The city with the highest unemployment rate in Wisconsin is having a hard time finding people to hire.
Terry Parker, Racine's human resource manager, asked the city's Finance Committee for an additional $14,900 to advertise for open positions in the city.
The extra money is needed to advertise for openings caused by an unprecedented number of retirements, including jobs that require a high degree of education.
Barker said the city has advertised for a director of community health programs for the past two weeks, but has only received one application. A city assessor's positions has been advertised for three weeks and only received four applications, Barker said.
The Finance Committee did not vote on the proposal, telling Barker to come back in the fall if he's not been able to cover the advertising expense.
After the meeting, Barker noted the disparity among job types. A position like a civil engineer receives few applicants, while clerical or public works positions receive over 100 people applicants per opening.
May 14, 2008
City having a hard time filling vacant positions
Apr 28, 2008
Big -- r-e-a-l-l-y big! -- change coming to Festival Hall
Big changes are coming to the Racine Civic Centre this summer. The city is investing almost $300,000 in Festival Hall, Memorial Hall and Festival Park to improve the facility and make it more attractive to event planners.
Some of the changes will barely be noticed by guests:
-- $75,000 spent to tuck-point Memorial Hall;
-- $65,000 to replace one of two rooftop air conditioning units on Festival Hall (the other one will be replaced next year);
--$17,500 for ice makers, freezers and walk-in coolers for both Festival Hall and Memorial Hall;
--$15,000 for a new lighting control board to replace one that was "just short of duct tape;"
--$3,000 for two portable bars
Inside view of the new Festival Hall structure
Outside, it will look like this ... with no rope outriggersCivic Centre executive director Jim Walczak expects to raise the new structure in June -- and it will stay up until Party on the Pavement in October. "It could stay up all year if heated," Walczak says, "but that's not going to happen with current heating costs." In past years the city spent $60,000-$75,000 replacing portions of the old tent, damaged by windstorms. The new structure, which cost $86,000, is guaranteed to withstand up to 80 mph winds. The frame and fabric each have 7-year guarantees, and "we'll gain another eight years on the fabric by taking it down each winter."
Most important to Walczak, "it will go up earlier in the spring and expand our offerings." Not to mention providing more room along the colonnade.
Jim Walczak and the shrubs he plans to turn to grass seatingAnd, by the time Festival Hall hosts its first big event of the season -- Kiwanis Pancake Day and the Artists Fair on May 3 -- Walczak hopes to have much of the interior of Festival Hall repainted.
But wait, there's more! Also in the planning stage are new seats for Memorial Hall. Walczak has assembled seven candidates in a storage room for the mayor and city officials to review. So far, nothing's been decided, although he'd like to replace the hall's 1,200 folding chairs -- 25 years old, with chipped and scuffed paint and needing constant repair -- with more comfortable stacking chairs, at a cost of $36,000 - $48,000.Walczak became executive director of the Civic Centre three years ago, when VenuWorks (then called Compass Facility Management) was hired to run Festival and Memorial Halls. On his first visit to Racine, he said "I looked out over the harbor and said this must be Lake Michigan's best kept secret. " His mission, then and now, has been to reduce the operating deficit by attracting more events. (The annual deficit of about $300,000 is about half what it was in 2002.) Many of this year's capital improvements are aimed at event promoters: ice makers, coolers and lighting control panels, for example, are things they often had to rent elsewhere, and worry about. Now they are part of the service. Without them, "it cost $10,000 to $15,000 more to produce some shows here," Walczak said, "and was more labor intensive."
Still, he is realistic about the difficulty of attracting, say, major musical performers, here. "We're in Chiwaukee," he says, and there are bigger halls in both communities -- more seats being more profitable for the performers. Even Waukegan, just 30 miles away, has a 4,800-seat hall, more than double the Civic Centre's capacity. And although he concedes the facilities here are "underused," part of the difficulty -- besides the current economy, which was blamed for the sudden cancellation in mid-February of this year's HarborFest -- is the lack of certain facilities, like dressing rooms and showers. (When the ECW was here recently, arrangements were made for the wrestlers to use the showers at the YMCA. Golden Gloves boxers just went home sweaty.)
So Walczak is beating the bushes for smaller events -- he'd love a comedy series, for example, or dinner theatre, and business events like the city's 50th anniversary party for its 20-year employees' club last week. "It's all about finding the right partner," he says.
