The Deer Cardinal offers up some gift ideas, survival tips for Valentine’s Day. DEER CARDINAL
University of Wisconsin-Madison
l
PAGE 2
WIN STREAKS TO COLLIDE AT KOHL CENTER After upsetting Michigan St., Wisconsin and Illinois face off for Big Ten momentum SPORTS
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
l
PAGE 8
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Student tenant center may not receive funding Website for student tenant discussion still in progress By Kelsey Gunderson The Daily Cardinal
Nelson Cho/the daily cardinal
Plan Commission Chair Nancy Fey listens to public comments regarding the proposed Edgewater redevelopment.
City committee considers controversial hotel plan By Ryan Kirsch The Daily Cardinal
The city’s Plan Commission held a public meeting Monday regarding the controversial Edgewater Hotel development proposal, with nearly all of the discussion centered on a zoning ordinance revision that would allow development close to the waterfront. Bob Dunn, president of Hammes Co. overseeing the project, led a five-part presentation addressing complaints about the project, including the plans for the proposed public space. His company reiterated that the “terrace proposed is of great public benefit” and of compa-
rable size to the Memorial Union Terrace. The comparison came in light of assertions from some public attendees that the area covers only 6,000 square feet. The developers then said they are still committed to allowing private individuals to host functions in the proposed area. The Plan Commission voted 5 to 4 in favor of changing a waterfront setback ordinance that would help the project move forward. Under the old ordinance the setback distance would be
A proposed student tenant resource center was removed from the Associated Students of Madison’s budget last week, and ASM members will vote to finalize that budget Wednesday. Brandon Williams, chair of the ASM Student Services Finance Committee, said the $50,000 tenant resource center was removed from ASM’s budget because it was presented with no clear details to support it. However, Williams said there is still a chance the center could be returned to the budget if a clear plan for it is presented at this week’s ASM Student Council meeting and two-thirds of the council members vote to approve the change. Brenda Konkel, executive director of the Madison Tenant Resource Center, said she feels it is crucial to provide students with an organization that helps them understand their rights as tenants. “This is a fundamental thing that the university should be providing for its students,” she said.
Konkel said that if such a service is funded, it could help resolve a lot of common disputes between landlords and students involving security deposits, repairs and subletting. “There are a lot of things we could do if we had the money to do it, but the university and the students just haven’t decided how they can fund something like that, or maybe if they even want to,” she said. Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, said although the proposed center may not receive funding from ASM, there are other ways to solve the issues relating to student tenants. He said education is the most important way to avoid some of these problems. “So many students are signing their first or second leases ever and don’t always know their rights or responsibilities,” he said. Williams said he does believe that some type of tenant resource center is something the student government should provide to students. “It’s obviously something that affects almost all students regardless of whether or not they live in
Just bust a move
edgewater page 3
the dorms currently, they probably will eventually end up renting somewhere,” he said. According to Williams, ASM currently has a website in the works that would provide a place for students to converse and rate certain landlords in the area.
“This is a fundamental thing that the university should be providing for its students.” Brenda Konkel executive director Madison Tenant Resource Center
However, he said ASM has faced some setbacks launching the website because of the difficulty of getting an outside company to place a bid on the website. Eagon said city officials are also working on ways to mediate between landlords and students in a more streamlined way. He said this would allow students to avoid the court system, which can be a lengthy process.
Lawmaker admits to exaggerating records complaints By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
Doyle, Midwest governors meet for Asian carp summit By Alison Dirr The Daily Cardinal
Gov. Jim Doyle met Monday with federal officials and governors from Illinois and Michigan to discuss strategies to limit the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. Doyle said President Barack O b a m a ’ s administration plans to work with states to prevent the invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan, which would allow their DOYLE movement into the other Great Lakes. “[The administration is] doing a great deal of testing and scientific work throughout the region and have committed significant resources in the $75-80 million range,” Doyle said in a news con-
ference call. Although the governors and federal officials found many common solutions, Doyle said the officials could not be persuaded to close navigational locks, which lead into Lake Michigan. However, he said, this option is still on the table. “What I have said and tried to convince the administration is that the long-term effects of allowing the carp are irreversible.” Jim Doyle governor Wisconsin
“While they did not agree to that today, they did indicate that they will expedite very rapidly a report on all the various options carp page 3
Eddy Cevilla/the daily cardinal
Students met at the Student Activity Center for freestyle funk sections Monday evening.
The main sponsor of a new court records bill admitted Friday that he exaggerated the number of direct complaints his office received regarding online public access to court records. State Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids, told The Associated Press he overstated the number of letters he received from people cleared of charges whose records remain SCHNEIDER accessible on the Wisconsin Consolidated Court Automation Programs website. A bill that would restrict online public access to CCAP passed out of a state Assembly committee last week. An inquiry made by the AP revealed that only 59 people sent letters and e-mail complaints since 2006. Last Tuesday, Schneider told The Daily Cardinal that “literally thousands of people are being hurt ccap page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”