Enough

City Hall, Evansville WI, Monday, June 9th, 6pm — the June Common Council meeting — it was a difficult meeting.

The June meeting of Evansville’s Common Council was not a pleasant one. The evening included the forceful ejection of a resident. I can’t share the details — I will likely have to testify as a witness in this matter. It left a pall over the balance of the meeting.

Almeron Street activist/vigilante John Brandon has been attending Common Council meetings, along with some committee meetings, for about a year. His message has been consistently hostile and accusatory toward city officials, particularly the mayor. His allegations include dishonesty, illegal acts, and corruption.

Several weeks ago I visited Mr. Brandon at his home and over the course of 90 minutes we talked about his concerns. We agreed on some matters and not on others — but we had a pleasant and civil discussion. I pointed out that his hostile approach was not helpful and suggested he dial it back. He has not.

However, I am sympathetic to some of Mr. Brandon’s concerns — the substance of which revolve around the burden of special assessments on low income neighborhoods.

If you haven’t experienced one recently, the city uses special assessments to charge residents for half of the cost of new sidewalks, curb & gutter, and driveway aprons during street reconstruction. According to City Administrator Jason Sergeant, many Wisconsin cities assess the total cost of sidewalks to affected residents, where we assess only half of that cost.

I agree with Mr. Brandon with respect to the cost burden of replacing lead water pipes and new sidewalks during street reconstructions (and have written about it previously). In the matter, I have drafted a proposal whereby the city waives those costs for some lower income households. That proposal didn’t make it out of the Finance Committee in May, but I continue to work with my colleagues.

At the same time, the Municipal Services Committee is discussing changes to the ordinance that requires mandatory replacement of lead laterals. That also has yet to emerge from committee, but I expect it will in July.

I have shared the city’s efforts on these fronts with Mr. Brandon, but he seems to have dismissed my updates. His current focus has been that the City’s official meeting minutes have not adequately represented his complaints.

Mr. Brandon is also demanding that all residents shoulder the cost of sidewalks in his neighborhood. But that is inconsistent with prior street reconstructions. Residents on 1st, 2nd, Madison, and Liberty Streets have all had to pay for these improvements during recent projects. I have had two special assessments during my time on West Main Street.

His approach — hostility, name calling, and threats — is not helpful to those he purports to speak for. In the matters that the city can resolve, he will need the support of the City’s alderpersons. His continued scolding is not helping secure their votes.

I expect this matter will escalate and Mr. Brandon’s attacks on the city to intensify. I am worried how it will conclude. Some members of the council have expressed concerns for their safety. I am sure you will hear more about this — not only from me.

With respect to the June meeting, after the altercation, Librarian Bronna Lehmann was next up with her report. I don’t recall a thing she said — but I clearly remember the look on her face.

As for other business during the June meeting, I will follow up with a summary of the major decisions and may then dig deeper into one or two of the topics we discussed. I will be traveling throughout the second half of June and may not get as far on some of this as I would like.

Be well.