BACKSTORY: Walczak has a long history in the business, having managed arenas -- like the Kellogg Arena and Convention Center in Battle Creek, MI, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton -- since graduating from UW-LaCrosse with a degree in Parks and Recreation Management. His office wall is crammed with pictures of him with performers like Bob Hope, Victor Borge, George Carlin, Jeff Foxworthy, the Cable Guy, Wilie Nelson. Frank Sinatra once "gve me an Italian slap on the face," he recalls.
He loves "the magic behind the scenes," he says, and "nurturing new producers through their first shows, teaching them the passion I have for this business."
But Walczak's most interesting story occurred before he began his present career... starting in high school, , where he as an all-county track star at Menomonee Falls North High School. At Mankato State he was recruited as a football team walk-on -- 4.6 in the 40 and a deadly placekicker -- by Coach John Coatta, former head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
He was a dedicated kicker. He'd go out and kick 75, 100, 125 kicks per session... alone except for his Golden Retriever, Brandy, who fetched his footballs. "He'd bite on the end of them, like a cigar."
After graduation he was invited to the Cleveland Browns' free agent camp under Coach Sam Rutigliano. Don't get Walczak talking about the experience unless you have an afternoon. He was one of 539 players invited to camp, including 70 kickers. "I had a great day. No matter what I did that day -- place kicking, field goal, everything -- I didn't miss a single kick."
It almost paid off. The Browns signed him to three one-year contracts ($24,000 the first year) and he was on the bench, suited up for the Browns' first two exhibition games of the season. "I didn't make a single kick; never made it onto the field." The Browns' already legendary kicker, Don Cockroft told him, "Kid, you're good enough to kick in the NFL." But Cockroft, who was renegotiating his contract at the time did come to terms (and went on to a career 1,080 points with the Browns, second only to Lou Groza's 1,349) and Walczak was cut before the season. Goodbye contracts. All he got out of it was $225 a week "and I never ate better in my life."
He went back to LaCrosse, did some coaching, worked at Sears and soon moved onto own career path running the arena rather than starring on the turf.
Nov 20, 2007
City budget: Back where we started; 4 positions restored
After four hours of deliberation last night, the Racine City Council, acting as a committee of the whole, approved amendments to the 2008 operating budget that will increase spending by $723,341. That pretty much restores all the funds cut when it appeared that tardy legislative shenanigans in Madison had capped the city's spending at a level lower than planned.
The budget that goes before the council tonight for approval will carry a total tax levey of $42,816,942, just $7,500 below the state-mandated limit.
The tax rate will be $10.76.
The budget restores four positions that had tentatively been cut: one police officer, two firefighters and a community center director.
Amendments to the capital improvement budget and five-year plan reduced 2008 borrowing by $240,000, to $7,660,000, almost exactly what Mayor Gary Becker originally submitted.
UPDATE, 11/20: The budget was approved Tuesday night, 10 - 4. Voting in favor: Anderson, Kaplan, Maack, Weidner, Shakoor II, Friedel, Helding, Wisneski,
Spangenberg and Hart. Voting against: Coe, DeHahn, Karas and Mozol.
Nov 19, 2007
Crime and the city:
Is 167th most dangerous good enough?
When it comes to crime, Racine's cup is either half-full or half-empty.
The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America," based on FBI statistics, was released Sunday; a look at the underside of 378 cities with at least 75,000 people.
Based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft, Racine ranked 167th. In other words, 166 U.S. cities are more dangerous -- or, if you want to look at it the other way, 212 U.S. cities are safer than Racine.
Each crime category was considered separately, and weighted based on its seriousness. In the chart above, a "score" of 0.0 would reflect an average crime rate at the national rate in the six crimes reviewed. A positive score reflects an average rate above the national rate. A negative score reflects an average rate below the national rate. (The study has its critics. Stories HERE) and HERE.
The bad news is that, outside of Milwaukee, we are the most dangerous city in Wisconsin. Detroit is the most dangerous city in the U.S.; Mission Viejo, CA, the safest.
The good news is that Racine's ranking improved in 2006 over 2005, when Racine was the 116th most dangerous city in America.
"But how can you feel good about it?" asked Kurt Wahlen, Racine's police chief since September 2006. "Do we have a ways to go? Yes."
