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MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

BEES
receiving endorsements from a handful of speakers and earning a unanimous recommendation of approval. The ordinance approved by the common council this week includes a list of stipulations that supporters say were designed to help prevent conflicts between beekeepers and their neighbors. The city will not charge a fee or require a permit, however. The new ordinance states that no bees shall be intentionally kept and maintained other than honey bees, and no hive shall exceed 20 cubic feet in volume. No more than six hives may be kept on a zoning lot, no hive shall be located closer than three feet from any property line of a zoning lot in different ownership, and no hive shall be located closer than ten feet from a public sidewalk or 25 feet from a principal building on an abutting lot in different ownership. The ordinance also states that an ever-present supply of water must be provided for all hives, and a flyway barrier at least six feet in height shall shield any part of a property line of a zoning lot in different ownership that is within 25 feet of a hive. The flyway barrier may be a fence, wall, dense vegetation or other barrier, but it must effectively direct bees to fly up and over it. Mike Byrne, the manager of Willy West Co-op and a citizen member of the citys sustainability committee, said his neighbor has kept bees for years. Byrne said the creatures have not caused any problems. In fact, they have provided a source of entertainment and education for his children, as well as helping to pollinate his garden. The world needs more bees, Byrne told the plan commission last week. Nathan Clarke, the owner of Mad Urban Bees Llc., said they actually do really well in the city. He said their success stems from the fact that urban bees have a more varied

continued from page 1 range of food sources available, and their lack of exposure to the pesticides present in monoculture corn and soy fields makes them less susceptible to colony collapse. Unlike the beekeeping ordinance on the books in Madison, Middletons version allows bees on commercial lots with adequate space.

McCarthy
stands a podium saying virtually nothing to the general public throughout the week. in the mid-1990s when Brett Favre led Green Bay to places it hadnt been in three decades. But as soon as I started covering the team in 2001 for Packer Plus, any fandom in me was gone. For the last 12 years, it hasnt mattered to me one iota whether Green Bay wins or loses a game. Thats probably hard for most people to understand. But the No. 1 rule in our business is complete and total objectivity. I live and die that. The Packers public relations staff has told me for years that Im too negative about the team in my writing. That just lets me know Im doing my job well, as I search for both good and bad to chronicle.

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Q: What would you classify as the

biggest challenge in writing a book like this? Whats the overall timeline you have and what are the stages of getting this done?

Q: Now that youve completed two books on the central two figures in the Green Bay Packers success story, where does that leave your fandom of the team? Do you find yourself more drawn to the team because youve seen the subjects up close and personal, or do you find yourself more distant from a fans perspective? Maybe youve never been truly crazy about the Packers? A: I grew up a die-hard Packers fan,
and the height of my enthusiasm came

A: The biggest challenge is always meeting deadlines. The release date of this book moved a couple of times so we could be out for the holidays, and that made things a little more interesting. Initially, the book was going to about the Packers winning back-toback Super Bowl titles. But the New York Giants ruined that plan during the 2011 playoffs. After that, I thought the book was going to be put on hold, but

my editors chose to make McCarthy the central figure in a book chronicling the Packers most recent successes. Its also a challenge to get everyone you want to talk about a subject. We encountered that from time to time with this book, too. But overall, I think we did a nice job telling McCarthys story.

Q: If you could write about anyone with unlimited access, who would make your list? Will you have the opportunity to feature other players in the future? A: Im always optimistic more books are on the horizon. This was the fifth one Ive done, which is five more

than I ever envisioned. I certainly feel fortunate to have done that many. I would love to someday tell Brett Favres story. There are a lot of layers in that onion. Same goes for Ted Thompson, who has purposely made himself an enigma. As for non-sports people, guys like Robert Plant, Bono and Eddie Vedder have always been heroes. Id have to think they have stories that would be remarkable.

Anyone interested in purchasing an autographed copy of Nobodys Underdog can email robreischel@gmail.com or call Reischel at 262-719-9066.

BUDGET
meeting, voiced appreciation for the work done by those running the municipality but urged them to keep taxes as low as possible. District 2 alderman Gurdip Brar said he opposed the citys decision to combine the capital, operating and other budget documents into a single resolution on the meetings agenda. His motion to divide the budget vote into three components one for the capital portion, one for the operating portion, and one for the remaining sections - died for lack of a second. District 7 alderman Hans Hilbert proposed an amendment that would have increased the levy by $159,000 to fund the acquisition of a new truck for the Middleton Fire District. The motion failed, however, when five members of the eight-person council (JoAnna Richard, Jim Wexler, Susan West, Brar and Paul Kinne) opposed it. The final 2013 budget is expected to increase the city mill rate by 7 percent. It includes total general fund expenditures of $21,270,407 and capital spending of $10,469,923. Along with special revenue and enterprise expenses, the budget includes total fund spending of $41,683,904. The expected mill rate for Middleton, not including taxes the city collects for other government entities, will be $6.04 per $1,000 of equalized property value. While the rate is up for the second year in a row, it still remains lower than last years rates in similarly sized communities such as Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, Waunakee, Stoughton and Verona. Earlier this year the Middleton Common Council held a series of budget workshops at which it whittled the projected mill rate down from $6.5, which would have been a more than 15 percent increase over last years rate, which was $5.65. The mill rate settled on last week will lead to $1,691 in city taxes on a $280,000 home. The mill rate increase was caused by several factors, according to city finance director John Lehman. Debt service is up sharply, rising by approximately $743,000. The money is being used to pay for three public safety buildings a station for the Middleton Fire District, a police/court facility, and an EMS headquarters. Lehman said he expects debt service levels to stabilize near current levels in future budgets. Another significant contributor to the mill rate increase is a roughly $100 million plunge in assessed valuation a reduction of 12.5 percent. The change represents the second year in a two-part correction of a Department of Revenue

continued from page 1 mix-up caused by an accounting error two years ago. Non-tax revenues are slated to decrease by roughly $102,000 in 2013, with lower interest earning dollars as the primary cause. The city used an increase in ambulance rates, Tax Increment Financing District cost recovery, and special onetime revenues to help shore up part of the budget gap. The rest will be filled by the 7 percent increase in the local mill rate. Another factor in the budget is that departmental operating expenses are set to rise by about $208,000, a 2 percent increase over last year. The approved budget includes significantly more funding for roadwork, including an additional $175,000 for chip sealing and crack filling.

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