SEWRPC weighs public comment periods for three committees
Public now not allowed to speak at all

June 4, 2007 -- The region's metropolitan planning agency is proposing to allow the public to speak at some committee meetings for the first time, although sharp restrictions would remain in place and most committees still would not accommodate public comment.

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission is proposing to include 15-minute public comment periods during its Planning and Research Committee meetings and during meetings of its Regional Land Use and Transportation Planning advisory committees.

The Planning and Research Committee oversees technical work performed by SEWRPC staff and consultants. The Land Use and Transportation Planning advisory committees recently wrapped up their work on year 2035 land use and transportation plans. The public was not allowed to speak during its meetings on those plans.

The next major updates to the land use and transportation plans are expected in 10 years or so. Previous versions of the plans were completed in 1966, 1978, 1994 and 1997, according to SEWRPC.

Under SEWRPC's proposed public input process, the public still would not be allowed to address other committees, such as the Regional Water Supply advisory committee, and would remain shut out of participating in full Commission meetings.

Members of the public also would not be allowed to address the commission's Intergovernmental and Public Relations Committee or its Executive Committee. The latter committee is allowed to "act for the Commission in all matters except the adoption of the budget and the adoption of regional plan elements," according to the commission's web site.

SEWRPC is accepting public comment on the public participation plan through Wednesday, June 6. The full plan and a comment form can be found here.

County Board puts brakes on SEWRPC transportation plan

May 21, 2007 -- The County Board last week refused to approve a regional transportation plan calling for major freeway expansion.

Instead, the Board voted, 13-6, to return the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission's report to committee.

Opposition to the plan was led by Supervisors Lynne DeBruin and John Weishan.

The $21 billion plan "does not contain any plans for how the improvements for how the improvements will be funded," DeBruin wrote in a memo to her colleagues before the vote. "Voting for the most expensive freeway expansion and improvement plan in our lifetime without knowing who, how and when these initiatives will be paid for is risky for county taxpayers, for all taxpayers."

DeBruin also noted the plan does not recommend implementation priorities.

"Given the plan's broad scope, long-term transportation impact, and high cost but uncertain funding, the lack of any prioritization is a disservice to public policy makers who will no doubt have to make choices between plan components," she wrote.

To read the full memo, click here.

Weishan, a freeway expansion opponent, is chair of a special committee established to review the county's relationship with SEWRPC. Weishan said the committee should be allowed to progress further in its work before the transportation plan is considered.

The six supervisors who opposed returning the matter to the Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee were Paul Cesarz, Lee Holloway, Michael May, Richard Nyklewicz, Roger Quindel and Joseph Rice.

SEWRPC approves transportation plan

June 26, 2006 -- The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a regional transportation plan with a $65 million annual funding shortfall through 2035.

The commission's approval came even though the analysis of the plan's impact on minority and low-income communities has not been completed.

The plan recommends doubling transit service, but also recommends spending 2/3 of available funds on building and maintaining additional roads and highways.

The plan also assumes gasoline will cost $2.30 per gallon through the year 2035.

The commission did agree to consider over the next few months how to emphasize the importance of adequate funding of public transportation.

If the transit part of the plan is not implemented, "we are creating a significant problem in this area," said Commissioner William R. Drew.

Racine County Supervisor Michael Miklasevich, a member of the commission, said enacting new taxes to support transit is "just not going to fly" in Racine County.

"Our people are just taxed to the point where there's almost a taxpayer revolution going to happen," he said.

The commission meeting was held at the Washington County Highway Commission building, which is inaccessible to Milwaukee residents who rely on public transit.

Some of the cost figures used by SEWRPC in the plan are highly dubious.

SEWRPC, for example, says the cost of adding lanes to 127 miles of regional freeway rose from $729 million to 750 million from 2000 to 2005, or less than 3%, Highway construction costs, however, rose 20% over that same time period, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. Such an increase would put the 2005 freeway expansion cost at $875 million, $125 million more than the SEWRPC estimate.

The commission also projected that rebuilding regional freeways without additional lanes would cost $5.4 billion, down from $5.5 billion in 2000. SEWRPC provided no explanation for the cost difference.

The agency thus far has not complied with a May 27 Open Records request for records detailing the cost calculations. The request was filed by Citizens Allied for Sane Highways.*

*Full disclosure: storyhill.net editor Gretchen Schuldt is CASH co-chai