There are 30 kids on my street. That's a lot. Now kids won't get hurt by oncoming cars. I can see a difference. Instead of plowing through, they stop.

But one thing you should do is put up "kids at play" signs.

Adrian Cleven, 10

West Lafayette

Thank You Sallie Cooke!

2011-08-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ms. Cook, 

I received your message regarding adding a stop sign on Smiley Street at the

intersection of Smiley and Chauncey. A work order has been filed with our street 

and police departments for three new stop signs on Smiley Street. There will be 

stop sign on the east side of Vine St. on Smiley and both the east and west 

sides of Chauncey Ave. on Smiley Street. 

If you have additional questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to call our 

office for information. The next traffic commission meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, September 20th at 5:00 pm in the lower level conference room of City 

Hall. Public comments are welcome at the beginning of the meeting. If you have 

additional information or wish to present another option to the committee you 

can do so at that time, the committee would then discuss the options and 

complete traffic and speed counts or gather any other data they find necessary. 

They will also inform you at that time what other information and/or data they 

will need from you. 

Again, please do not hesitate to call our office if you have any questions or 

concerns.

Thanks! 

Michelle Debord 

Office Manager, Engineering 



Do we need some other traffic changes?  Signs? Bumps? Let me know . . .

Questions for City Council Beyond Wang Hall

2011-08-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

Now that "516 Northwestern" has been approved by the Area Plan Commission, several questions suggest themselves prior to the City Council's consideration of the matter on September 6th :

1) Are the parking spaces claimed really there?

This is the most immediate and practical question and sets the tone for all the others. By rights, the APC staff admits, the project would likely require over 300 spaces. Worst case? 600 spaces. The number 220 was clearly a compromise. Given 78 surface spaces, the Northwestern garage, which was thought to be near capacity at the time of the demolition of Phi Kappa Tau in October 2007, needs to have 142 - 222 spaces available. The West Lafayette City Council defeated (5-2) a high density plan APC presented last winter (Ordinance #27-10) for Chauncey Village and Northwestern Ave. after then First District Councilor Jon Hoggatt led his colleagues on a field trip to count the parking spaces listed in the APC report. We could not find them.

A "Point in Time" survey of the Northwestern Ave. parking garage would seem to be appropriate.

2) What will be the University and/or the Research Foundation's financial contribution be to the redevelopment imagined in the Memorandum of Understanding generated by the Wang Hall discussions?

We understand that John Purdue was no Ezra Cornell. So we do not expect 10 million dollars over ten years, the amount Cornell will spend on its University-Community Partnership; money beyond its annual contribution of two million dollars to the community.

Yet the University of Minnesota spends $80,000 a year in its University District Alliance for "Engaging Student Citizens". Additionally the university last year purchased three homes for resale to owner occupants.

The University of Arkansas - Little Rock supports a staff person at $88,000 a year for its University District Partnership. It rehabilitated for resale a $97,000 home. It received a $430,000 federal grant to plan the "Central Little Rock Promise" neighborhood.

Notre Dame ? The Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization has received 1.75 million dollars from the University over five years. Notre Dame Asset Management is also involved in Eddy St. Commons and the Notre Dame Avenue Housing Program. This is in addition to their 10 year 5.5 million dollar commitment to the communities of St. Joseph County.

The matching grant of $25,000 offered by the research foundation for the planning of our "University District" is approximately the amount given annually by the Research Foundation to each member of Purdue's senior leadership as a discretionary fund.

3) What will "The Entity" look like?

Our first detailed look at "The Entity" imagined in the initial draft "Memorandum of Understanding" between the Purdue Research Foundation, the City of West Lafayette, and the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association will take place on or about October 31st. The end in mind here is the creation of a land use element within the Unified Zoning Ordinance which will establish land use restrictions, architectural requirements, and development standards to be used for real estate development by an "entity" (a University District Development Corporation) within the research foundation.

4) What of the New Chauncey Land Use Plan ?

The New Chauncey Land Use Plan Steering Committee resurrected by the APC (Area Plan Commission), collected data on rental status and building conditions within the neighborhood, and helpfully assembled several options for future land use in New Chauncey. (These documents appear at right) .The various stakeholders on the land use plan steering committee are in the process of sharing those options with their constituencies. Yet a new stakeholder is emerging; "The Entity".

5) What Role Will Historic Districts Play in this Process?

The creation of a land use element within the Unified Zoning Ordinance which will establish land use restrictions, architectural requirements, and development standards to be used for real estate development, is similar to the work undertaken in a historic preservation district.

6) What will the City of West Lafayette's level of enthusiasm be for this project?

This "University District Development Corporation" was not the city's idea. The city administration was prepared to endorse Wang Hall unconditionally. The Redevelopment Commission was invited to our discussions at my request. I would argue this is as important as a bridge. More important than a car wash.

For its part, the city is considering the expansion of the Levee Tax Increment Financing District to help fund neighborhood improvements within the so-called University District. The Research Foundation has promised that it will not be the one dragging its feet.

7) What is Our Level of Civic Imagination?

Perhaps this is the most important question of them all.

We have been told that the Wang Hall project will help create a preeminent near campus neighborhood. If true, this should mean that our neighborhood would then help make West Lafayette a preeminent university city.

University District Development

2011-08-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Next Monday residents of the New Chauncey Neighborhood will meet to receive an update from members of the Purdue Research Foundation and our Neighborhood Leadership Team on the Seng-Liang Wang Hall building planned for construction between Northwestern Ave. and Hayes St. The meeting will be held Monday, August 15th at 5:00pm in the Kurz Purdue Technology Center at 1281 Win Hentschel Blvd. (Across the street from International Sports.)

This will be followed by a Wednesday evening (7:00pm) presentation by PRF on the Wang ("Wong") 516 Northwestern Ave. mixed use building before the Area Plan Commission in the County Office Building.

If I were to vote up or down just on Wang Hall, I would vote "no". Phi Kappa Tau was not demolished to create space for a Power and Energy Devices and System Research Complex. This was originally to be constructed in Discovery Park. PKT was demolished in order to expand an already taxed Northwestern Parking Garage. Parking is an issue in the neighborhood. It stands as a symbol for all other development issues (trash, noise). It is an issue we both fought and won last winter with the defeat (5-2) of Ordinance #27-10, which would have changed height and parking requirements in the Chauncey Village and along Northwestern Ave.

I would vote "no" in order to protect the single family homes on Hayes St. which provide a buffer between the higher and taller buildings of the Purdue campus and the rest of the New Chauncey neighborhood. I would vote "no" in order to protect the single family homes on Hayes St. which are a part of the Chauncey-Stadium National Register Historic District. My interest in historic preservation is a matter of public record. This block, and most of the Chauncey-Stadium neighborhood, is iconic. It reminds us that there was a time before the commercialization of higher education, a time when multi-class, multi-generational near campus neighborhoods were the norm.

But I hope I will be able to vote "yes" on the 516 Northwestern Ave. PD (Planned Development) when it comes before city council.

We have a chance to do something significant here, something great.

Beginning with the May 2009 council resolution asking for a New Chauncey Land Use Plan (yes, it was that long ago) the neighborhood has sought to avoid the disaster that is development south of State St. Our opposition to Wang Hall, based on exactly that fear, led to a fortunate exchange of letters between Carl Griffin and Joseph Hornett and then on to the establishment of a small working group facilitated by Jim Schellinger. Those discussions moved beyond the immediate issue of Wang Hall to the larger issue of neighborhood redevelopment, to the Purdue commercial master plan, to retail development along Northwestern Ave, and to our acknowledgement of the existing medium and high density housing already in place in New Chauncey.

Our conversation concluded with an initial draft (6/20/11) of a memorandum of understanding between the Purdue Research Foundation, the City of West Lafayette, and the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association with the end in mind of creating a land use element within the Unified Zoning Ordinance which will establish land use restrictions, architectural requirements, and development standards to be used for real estate development by an entity within the foundation which I will call here for convenience (the title borrowed from other examples of this type of effort) the University District Development Corporation.

With the New Chauncey Land Use Plan Steering Committee resurrected by the APC, the Area Plan Commission collected data on rental status and building conditions within the neighborhood, and helpfully assembled several options for future land use in New Chauncey. The various stakeholders on the steering committee are in the process of sharing those options with their constituencies.

For its part, the city is considering the expansion of the Levee Tax Increment Financing District to help fund neighborhood improvements within the so-called University District.

Suggestions of existing models of University District Alliances were shared by the APC (University of Minnesota), PRF (Notre Dame), and NCNA (University of Arkansas - Little Rock).

With the the construction of a land use plan, with the proposal of historic districts, and with a development "entity" possible, the debate over the size and shape of Wang Hall has led to the opportunity to achieve something special for the city, the university, and its near campus neighborhood. There is so much to do and so much could go wrong, but what if, what if, we are able to pull off this sort of partnership here? The hope often offered by the presenters of the Sasaki Master Plan to community members for a preeminent near campus neighborhood might be realized.

Collaboration, Compromise and Understanding

2011-05-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

Determined neighbors lead PRF to engage facilitator for Wang Hall / New Chauncey Neighborhood conversation. Well done! Process commences in two weeks.

http://bit.ly/jGcyFD

New Chauncey Summer Road Work

2011-05-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Click on photo to make it bigger !

Election Results !

2011-05-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

2 to 1! 2 to 1! Journal & Courier 5/4/11

Many thanks to everyone who voted for a stronger neighborhood! The result was beyond our expectations! Hopefully the result will discourage a Republican challenger in the fall. BUT I'm saving the yard signs !

Czaja Letter 4/30 J&C

2011-04-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Bunder, not Herr, was involved in community

The contrast between responses of Peter Bunder and Thomas Herr in the Journal & Courier on April 17 make clear which candidate has immersed himself in the real issues of his constituents in the 2nd District.

• He's the true Democrat.

• He's the one who has been consistently visible and listened when New Chauncey neighbors voiced concerns regarding their quality of life within the near-campus area.

• He's the one who, through consistent representation in the New Chauncey neighborhood organization and active participation in the New Chauncey strategic planning process, represented homeowners' needs related to parking, tightened housing ordinance language, regulating housing density and working toward a cohesive neighborhood land use plan.

• He's the one whose presence at neighborhood leadership meetings afforded him firsthand knowledge of residents' concerns about the construction of Wang Hall and university affiliated housing proposed in the Hayes Triangle area.

• He's the one who has supported a diverse and stable neighborhood within the 2nd District. His position is clear. It is based on substance, personal commitment, hard work and a non-partisan vision for his district as part of the West Lafayette community and Purdue University.

Contrast the level of involvement of Bunder and Herr as residents of the 2nd District.

Where was Herr during the periods of neighborhood need?

Bunder knows the issues. He was there.

Carol Czaja

West Lafayette

CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL !

2011-04-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSzJezVcYxo

Charles Kuntz and Tom Deluca did an UNBELIEVABLE job on this 30 second
ad. (thanks to Susan Rowe for making the media buy ) It is beautiful on
all sorts of levels; the photography (apple blossoms?), Westside's love
of education, the historic buildings and homes . . . and even a dog and
a beautiful woman (daughter Emily:)!

It's up on the campaign Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Lafayette-IN/Peter-Bunder-WL-District-2/206525876027252

Share it throughout your social network.
Email/post/tweet it to friends, neighbors . . .

It would be great for it to have as many on-line views as watch it on TV
18 or Comcast! Runs Friday am through Tuesday am
Enjoy! Everybody loves this . . .

Peter

M-F 6p-630p	P4	6:06:07 PM
	P4	7:28:40 AM
M-F 5a-6a	P4	5:27:56 AM
M-F 5p-530p	P4	5:20:43 PM


Sa 7p-8p	P4	7:12:11 PM
Sa 6p-630p	P4	6:21:12 PM
Sa 9a-11a	P4	9:34:12 AM


Su 9a-1030a	P4	9:15:03 AM
Su 1030a-11a	P4	10:58:46 AM
Su 6p-630	P4	6:05:34 PM


M-F 6a-7a	P4	6:05:12 AM
M-F 6a-7a	P4	6:52:31 AM
M-F 6p-630p	P4	6:21:12 PM
M-F 5p-530p	P4	5:05:24 PM
M-F 5a-6a	P5	5:06:28 AM


M-F 6a-7a	P4	6:06:12 AM
M-F 6a-7a	P4	6:45:39 AM

TV-18 April 27, 2011

2011-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

District #2 Report

Three J&C Articles On Historic Preservation Ordinance

2011-04-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

But if your looking for the photo of Al and Loren in front of their bungalow, you will have to buy a paper :)

Historic Preservation Plan and District#2 Race

Slimmed Down Preservation Measure Revealed

Candidates Discuss Historic Preservation

Friday EXPONENT on District #2

2011-04-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Friday EXPONENT article
The Easter Triduum has me a little behind in my politics :)

Thanks Emily!

2011-04-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

This means more to me than winning any stupid old election !!! (from a Facebook post . . . )

I really admire my parents for all of the amazing things they do. In particular, all of the hard work they have put in for so long now to better this city for people like us who live in it. It'd be such a shame if grade school level popularity contests, full of "he said-she said" and shameful bending of rules and words to say what people want to hear instead of what they ought to hear-truth, got the best of the people in our town. If you live in the area with a Giant 2 on it in this picture, I really encourage you to take a second to familiarize yourself with the issues, and all the amazing decisions and improvements my dad has been a big part of as the District 2 city council representative for the past 4 years. I'm so proud to have people like him and my mom to look up to. Vote Peter Bunder on May 3rd for City Council District 2. :) Peter Bunder - WL District #2

CHAUNC PAC Endorsement in J&C

2011-04-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

The CHAUNC-PAC endorsement of my candidacy made it into the 21 April Journal and Courier opinion section !!!! Pass it along on your social networks !! (You do have to scroll past "lemonade day", but you can't miss it!)