Wahlen, pistol under his arm and handcuffs on his belt, said crime runs in cycles. As bad as 2006 was, crime then was lower than in 2001. So far, 2007 is better than 2006: homicides, aggravated assaults, thefts, motor vehicle thefts and arson are down from last year (sex assaults and robberies are up, however). "Overall, we're down 16.5% this year," Wahlen said.
But aggravated assaults are "huge" he says, 102 in 2005; 206 in 2006. This year, so far, they're down 10%, "but there's a spike nationwide." Why? "There are a myriad of factors involved," he says, pointing to Racine's high unemployment and low median income. "But mostly it's a change in culture. If someone is dissed, insulted, they respond with violence. Movies, games, our whole culture is violent. We act out the way we learn ... and then we're surprised by what happens."
The Police Department budget is due to be approved this week. Wahlen expects to end up with $27 million and 199 officers; that's down from 211 officers in 2002-03. "It's enough," he says. "The Police Department is only one part of the puzzle."
"The average citizen," he says, "doesn't have to feel unsafe, but he should be aware and prepared. Don't fumble with your car keys when loaded down with packages, for example. Don't make yourself a target.
"This isn't Mayberry," Wahlen concludes.
Nov 17, 2007
What is a library worth? No, really ...
"A good library is a palace where the lofty spirits of all nations and generations meet."— Samuel Niger (1883-1956)
"The medicine chest of the soul."—Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes.
"A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life."— Henry Ward Beecher
The amazing library of Trinity College, Dublin.
Well, duh! But what economic benefit do libraries provide Wisconsin residents? (Yes, it is a sad fact of the times in which we live that everything must have a dollars and cents price tag. Get over it.)
Soon, we may well know. NorthStar Economics, Inc., a Madison-based consulting firm, will conduct a study, funded through the federal Library Services and Technology Act, focusing on "the economic benefits that libraries bring to a global, knowledge-based economy. Public libraries increasingly have to compete with other municipal services for funding, and they need to be better able to articulate their contribution and economic impact in their respective communities."
"It is our hope to illuminate the important role of public libraries as significant economic drivers in the New Economy," said Dr. David J. Ward, NorthStar president.
Part of NorthStar's report will be a detailed look at the economic impact of three libraries: Madison, Milwaukee and Racine. Jessica MacPhail, director of the Racine Public Library, said she looks forward "to learning what our residents value about public libraries. Other states have done economic impact studies and have learned that libraries provide a good return on investment."
"Public libraries are a tremendous asset to their communities" said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. "We anticipate that this study will confirm and quantify the important contributions that public libraries make to lifelong learning and quality of life for Wisconsin residents."
NorthStar will announce its findings at the Wisconsin Public Library Association annual conference in May.
That is too late for this year's budget cycle. The Racine County budget recently increased funding for Racine's library by 1.5%, an amount which reduces the percentage of cost reimbursement from 91% to 87%.
Racine's city budget is to be finalized Monday; the city is expected to fund the library at the state mandated level, which is the average of the three previous years.
UPDATE, 11/19: The amount in the budget for 2008 library funding is $2,057,588, some $5,000 LESS than this year. (Did heating costs go down? Electricity? Wages?) Because the library budget was cut by $32,000 in 2005, the current number is indeed the three-year average, thus continuing the pain ad infinitum. There's got to be a better formula.
(More wonderful quotes about libraries can be found HERE.
Oct 19, 2007
Becker: Outsource and privatize MIS department
Racine Mayor Gary Becker's budget contains another surprise: he proposes to outsource the city's Management Information Systems department to Velocity Partners Inc. of Brookfield.
Oct 17, 2007
Shhh, here's a budget preview!
Mayor to introduce 2008 city budget on Oct. 22
Mayor Gary Becker will send his proposed 2008 budget to the City Council on Oct. 22. Likely issues in next year's spending plan include cuts to the police and fire departments, funding for the city's community centers and plans to hire a city grant writer at $90,000 per year.
Becker referenced the police and fire cuts during a recent meeting on programming at the city's Bryant and Tyler-Domer community centers.
The grant writer may be a budget-neutral position, because a grant writer can usually bring in more money than their salary to benefit the city.
A wild card in the budget is whether the state Legislature passes its budget. Without a finalized state spending plan, local governments like Racine don't know how much state aid to expect - a major source of revenue in the city budget.
