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University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, May 2, 2013
ASM student government elects 2013-’14 leadership By Paige Villiard the daily cardinal
savannah stauss/the daily cardinal
Madison Police Department Lt. Dave McCaw speaks to students and residents at a neighborhood meeting to clarify questions about the Mifflin Street Block Party.
City officials, MPD address lingering Mifflin concerns By Erik Thiel the daily cardinal
Mifflin area residents gathered for a neighborhood meeting Wednesday and heard a panel of city representatives from Madison’s Common Council, along with the fire and police departments, discuss concerns about the Mifflin Street Block Party. Tensions were higher than usual at the annual neighborhood meeting due to the Madison Police Department announcing it will more strictly enforcement ordinances at this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party, which takes place the first Saturday in May every year in the Mifflin neighborhood.
Police will implement a “zero tolerance policy” for a number of city ordinances which have existed for years, but aren’t usually enforced. Students and other community members voiced particular concerns about being arrested if caught stepping onto the street or sidewalk with alcohol. “If you put a foot on the sidewalk while holding alcohol, you will be arrested,” MPD Lt. Kelly Donahue said. She added amplified music and loitering in the street are also prohibited.
The next session of the Associated Students of Madison student government met Wednesday to elect its leadership positions, including the appointment of Rep. David Gardner as chairman. Gardner was elected by a vote of 21-10 over Rep. Sarah Neibart. Many council members said both nominees were hardworking and would be great leaders for Student Council and campus as a whole. Rep. Katie Cary said she originally had a negative view of ASM, but Gardner changed that through his dedication and thoughtfulness in his work as former press office director. “As a chair representing this body and the rest of campus, you really want someone who is going to involve ASM and make people want to come here and work and be the change for this campus,” Cary said.
However, some council members felt Neibart would be better for the position because of her professionalism. Neibart was nominated by Rep. Jamie Wheeler, who said she is set apart by her experience working with many different administrators and government leaders. “Her interactions as a professional demonstrate that she… can be an adult in a room with adults, be able to speak as a professional and to be taken seriously,” Wheeler said. “She commands great respect because you … know she is going to fight.” Neibart was also nominated for vice chair along with Rep. Mia Akers. The position was voted on three times, but resulted in three 15-15 ties. Student Council will vote on the appointment again next week. The council also elected Sean McNally as
council page 3
UW System administration plans to draft new cash reserves policy The University of Wisconsin System administration plans to develop a new policy to govern its cash reserves after the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently discovered the system held a $1 billion balance in June of last year, according to a system statement. According to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, a system policy pertaining to balances and reserves doesn’t currently exist, but administrators felt one was needed after many campus and state leaders expressed concern after the reserve balance was revealed.
“We need a policy that not only addresses what the appropriate level of balances should be but also how we communicate about them, how we monitor them and how we report,” Giroux said. However, Giroux said he does not believe there is a “simple fix” to the question of what level of reserves are appropriate. According to Giroux, the administrative staff is working on several drafts and their next step will be sharing the drafts with state legislators, financial experts and the UW System Board of Regents.
mifflin page 3
State legislators criticize economic development organization after audit finds misused funds The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation drew criticism from state officials Wednesday after a Legislative Audit Bureau audit of the organization found WEDC operated with a number of financial and organizational inefficiencies during the 2011-’12 fiscal year. The WEDC aims to help the state’s economy by supplying financial and technical services, among others, that support business growth in the state. However, the LAB audit found the organization is not fulfilling its mission and is in violation of state statues mandating the organization monitor its spending initiatives. Additionally, the audit found the WEDC lacked clear documentation on how it allocated its taxpayer funding and did not establish clear goals for 10 of its 30 programs it ran in the 2011-’12 fiscal year. State legislators from both sides of the aisle, including state Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, who co-chairs the state’s
Joint Audit Committee, criticized the WEDC for its lack of structure and poor working record. “This audit shows there is a significant disconnect between [legislators’] expectations of WEDC and the reality of [its] performance with regard to transparency and accountability,” Cowles said in a statement. “WEDC needs to take this audit seriously and correct these deficiencies immediately.” Reed Hall, CEO of WEDC, sent a letter to LAB defending the organization and saying WEDC had already started addressing the issues the audit outlined earlier this year. “When the magnitude of these challenges became apparent … WEDC leadership immediately and diligently began implementing process and organizational improvements,” Hall said in the letter. “Much of the focus has been on improving internal processes, financial accounting and management practices.” —Jack Casey
on campus
Just DoIT
Students line up Wednesday on East Campus Mall as representatives from DoIT handed out free drinks and food to celebrate the opening of its new tech store on the first floor of 333 East Campus Mall. + Photo by Jane Thompson
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”