Here's the full text as it appeared in the Exponent on 11 April . . .

CHAUNC PAC Endorsement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New Chauncey Neighborhood Political Action Committee Endorses Peter Bunder for West Lafayette City Council, District 2 in the Democratic Primary

West Lafayette, IN – Wednesday, April 6, 2011 –

Community Homeowners and University Neighbors Committee Political Action Committee (CHAUNC-PAC) interviewed both candidates running for the city council seat in district 2 in West Lafayette, the seat currently held by Peter Bunder, and concluded that Mr. Bunder would be the more effective of the two candidates for the stability and growth of the New Chauncey neighborhood.

Mr. Bunder has a stronger grasp of the issues and a deeper understanding of the mechanics of city governance. He has accumulated a respectable set of accomplishments on behalf of the New Chauncey neighborhood.

Both Mr.Bunder and his challenger, Tom Herr, share the widespread view among owner-occupants that the loss of owner-occupied homes is the key challenge facing the neighborhood.

However, Mr. Bunder endorses actions that will fortify and build home values; in contrast, Mr. Herr believes that affordability is the key obstacle driving down owner-occupancy. It is our view that one key component for retaining a healthy balance between owner-occupancy and rental is generating and maintaining growth in home values. Homes in our community which are priced low are the homes that are especially vulnerable to transition because rental owners find those homes attractive and potential new residents find the low-prices to be a signal of neighborhood decline.

Initiatives such as the Historical Preservation Commission Ordinance give our city tools to stabilize home ownership. Mr. Bunder is a major advocate of this initiative while Herr criticizes it as a program that will drive up costs of ownership.

Contact:
Tom Mustillo, CHAUNC-PAC Chair
chaunc.pac.wl.in@gmail.com

Ann Hunt J&C Letter - District#2

2011-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am a West Lafayette Councilor from District 3 and have served in that position for just under 8 years. I have been elected President of the WL Council by my colleagues for 5 years. I am writing in support of incumbent Councilor Peter Bunder for selection in the Democratic Primary Election that will cease on May 3, 2011.

Councilor Bunder has been a tireless advocate for preserving the New Chauncey Neighborhood during his current term as Councilor and during his 22 years of residence in this neighborhood. New Chauncey is a treasured and fragile area in our town of West Lafayette. It is a treasure because of its unique mix of architecturally unique houses, its fragile mix of multi-generational residents, its historic nature and its beautiful trees and pocket parks.

New Chauncey is at risk of losing all these unique features and deserves to be represented by an individual with the passion, attentiveness and ability to fight the battles to preserve this treasured neighborhood. Please vote for Peter Bunder, Democrat, at polling stations in this primary season. Thank you, Ann H Hunt

Joe Palmer on J&C on District #2 Race

2011-04-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

Professor, author, former District #2 Councilman Joe Palmer in today's opinion section!

DO read the Wabash Trilogy . . .

Herr can't be a serious candidate for District 2

"Politics makes for strange bedfellows" goes the old adage, but this political season none is stranger than Thomas Herr. Does he really think reasonable people will believe that a Libertarian/Reform Party activist who later ran for Congress as a Republican can magically metamorphose into a mainstream Democrat in time for the May 3 primary?

Herr's sudden conversion from a long-standing anti-government political history to entry into the political mainstream as a Democrat, his third party of gadfly choice, is a change no reasonable Democrat can take seriously.

Pardon me for asking, but: Can a wannabe politician who has for years flaunted his political principles of working outside the system be reasonably believed to suddenly want to work inside the system? Can a central figure in lawsuits against the city of West Lafayette suddenly become a city council candidate dedicated to the welfare of the city?

Like leopards, politicians just don't change that many spots or their political principles. Can anyone reasonably believe that this political chameleon could steadfastly defend the interests of the 2nd District and the New Chauncey Neighborhood the way that Peter Bunder, an actual Democrat, has for the last four years?

Bottom line is that anyone who votes for Thomas Herr in the Democratic primary just hasn't been paying attention.

William J. Palmer

West Lafayette

WBAA Interview

2011-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

WBAA District #2 Interview

AND a DIRECT LINK to the interview :)
Most popular comment? You all want to hear more about the house egging!

My thanks to Kristen Malavenda . . .

GREAT J&C Article !

2011-04-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

GREAT article in the Sunday J&C (4/17) on the District #2 race; though I do hope my photo ends up in the on-line edition sometime. . . the photo also makes the church look good !

This comparison goes along with the article in the print edition; today you're better off buying a paper than reading this on-line :)

I love the Dwayne Daehler quote, the CHAUNC-Pac endorsement, and the comparison of experience . . .

WL Early Voting Schedule

2011-04-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
Purdue Memorial Union 10am - 3pm

TUESDAY
Friendship House 10am - 2pm

WEDNESDAY
Cumberland Pointe (George Davis Manor) 11am - 2pm

APRIL 27 - 30
Payless (Sagamore Parkway) Noon - 7pm

Summer Street Work

2011-04-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Asphalt and concrete repairs will take place on Robinson from Salisbury to Stadium.

Curb and sidewalk repairs will occur on Robinson from Stadium to North River Rd.

Stadium will be repaired from Grant to Rose St. Grant will be repaired from Northwestern to Meridian.

CHAUNC PAC Endorsement

2011-04-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks Patti and Gerald !

2011-04-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.jconline.com/article/20110411/OPINION02/104110310/April-11-Letters-editor

Many thanks to Patti and Gerald for their "letters to the editor" which appeared in today's paper!

I am surprised they both made it in and unedited !!!! (There's is still a Joe Palmer letter sitting somewhere at the J&C.)

I appreciate both their friendship and the fact that as Democrats we are still able, even in an age of almost belligerent self-interest, to make an appeal to the common good.

2nd District Needs Peter Bunder

2011-04-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the West Lafayette City Council and I am writing about my colleague, Peter Bunder. Peter has capably represented the second district and its neighborhoods. He is a hard worker who attends not just the formal monthly meeting but various work sessions, committee and neighborhood meetings, where much of the work of the council is performed.

In addition to this, Peter has been fearless and untiring in standing up for the neighborhoods he represents. He has your best interests in mind. His latest challenge was against recently-proposed zoning changes. These changes would have altered carefully planned density limits on R3W zoning designed as a buffer for our older neighborhoods. They would have also greatly reduced parking requirements for higher density housing and retail developments. The additional vehicles would have posed a problem for adjoining neighborhoods. Peter passionately fought these changes and educated the council on their ramifications - leading to a 5-2 defeat of this proposal.

This is one example of his bold leadership. Peter also stood up for the ordinance to end smoking in public accommodations, including restaurants and bars. Peter's May 3^rd primary opponent was the spokesperson for the student bar owners who fought this change. Peter is always guided by what is right for the city and the neighborhoods he represents.

Peter Bunder’s leadership is what protects your neighborhood. Please support Peter with your vote in the primary on May 3rd.

Gerald W. Thomas

Virtual Yard Sign

2011-04-04T10:22:00.001-07:00

Peter Bunder Earned Re-election

2011-04-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Peter Bunder has worked hard representing District 2 on the West Lafayette City Council and making good decisions for the entire city. He has earned re-election. Peter is not afraid to stand up to special interests. He thoroughly researches issues and gathers the information needed to protect our neighborhoods.

Councilor Bunder’s opponent may be a nice guy. But he has not fought for our neighborhoods nor stood up to special interests. In fact, he was the spokesperson for the bars fighting the Smoke-free West Lafayette ordinance and represented those who sued the City in an attempt to stop it.

As the City Councilor who authored this legislation, I know it was carefully crafted for public health, worker safety, and economic development. It had the overwhelming support of the citizens and has made West Lafayette a better place. It has likely saved lives, improved the health and enjoyment of residents, encouraged patrons to come to our venues, and enhanced the business image of our community. Yet the challenger in the District 2 Democratic primary took this to court. (Purdue Exponent 03/22/200)

The municipal primary election is Tuesday, May 3rd. The outcome of this election could determine the representation for District 2. Councilor Peter Bunder has done this job well and with passion. He deserves your support. Please vote for him – I certainly will!

Patti O'Callaghan

Purdue 47906

2011-03-29T16:22:00.001-07:00

. . . download original from Scribd at right. With thanks to Earle Nay, one time member of West Lafayette Redevelopment Commission

Wang Hall History

2011-03-29T14:42:00.001-07:00

Wang Hall

Originally planned to be built in Discovery Park on September 30, 2008. It was to be completed by Fall 2010.

http://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2008b/081121BOTFacilities.html

Change of Location: The 39,370-square-foot, $18 million facility, now sits across from the EE building. Fall 2010.

https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/ECEImpact/2010_2/WangHallLocationShifts

The Wang Hall is planned to be a 147,000-square-foot, four-story building stretching from Northwestern's parking garage to the McDonald's. McDonald's would then move into the new building.

. . . thanks to Paul Bower

Exponent on Wang Hayes

2011-03-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Purdue Exponent - 3/25/11

Lugar Speaks on Hunger

2011-03-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Bethany Presbyterian Church in partnership with Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. (Food Finders) and Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) are pleased to welcome Senator Richard Lugar to speak on the issue of hunger in both a local and global context. The event, which is free to the public, will be held at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 3305 Longlois Dr, Lafayette, at 12:15 Sunday March 27.

Following Senator Lugar’s address there will be a time for a panel discussion with representatives from Food Finders, and LUM adding their insights on the issue. A light soup and bread lunch will follow. Non-perishable food items and monetary donations are not required but will be accepted to be disbursed though Food Finders and LUM’s benevolence programs.

For years Seanator Lugar has worked to address the issues of hunger. Last August the United States Senate unanimously passed reauthorization of child nutrition programs covering school meals, summer food programs, afterschool food programs, and the WIC program.

Prior to the passage of the legislation Senator Lugar penned an op-ed in the New York Times urging the Senate to immediately take up the bi-partisan legislation for what would be a “success for both parties to claim”. The bill increases re-imbursements for school meals, improves nutritional standards, and will provide for afterschool meals for low income children in Indiana.

In 2007 and 2008 Senator Lugar was the principal sponsor of legislation to modernize federal farm support programs, improve land conservation efforts, and dramatically increase the government’s response to food insecurity both domestically and internationally.

Three Days - Thirty Years

2011-03-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

This week three public meetings will offer an opportunity to focus on the shape of West Lafayette over the next thirty years.

First, West Lafayette's "Go Greener Commission" will host a panel discussion, entitled "Urban Planning and Sustainable Growth," on Tuesday, March 22nd, at 7:00 pm at the West Lafayette City Hall. "Smart growth" values sustainable development over short-term gain. Its goals are to achieve a unique sense of community and place. It hopes to expand the range of transportation and housing choices. It seeks to equitably distribute the costs and benefits of development. It hopes to preserve and to enhance natural and cultural resources. Does West Lafayette have the imagination and the courage to be a "smart growth" city?

Then, West Lafayette city officials and council members will hold a public hearing regarding a proposed historic preservation ordinance on March 23rd at 6:00pm at City Hall. The City of Lafayette and the eleven other "Big Ten" cities all have some form of this ordinance in place to protect homeowner investment and to stabilize near campus neighborhoods. Will West Lafayette pass meaningful historic preservation legislation? Will it respond to the challenges of the APC's Housing Element Update? Can it address the perplexing 2010 census data? Or will it continue to drift down the path to "apartmentization" ?

Finally, there will be a New Chauncey Neighborhood Association meeting to discuss Purdue/New Chauncey Development Plans to be held Thursday March 24th. at 7:00pm at the Morton Community Center. Community issues discussions with Purdue usually focus on door hangers and alcohol consumption. Could those discussions be raised to include a meaningful conversation about the impact of the construction of a four story academic/commercial building and the demolition of blocks of historic, single family homes on our near campus neighborhood? Could the replacement of single family homes off set the displacement of families from near campus neighborhoods?

Thirty years ago, you could look south from State Street and see a mixed community of homes, apartments, and businesses.

Today?

"When did the bomb go off", asked the city's strategic planning consultant while looking at an aerial map of the land south of Purdue. What will people say about our development strategy when they reflect on a city map thirty years from now ? The success or failure of these conversations will provide that answer.

"Apartmentization"

2011-03-11T06:04:00.001-08:00

"Apartmentization"

An important, non-partisan civic leader coined the phrase to describe the challenge currently facing West Lafayette. The 2010 census data made that person's point. While our population has clearly risen beyond the 818 new souls identified in the recent census, only a fraction of the those residents call this place home.
Last decade our population rose 2.8% And Bloomington's ? 16 %

The Area Plan Commission's presentation at the March West Lafayette City Council meeting showed how this took place. From a 60%-40% owner/renter ratio in 1960, we are now at a 30%-70% owner/renter ratio. In response, the APC suggested carrying the following policy forward from its 1981 plan:

Neighborhood stability is to be promoted through a program of strong, equitable code enforcement, and continuing public investment in the maintenance of public facilities and services. Neighborhood associations and property owner associations are to be encouraged and permitted active participation in decision-making activities. Lending institutions are to be encouraged to provide neighborhood residents with a sufficient supply of home improvement financing. The feasibility of tax deferral and abatement programs designed to encourage housing rehabilitation is to be explored. Any infill construction is to mirror the existing physical character of the neighborhood.

The 2011 APC Housing Element Update also includes these new statements:

Promote and market existing neighborhoods and their amenities. In older neighborhoods, support preservation of historic structures and their unique architecture.

