By Steve Erbach on Friday, October 03, 2008 6:03 AM

The proposed ordinance to regulate newspaper vending machines (NVM) in Neenah was passed last night on a 6-3 vote.  The separate ordinance establishing a permit fee for NVM's also passed on a 6-3 vote.  On the way to those votes, however, there were five motions to amend or delay adoption of one or the other of the ordinances.  There was also some assistance in our glorious cause from an unexpected quarter on the Council.  The whole debate lasted for over half an hour. Combined with the 18 minutes for presentations during the  Public Forum, the NVM ordinances took up 50 of the 90 minutes of the Council meeting.

There were three Public Forum presentations.  The first was made by the owner of The Scene magazine, Jim Moran of Neenah (http://scenenewspaper.com/home.html).  I'd never met the man, but he sat a few seats away from my wife and me.  He was accompanied by a ... Read More »

By Steve Erbach on Friday, October 03, 2008 5:59 AM

In a separate posting I'll give a report of what happened with the newspaper vending machine ordinance.  Here's the text of my speech:

I'd like to clear the air about things that were said at last week's Public Services and Safety Committee meeting.  Both Mayor Scherck and Council President Stevenson were absolutely right:

• That the people responsible for the newspaper vending machines in downtown Neenah have in large part fallen down on the job. They're not properly maintaining their boxes, especially in the winter.
• That the city has a responsibility to maintain the public right-of-way.
• That store owners are entitled to expect a clear path to their doors from that public right-of-way.
• And that the city has the right and the responsibility to step in -- even with a new ordinance -- when people don't pay attention to THEIR responsibilities.
... Read More »
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By Steve Erbach on Monday, September 29, 2008 6:45 PM

The story that started it all:

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Appleton Post-Crescent - August 5, 2008

Neenah seeks to regulate newspaper vending machines

Rule would add $25 permit, limit location and size

By Duke Behnke
Post-Crescent staff writer

NEENAH — City planners have introduced an ordinance to restrict the placement, style, size and color of newspaper vending machines along Neenah ... Read More »

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By Steve Erbach on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:39 AM

By Steve Erbach on Thursday, August 21, 2008 6:20 PM

http://www.swerbach.com/Speech/Neenah_Council_Speech_Ord1374_0820.wma

By Steve Erbach on Thursday, August 21, 2008 6:17 PM

This speech was delivered at the August 20th Neenah City Council meeting.  I had intended to speak at the Public Services and Safety Committee meeting on August 9th, but that meeting was canceled:

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In the rush to throw myself in front of the bus of the August 6th Council vote on Ordinance 1374, I didn't fact check adequately...meaning: I was wrong.  Two facts would have been apparent if, given time, I'd questioned the proper people:

1) The permit mentioned in Ordinance 1374 would NOT be subject to approval by the Council.  To acquire a permit for a newspaper vending machine the vendor would go through a process similar to acquiring a building permit.  That's according to Community Development Director Buckingham.

2) The manufacturer of newspaper vending machines mentioned in the ordinance is not intended to be the sole provider.  ... Read More »

By Steve Erbach on Sunday, August 17, 2008 7:26 PM

I went to the Neenah City Council web site to view the video of the August 6th Council meeting.  I'm there all right, all 13-1/2 minutes...but it's a puppet show, a pantomime.  The video engineer didn't have the public microphone patched into his board, and all the mikes on the Council members were noise-canceling.

Be that as it may, here's the audio of my presentation that evening caputred on an Olympus DS-30 right at the podium:

http://www.swerbach.com/speech/NeenahCouncil_6_Aug_2008.wma

Windows Media format.

 

By Steve Erbach on Wednesday, August 06, 2008 9:56 PM

My name is Steve Erbach and I live at 1017 Babcock St.

I'd like to begin by expressing thanks to the crews that repaved Cecil Street. There was very little disruption or re-routing - just a couple of days of driving over the ground-down pavement before it was re-surfaced. But when those guys were ready to pour the asphalt they did it in one day…and it's beautiful. Thank you.

The thing I'd really like to talk about though, is proposed city ordinance number 1374. I'm here to speak in opposition to it.

First, in the interests of FULL DISCLOSURE: My only association with newspapers is as a regular correspondent for the Appleton Post-Crescent. I am not paid for my submissions. I do not own any of the publications that place vending machines. I am not employed by any of them either. I don't even have subscriptions to any of them, though I think The Scene is a dandy alternative paper... ... Read More »

By Steve Erbach on Saturday, April 14, 2007 3:40 PM

There's nothing like experience.  I'm not sure if a political science degree would prepare someone for running for local office.  I suspect that it wouldn't.

Mistakes I made that I won't make again:

1. Doing it all by myself.  That isn't strictly true: my wife, Janet, designed spiffy yard signs for me, helped me assemble the newspaper ad, and helped me with the two mailings I did.  And, of course, there were my 8 campaign contributors, and the people that took a bunch of my yard signs to put up.  Those people include: Patricia Wirth, Geriann and Joe Heath, Vicky Head, and Dan Dringoli.  (Yes, that Dan Dringoli.)  But as far as creating and printing the hundreds of handouts, printing and addressing the personalized mailings, and doing the actual door-to-door work, I did that alone.  It was very satisfying but not nearly as satisfying as it could ha ... Read More »
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By Steve Erbach on Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:44 PM

This next email came directly after the Council meeting during which Capt. Long used the phrase, "Bring it on!" in reference to the potential additional investigation of the police department's management policies with respect to l'affaire Dringoli.

Capt. Long is right in his "bring it on" comment. What professional would say that to his/her governing body? His attitude was very professional before the council. Do you like my humor? Sounds like another politician who said the same thing. I could not disagree with him more. The police department needs an overhaul front the top down. Citizens are fearful of speaking in public just because of what you saw at the council meeting. I have seen and heard enough.

RW
Neenah, Wis.

I reacted fairly strongly to this email:

Dear Mr. _____,

No, I don't like your humor, mainly because you're ... Read More »

By Steve Erbach on Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:28 PM

Just before the April 3rd election I finally managed to put a few web pages together containing my thoughts about a few issues facing the city.  I dovetailed that web site with a reminder mailing that went out four days before the election.  In the mailing I invited people to email me with any questions.

Well, here's the first one and my response.

Dear Steve,

I received your request to vote for you.  I read your views on the police dept.  Why  should I vote for you? The council [which you are a part of] and mayor have limited influence on the police dept..  Come on.  If the council and mayor had wanted to use their influence on the police and fire commission they [police and fire commission] would have acted as soon as the police study was completed.  I heard Todd Stevenson at a council meeting say that if changes were needed in the police dept., t ... Read More »

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