County

MIDDLETON–Middleton Mayor Gurdip Brar said he would be running for a second term in the April 2020 Election. Brar has served one term as mayor and previously served on the Middleton City Council for nine years and was in the Conservancy Lands Committee for one and a half terms before becoming mayor in 2017.

“I’m not sure I was ready at the time,” Brar said of his first campaign for mayor, but now he has experience under his belt. He said that over the past two and a half years, he has built relationships with other community leaders and governments, which he feels would make him a more effective mayor in a second term.

Brar said he has started working on some projects that are ongoing, and one of the reason he seeks a second term is to continue that work.

MIDDLETON–Nearly 40 Middleton firefighters learned Monday how to respond to an emergency involving an airplane equipped with a rocket-powered parachute.

Cirrus Aircraft builds all its planes around its Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) which the pilot can deploy in the event of engine failure to prevent a crash.

CAPS uses a small solid fuel rocket to pull a large parachute from the rear of the plane which allows it to float to the ground, landing with the impact of a 13-foot fall, said Matt Hofeldt, Capital Flight co-owner, which hosted the training session.

While there are at least two Cirrus airplanes based at Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field, many more are in the sky as Duluth, Minnesota-based Cirrus has sold more than 7,000 of its SR series single-engine aircraft. Also, CAPS can be retrofitted to planes made by other companies. 

MADISON–A September Marquette Law School Poll on gun laws in Wisconsin showed that just over 80 percent of citizens contacted want gun safety laws put in place (see graphic). In October, Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order for a special session to be held on Nov. 7 addressing two gun related bills presented by Melissa Sargent (D-Madison). 

The first bill was to enact a “red-flag” law. These laws, allow law enforcement officers or family members to petition a judge to temporarily revoke someone’s right to buy, own or carry weapons if they are a threat to themselves or others.

The second bill would have ensured universal background checks when purchasing a firearm. The background checks would include private sales at gun shows as well as Internet sales. There was an exclusion for firearms sold among family members.

MIDDLETON–Two dozen people picketed outside the Middleton City Hall Nov. 5 before the city council meeting to oppose a change to airspace classification the council was set to vote on, and oppose any airport expansion. The council tabled the airspace classification until an ongoing master plan is completed

Steve Ziegler who owns property adjacent to the airport said he was at the airport commission meeting where the change in airspace regulations was proposes and found it troubling.

“What really concerns me is that in 20 years there is this airspace definition that needs to be quickly adjusted one week notice to a commission, brought to the chamber here with one month in the middle of a master plan study, $250,000, two-and-a-half-year study and all of the sudden we are redesigning airspace because of a petition that was brought forth to a commission with less than one week to study it, that was very confused by it,” Zeigler said. 

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Plan Commission approved the conceptual plan and set a public hearing for rezoning for a proposed four-story, 37 unit apartment building at the site of the now closed Sonic fast food restaurant 6413 University Ave. 

The project is being proposed The Commonwealth Companies. Kevin McDonell from Commonwealth said they are the seventh largest affordable housing developer nationwide.

McDonell explained the company in vertically integrated with in house architects, construction and property management.

McDonell said Commonwealth developments are mostly in Wisconsin but they have properties in 14 other states as well with 5,850 units altogether in nearly 100 properties.

The University Avenue proposal would consist of 37 units at market rate and affordable apartments in a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Thirty-one of the units would be affordable while the remaining would be market rate. 

DANE COUNTY–The Dane County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting to take public testimony on the proposed 2020 Dane County budget on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in room 201 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Madison. The public is invited to testify for or against items in the County Executive’s proposed budget. Testimony is also welcome on any amendments to that proposal. 

The proposed 2020 Dane County budget authorizes a total of $653.7 million for combined operating and capital expenditures, financed by $385.8 million in outside revenues, existing resources and borrowing; $68.2 million in sales tax; and $191.9 million in county tax levy funds.  The proposed budget results in an increase in property taxes of $21.85 on the average Madison home (valued at approximately $300,967). 

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council approved a resolution Oct. 1 imploring state and federal governments to take emergency action to address gun violence. The resolution was sent to all of Middleton’s respective legislators along with a letter from police chief Chuck Foulke, which calls for change which could have prevented the attempted mass shooting at WTS Paradigm in Middleton a little over a year ago. 

The resolution adopted by the council calls for legislation creating a red flag law or “extreme risk protective order,” universal background checks, a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines and reinstitution of a 48 hour waiting period to purchase firearms.

The resolution points to Gov. Tony Evers’ challenge to the legislature to take up such proposals. 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Town board supervisors last week approved construction of a storm water retention pond, contingent on reaching an agreement with Stonebrook Estate residents unhappy about its location.

By a 3-2 vote, with Supervisors Denise Schmidt and Brent Renteria dissenting, the board awarded a $375,591 bid to MJ Excavating, of Johnson Creek. The bid not only came in well under the town engineers’ pre-bid cost estimate of $543,239 but construction can begin either this fall or next spring.

The Stonebrook residents have opposed the planned storm water retention pond to be dug in an out lot of the 66 residential lot subdivision. They have contended that the town’s easement on the out lot doesn’t permit a storm water pond there. They also say they weren’t consulted about the project until well after planning began and they aren’t protected against accidents occurring on their property.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Plan Commission reviewed the concept for a senior living building located between the belt line and Parmenter St. north of County Highway M. The proposal is a three story building with 99 units, of which 30 are independent living units, 48 assisted living units, and 21 in the basement-level are memory care units.

The proposal was introduced by Tom Peintka, co-owner of the real estate developer for the project’s TUKKA Properties. President of MIG Commercial Real Estate, the landowner, Bradley Hutter also shared information on how the project would change the overall plan for development along Tribeca Dr. 

He explained that the TUKKA project is first in a series of development projects coming to Tribeca which will eventually redevelop the entirety of the site, beginning next spring. 

MIDDLETON–Make your voice count!  Voting is your chance to weigh in on issues that matter to you, but to do that you need to be properly registered.

Sept. 24 is National Voter Registration Day.  Since 2012 this national holiday has sponsored activities throughout the country to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to vote. Last year over 800,000 voters throughout all 50 states used National Voter Registration Day to register to vote.