Zoning and land use decisions near the Purdue campus area shall implement efforts to re-establish an appropriate mix of owner-occupied and student-renter occupied housing.

The passage of the New Unified Zoning Ordinance (NUZO - 1997) served to encourage new work in neighborhood housing. Lutz St. was "down zoned". New Chauncey Housing Inc. was founded in 1997 to work toward affordable housing for low income persons. DeAnn and Chris Baker began to purchase and rehabilitate higher cost homes (New Chauncey Foundation). The city won the landmark City of West Lafayette vs. Benjamin over-occupancy case in 1998. City occupancy codes were toughened, requiring local property management.

But "Mailcode" was bought and the Baker's moved on. Weida replaced Benjamin in court. New Chauncey Housing reached a plateau. There was and is no historic preservation ordinance in West Lafayette to help maintain property values.

Purdue's enrollment increased and the University moved, until very recently, away from on-campus housing. At the same time professional rental corporations grew in number along with the development of commercial dormitories. The number of "kiddie condos" exploded.

So now we have the lowest average income in Indiana, reports the Indianapolis Star. We excuse the statistic by noting the student population. Does that really matter? We have become "Motel W-L". We face the "apartmentization" of West Lafayette.

As a “class three” city, we cannot continue to expect our small permanent population to continue to provide quality services to the wider population without re-energized partnerships with the Redevelopment Commission, Purdue, Lafayette, and Tippecanoe County. We must find a way to plan for a future beyond "apartmentization; to become, in the hopeful words of one Purdue administrator at a recent public meeting, a preeminent college town.

Big Ten Historic Districts - Thanks Jon !

2011-03-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, IL

http://ci.champaign.il.us/departments/planning/current-planning-division/historic-preservation/

http://urbanaillinois.us/boards/historic-preservation-commission

Indiana University - Bloomington, IN

http://bloomington.in.gov/sections/viewSection.php?section_id=142

University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA

http://www.iowa-city.org/icgov/apps/boards/members.asp?id=16

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

http://www.a2gov.org/government/communityservices/planninganddevelopment/historicpreservation/Pages/Historic%20District%20Commission%20Main%20Page.aspx

Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI

http://www.cityofeastlansing.com/Home/Departments/BoardsCommissions/HistoricDistrictCommission/

University of Minnesota - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/index.asp

http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=567

*** University of Nebraska - Lincoln, NE

http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/plan/bdscom/hpc/index.htm

Northwestern University - Evanston, IL

http://cityofevanston.org/government/boards-commissions/preservation-commission/index.php

The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

http://development.columbus.gov/planning/hrc.aspx

Penn State University - State College, PA

http://www.statecollegepa.us/index.aspx?nid=1262

University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI

http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/myCommit/roster/103200.cfm

Purdue University - West Lafayette, IN

????????????????

. . . with thanks to Councilman Hoggatt for his research :)

Hayes Triangle Project

2011-02-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

At a 1/28/11 meeting at City Hall we learned of the Purdue Research Foundation's plans to build Wang Hall at the corner of Hayes and Northwestern. Indeed, demolition has already begun on Hayes St.

I am opposed to this plan.

1) This makes a mockery once again of the Land Use Plan supposedly under consideration for New Chauncey. No wonder people distrust politicians and bureaucrats.

2) It destroys a block of homes on Hayes St. that are a part of the Chauncey - Stadium National Register Historic District. These iconic homes are not only wonderfully designed, but also remind us of a time when Purdue faculty and staff lived not in Zionsville and Chicago, but within sight, sound, and smell of Cary Quad.

3) It violates the promise often made by Purdue not to have academic buildings "jump" Northwestern.

4) Wang Hall doesn't need to be here. This peripatetic building if built in Discovery Park would have a lobby with a portrait of the donor. Placed here, the ground floor can have a Starbucks and a souvenir shop, and PRF can make money. We in the neighborhood will bear the cost of the ensuing displacements.

I do not expect Purdue to be as progressive as some other Big Ten schools when it comes to the development and redevelopment of near campus neighborhoods. It ceased to be a "Maker" of community decades ago. I do expect courtesy and honesty from this our local industry. Later, after the politicians and bureaucrats have once again pushed the people and voters aside, perhaps a little shame and guilt.

New Chauncey in Exponent

2011-01-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

New Signs Designate Historic District

Metered Trash - Again. . . .

2011-01-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

"West Lafayette should not continue to run a deficit,
so something needs to change"
- Journal - Courier editorial 1/28/10

In January of last year the Journal & Courier endorsed a metered trash program for West Lafayette. . . .

"West Lafayette's proposed two tier system gives consumers a choice based on how much they throw away, and the fees are not excessive for large families especially when compared with the costs of private contractors"
- Journal - Courier editorial 1/28/10

A year later, the paper now dismisses the proposal both in a 12/10/10 article by Curt Slyder and a 1/2/11 editorial. Instead it applauds a recycling increase of only 3.7% (Lafayette changed nothing and saw a 7.5% increase), adding that the Mayor should "take a bow" for such a modest increase. A poor return given the 33% increase in the number of city trash runs (from six to eight a month), and those attendant costs. A small gain when measured against the Duke University study which reported a 32% to 59% increase in recycling and a 14% to 27% waste reduction from metered trash programs.

The matter of sanitation costs has vanished entirely from the J&C's calculations. Whether we use the Purdue EPICS report number from April 2009 ($170,000) or the paper's own figure from January of last year ($112,000) the sanitation deficit remains and grows, covered by what was once a large waste-water utility surplus (net cash decrease 2010 - $2,770,000). The announced justification for merging the once separate departments? That waste-water/sanitation is one operation. Yet trash collection could easily be outsourced as a separate enterprise. A trash can and a toilet bowl are not the same.

I like our weekly single stream recycling collection. It is simpler. It does not increase my household recycling - or apparently anybody else's - all that much. Behavioral economics tell us why. It doesn't touch our wallets. I understand we are entering a political campaign season, but this is lazy work from the J&C. They didn't even read their own paper.

Tour de Lafayette

2010-12-08T06:15:00.001-08:00

Check out the photos and videos of West Lafayette's four historic districts at Tour de Lafayette Still more reasons to have a Historic Commission in West Lafayette !!!!

Development in West Lafayette

2010-12-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

Good article on West Lafayette development in the J and C today. Only thing missing were the two phantom hotels we approved for the Levee.
Maybe the J.C.Marriott that Purdue hasn't gotten underway . . .

Now then . . .

2010-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Interested in working with Area Plan and City Council on a replacement for the defeated Ordinance #27-10? Let me know !

Why Ordinance 27-10 Is Wrong

2010-10-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

There will be a public hearing on Ordinance #27-10 (Proposed Area Plan Commission Zoning Changes for West Lafayette) at this Monday's West Lafayette City Council Meeting - 6:30 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. Ordinance #27-10 is an attempt to align the urban zoning plans of Lafayette and West Lafayette. Building heights would rise. Parking requirements would be reduced to zero in some cases.

As I said at the Monday night meeting of the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association, my objection to the ordinance is two fold. I object to some of the specific proposals in the ordinance. I object to the process which brings this ordinance forward at the same time New Chauncey is in the midst of developing a Land Use Plan for the neighborhood.

To begin, I am puzzled by the assertion made in defense of the ordinance that there is a parking SURPLUS in urban West Lafayette. We recently spent several months debating a towing ordinance for West Lafayette. At that time the city administration and a city council majority agreed that parking spaces were few and precious and needed therefore to be protected not only by the police, but by vigilante towing operators.

Was this incorrect? Will not the owners of the new, higher, denser, mixed use projects predicted for the Village do what business folk always do, and externalize risk while they internalize profits? Will they increase their costs by building parking structures or simply push the parking problem into the near campus neighborhoods? Will the city or the Redevelopment Commission foot the bill for new parking garages?

Purdue University is offered as the site of much of the "surplus" parking. Is this legitimate? Has Purdue agreed to offer parking for local business? Overnight parking? Those of us with permits already scrounge for space during the day.

Planned Developments or "PD's" are presented as evil in the discussion of the ordinance revision. Panda Express is a PD. I think it looks great. Apparently the developer did not consider the process of presenting facade and parking and green space design plans to city council particularly onerous.

This public presentation of design plans disappears in the ordinance revision. It is left to the city's "Administrative Officer" (the City Engineer) to certify the building plans meet zoning requirements. Period. This review is said to be more efficient. I believe it would lead to rubber stamping the plans of developers. The recent home demolition on Hayes St., in a National Register Historic District, was rubber stamped. I am opposed to this provision as well.

I am disturbed too by the six story buildings proposed for Northwestern Ave. across from Mackey Arena. I do not believe such higher end mixed use projects will "protect" the neighborhood. I believe they will lead to further zoning changes which would eliminate single family homes between Northwestern and Grant, and discourage single family home ownership between Grant and Salisbury.

I object as well to the timing of this ordinance revision. In May of 2009 City Council voted to invite the Area Plan Commission to develop a land use plan for New Chauncey. The process, though tilted toward business owners and rental corporations, began well enough. It has stalled recently. Several months have passed since it last met or delivered any meaningful communication.

Now comes this plan which changes New Chauncey zoning prior to the completion of the land use study. It has been argued that this will be helpful in informing our deliberations. But what if we deliberate and decide we don't want six story buildings and their attendant traffic and parking problems? Too late.

Worse even than that, the members of the land use study committee are to have a special informational meeting of the committee on November 10th. to hear Mr. Bumbelberg present - ironically - a PD proposal for Northwestern Ave.! Will the Steering Committee for the proposed Historic Commission have the same access? The "cart-before-horse" metaphor is simply not strong enough!

This whole affair is the reason why people are suspicious of politics. I will vote "no" on this ordinance. I will vote to send it back to the Area Plan Commission. I hope you will share your thoughts with the City Council this Monday night.

A copy of a "white paper" on the issue which includes a copy of the proposed ordinance appears below in a "Scribd" file.

WL Zoning Changes

Sleazy

2010-10-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

After months of inactivity, not only do we get a zoning change proposed ahead of a land use plan, we also get this proposal which must have been in the works for awhile . . . it's all so sleazy. I appear to be wasting my time on this committee.

Steering Committee Members,

There is a mixed-use development being proposed within New Chauncey neighborhood, along Northwestern Avenue, that the development team (represented by Joseph Bumbleburg) would like to introduce to the steering committee. As representatives of neighborhood interests currently serving the neighborhood planning process, your presence at this gathering will be invaluable. As this meeting will exclusively be dedicated to this single project, we are clear to meet at any time/day that works best for everyone. We have typically met on Mondays at 6pm, but do not need to hold to this. Please provide me your availability in the evenings for the next two weeks and I will make arrangements.

Thank you,

Ryan.

Ordinance 27-10

2010-10-25T05:26:00.001-07:00

So much for developing a land use plan . . . This is why people don't trust government !
WL Zoning Changes

West Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission

2010-10-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Do you know the difference between a National Register District and a Local Historic District ? Join us at the West Lafayette Public Library Tuesday, October 19th., at 6:30 pm to learn more about creating a local ordinance Commission and local Historic Districts !

Budget Kabuki

2010-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

A city budget is a lot like a performance of kabuki.

Kabuki is a highly stylized Japanese dance/drama. It's long. (It takes a whole day.) The actors speak in monotonous voices. Their language is difficult even for a Japanese audience to understand.

A lot like the city budget process. Long, monotonous; difficult to understand.

Let's begin with an example of budget kabuki. The Mayor's car. When a car for incoming Mayor Mills was proposed by then Mayor Margerum there were loud howls of outrage from the Republican side. How dare those free spending Democrats burden the suffering West Lafayette tax payer with the cost of a "free" car for the Mayor. Don't they know this will cost several thousand more dollars a year? Mayor Margerum gave in. No city car for the Mayor. No city car for a Democratic mayor.

As Councilor Hoggatt's now unremembered questions about the Mayor's car at a recent city council meeting shows, Democrats are just not as good at budget kabuki. Republican concerns about the expense have vanished. Along with about $20,000 city dollars over a mayor's four year term.

Kabuki.

The 2011 West Lafayette City Budget is part political theater. The 2011 budget is lean, mean, and practical. The Rainy Day Fund is in better shape than under those darn Democrats. Public safety is assured. The General Fund is in balance. The moral of the story is that Republicans are better managers than Democrats.

Kabuki uses make-up. Elaborate make-up. Men play women. The human face with all its wrinkles is covered, and a public face consistent with the story is created.

What is painted over here is the use of the Waste Water Utility surplus as the new rainy day fund. There is nothing illegal or immoral about that. If the Waste Water Utility wants to contribute $5,344 to a cool Celery Bog parking lot, so be it. But it is now our rainy day fund. Beginning in 2009 when the Sanitation Department budget was moved to the Waste Water Utility budget, the then $170,000 annual operating deficit of the Sanitation department (EPICS Report 2009) left the general fund budget and moved with it. Portions of the Engineering Department ($42,000), the Development Department ($97,000), the Mayor's salary ($24,000) and the Clerk-Treasurer's office ($31,000) went along too. The net (and recurring) expense to the WWTU (Waste Water Treatment Utility) was $600,326 in 2009.

This unnerves the previous Democratic leadership, which at some political expense and in the face of Republican opposition, had raised the waste water rates in order to have funds on hand for capital projects. Now the city will borrow (Res. #08-10) for major sewer projects. The interest will be low. Not as low as 0%.

How can we do that? As we learned during the recent financial crisis, money is fungible. The word is from the Latin meaning "to perform". Money performs, is an actor. Money is fungible or interchangeable. "Stuff" is not fungible. Diamonds are not fungible. (Each is cut differently.)

