Monday, April 8, 2013
Fifty-nine percent of property owners remained on petition to dissolve the downtown Waukesha taxing district after two months.
The Waukesha Business Improvement District will officially disband after more than 59 percent of the property owners in downtown Waukesha want the special taxing district gone – despite attempts to save the BID. The petition to dissolve the BID was presented two months ago. Despite public hearings, attempts to change the operating plan and a major property owner withdrawing from the petition, owners representing $31.6 million remained on the petition, according to Community Development Director Steve Crandell. One hundred properties were on the petition – a total of 154 properties are in the district. The total value of the district is $52.9 million. “The appropriate staff will meet to develop a timeframe for the required audit of the BID…
Thursday, April 4, 2013
There are still enough property owners on the petition to dissolve the Waukesha Business Improvement District – unless more remove their name by Friday's deadline.
Property owners who signed a petition to dissolve the Waukesha Business Improvement District have until Friday to remove their names from the petition or the process moves forward. As of Thursday morning, officials with The Clarke Hotel removed the hotel property from the petition, according to Steve Crandell, community development director. But that isn’t enough to stop the process. Without The Clarke Hotel on the petition, 58.7 percent of property owners remain on the petition to disband the BID. The petition was filed Feb. 5 after controversies and resignations plagued the board. The majority of the property owners in the downtown area signaled that they no longer wanted to be part of the special taxing district. The BID has been in a …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Property owners in downtown Waukesha have mixed views on the Waukesha Business Improvement District's operations and special taxes.
Property owners in downtown have mixed feelings about paying taxes to the Business Improvement District – and that contention could lead to the BID’s demise. Some property owners feel the BID, which was established in 1987, is a necessary part to the operations of downtown Waukesha. Others are concerned about recent changes to the operating plan that would focus more on events. But some just don’t want the expense of additional taxes. More than 60 percent of property owners downtown are asking for the BID to be dissolved after contentious relationships downtown ended with the BID executive director resigning in July, citing a hostile working environment for her departure. The petition is under review and if property owners do not change …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Waukesha aldermen take action that they hope will save the Waukesha Business Improvement District.
The day before a major public hearing that will help determine the fate of the Business Improvement District, Waukesha aldermen rescinded the BID’s operating plan’s special tax assessment. More than 60 percent of the property owners within the district want to disband the 25-year-old organization that provides services like marketing, recruitment and retention and events in the downtown area via a special tax assessment. Differing opinions often clash downtown and the BID’s been in a state of controversy for years. The controversy increased in 2012 when then-Executive Director Meghan Sprager resigned, citing a hostile working environment. “Should I stay out of it and let the BID die without compromise?” Alderman Roger Patton asked. “That …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Downtown Waukesha property owners petition for the BID to disband after months of troubles.
The future of the Waukesha Business Improvement District is extremely uncertain as a petition from property owners equaling 62.5 percent of the assessed property value in the BID are seeking to disband the taxing entity. The BID has been in a state of upheaval for months – although some say problems have been occurring for years. After the former executive director resigned from her position citing bullying and a harassing work environment as the reason for her departure, the majority of the BID board resigned from their positions. After months of battling, the Common Council and the mayor finally came an agreement to appointment enough members and restore the board. The BID’s existed since 1986. The Waukesha mayor appoints members to the …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The Business Improvement District's Board of Directors could drastically shrink and the BID may no longer plan downtown events – leaving the event organization to the local business owners.
The Waukesha Business Improvement District could see some drastic changes over the next few months as a revised operating plan being proposed could make a significant difference in the BID’s operations — including the operations and planning of events in downtown Waukesha. The BID Board will meet for the first time in months at 4 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. After the former executive director resigned from her position citing bullying and a harassing work environment as the reason for her departure, the majority of the BID board resigned from their positions. After months of battling, the Common Council and the mayor finally came an agreement on appointment enough members to to restore the board. And as the board begins to meet, its first …
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Alderman Duane Paulson tells Mayor Jeff Scrima "don't let the fruit rot" as the Waukesha Common Council approves his latest appointment to downtown business district's taxing board.
The Waukesha Business Improvement finally has enough members on its Board of Directors that it can start operations. The BID has undergone a major upheaval after the majority of its 13-member board resigned following accusations of hostile working conditions from its resigning executive director. Mayor Jeff Scrima and the Waukesha Common Council have been battling for months over his appointments to the board. The board could not meet without a quorum of at least seven members. The council appointed the seventh member during its meeting Tuesday night. Sandy Cianciolo, owner of Mia’s in downtown Waukesha, was appointed on a 7-6 vote. Voting for the appointment were: Voting against the appointment were: Absent at the time of the vote: For …
Friday, November 16, 2012
But the Waukesha Business Improvement District taxes might not be on December's tax bill because there is still not a board.
City taxes could increase 0.2 percent if the Common Council approves the amended budget during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 201 Delafield St. While it still doesn’t meet the goal of some city leaders of having a zero percent tax increase, it’s still less than the originally proposed tax increase of 2.32 percent. Residents will be able to weigh in on the spending plan during a public hearing during the Tuesday council meeting. But the proposed budget may not include taxes for the Business Improvement District. The downtown properties are assessed the extra taxes to fund the BID’s operations. But with the BID being in upheaval and unable to operate since its board of directors quit earlier this year, City Administrator Ed …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Waukesha Common Council members want an alderman to serve on Business Improvement District board, but Mayor Jeff Scrima's newest list of appointments excludes any aldermen.
Mayor Jeff Scrima’s recommending five new appointments to the Waukesha Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors, which if approved, would allow the board to begin to operate. But the appointments going forward to the Waukesha Common Council at 7:30 p.m. Thursday ignore a key request the aldermen made the last time around: to appoint an alderman to the board. He’s also recommending for appointment to the board People’s Park owner Jim Taylor and Allo Chocolat owner Roger Igielski, who both resigned earlier this year during tumultuous times in the BID. Council members had reservations at an Oct. 16 meeting about re-appointing the two business owners. Also on the appointment list are Bill Huelsman, Phil Lee and Kevin Larson. "Under …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Waukesha Business Improvement District Board of Directors grows to five members after mass resignations, but it's still not enough for the board to conduct business.
The Waukesha Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors still does not have enough members to conduct meetings after some Waukesha aldermen were unhappy with Mayor Jeff Scrima’s appointments to the board. Ron Lostetter, vice president of finance at Carroll University; Nick Martinez, a downtown attorney and resident; and City Administrator Ed Henschel were appointed to the board Tuesday night by the Common Council. The board now has five working members but it needs seven board members present to meet and approve any BID-related business. Bill Huelsman and Natalie Walters were the only two remaining board members after the majority of the board resigned following outgoing Executive Director Meghan Sprager's accusations of bullying, …
Mr Lundt
9:13 pm on Monday, April 15, 2013
2waukesha Wow- that type of abdication is scary. Obama appreciates it. more ›