Lodged among the booming centers of Middleton, Hilldale, University Research Park, and West Towne, District 19 is another west-side set of neighborhoods slowly transforming itself from early suburbia to city-proper.
Represented for only two years by the retiring alder Noel Radomski, the district's seat on the council is being contested by two high-profile candidates: Curt Brink and Mark Clear.
A life-long resident of Madison, Mark Clear has spent the last eight years living in the district. He is 43 years old, and is the co-founder and CEO of the internet software company IMS, whose clients include the UW School of Music, WARF, the Henry Vilas Zoo, and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's reelection campaign.
Clear is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Small Business Advisory Council, the city's Economic Development Commission, the IT trade group Accelerate Madison and Downtown Madison Inc. Clear has been endorsed by Radomski.
Curt Brink, 55, has lived in town for 37 years, the last ten in the district. He is a well-known Madison developer, responsible for the entertainment complex on the 700 block of East Washington (home to the High Noon Saloon, the Brass Ring, and the Lounge bearing his name), and his proposal for a massive residential and retail tower just down the avenue.
Brink is a member of six city committees and subcommittees, including the Inclusionary Zoning Oversight committee, vice-chair of the Tenant and Landlord subcommittee, chair of the Affordable Housing subcommittee. He is also a board member of DMI and president of the Madison Club.
The Daily Page conducted an email Q&A with each candidate. Their responses follow.
Curt Brink
The Daily Page: Please identify what you consider to be the most important issue in your district and what you are going to do about it.
Public safety is the number-one issue I hear about when I am out doing doors and talking to residents. They are concerned that if something happens downtown, we are left vulnerable and unprotected in our neighborhoods. We need to make sure that police staffing are at the authorized levels. I would work with the mayor and the council to prioritize keeping our neighborhoods safe.
What's one thing the city can do to address criticisms of its business climate?
One thing we need to do is change the perception that this is a bad place for business. The Economic Development Director should answer directly and only to the mayor, so the business community has a direct link to working on their issues with the administration.
Two wheels, four wheels and rails. Where should the city go?
We need to explore all of the above and make the best decision based for our future. Make Madison metro more user friendly -- more express routes and shorter wait times, for example. It will take more exploration and discussion, but we're moving in that direction with the impending studies.
What one thing can the city do that it's not currently doing to increase the availability of affordable housing?
Coordinate efforts with groups like Operation Fresh Start, Common Wealth Development and Habitat for Humanity. I chair the Affordable Housing subcommittee and am a member of the Inclusionary Zoning Oversight committee. We need to identify more programs for the lower end of the AMI brackets. Almost all inclusionary zoning units purchased were done so through nonprofits that further subsidized units. We need to find real programs for first-time home-buyers.
List three things you think the city should spend less money on, and three things on which it should spend more.
Less? Halloween, bus shelters, and limited-term employees. More? Police, fire, and economic development.
Do you foresee a situation where you might vote contrary to the express wishes of your constituents?
Not that I can foresee.
Name the thing you like least about Madison
Seeing increasing poverty and crime, without the economic development agenda in place to provide the necessary jobs to combat them.
Who is your favorite ex-mayor?
Soglin
Do you think rates for parking tickets are too high or too low?
Too high, particularly considering that the money goes into the general fund and not into finding transportation and parking solutions.
How often do you take Metro?
A few times a year
Wisconsin State Journal or The Capital Times?
Both
Madison Mallards or Mad Rollin' Dolls?
Mallards
Would you rather spend Halloween with the crowds or cops?
Crowds
Name the most botched public issue in town.
Water quality
Mark Clear
The Daily Page: Please identify what you consider to be the most important issue in your district and what you are going to do about it.
My neighbors tell me that they want to be safe, reduce traffic and maintain high levels of city services. But future infill development in and around our district will affect our quality of life for many years to come. Because this issue is so important I plan to be a full participant in the planning process, balancing the interests of developers and neighbors, to preserve our great neighborhoods while helping the city to grow wisely.
What's one thing the city can do to address criticisms of its business climate?
We're doing it with the reorganization of the Planning & Development Department into the Department of Planning and Community & Economic Development. I have high hopes that this will help city government become more customer-focused, responsive and efficient and give a high priority to both economic development and community development activities.
Two wheels, four wheels and rails. Where should the city go?
All of the above! We need to find the most efficient, affordable and sustainable ways to move people around as our city and region grow. At the same time, we also need to think about ways to reduce the need for transportation by creating micro-communities where people can live, work, shop and play within their own neighborhoods. If we don't start reducing our dependence on cars, our quality of life is at risk.
What one thing can the city do that it's not currently doing to increase the availability of affordable housing?
Boost the affordable housing trust fund so that we have a permanent endowment for these projects. But we also need to continue to build our economy to create great jobs that make more of the housing we have affordable for more families.
List three things you think the city should spend less money on, and three things on which it should spend more.
We should spend more on transportation options, so that we can spend less on road expansion.
We should spend more on fighting poverty, so we can spend less on fighting crime.
We should spend more on affordable housing, so that we can spend less on subsidized housing.
Do you foresee a situation where you might vote contrary to the express wishes of your constituents?
Yes, I'm certain this will happen for two reasons. First, obviously, there are few if any issues on which there is complete agreement, so someone is going to be unhappy. Second, the reason we have representative government is that sometimes the representative must consider a "greater good" or take a longer perspective. That's my definition of leadership.
Name the thing you like least about Madison.
Our increasing polarization -- Dems vs. PD, east side vs. west side, rich vs. poor, drivers vs. bicyclists, Sconnies vs. Coasties -- limits our ability to have thoughtful public discourse when winning becomes more important than "right" or "good."
Who is your favorite ex-mayor?
A tie between Otto Festge, who was first elected more than 40 years ago, and is still involved in the community, and Ivan Nestigen, who nearly got Monona Terrace built before Wright died and went on to serve in the Kennedy administration.
Do you think that rates for parking tickets are too high or too low?
About right
How often do you take Metro?
I take Metro two or three times a month during the winter when it's too nasty out to bike to work.
Wisconsin State Journal or The Capital Times?
TheDailyPage.com, the State Journal Capital Times in print and, for balance, The Onion.
Madison Mallards or Mad Rollin' Dolls?
How about a rugby match between the two?
Would you rather spend Halloween with the crowds or cops?
With the crowds... of kids who come to my door.
Name the most botched public issue in town.
The Water Utility failing to come clean on its quality issues immediately, because it compromised public confidence in the system.