So WWTU "brown" expenses are paid with the "brown" dollars collected from our waste water bills. The "red" bills of the Mayor's office can be paid for with "red" general fund dollars or "brown" waste water dollars. "Black" trash costs can be paid with either "black" dollars (the $9.00 we pay each month), "red" dollars, or now "brown" dollars. Because all dollars are fungible. All dollars are "green".

Fire hydrant costs are paid with "red" dollars. Without Councilor Thomas's change of heart, they would soon have been be paid with "plaid" dollars, as that "tax" would have been outsourced to a private company for collection.

Kabuki.

Another wrinkle is the use of the Redevelopment Commission to make budget. "TIF" (tax increment financing dollars) dollars are to be used for economic development in particular areas. Now the commission buys us fire trucks, fitness trails, and dump trucks. Without major capital projects to support, that seems like a good idea. The budget is balanced - but with annual contributions of "paisley" dollars from the Redevelopment Commission.

Kabuki.

Salaries are paid from the Parks/Pool Capital Improvement Fund. Again, Councilor Hoggatt spoke to that issue last month. It's "blue" dollars will pay what had been "red" bills. Maybe Jon Hoggatt should have yelled.

Kabuki.

I don't like kabuki. I don't think this budget is in great shape. It's in the red. It will get redder.

But I would STILL have voted for this budget IF:

If we were on cable. (Shelter pets can get on Comcast, not us. I'm sure that says something. I am not sure what . . . ) I would have liked a larger audience for our financial performance. None of this will find its way into the J&C or on to TV-18. It just takes too long to explain. It is difficult to understand. All anyone would know if I voted "yes" is that Mayor Dennis, is a nice guy, he's one of us, and this budget is just "fate". No, its not. Everybody thinks so. No, I don't.

I would still have voted for this budget if the reporters from the Exponent, TV-18, and the Journal-Courier would still be here in 2013. I would have voted "yes" if there were somebody around who might remember, "I told you so." "I voted for it then, but I told you this would happen after the next election." Then I would have voted for it.

I would have voted yes if metered trash had gone into effect. We need the money. We can't keep running deficits in an important city enterprise. I would have voted yes if the storm water fees were in place. Lafayette has done it already; why do you think that is? We cannot put these things off.

I would have voted yes if any Republican had stood up and said, as IACT (Indiana Association of Cities and Towns) executive director Matthew Greller has, that "the citizens of municipalities will pay the price for tax caps portrayed as the obvious answer." No Republican here would stand up and say publically, as they do privately, that the state Republicans are killing us. People have just plain gotten used to things like fire hydrants. They don't want to run to the corner with a roll of quarters to feed the meter when their garage is on fire.

I know, I know; the budget is lean, mean, practical. It is. And it will get us through the next election cycle.

But it is not the best we can do for the city today. It is quit certainly not the best we can do for the future of our city.

I vote no.

Hyrdrant Tax

2010-09-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

I voted against the hydrant tax.

I know we are all supposed to be affluent; fat and happy -

BUT here are some of the people who live in my CDBG eligible District #2

- A Retired Worker (Home Owner) who receives $1,170.80 (monthly) (Average Old-Age Insurance - July 2010)

- A Graduate Student (paying Rent-Utilities) whose stipend is $1,500 (monthly)

- The 50 families in a New Chauncey program home (up to $39,300 eligibility); 2,500 (?) monthly.

If you run a bar, double dip (take a pension and a salary), make 202k ( a Family Practice MD at 3 years w/o profit share), or have tenure at Purdue @ say, 160 k ( pick a name ), you can afford to be nonchalant.

Those well-off like fees. They are far less affected as a percentage of income.

Rent ? Poor ? Old ? No raise this year ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I know the mayor insinuates that this is a choice between this fee and jobs. He lobby's council members in private about it. Brings along department heads. The mayor is charming. This is one of the gentle deceptions of the political process.

BUT ALL CURRENT POSITIONS ARE FUNDED IN THE 2011 BUDGET WE HAVE BEFORE US . . . . Unless the current budget is a incorrect.

What is TRUE is that the hydrants are already in this year's budget.

We can debate next month whether the budget has been trimmed or costs merely shifted off-book. (Use the Waste Water Utility - again - to pay for the hydrants? Like the new parking lot at the Lilly Nature Center?) But there is no doubt about who will pay the biggest price for this rate/tax increase. Those who can least afford it.

Sell Tommy Johnston Park?

2010-09-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment that "Tommy Johnston Park" (Wood & Chauncey) were located in Arbor Chase. The park might grow old, and the small children who once used it might grow up. But close it? No, the neighborhood association would meet, and a committee would be created to work with the Parks Department to remodel or reconfigure the park to meet the changing needs of the community. That should happen in District #1 as well.

I applaud Purdue Student Government's "Preserving the Tommy Johnston Neighborhood Park" resolution. There is not much green space south of State St. and few city resources are devoted to what was once this mixed use neighborhood.

I also wonder, along with PSG, about the process leading to the sale. Though admittedly, I suffer from "Burtsfield Syndrome" ( a characteristic combination of emotions, opinions and behaviors), in which it appears that major city decisions are made without public debate circumventing elected officials through the skillful use of the byzantine practices of city government. An example: the demolition of Burtsfield School through a construction change order approved by the Board of Works. (Post 10/30/08 - Burtsfield School Demolition.)

I look forward to working with Councilor Hoggatt on this issue.

West Lafayette Historic Districts

2010-08-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

Fire Hydrant "Tax" and Property Tax Caps

2010-07-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

I have some sympathy for West Lafayette Republicans. The party has put them in an impossible position.

At the state level the Republican party is pushing to make property tax cuts permanent through an amendment to the Indiana constitution. During the past legislative session, some Republican mayors even wrote House Minority Leader Brian Bosma in support of that amendment. Some larger political calculation apparently trumped local needs. West Lafayette will lose $400,000 in revenue next year because of the current state property tax "circuit breaker". The cost of providing an important public safety service like fire hydrants; $261,440.

Matthew Greller, IACT Executive Director (Indiana Association of Cities and Towns) made an excellent point in a recent IACT newsletter. He wrote: "Unfortunately, I believe that it is the citizens of municipalities who will pay the price for tax caps being portrayed as the obvious answer."

Our recent debate over fire hydrants makes that point clearly. The state plays the "good guy" and is happy to make the city the "bad guy". People have grown awfully fond of public fire protection, so local Republicans are "outsourcing" a tax increase to the water company. Instead of paying for the hydrants using either income tax or property tax, fairer measures of a person's wealth, everyone, whether a Purdue dean making $230,000 or an elderly widow with a $23,000 income, will pay exactly the same $2.37 each month.

Perhaps we should just pay for the hydrants out of the waste water utility. We heard the boast made during the metered trash conversation that the utility is in wonderful shape. We cover other deficits - and some general fund spending - in that way. (We can then borrow - Resolution #08-10 - to pay for new sewer projects !) Water sprayed on a fire will run into the sewers.

Next year we may rent our fire hydrants. The year after, our fire trucks? I am opposed to this trend in public finance. Local Republicans should be up in arms about it too.

Living Green TV-18

2010-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

You can recycle plastic water bottles! TV- 18 "Go Green"/Living Green 6/22

West Lafayette History

2010-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

West Lafayette James Suit was probably the first settler in Wabash Township where West Lafayette is located. He came about 1822 and would load keel boats with honey and pelts, then float to Vincennes and trade for supplies needed by other early settlers. One of the earliest settlements in the West Lafayette village area was Jacktown. It was designated as such because of a blacksmith shop owned and operated by Captain Samuel Benjamin Jackson Castor. The first platted West Lafayette was laid out in 1836, close to the fording area near where the railroad bridge presently crosses the Wabash. At least one house was built before it became obvious that flooding was going to be a serious problem. Therefore, the town was never really developed, and people decided to move up the hill and out of the "bottoms". Jane and Jesse Lutz platted the town of Kingston in 1855. The boundaries by present day standards are Northwestern, Salisbury, North and South Streets. The present site of the Morton Community Center was designated a school site at that time and since then has been used continuously for educational purposes. The Chauncey family, land speculators from Philadelphia, platted their town just a little to the east in 1860. Present day boundaries of Chauncey are Salisbury, State, Robinson, and the North River Road. Chauncey and Kinston were reorganized in 1866 as Chauncey. The citizens probably decided to organize at this time so they could levy taxes, provide better security, improve roads and become eligible for state and county assistance. Homes were being built during this time period but most of the area south of State Street and east of Salisbury was still woodlands.
Purdue University opened for classes in 1874. It had, at that time, a faculty of six, 46 students, a 100-acre farm and five buildings. The buildings were Ladies Hall and Purdue Hall, both dormitories, a small brick building used for engineering and technical classes, power plant, a frame gymnasium and armory. University Hall was dedicated in 1877.
Purdue is a land grant college that was created under the Morrill Act. However, John Purdue was able to secure the site of the college after he pledged $150,000 of his own money, obtained another $50,000 in pledges from other prominent citizens and donated 100 acres of land. The university was then named in his honor.
The people of Chauncey voted to change the name of their town to West Lafayette on May 21, 1888. A few businesses had been established in The Village by the late 1880s. However, even then, many of the West Lafayette residents traveled across the river to shop. West Lafayette and Lafayette citizens continue to share the many attractions of the two towns. These include social organizations, arts and cultural groups, restaurants, shopping area, churches, and museums. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce recently designated Lafayette - West Lafayette as their "Community of the Year". West Lafayette has also recently received several Tree City U.S.A. awards and a Main Street Award for the development of Wabash Landing.

Children's Planning Event

2010-06-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

New Chauncey Neighborhood Study

2010-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Area Plan Commission has created a New Chauncey Neighborhood Study resource page. Click to find the Vision Workshop Summary Report, the New Chauncey Neighborhood Map, and a list of Steering Committee Members.

District #2 Summer Paving Schedule

2010-06-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

ARRA PROJECT (Stimulus Funds)
Salisbury Street (Robinson to Wiggins)
$252,000 Reith-Riley Construction
Asphalt patching, surface milling and asphalt overlay
Started – June 1
Complete By – June 30

2010 CDBG
Robinson Street (DeHart to Stadium)
$105,000 Jack Isom Construction
New concrete curbs and sidewalks, both sides of street.
Appx. Start Date – 6/21
Complete By – July 30

2010 STREET RESURFACING
Milestone Contractors (total contract - $674,487.50
Salisbury Street (Columbia to Wiggins) $23,000
Littleton Street (State to Dead End) $84,000
Littleton Street (Fowler to Quincey) $13,000
Maple Street (Quincey to Lutz) $58,000
Quincey Street (Salisbury to River) $153,000

2010 CRACK SEALING
Pavement Solutions (total contract - $67,979.39)
Grant Street (Meridian to Salisbury) – $12,000

PAYT "Word Cloud"

2010-06-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

"Word Cloud" for the PAYT debate :)

http://www.wordle.net

Village Fitness Trail

2010-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Larry Oates and the Redevelopment Commission for this great addition to our neighborhood! Some of these blocks should be real eye openers for our friends and neighbors! Click on the photo and it will blow up !

Earth Day Call to Action

2010-03-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

"According to a 2007 Forbes ranking of states environmental quality, Indiana ranked 49th.", said West Lafayette City Councilman Peter Bunder, D-District #2. "We're better than only West Virginia", he said. "It's important to get people thinking two or three generations ahead, rather than just focusing on an immediate payoff," Bunder said. "We're just very reluctant to do that," he said.
-J&C March 19th. pC7

Found the Problem

2010-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

$2,770,000 - The net cash decrease in the Wastewater Utility for 2010.

The current move to metered trash began in May of 2008 when the Republican city administration in a Budget and Finance Committee meeting proposed an increase in the base trash tax. The Democratic city council majority objected, seeking instead a solution that would advance environmental policy and provide some equity to the poor, the elderly, and the environmentally sensitive who would have been discriminated against in a flat tax increase.

$466,000 - The 2010 gap between the sanitation budget and fees collected.

Along the way the city council, including two of the three Republican members who responded to the council president's survey, supported the notion that sanitation should be financially self-supporting.

$0 - The amount of increase in trash fees for the majority of W. Lafayette residents.

In an attempt at bipartisanship, the Democratic majority on city council gave up any increase in the base trash rate to meet the Mayor's objections to a fee increase. We would still establish the principal of trash as a metered utility.

90% - The waster water treatment plant is nearing capacity.

Lack of consistency in public policy for the sake of political expediency defeats sound fiscal policy. Let me make this prediction. There will be a dramatic increase in waste water rates - immediately AFTER the next mayoral election.

I found the problem.

A "No Brainer"

2010-02-27T09:07:00.001-08:00

Since May of 2008, when city government first proposed an increase in the trash tax, I have been interviewed several times by the young people who work in our local media on the topic of metered trash. Twice the PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) conversation ended with the reporter asking exactly this same question, “Isn’t this a no brainer?”

You’d think.

Maybe if you are of a certain age. Maybe if you’ve lived anywhere besides here.

Metered utilities are a way of life in America. Metered trash was new in the 1990’s. Now it is ubiquitous. Bloomington and East Lansing. Delphi and Crawfordsville. My aged mother slaps stickers on trash bags for her commercial trash hauler. You know the reasons for this trend. Environmental sustainability. Equity. Economic stability.

