Here’s what we were reading while wondering just what the heck that was flying overhead [1]:
Services
By many accounts, the Madison Police Department’s neighborhood resource officer program has been a success, but it is imperiled at a time when MPD wants to expand it [2]. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi wants to remake the oversight structure at the 911 call center [3]. The current call center board opposes these efforts [4]. Chris Rickert says there’s plenty of blame to go around [5] in the collapse of funding for a new homeless center, which will become a crisis as the temperatures drop.
City Life
Brenda Konkel starts her break down of the city budget proposal [6]. The State Journal Editorial Board thinks the city is doing well despite limits on the budget imposed by the state [7]. The city's historic landmarks ordinance will be rewritten, with the Common Council scheduled to vote on the proposed ordinance later this month [8]. Rhythm and Booms is in trouble [9], as efforts to raise money to support the event have been unsuccessful. The Capital Times profiled founders of the Builder Boys program [10], which offers a range of activities for elementary-school aged boys. New food carts are planned to debut in the city in 2015, and include a coffee cart, two new Mexican food carts, and an organic popsicles [11] cart.
Environment
Hooray, winter in Madison will be slightly-less-awful [12] this year. The Cap Times reports that about 800 people have signed a petition opposing recent changes to the Wisconsin Environmental Protection Act [13]--changes that have altered the process for investigating environmental impacts.
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Links:
[1] http://host.madison.com/news/local/used-responsibly-drones-offer-earthbound-fliers-a-vicarious-thrill/article_4ff2700a-c298-537c-904b-52b170651606.html
[2] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/police-want-to-nip-neighborhood-problems-in-bud-with-new/article_98e9eeb9-6607-56ed-a2ee-2223070afb63.html
[3] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/joe-parisi-seeks-to-take-powers-from-dane-county-board/article_b979902c-de7d-5a56-90cd-4a169fed3964.html
[4] http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/bryna-godar/dane-county-center-board-opposes-joe-parisi-s-proposed-change/article_b80eb23a-f07e-5f87-97fb-e3cc51251953.html
[5] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/columnists/chris-rickert/chris-rickert-town-is-latest-scapegoat-for-long-delayed-homeless/article_7f4bd008-2229-5b4a-a720-b3c68ff57fa2.html
[6] http://www.forwardlookout.com/2014/10/city-of-madison-operating-budget-overview/22056
[7] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/madison-budget-doing-fine-despite-cap/article_91cb127a-f928-58a4-86e0-efcc8732e526.html
[8] http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=43792&sid=fe645df38ee3f25d2c842eb724dd4faf
[9] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/rhythm-and-booms-could-soon-be-bust-officials-say/article_fa4dc5c5-deef-580e-ac3d-b13bae078b42.html
[10] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/todd-milewski/builder-boys-hopes-to-give-kids-a-chance-to-get/article_5bf9ad18-4fc8-11e4-a3da-c370a49641bc.html
[11] http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=43783&sid=fe645df38ee3f25d2c842eb724dd4faf
[12] http://t.co/WcSOYscfKx
[13] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/jessica_vanegeren/changes-to-wisconsin-environmental-law-have-reduced-chances-for-public/article_bad7b9fa-53e3-11e4-90bf-b3c24cfd1f58.html