Public Policy Forum announces "Salute to Local Government" award winners

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Jerry Slaske

Communications Director

Public Policy Forum

414-276-8240

jslas= ke@publicpolicyforum.org

Public Policy Forum announces=

“Salute to Local Government&= #8221; award winners

New categories broaden scope of awards

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – May 27, 2005 – Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research organization focusing on regional issues, has announced its winner= s of the 2005 Salute to Local Government awards.

“Cooperation with and= among local governments is critical to the economy and quality of life of our region. So our awards this ye= ar emphasize cooperative efforts,” says Jeffrey C. Browne, Forum preside= nt. “This year’s ‘Salute’ will further the move toward greater regional collaboration that we are starting to experience here.”

The awards will be presente= d at the Public Policy Forum’s “Salute to Local Government” breakf= ast on Thursday, June 23, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the = Italian Community C= enter, 631 East Chicago Street, in Milwaukee Historic Third Ward.

The winners are as follows:=

“Excellence in individual teamwork”

New Berlin Police Department

Lieutenants Michael Glider= and Philip Kiedrowski wrote and produced a program called “Mission Possible” for the community’s local access channel to educate New = Berlin residents about the police department and&= nbsp; issues relating to curfew, underage drinking/smoking, and the gradua= ted driver’s license program. There have been programs about the Citizen’s Academy, D.A.R.E., the department’s K9 unit, 9-1-1 capabilities, etc. One episode, CIS-New Berlin, featu= red a detective talking about the techniques used at crime scenes or during inves= tigations to locate fingerprints or DNA samples.

“Intra-governmental cooperation”

Milwaukee Municipal Court

The “Driver’s License Workforce Development Program”<= /b> gives persons who have failed to pay Milwaukee Municipal Court fines a 120-= day extension to pay them before their driving privileges are suspended. The program, created because often= times employment is dependent upon someone having a valid driver’s license,= is a collaboration by the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Municipal Court, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and a number of community-based organizations like Making Connections Milwaukee, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee Urban League.

“Inter-governmental cooperation”

Milwaukee county and city

About a year ago, the coun= ty and city of Milwaukee<= /st1:City> began collaborating on a joint on-line Web presence to make information on local government services easier to find.&= nbsp; In April of this year, R= 20;Milwaukee’s= Joint Web Portal” went live. The effort involves a shared content management system that uses “smart search” technology similar to Google. For instance, a person doesn’= ;t have to know who collects garbage or issues birth certificates when they br= owse the portal. They simply have = to type in the key word and the portal links to the correct location.

“Regional cooperation”

Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc.

In 1999, Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc. was created as a public-private partnership to guide develop= ment of the formerly heavily industrialized Menomonee Valley. After several years of focusing on overcoming barriers, such as poor infrastructure, environmental issues, and= the need for financial incentives, Men= omonee Valley Revitalization has embarked upon high-quality redevelopment that could eventually result in more than 4,000 new jobs and $4 million in new property taxes for Milwaukee. Governor Jim Doyle highlighted reb= irth of the two-square-mile valley as a key factor of his “Grow Wisconsin”= agenda to boost the state’s economy.

“Private-public cooperation”

City of West Allis and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.

The Microenterprise Program partnership has assisted in the startup= of small businesses and expansion of existing local businesses since 2000. From automotive services to massage therapy, 17 businesses have obtained assistance, including educational workshops and financial support, under the program. To date, the city of West Allis has loaned $284,529 to microenterprises. The loan portfolio has had a 94% success rate and more than 21 jobs have been create= d. The average loan size is $16,700 a= nd the program consistently has met the annual goal of guiding 3-4 businesses thro= ugh the loan application process.

“Private-public cooperation”

City of West Allis and Whitnall Summit Company

The partnership has transf= ormed the historic site of the former Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing complex. The $52 million Tax Increment Financing for Redevelopment project involves the development and conversion of more than 650,000 sq. ft. of vacant and bligh= ted industrial warehouse space into modern loft offices called Summit Place Off= ice Complex. In 2002, the city of= West Allis offered Whitnall Summit a $300,000 Wisconsin Department of Commerce brownfield gran= t to initiate development of the site. The city also adopted a $4.25 million tax increment financing distri= ct to provide additional incentives for preservation and redevelopment.

“Quality of life”

Milwaukee County Office for Persons with Disabilities<= o:p>

The Wil-O-Way Recreation Program is operated by the Milwaukee County’s Office for Persons with Disabilities, with services planned and provided by= the not-for-profit Easter Seals Kindcare Southeastern Wisconsin. The program offers accessible and affordable recreation to county residents with disabilities. From computer lab to camping basic= s to golf lessons to social clubs to sailing, more than 75 programs will be offe= red this summer for residents of all ages and varying abilities.

“Norman N. Gill Award”

Gordon Kacala

Executive Director

Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC)

RCEDC is a public-private partnership formed in 1983 to address economic development issues in Racine County. Prior to joining the RCEDC, Kacala worked for the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission from 1980 to 1990, fostering regional economic development. Browne calls Kacala “the shi= ning example in southeastern Wisco= nsin of regional collaboration in the public sector at economic development.”

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“Lifetime Achievement Award”

Michael R. Miller

Former mayor of West Bend

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During his 18 years as may= or of West Bend, Miller, according to Ed Huck, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance of Citie= s in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ar= ticle, combined unbridled optimism and a vision for the city with “an incred= ibly thick skin.” Huck also = said, Miller took criticism into consideration, “but not to heart.” Miller’s tenure is the longe= st among the 25 mayors in office in Milwaukee= , Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties.

Milwaukee-based Public Poli= cy Forum – which was established in 1913 as a local government watchdog –= ; is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiven= ess of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of regional public policy issues.

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