We do need the money. West Lafayette hasn’t raised trash rates since 1993. The 2010 City Sanitation budget is $985,926. In 2010, only $520,000 of that will come from trash collection fees. The net cash decrease in the cash balance of the City Wastewater Utility, which pays for everything from street sweepers to the Mayor and Clerk Treasurer’s salary (I bet you didn’t know that; it helps balance the General Fund.), is $2,770,000. Can you imagine the Republican histrionics if a Democratic mayor had gone that far into past Republican mayors capital reserves with the sewage treatment plant already at 90% of capacity?

The changes proposed in this final draft of the ordinance (which appears upper right) are very modest.

We will have not metered trash, but tiers of trash service. Forget your electric bill. Think about your cable bill. The extra bag and bulk rate fees are our version of cable’s “On Demand”.

The response to these changes is generally disproportionate to the changes made.

Maybe it's the times. Change is menacing. Many things are changing. Change feels like criticism. So change makes us angry. Cultural resentment is marketed as the antidote to change.

We have seen this before in West Lafayette.

Metered trash is now being proposed by “you people” as we’re called. We are “foreigners” who came to work here but were not born here and so may not stay here. “You people” probably voted for Obama. “You people” actually believe the Environmental Protection Agency and perhaps even in global warming. “You people” want healthcare reform, and you have gay friends. “You people” dared to whine about losing your Purdue pension benefits. “You people” don’t like the J&C's editorial cartoons.

We are a lot like “those people” who used the phrase “highest and best use” in support of the Wabash Landing project, when local business and the free market should have been encouraged to store portable toilets on that old Sears levee lot. “Their” sewage treatment plant was going to be too big and included a frivolous and expensive and experimental digester project. “Their” smoking ban would drive the bar owners out of business. Now “our” metered trash proposal will create a dumping nightmare that has occurred nowhere else.

I suspect the “town” will win eventually prevail in West Lafayette. This has as much to do with changes in the academy as it does with continued annexation. The academic enterprise is now exactly that. No need for a “gown”. We will segregate by income and ideology. After all, why should I, one of “those people”, stay here? Our house has been egged. We get hate mail.

But we can’t just keep doing what we’re doing. We can’t just keep throwing everything out. It’s bad for the environment. It costs too much. More “education”? Pedagogy eventually hits this ugly wall. Only short-term personal and financial interests drive public policy. To change behavior, we need to raise the cost of the behavior.

I suppose I am one of “those people” for raising ecology and equity as public issues. My window washer father would get a good laugh out of that. His was that “greatest generation”. Dad said that he did hard things for everybody, for the whole world, and for the kids. “Pete” could intuit a long-term benefit. One risks at least ridicule now to use a phrase like “social dividend” in public discourse. But I’ll take the risk.

We have to change how we handle our waste for the sake of future generations. This small, metered trash proposal is a no brainer.

WL School Tax Referendum

2010-01-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

My unofficial poll on the West Lafayette School Tax Referendum, done mostly on the Hanukah/Christmas party circuit, while walking the dogs, or while outside putting up my Christmas lights, is 51% unenthusiastically “for” the tax increase and 49 % unenthusiastically “against” it.

Most of my friends and neighbors obviously believe in spending money on education. Most believe the referendum will pass easily in fairly light voter turn out. All agree the West Lafayette Community Schools are excellent. Even those with children in the Montessori or New Community Schools. Even those without any children in the schools. Even those whose children are long out of the schools.

But our permanent residents are older and poorer than the rest of the city. Our land values just went up 64% and our total assessed property value 6% (J&C 12/6/09) as the property tax rate in “Purdue Main” was equalized at $1000 a frontage sq.ft. Not everybody’s taxes are going down as much as the school board advertises, and this is not Fishers or Carmel.

Our particular predicament is not acknowledged by the school board. Nothing new there. We have no representation on the school board. Remember Sarah Mustillo’s application to serve on the West Lafayette School Board? (Blogpost “What’s Wrong With Sarah Mustillo?” 8/11/2008) Not even an interview! One of my cleverer neighbors opined that we could be as ignored as we are now for far less money, if we end up in the county school system. If we are going to be invisible, lets do it as cheaply as possible.

Periodically we have been told we should move the high school to imaginary, invisible land. Or close Happy Hollow. Over and over again the school administration has declined to help New Chauncey. It’s all about the children, we were told, who, apparently, all live in the air and not in houses on streets. So we can’t help our friends and neighbors with housing issues in the lower third of this district’s geography; blocks often made uninhabitable for families by rental corporations (now ironically, likely to be called to pay for their “success”). Isn’t the change to all rentals inevitable, we’ve been asked? If that’s so, isn’t the end of the West Lafayette schools also inevitable?

The comments move on from there. Weren’t there only a couple of “SOS” signs in the district? Given the state’s lack of enthusiasm for funding education, can we morally take money from Gary or Otterbein and give it to West Lafayette? Are the county schools really that bad? Isn’t it really all about the parent’s interest in education anyway? Is this plan any better thought out than the impossible “annexation plan” offered earlier by the Corporation? Why not become charter schools within a county system, like some Roman Catholic schools in Indianapolis? Or keep keeping raising money through the foundation, like last year? Why can’t the state raise liquor taxes instead of cutting the schools?

City Council Democrats are still cranky about the machinations surrounding the Board of Works decision to demolish Burtsfield School without debate. (Blogpost: “Burtsfield Demolition”10/30/2008). We will wait for the Republican City Administration to propose a resolution to endorse this school tax increase.

Grudging approval is the best I can give or report.

Tax Bill/Land Values

2009-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

I received many questions about our recent tax bills - particularly land values - at the Halloween parade. Here's what I know, courtesy of the county assessors office. You have until November 30th. to appeal. The green remarks are mine.

I did go and look at the maps. :)

Questions: egrossman@tippecanoe.in.gov

They would be happy to come to a neighborhood meeting.

Purdue housing area is loosely defined as the relatively small, platted lots (approx 50’x130’) east of Northwestern, west of N.River Rd and South of Meridian St. Previously eight scattered neighborhoods composed the majority of residential housing in this area. These patchwork neighborhoods consist of qualitatively similar houses but land pricing, even for identical lots, was erratic. Each of these eight neighborhoods valued land based on feet of street frontage. Price/front foot ranged from $340-$1250. Some neighborhoods had several front foot base rates. Since these dwellings were similar in age, grade, size and use, the various land pricings caused trending factors for very similar neighborhoods to also fluctuate drastically. For trending to work properly, land must be assessed equitably. Without any information from the previous Wabash Assessors Office or trending contractor GnA, the previous neighborhood distribution was impossible to comprehend and completely inequitable.

To work towards fair and equitable pricing around campus, a map of sales were created and three distinct property groups were defined. There is a group of small, comparatively new houses in the very north east part of campus. They were designated neighborhood 7501 and assigned a $450/FF base rate (Schilling addition). The multi-family dwellings, 520 and 530 classes were separated to their own neighborhood, 7502. The remaining residential parcels were put into another new neighborhood, 7500. Neighborhoods 7500 and 7502 were assigned an equitable $1000/FF land value. Similar use properties around Purdue University are now in coherent delineations with an equitable land pricing mechanism.

The change to $1000/FF created the land increase for many tax payers, previous base rates were as low as $340. The changes shifted a larger portion of the assessed value to land, but the total assessed values are unaffected. Since trending will equalize assessed values to a level determined by sales, the base rate determines the ratio of land to building assessed value. Purdue housing usually couples very desirable land locations with older, more depreciated structures. This explains why the land to building ratio is higher on campus than most of the County.

I am sorry that the answer to this is very technical. We have large maps that do a better job at explaining the situation. I would be happy to speak at a neighborhood association meeting (and bring these maps) and/or schedule meeting if questions persist.

112 E. Oak - Ecstacy Arrest

2009-10-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

How did 112 E. Oak get rented to a fraternity? When Christopher Song was arrested Friday morning with $6000 worth of ecstasy, this Edward Cooke property was reportedly home to Lambda Phi Epsilon (Purdue's Asian American Fraternity). Don't you wonder whose names were on the rental certificate in this R-1U neighborhood?
Was the fraternity's name on the rent check? Would a reasonable and prudent owner have discovered he had rented to a fraternity before it became a local drugstore? Will anyone now be evicted? The proposed Good Neighbor Ordinance of 2007 defined "disorderly houses" and made provision for pulling the rental certificates of violators. Should that portion of the ordinance be revisited?

"Do Not Disturb"

2009-10-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ordinance #28-09 ("Pay As You Throw"-PAYT) moved along last night, winning approval by a 4-3 vote of the West Lafayette City Council.

The ordinance was born in May of 2008, when at a meeting of the city Budget & Finance Committee the possibility of a trash fee increase was floated. Objections were raised to simply raising our "trash tax", and a search began for a better way to manage trash and trash revenue.

The hope was that we could find a program which was:
1) Economically Sustainable - there had been no trash fee increase since 1993.
2) Environmentally Sustainable - recycling was increasing at only 1% a year.
3) Equitable - "based on the simple principle that garbage collection should be based on the same billing system as other utilities, that is, pay for what you use." (IDEM)

The Go Greener Commission and the Boiler Green Initiative gained the help of the Purdue "Engineering Projects in Community Service" (EPICS) program in this search. The EPICS group, with funding from Shell Oil, began a study (2008/09) to determine if some sort of metered trash program (PAYT) could work in West Lafayette.

The EPICS team of students and faculty advisers final report recommended a multi-tiered trash scheme which resembled programs set in place in East Lansing and Bloomington in the early 1990's. (About the time we last raised fees, other communities moved to a different model.) The plan included a base rate, an additional bag/can charge, and "free" brush and recycling pick-up.

The Go Greener Commission received the report, endorsed the principle, and set several committees to work on the issues involved in the implementation of a metered trash program. Ordinance #28-09 reflects those efforts.

A month ago city officials, even some who opposed its construction as untimely and expensive, stood by our new energy producing waste digester under the salutatory banner provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. We felt wise. We felt good, standing there by the electric car charging station along with those California environmental engineers.

That same EPA thinks metered trash is a good idea. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) thinks its a good idea. 7000 cities believe it's a good idea. Several of our Big Ten peers use the system.

Many of our friends and neighbors are not so sure. It's too complicated. It's too expensive. It's inconvenient. It won't work.

Some of our divisions are familiar ones. Hoosiers and Boilermakers. Town and gown. Young and old. Even "Americans" vs "Foreigners" ( a leader of a local rental corporation regaled us, twice, with stories about foreign students flushing chicken bones, chicken breasts, down the toilet.) But the common thread in the opposition to PAYT was "leave me alone".

The current ordinance will be improved. I agree with Mayor Dennis who has noted the merits of the PAYT plan. The Mayor has also commented that PAYT can work here. He is committing city resources to create a sanitation department fiscal plan.

In the weeks and months ahead the "Do Not Disturb" sign will come down. The city is not flush. Most of our city officials draw parts of their salaries from the wastewater utility. We do not all have money. The Albrecht brothers built an "Aldi's" here, not one of their other chains; "Trader Joe's". Our environment is suffering. Forbes ranked Indiana 49th in environmental quality. The "Do Not Disturb" sign should stay down.

Ordinance #03-09 - Landlord Certification Program

2009-09-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, after six months of sometimes heated discussion and a five-hour City Council meeting, Ordinance #03-09 passed. Your City Council Democrats resisted intense pressure from Indianapolis led Indiana Apartment Association lobbyists (representing apartment industry professionals), to pass an ordinance revision which enumerates, for the sake of clarity, what has been case law in this state since 1998 when the Court of Appeals found for the City in West Lafayette v. Benjamin. The Appellate Court vindicated the city’s housing and rental ordinance again in December of 2008 in its judgment against Dr. Jerry and Patti Weida.

Addressing the Court’s concern that the ordinance might be “ambiguous”, we moved into the ordinance those particulars which Superior Court Judge Thomas Busch noted ought to “put on inquiry” rental corporations regarding the over-occupancy of their premises. Despite the “sturm und drang” of yesterday evening there is nothing new here. The level of orchestrated outrage by the deep-pocketed rental corporations once again makes clear the need for the neighborhood to remain organized and attentive to the workings of city government.

The new thing, and for this we should thank Councilor Paul Roales and his committee, is the creation of the “Landlord Certification Program”. Our criterion for who is a “good” landlord is usually limited to those who have not been fined or sued. We obviously know who is a “bad” landlord. We have no standard for assessing who is a “good” or “better” landlord. (Councilor Roales proposal also extends a “carrot” to those who participate in this exercise; a small reduction in fees.)

Cities like Eau Claire, Wisconsin have such a program. My recent experience with this approach came while my daughter, who will be studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland, was researching housing. We don’t know anybody in Glasgow. How do we figure out, at this distance, whom it might be safe to rent from?

Not to worry. The five universities in the Glasgow area maintain a PAD :) or “Private Accommodation Database”, a centralized database of private sector accommodation available for rent to students attending all five institutions. In the interest of student safety, accommodation is not registered with PAD unless the landlord has confirmed that it conforms to the standards required to meet the PAD policy. Furthermore, the partner institutions have the right to verify the information provided and have sole discretion in advertising properties or including their details on the database and reserve the right to refuse to do so.

As Purdue changes leadership in its housing division, this may be the perfect time for Purdue (which once maintained an off-campus housing office) and the city to work together on a landlord certification program. So when some father, say, in Glasgow looks over the shoulder of his dear daughter, already concerned that she is coming to a scary place where they have guns but not health care, he can at least take comfort that somebody has taken the time to evaluate Purdue area rental properties.

We look forward to working with the Mayor and his staff on this project.

Not all news events are treated equally . . .

2009-09-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

An editorial in the Sunday Journal and Courier reminds us that "not all news events are treated equally."

Can you imagine a Jan Mills auto accident? On the front page of the Local Section above the fold would have appeared a diagram of the crash scene, a scanned copy of the ticket issued, an interview with the driver involved and with the driver of the car headed in the opposite direction, along with comments from Republican city councilors who would have been asked if Mayor Mill's repeated major car crashes were impacting city government. Her comments on the scene would be part of the public record. No apology would have been made to the Fountain County sheriff for press tenacity.

Some of the most trying weeks in my ministry were spent at the bedside and with the family of a young man seriously injured in a Northwestern Ave. motorcycle accident. I do not minimize the fear and pain involved in such an accident, nor the difficulty of the rehabilitation. I also understand that we will always meet people in the course of our jobs whom we find more affable or attractive than others, and that we will struggle with our moral obligation to treat all honorably.

AND that not all news events are treated equally . . .

Neighborhood Resource Team

2009-08-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a pretty good week.

The Westside Urban Fitness Trail (thanks to funding from District #2 resident Larry Oates and the West Lafayette Redevelopment Commission) will link a refurbished and accessible High School track with the Morton Center and the West Lafayette Public Library.

The route – Salisbury to Lutz to Vine to Centennial (“Froggie”) Park to Lawn to Grant – will improve two streets (Lutz and Vine) that need care.

The Neighborhood Resource Team’s “Walk Through the Neighborhood” (8/19/09), led by Mayor John Dennis, introduced Code Enforcement Supervisor Rick Walker to the community and highlighted problems with which we are all too familiar. The WLFI video was taken during a walk down the alley south of Stadium between Salisbury and Vine. I couldn’t have staged a better mix of couches, mattresses, tossed trash cans, and weeds if I had tried!

This new energy is much appreciated. For example, thanks to the efforts of the resource team – and with thanks to New Chauncey Housing and its emergency abatement fund – a dumpster has been brought
in to Crum Ct. to clear trash from a long troublesome property.

We lost two streets this year; East Lutz and West Oak. Work on over-occupancy and trash must continue. But for a moment every media outlet in the community was looking at what we look at daily. John Dennis, Lt. Gary Sparger, Joe Payne, deserve our thanks.

We had a pretty good week.

Fireworks !

2009-07-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Things we love about Indiana:

Histoplasmosis
Out-of-State Trash
Fireworks

As the City Attorney's memo (page right) makes clear, we are doing all we can within state law to limit the use of fireworks. Testosterone, beer, and black powder turn our neighborhood into a playground each Fourth
of July as Purdue students - and sometimes their parents - return to their party houses near campus to do in our neighborhood what they would be ashamed, embarrassed, or arrested for in theirs. It is illegal for you to have fireworks in Illinois.

Let me refer you to our State Representatives:

h27@in.gov - Sheila Klinger
h26@in.gov - Randy Truitt

The Community Policing/ Soft Policing/ Code Enforcement Switch

2009-07-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

By voting Monday night for Ordinance #13-09 (An Ordinance to Amend the 2009 Salary Ordinance – this is the “check” we have on administrative or personnel changes at City Hall.) the City Council endorsed Development Director Chandler Poole’s reorganization of his department. The old Buzz Grady job becomes the “Housing Program Coordinator”. The old Bev Shaw job becomes the “Marketing and Grant Administrator.” Curt Cunningham’s position (Over-Occupancy and Nuisance Enforcement) moves to the Police Department under the direction of a yet-to-be-named Code Enforcement Supervisor.

Our city has often cribbed ideas from East Lansing. This change mimics their “PACE” program; “Parking And Code Enforcement”. We’ll place animal control here too. (Ingham County does that for East Lansing.)

I think it’s a good idea. I think it’s time to try something new.

It should provide more eyes and ears for code enforcement. The “CAD” (Computer Assisted Dispatch) process should help us track complaints better. One phone number (775-5200 - the police non-emergency number) for nuisance and noise will be helpful.

Also, the change focuses attention on enforcement in a way that can only be beneficially to this district. The enthusiasm for the program shown by Mayor John Dennis and by our New Chauncey police contact, Lt. Gary Sparger (he has visited East Lansing), is important. Recall too that with the passing of Ordinance #26-08 last September, a variety of nuisance violations can now be addressed by an escalating series of tickets issued through an expanded Ordinance Violations Bureau.

What could go wrong?

Ever called 775-5200? Training for those first to greet the public may need to be improved. Will the police really care? Most officers don’t live here anymore. I suspect they think we’re old, over-educated, over-paid and whiney; you get the same sort of snorts when listening to those outside WL comment on our school woes. I bet they did not sign on to the force to police trash.

Finally, it would be great if the new Code Enforcement Supervisor (experience in soft policing would be great) and the two Development Department hires demonstrated the City’s commitment to diversity. The city is not vanilla. The city and its police department is; mostly.

All this should begin around August 1st.

Park Tax - School Tax

2009-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

The Monday night City Council vote on the “cum cap” (Cumulative Capital Development Fund) was not particularly important. Setting the CCD rate has been a kind of financial kabuki for 25 years. The city (usually) picks the highest possible rate. The state cuts the rate, factors it against assessment, and gives the city a dollar number. Then you re-roof the park’s barn with “cum cap” money instead of precious general fund dollars that can then be used for salaries or paper clips or bullets or gasoline. The conventional financial wisdom, and the reason for the Clerk Treasurer’s proposal, is that you take whatever you can get from the state while you can because next time you may get less.

Ann Hunt (District #3) and I thought it was too soon in the chaotic 2010 budget process to throw away $60,000. (This is nothing like the $600,000 Excessive Levy (Res.22-08) the Republican Administration asked for last November.) We lost. So it goes.

More interesting was Danny Weiss’s remarks later in the evening and the Mayor’s response. The CHAUNC PAC leader (his neighborhood straddles Districts #2 and #3) commented that lots of folk wouldn’t mind a tax increase for a good cause. Mayor Dennis suggested he make a contribution to the Park Fund.

Which means, I suppose, that instead of a tax increase in support of the West Lafayette schools, we should all make a contribution to the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation. Which means, I suppose, that should it come to a “revenue enhancement” for the schools, the school board will depend on rescue from the voters in two Democratic districts it has regularly dismissed (remember Sarah Mustillo; scroll down for that entry 8/11/08) and whose issues it has consistently ignored and where “SOS” yard signs are currently very, very rare. Districts where people wouldn’t mind a tax increase for a good cause.

I believe that if it is legal, and if the Department of Local Government Finance can be cajoled into going along with the plan, the School Board could win that tax vote. There are about 30,000 people in West Lafayette, about 10,000 are registered to vote, and about 4,500 voted in the last municipal election. There are 2000 children in our schools. If the parents vote, you win a May 2010 vote!

Progressives are not much troubled by that idea. True conservatives should lobby folks to vote against it on ideological grounds . . . and then write a check to the School Foundation.
Or the Park Fund.

APC Land Use Plan Request

2009-04-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have asked that the resolution (and map - at right) be included on the agenda of the May 4th. West Lafayette City Council meeting. Originally suggested by Danny Weiss, and petitioned for in an email from Carl Griffin on behalf of the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association dated 26 March, it asks the Area Plan Commission to examine the current land use plan for the New Chauncey Neighborhood.

The resolution itself copies one which was originally drafted by Perry Brown (D) and approved by Dave Heath (R) which dealt with the Historic Jeff Neighborhood. Either Sallie Fahey or Carl Griffin (the West Lafayette City Council APC rep) will speak to the work the APC and neighborhoods can do together at the May 4th. meeting. New Chauncey will select liaisons to the study group in due course.

The City of West Lafayette last made provision for the development of a New Chauncey Neighborhood Plan through a contract approved on 11/17/1998 with Ratio Planning. The last Strategic Plan Update for the City of West Lafayette was completed in June 2005. People new to the neighborhood need to learn zoning basics (e.g. R- 1 vs. R-1U) . Given the peculiar character of this neighborhood, planning cannot be neglected. . . . and this is free :)

J&C "Greater Lafayette Blogger"

2009-04-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Greater Lafayette Blogger: Peter Bunder

The article in the paper has a photo of me in an Irish linen hat. I think it makes me look dapper :)

Ordinance #03-09

2009-04-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Ordinance #03-09 passed on first reading. J&C 4/7/09
Exponent 4/7/09

Many thanks to everyone for your help in getting Ordinance #03-09 passed on first reading!

We will need SOMEONE ( or two :) ) to show up at the April 9th 3:00 pm public meeting at City Hall to discuss what comes next. If only to monitor the room . . . I would hope this meeting would provide for a schedule of public meetings on the issue in a variety of locations over the next few weeks.

I will continue to argue (a) the current law is enforceable; at question is the will of the current administration to use the existing ordinance. (b) if the city will proceed only if the law is made less vague, we have provided some detail in #03-09.

Even if we prevail legislatively, I would be willing to bet a $100 donation to Mayor Dennis's favorite charity that there will be no successful prosecution under this or any remodeled ordinance in the next 2 1/2 years. We cannot force the city administration to prosecute anybody for anything, no matter how regular or egregious the violations. Yet by proceeding, we continue to defend the value of our multi-class, multi-generational, near campus neighborhood - a natural resource as valuable to this university community as a lake or mountain (well; almost :) ).

Over-Occupancy Ordinance #03-09

2009-03-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

As the city's ad-hoc committee on over-occupancy code revision has not met in nearly two months, West Lafayette Democrats have decided to begin the long fight to clarify and strengthen and so (hopefully) improve enforcement of the city's over-occupancy code.
(Proposed Ordinance #03-09 - At right and down.)

We have added security deposit reporting (My thanks to Paul Roales!)

We have tried to remove any ambiguity regarding the commercial rental firms monitoring obligations.

Things NOT covered:
- frequency of occupancy inspections
-"cousins" in current code vs. IRS definition
- public access to inspection reports

Also, please find to the right a fascinating approach to the issue of rental zoning from East Lansing; the "Residential Rental Restriction Overlay".

Perhaps the most important question is this, "Does the City Administration have the will to enforce either current or future revisions to the occupancy code?"

Weidas Pay

2009-03-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Just in case you missed the very small article in today's paper.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903130340
They are still "chasing the tenants" . . .

Republican Administration Cuts Low-Income Housing Funds

2009-03-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

My comments (more or less) to the CDBG hearing 3/12 . . .

The West Lafayette City Administration cut its 2009 -10 allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds to New Chauncey Housing Incorporated from $110,000 last year to $50,000. These funds are the only monies that can used to repair the homes of low and moderate income people, particularly the elderly, or to acquire and rehab properties, (for example, a home recently purchased on Salisbury St. near the Happy Hollow School) outside of the HUD target area served by New Chauncey Housing.

Let me make five points:

1) The City decided to allocate $15,000 to beautify “Gumball Alley” (sic) on State St. in the Chauncey Village area. That’s fine. Beautifying an alley may be an oxymoron, but it’s a good idea. Unfortunately, the administration (The funds are allocated at the Mayor’s discretion after consultation with an advisory board.) has decided to do that with funds that could have been used to fix your grandmother’s roof.

2) I understand that city bureaucracies are strengthened when funds are placed under the control of a particular city office. So funding the Energy Assistance Program ($15,000) through the Development Office makes some sense as a political decision. New Chauncey Housing, however, already buys furnaces and windows for low-income persons. It does so much more cheaply than the city. NCHI’s employees receive no benefits. Generally, outsourcing to cheaper sub-contractors for social services has been the goal of the Republican Governor. Republicans take note.

3) This administration has remarked that it would like to see New Chauncey Housing work outside of the HUD target zone. This is obviously not possible at this funding level.

4) Perhaps the administration presumes that New Chauncey Housing would be both able and willing to spend “HOME” Funds outside of the New Chauncey Neighborhood. (HOME funds represent the largest Federal block grant for state and local governments. Its purpose is to create affordable housing for low-income families and individuals. They are distributed to CHODOS (Community HOusing Development OrganizationS). CHODOS are glued to specific maps.) Many restrictions accompany HOME monies. They are administered NOT by the City of West Lafayette but by a jurisdictional consortium led by the City of Lafayette. To spend these funds outside of the New Chauncey Neighborhood might violate both the regulations governing the funds and the corporate charter of New Chauncey Housing Inc.

5) If it were possible to spend HOME funds outside of our neighborhood, it would make more sense for the NCHI Board to spend those funds in Lafayette. Housing is cheaper there. Given current funding patterns, the most important man in the life of New Chauncey Housing is not John Dennis, but Tony Roswarski. The most important woman in their life is not Judy Rhodes, but Aimee Jacobsen.

It might be argued that New Chauncey’s cash balance argues against such financial aid. The current state of the housing and lending markets aside, I would be happy to use that argument in any discussion of city finances. Using a cash balance accounting, the city shows a surplus of between one-half and three-quarters of a million dollars. Time for a tax cut. No need to revisit the excessive levy tax.

The city is moving away from a public/non-profit partnership in low-income housing that was 12 years in the making. This Republican administration is cutting low-income housing funds.

Connolly Street Parking

2009-03-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

If you scroll down a bit you’ll see a West Lafayette winter scene, and a story about my snowplow ride. I did, in fact, ask the Traffic Commission to consider making one side of Connolly St. between Salisbury and Robinson a "No Parking" zone.

The answer from the City Engineer’s office was “no”. It is not dangerous enough often enough to warrant action. Tenant parking has a higher priority than public safety. If you ever have an accident on that stretch of street, crawl to Robinson.

Chasing the Tenants

2009-02-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

Imagine that the Peanut Corporation of America had lost a legal battle regarding the salmonella outbreak and was ordered to pay $1 billion dollars in a class action settlement. "Oh no," says Peanut Corp, "I'm suing Fred the Vat Guy for not washing his hands." "When I get my money from Fred the Vat Guy, I'll pay the families of the dead".

Would you laugh? Cry? Shake your head in disgust? The decision of the West Lafayette Republican administration to give a pass to Weida Apartments and "chase" the tenants" (three college students - J&C 2/10/09) seems equally as wacky. Most of us will consider a regulation trivial or vital depending on how it is framed for us. Wounded businesses howling about "lying students" to absolve themselves of any blame is outrageous. We do not think over-occupancy is an accident. The testimony in the Weida case proved that to the satisfaction of Judge Busch and the Indiana Appellate Court. We think it is planned. We think it is policy. We know it is damaging. If this is what the city means by "reforming" the over-occupancy code, "chasing the tenants", I may have to quit the committee assigned that task.

Snowplow and Connolly

2009-01-14T14:39:00.001-08:00

It has been fun, as chair of the City Council's Street and Sanitation Committee, to get to see our Second District from the passenger's seat of the city's heavy equipment. Garbage truck, recycling truck, fire truck, snow plow . . . . The City work force is excellent; experienced and considerate.

Here’s something I learned yesterday while riding in a city plow. The driver could not plow Connolly St. between Salisbury and Robinson. The plow simply could not fit between the cars parked on both sides of the street. It reminded me that three years ago while attending a graduation party, an ambulance could not respond to the report of a young man having a seizure until the responders knocked on the doors along Connolly St. to get people to move their cars.

I will ask the Traffic Commission to consider making one side of Connolly St. between Salisbury and Robinson a "No Parking" zone. Perhaps we might make Alternate Side Parking the rule there. We once had “Alternate Side Parking” it parts of West Lafayette. There is access to the residences on the north side of Connolly from the alley north of the street.

Revising Over Occupancy Code

2009-01-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

I am happy to work with the West Lafayette city administration to improve the language in the city’s over-occupancy ordinance to meet suggestions made by the Indiana Court of Appeals. But let’s not bury the headline. The current ordinance works. We won. We won over (Benjamin) and over (Bowden) and over (Liu) and over (Weida) again. Sonya Margerum and Jan Mills had b----- . . . intestinal fortitude . . . as they took on the wealthy and politically active rental industry. And they won. Our neighborhood is much the better for it.

I have my own suggestions for revisions in the ordinance. Let’s raise the “Fee to Convert” a single-family home to a rental property from $500 to $5000. That certainly reflects the environmental impact of such a switch. Let’s drop “cousins” as family members in the ordinance. Let’s use the IRS "Member of Household or Relationship Test" (my thanks to Bob Schauer).

We do not tolerate drunk driving as ignorant or just a little naughty; do we say please just promise you won’t do it again and you won’t have to go to court? We do not think over-occupancy is an accident. We think it is planned. We think it is policy. We know it is damaging.

“Just tell ‘em your cousins on the affidavit; the city will never find out”. “You can’t have four people in here, but I’m not going to check so long as the rent gets paid”. “Four people can live here so long as one of you is local and keeps their mailing address at their parents – then you won’t show on our mail box.”

If you have kids, you know that at some point Betty will whack Sally. Sally will scream “Dad, Betty hit me.” Then Dad says, “Betty, don’t hit your sister”. At which point Betty, looking pretty smug, jabs her finger hard into Sally. Then comes the second scream, Dad’s response, and Betty’s, “But you didn’t say I couldn’t poke her!” For Dad read “city”, for Betty read “landlord”, for Sally read “us”. Apparently it is not enough to say to a reasonable person, “don’t do that”. Greater linguistic precision is required.

Whatever changes become part of the over-occupancy code, enforcement depends on the will of the city to take the matter seriously. The jury there is still out.

NCNA December Newsletter Article

2008-12-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

“Weida’s Lose Appeal”.“Homes Win Approving Nod for Historic Preservation”. “Open House at Historic Rehab”.
These three articles from the 12/3/08 Journal & Courier demonstrate both the promise and the problem in our neighborhood.

First, the promise. Here in West Lafayette, we have no lakes, no mountains. “Indiana Ranks Low in Higher Ed.”, the J&C also reported in its 12/3 edition. What we do have is Purdue University. What we do have is a good school system. What we do have is an affordable, stable, multi-cultural, multi-generational, multi-class near campus neighborhood.

The problem? As I wrote on my blog earlier this year, the era of “mom and pop” landlords is long gone. The point of this substantial business is to make money through rent and appreciation, then perhaps zoning change, in a large and vaguely regulated portion of the real estate industry.

No new over-occupancy cases have been filed in the past year. There has yet to be a rollout of Ordinance #26-08; nuisance violations were to be addressed by an escalating series of tickets to be issued through an expanded Ordinance Violations Bureau.

Which is why C.H.A.U.N.C. PAC (“Community Homeowners And University Neighbors Committee” PAC.) is the story of the fall. Inspired in part by Sarah Mustillo’s rejection by the school board, and following the model of New Chauncey Housing’s evolution from within the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association, CHAUNC PAC hopes to take advantage of the political interest generated by the presidential election and channel some of that energy into local politics.

This neighborhood is remarkable! What a fascinating experiment!

Boiler BLAST (our “Clean Sweep”) will take place April 4th. Job request forms are due by January 31st. Questions? Email boilerblast@gmail.com. Phone 496-2454. Check www.purdue.edu/boilerblast. Boiler BLAST demonstrates both “Boiler Service” and “Boiler Gratitude”! Not just for the elderly, save up a couple of chores and meet our Purdue students.

“Project Move Out” takes place Sunday, May 10th. from 1:00 – 4:00pm. Volunteers are needed to set up the Armory and receive donations of usable “stuff” on May 8th. & 9th. from 10am – 4pm. Call the Boiler Volunteer Network (496-2450) or go to www.purdue.edu/odos/sao/bvn/programs/moveout.htm

Please note that the Purdue Student Security Patrol “Safe Walk” program (494-Safe) now extends into New Chauncey from across Northwestern and south of Meridian to Salisbury St. The PUPD will provide the service if students are unavailable.

Let me end with a word about taxes. I voted against Resolution #22-08, the Excessive Levy Appeal. (Want to learn why? Scroll down a bit.) I hope for an open and bipartisan budget process as we move into 2009. Any and all changes in the 2009 budget remain a secret. There has been no meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee since the Council vote on November 17th.

“No Vote” On Budget.

2008-11-20T05:39:00.000-08:00

I voted against the 2009 West Lafayette City budget for several reasons:

1) The budget process was not transparent. It is unreasonable to suggest that bright and experienced people had nothing of consequence to report to the Budget & Finance Committee for three months. This is particularly so when there were significant changes made in the areas of employee salary, pension, and health care from July until October. Maybe next year.

2) The Wastewater Utility will be drained. (Sorry about the pun.) The utility’s reserves, built at some political expense by the Democrats, will be exhausted by this budget. The transfer of over one million dollars in costs to the utility makes claims of fiscal conservatism and budget clarity seem odd.

3) It is a “Weak Mayor” Budget. Former Mayor Sonya Margerum persuaded me here. Sonya thought this shift of all mayoral budget lines to the clerk treasurer lacked both transparency and accountability, and would create problems for future mayors.

4) I have continued to obsess about the clandestine way in which funds were manipulated without council discussion for the demolition of Burtsfield School. What else is hidden in the nooks and crannies of this budget? There was $150,000 we might have saved. . .

5) There is no real raise here for city employees. How could any Democrat support that? Threats to cut staff? Please . . . The Democratic caucus proposed several budget cuts worth over $500,000 WITHOUT REDUCING STAFF. (We even left in a $34,000 deal with Little League baseball .) The Mayor voted against all of them. Blame the prior administration? An old Republican trick. Some Republicans still blame Bill Clinton for the market collapse.

A city budget is not the Ten Commandments. It does not come down from God in stone. Women and men make a series of decisions based on the data and out of their biases. If the administration chooses to cut staff over the objections of the Council majority, it will be because in these tough times it has chosen pavement over people.

6) Charlotte Martin. I think her precipitous dismissal was done more for political than for economic reasons. The manner and timing of her removal from city hall showed a disregard for her and her family’s 30 years of service to this community.

7) A year ago, the Republican party and the media treated us to a lecture on the weather. The excess levy tax “mistake” made by the clerk treasurer was really a cloud with a silver lining, we were told. We don’t need the money. Okay. You win.

We don’t need the money. I don’t want to raise taxes in a recession. If the Republicans want a tax increase, let all of them vote for what is now their tax increase. Democrats get tired of being labeled the party of “tax and spend”.

8) It is a long-standing Republican campaign device to suggest that by some gift of nature Republicans once elected can root out all waste and produce some sort of “management dividend” that is a peculiar magic of their party. Having laid that boast to rest at the national level, let us now do the same at the local level. Budgetary léger de main and a tax increase do not demonstrate a special management skill.

Triple XXX

2008-11-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

Fifteen years ago, thanks to my wife, I became involved with a PACADA group (Purdue Academic Advisors Association) committed to raising white awareness of racism at Purdue University. I was part of a team asked to provide a training session for the Purdue University Police.

We introduced ourselves to each other. Mentioned our hometowns. It seemed to me then that every third Purdue officer had grown up in Kentucky. There is nothing wrong with that. But there is not a lot of diversity in small town Kentucky. There was not much diversity in the department. It made “cultural competency”, to use a phrase borrowed from education, a personal and institutional struggle. Things are better now.

Fifteen years later we have elected an African-American President. In the same week, we have had to investigate a race-based incident at the Triple XXX Restaurant.

Whatever the results of the official investigation, the Triple XXX and the West Lafayette Police Department will be associated in the popular imagination with this racial incident. More than a restaurant window has been damaged.

This situation provides a real challenge for the West Lafayette city administration. I believe John Dennis is a good man. I applaud his addressing the Purdue NAACP gathering last Sunday night. I know he will get this right. I know he is committed to diversity in the police department. (Can you imagine how this evening would have gone if an officer of color had responded?)

But if Purdue students know anything about the Mayor, it is that he was once a Lafayette policeman. It raises their suspicions. Will “We don’t know what happened” (which is seen as disparaging the complainants) become “nothing happened”?

We Democrats are nervous. We know a Dennis campaign worker and contributor has become police chief. We know past police behavior and the response of the Police Merit Commission has been an election issue. We know the owners of the Triple XXX have financially supported this administration. On it’s most recent agenda, the Republican Board of Public Works had one of the officers involved in the altercation up for a promotion. Sinister? No. Cozy? Yes.

I hope the city’s Human Relations Commission will be of some help here. Their composition should allow them to bridge the “gown – town” divide. Councilors Proales (who is a student), Bunder (who works with students), and Thomas (an African-American) will continue to be interested in the investigation. We are pleased that the Ehresman’s and the Purdue NAACP are in conversation. We await a full report on police behavior that night.

But we need to do more than declare this an isolated incident blown out of proportion and then, with perhaps a huff or a smirk, move on. The arc of history does bend towards justice. Maybe in another 15 years things will be much better in our city.

Burtsfield Demolition

2008-11-06T05:53:00.000-08:00

It is unreasonable to assume the Republican city administration and the partisan West Lafayette School Board did not have substantive conversations about the Burtsfield demolition. It is unreasonable to assume the Republican city administration and the partisan West Lafayette School Board did not have substantive conversations about the funding of the Burtsfield demolition. It is unreasonable to assume the Republican city administration and the partisan West Lafayette School Board did not recognize that this demolition might be a matter of public interest. So why then did the Republican city administration and the partisan West Lafayette School Board decide to hide this decision, preferring instead the insiders wink and nod and nudge. This may be the best idea ever. But good old boy politics are not best for the city.

Burtsfield School Demolition

2008-10-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Were you surprised to find out that the City of West Lafayette was paying to demolish Burtsfield School? I was. Apparently, I voted the money for it. Take a look to the right at Ordinance 25-08. (The Clerk-Treasurer reports that’s when Council made the money available for the project.) See anything about the demolition in it? No. Nor will you find a word about the possibility of the Burtsfield demolition being paid for by the city in the minutes of the September City Council meeting. Nobody said a word about what the money might be used for beyond curbs and sidewalks.

Was the Burtsfield demolition on the agenda for the 1 October Board of Works meeting? No. It’s there though; IIc. You’ll find a brief mention in the minutes. Do you think somebody might have mentioned that we were about to tear down a building we didn’t own? Is it reasonable to assume that this had never been discussed within the city administration before, and that the manner of funding had not been deliberated over by someone?

AND is Brad Marley a member of the unelected Board of Works that voted the money for the demolition? Yes. Is Brad Marley an appointed member of the School Board? Yes. Is that legal? Yes. Is that appropriate? You decide.

We got hosed.

From Dictionary.com: “hosed”
#7. Slang.
a. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.

I love the WL schools. It doesn’t take much effort to make the case that a strong school corporation is very good for District #2, since two of the three city schools are in or adjacent to District # 2, and our residents can walk to school.

But this administration, reminiscing about the School Corporation of 30 years ago, believes the school corporation and the city have identical interests. Perhaps. Yet with every house built north of Kalberer Rd., and with every statement to the press about how inconvenient and costly code enforcement is south of Kalberer Rd., the interests of the two entities diverge. The school corporation is simply not entitled to this benefit without public discussion.

The school corporation is irrelevant to all the people living in District #1, half of the people living in District #2, and some of the people living in District #3. These people might have markedly different ways in mind to spend that demolition money. I bet the laid off city workers would have a suggestion. As might all the city workers as they contemplate the cost of their new health coverage. We will never have that conversation.

Good schools have an intrinsic worth, certainly. Is the school corporation a development tool for the city? Yes. If the city’s largess continues and if the state does not change district transfer regulations, the West Lafayette Community School Corporation will probably survive as a
“semi-private” school, a kind of public charter.

Unfortunately, the City of West Lafayette cannot cherry pick its residents in that same way.

This city government should work for all its citizens.

Huh? A New What? Where? Really !?

2008-10-14T07:06:00.001-07:00

Okay. Let's see. . . Hmm. City layoffs. Pension payments for city workers eliminated. Health Care options for city workers eliminated. The Redevelopment Corporation loans money to the WL School Corporation. The Waste Water Utility loans money to the City of West Lafayette. We don't seem able to build a new fire station or fix Lindberg Rd. But we can spend time and money on this project?
J&C 10/14/08

More Bad News

2008-10-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Journal-Courier’s recent (10/9) editorial regarding over-occupancy in West Lafayette was just about as lopsided as its 10/4 news article.

Rentals in my District #2 often begin when the grown children of those retired Purdue faculty who lived, all for their love of students, forever in this multi-class, multi-generational neighborhood, return to resolve their parent’s estate. Long and far gone, they will dispose of the property as quickly as possible. Realtors have “kiddie condo” parents and rental clients in their Blackberries. Once sold, the properties become playing cards; bought, sold, traded. The era of mom and pop landlords is long gone.

The point is to make lots of money through rent and appreciation, then zoning change, in a largely unregulated portion of the real estate and mortgage industry.

You’ve seen this before. Somewhere a corporation decides that there is a place that enjoys a resource they could profit from. They would like to guarantee a warm welcome. So they buy themselves a government. Disassemble a regulatory agency. Remove the natives. Strip-mine the place. Move on.

Is it reasonable to suggest that over the course of 25 years Sonya Margerum and Jan Mills and successive Democratic and Republican City Council’s did not try every other avenue to secure compliance for the sake of student safety and neighborhood stability? Is the cost of litigation anything compared to another new fire truck and crew, or another police car and officer, to patrol even more densely populated neighborhoods?

West Lafayette and Bloomington have argued cases from Mark Benjamin to Patti Weida in a variety of courts and won.

Is it not naïve to imagine a landlord, frustrated by the loss of his rental certificate, will sigh deeply and sell his property at a loss to New Chauncey Housing for rehabilitation for a young family of modest means? Will “John Doe” not rather transfer his property to “Jane Doe” and then to the “Doe LLC” or “Evergreen” or “Littleton” LLC”? Or perhaps sell the property at its industrial value to another landlord or holding company that will continue, perhaps more cleverly, to over-occupy a property with “cousins”?

Can the wobbly West Lafayette School Corporation really survive the abandonment of up to 33% of its geography?

And no word about the people. Apparently no one lives in these neighborhoods. No one has a voice unless they have power or money. No one represents these neighborhoods. There is no history.

We have come to expect that the J&C’s rotating young reporters will know nothing of the damage already done. Pushed to supply 30 – 40 by-lines a month, speed and ease are important. We understand and forgive that. We recognize too that senior management has already selected its West Lafayette story line. All are eager to be on their way out of here and on to their next stop with Gannett.

But it doesn’t excuse “bad news”. As rental property and “kiddie condos” spread throughout the City of West Lafayette, this poorly formed editorial policy is bad news for all of us.

Bad News

2008-10-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

"I have no problems with this administration whatsoever," she (Patti Weida) said of the current mayor, John Dennis. " ... Journal & Courier 10/04/09

Bad news for us.

You’ve seen this before. Somewhere a corporation decides that there is a place that enjoys a resource it could profit from. They would like to guarantee a warm welcome. So they overthrow the government. Remove the natives. Strip-mine the place. Move on.

Sound like any place you know?

The Republican administration came into power in West Lafayette promising that it was all about enforcement. Yet over-occupancy has apparently disappeared. A miracle. No new cases have been filed since January. There is no over-occupancy on Littleton. Just Bob Meyer (K.A.P. Housing Inc.) and perhaps the “cousins” – again. Even when a fire “outs” four people living in a house zoned for three.

There is no over-occupancy on Evergreen.

"I want someone to tell me how to go about this," Weida said. "I've gotten no guidance from the city” . . . Journal & Courier 10/04/09

Oh, PLEASE!
http://www.city.west-lafayette.in.us/services/codeenforcement/overcrowdedhousing.htm

And HELLO, you sure don’t need any “guidance” to know this is wrong . . .

“The property at 112 Sylvia Street . . . was listed as a five bedroom house, just as in the Rental Guide, but on BoilerApartments.com the rent was listed at the per bedroom rate of $300/month, which was one fifth per of the rent per bedroom, for a total rent of $1500/month.- Memo of Fact TIPPECANOE SUPERIOR COURT II CAUSE NO. 79D02-0604-PL-00048

Become a campaign supporter, and apparently all your worries are over. It says so in the paper. The City discovers enforcement is expensive and inconvenient. Mind you, they could have done it cheaper, better, but there were political allies to support, enemies to punish. You won’t read that in the paper.

Nor will you read a word about the people. Apparently no one lives in these neighborhoods. No one has a voice unless they have power or money. No one represents these neighborhoods. There is no history. None of the young reporters know the damage already done. Pushed to supply 30 to 40 by-lines a month, speed and ease are important. Senior management has already selected its story line. All are eager to be on their way out of here.

That's bad news. In style. In substance. As rental property and “kiddie condos” spread throughout the city, its bad news for all of us.

WLCSC Bail-Out

2008-09-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

The front page of yesterday’s Journal and Courier juxtaposed the West Lafayette Redevelopment Commission’s pending decision to extend what is essentially a line of credit of up to $1 million interest free dollars to the West Lafayette Community School Corporation, with the Congressional debate on the Federal bailout of the nation’s shaky financial institutions.

That seems apt.

The West Lafayette Community School Corporation’s financial condition is shaky. This is not just bad karma or some payment glitch.

Long the beneficiary of a 70’s tax accident that has usually placed the West Lafayette School Corporation among the top ten districts for property tax levy per A.D.M. and assessed value per A.D.M. (average daily membership), (http://mustang.doe.state.in.us/SEARCH/snapcorp.cfm?corp=7875) new state funding formulas born of State House Bill 1001 jeopardize its formerly privileged tax status.

Gone are the days when the system could count on $.53 or $.54 of every West Lafayette property tax dollar. State sales taxes will pay for education. Parity and consolidation are the aim. Demographics are the measure. In a 2002 study done for the School District, the Kelley School of Business sketched three possible enrollment futures for Westside in “Gross”, “Net”, and “Zero” Growth Surveys . . . lets call them the “Happy”, “Okay”, and “Sad” Predictions. At 2101 students, current attendance is much closer to “Sad” than “Okay”.

The district is at the top of its borrowing limit. Apparently there are no cash reserves.

I believe Mayor John Dennis and Redevelopment Chair Larry Oates are to be complimented for hitting on this innovative, short-term funding plan. But it can’t happen every year. The interests of the City of West Lafayette and the West Lafayette School Corporation grow more divergent with every new home built north of Kalberer Rd., and every “kiddie condo” purchase and rental conversion south of Kalberer Rd.

Aware of the school leadership’s insult of Dr. Sarah Mustillo, some in my district have rightly concluded that they could be better served. By an administration that is still able to focus on child development. By an administration that acknowledges the necessity of marketing the Westside schools not only to tuition payers, but also within the city’s older neighborhoods, to the bright and eclectic young families who live there and whose ability to recruit others to their multi-generational, multi-class neighborhoods could help this great school system survive.

Hopefully the bail-out provides time to do that.

C.H.A.U.N.C. PAC

2008-09-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to be invited to the first ever meeting of the “Community Homeowners And University Neighbors Committee” PAC. CHAUNC PAC. chaunc.pac@gmail.com

Held on September 13th. at the home of Danny Weiss, CHAUNC PAC (as a nonconnected political action committee) will seek, through political channels, ways to improve our quality of life, manage growth, increase economic viability, and manage and improve diversity.

Danny Weiss – with help from Felicia Roberts – will be the paperwork person and chair. Rachel Einwohner will be the treasurer. Jay McCann will look at a possible organizational structure. Carl Griffin made the first pledge. Diane Masters volunteered to undertake the group’s first activity. She will find a way to post West Lafayette rental inspection reports either in the Journal and Courier (much as restaurant health inspections are now reported) or in J & C on-line data.
(Compare the City of Springfield, IL http://www.springfield.il.us/CITY_GOV/ComServ/TopTen.htm)

Inspired in part by Sarah Mustillo’s rejection by the school board, and following the model of New Chauncey Housing’s evolution from within the New Chauncey Neighborhood Association, CHAUNC PAC hopes to take advantage of the political interest generated in a presidential election year and channel some of that energy, come November 5th., into local politics. CHAUNC PAC will address issues vital to our multi-generational, multi-class, near campus New Chauncey Neighborhood and support those candidates who demonstrate an interest in those issues whether on school board, in local government, or at the state legislature.

This neighborhood is remarkable! What a fascinating experiment!

For further information contact: Danny Weiss (323 Lawn - 743-6487 - doremi47906@yahoo.com.)

Boiler Green Initiative/EPICS

2008-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Metered trash has an EPICS group !

Faculty Advisors
Amelie Davis - Daniel Schuster

Team TA
Shailaja Pandit

Members
Heather Carhart, Caroline Early, Yitian Hu, Bhakti Khandagale,
Matthew Leon, Kenneth Little, William Naville, Udit Pandey,
Rachel Roberts, Nicole Samuelson, Cassandra Sands, Allyssa Stoll

Project Partner Contact
Peter Bunder

We’ll see what they come up with !!!!!!

Violation Tickets

2008-09-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

With the passing of Ordinance #26-08 at the September 8, 2008 West Lafayette City Council Meeting, a variety of nuisance violations can now be addressed by an escalating series of tickets (First offense - $50.00. Second offense - $100.00. Third and subsequent offenses - $250.00.) to be issued through an expanded Ordinance Violations Bureau.

Once part of the proposed Good Neighbor Ordinance (2007), this expansion of the Violations Bureau was one of four items suggested by community members at a June 29th meeting with Development Director Chandler Poole. Also included were the definition of a Disorderly House, Habitual Offender Status for non-compliant landlords, and Publication of Apartment Inspection Records, just as Health Code Violations in restaurants now find their way into the paper. To those I would add a favorite of mine: an increase in the fee (Sec. 117.07. Rental certificate fees and terms.) to be charged for the conversion of a single family home into a rental property.

Our next challenge? To see who can, who will, and when will they write these tickets. The Mayor’s Office will launch a public relations campaign regarding the ordinance revision in the near future.

What’s Wrong With Sarah Mustillo?

2008-08-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

The West Lafayette Community School Corporation thinks there is something wrong with Dr. Sarah Mustillo.

I wonder what it could be?

Is it her six years at Duke?

Could it be her work on a Roman Catholic School Board in North Carolina?

Her research on parenting, family structure and the mental health of children and adolescents?

Her work on childhood obesity and depression?

The Mustillo’s two children; are they the problem?

Once she would have been an ideal candidate for the West Lafayette School Board. No longer.

It can’t be personal appearance or interview skills. She never even made the interview list for the two current school board openings. Just a perfunctory “ding” letter. Who made that decision?

Maybe it’s because she lives in our neighborhood. Or perhaps some random phobia about sociologists?

The school corporation is taking itself deeper into its cul de sac.

It’s a pity.

A Violations Bureau & Code Enforcement

2008-08-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Eric Burns, the West Lafayette City Attorney, recently moved to amend West Lafayette City Code to expand the City’s “Violation’s Bureau”. This would allow the City to write tickets to landlords for nuisance violations. Perhaps first a door hanger “warning”; then a ticket - $50.00 for the first offense. Details would be worked out with the City Development office. The ticket could be appealed in City Court.

In principal I applaud the notion of speeding enforcement of city code violations. It would be nice if the offense pictured above (the Grant/Vine alley behind 331 Oak) could be dealt with quickly.

However the scope of the change is worrisome. I care very little if the fine for bungee jumping (81.01) moves from $2500.00 to $50.00. I have some interest in the reduction of the fine for failing to secure a peddler’s license (83.14). There the $2500.00 fine for failing to secure a license might be reduced to $50.00

I do care very much though if the fine for submitting an incorrect rental affidavit (117.20) changes from $1000.00 to $50.00. I care very much if the fine for submitting false or materially incomplete information on an application falls from $500.00 to $50.00.

If the current administration had an established track record in code enforcement, I would be less nervous. The Liu, Weida, and Bowden over-occupancy appeals are still pending six months and $20,000 later. No new cases have been filed to my knowledge, though the second semester (January – May) is the more likely time to discover over-occupancy violations. Anecdotally, the extensive fines scheduled to be imposed following a previous court settlement, were this particular landlord to be caught again in violation of the over-occupancy statutes, became the sole reason he recently declined to lease to a fourth student.

At the last City Council meeting I asked for a list of which fines would be moved into the expanded Violations Bureau. If the violations in 117.20 continue to be pursued by the city attorney apart from the violations bureau, I would support this legislation. If not, I would encourage my Democratic colleagues to vote against the measure in order to retain these hard won over-occupancy penalties and to help save our neighborhood.

Trash Tax Increased Stalled

2008-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that, for the time being, their will be no Republican attempt to raise the city's trash tax. Many thanks to all of you who have written to oppose the trash tax increase and to support a metered trash or "pay as you throw" system. "Your welcome" to everyone who asked for a "Trash Rate Reduction" Form.