ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS

for the Dane County/Greater Madison Metropolitan Area

 

Minutes

 

OVERSIGHT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (OAC) - MEETING #1

 

Wednesday, September 29, 1999

4:30 pm

Madison Municipal Building, Room 260

215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

Madison, WI

 

 

1.         ROLL CALL

 

Members Present: LaMarr Billups; Supv. Michael Blaska; Thomas Carlsen; David Cieslewicz; Robert Cook; Ann Falconer; Ald. Ken Golden; Supv. John Hendrick; Darlene Horner; Rob Kennedy; Ken Leonard; George Nelson; Ald. Warren Onken; Dick Wagner.

 

Members Absent: Supv. Scott McDonell (notified).

 

Staff Present: Charity Eleson (Dane County Executive’s Office); Lori Kay (University of Wisconsin, Transportation Services); Paul Larrousse (Madison Metro); Linda Lovejoy (Wisconsin Department of Transportation, WisDOT, Public Transit Section); Bob McDonald (Interim Executive Director, Dane County Regional Planning Commission); Dwight McComb (Federal Highway Administration); Anne Monks (WisDOT District 1, Planning); Brad Murphy (City of Madison, Department of Planning and Development); Pam Porter (Dane County Executive’s Office); David Trowbridge (City of Madison, Department of Planning and Development); Michael Waidelich (City of Madison, Department of Planning and Development).

 

Others Present: Marv Balousek (Wisconsin State Journal); Susan Bauman (Mayor, City of Madison); Melanie Conklin (Isthmus); James Curtis; Kathleen Falk (Dane County Executive); Bryan Lewis (WTDY); Terry Mulcahy (Deputy Secretary, WisDOT); Mark Opitz (Dane County Board of Supervisors); Peter Sample (Dane Alliance for Rail Transit); Luke Timmerman (The Capital Times).

 

 

2.            WELCOME/REVIEW OF AGENDA

 

David Trowbridge welcomed Committee members to the first meeting of the Oversight Advisory Committee for the Alternatives Analysis.  He introduced himself to the Committee and noted that his role, as the Project Administrator for the AA, will be to provide primary staff and administrative support and serve as a point of contact for OAC members throughout the conduct of the study.

 

Trowbridge then reviewed the agenda items, noting that much of the meeting will be organizational in nature.  However, he highlighted one agenda item in particular - a Committee discussion of the meeting protocol, and asked that a Chair and Vice Chair be elected.  Trowbridge added that, although he would be doing a significant amount of talking at this first OAC meeting, he would seek to do less in the future, and would like the Chair to act in the role of meeting facilitator.

 

Finally, Trowbridge requested that the OAC set up the next two Committee meetings, at the conclusion of this evening’s meeting.

 

 

3.            INTRODUCTION OF OVERSIGHT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

Trowbridge asked OAC members to introduce themselves to one another, and also asked them to note any background they have in transportation planning, growth management, urban development, neighborhood issues, etc.  Trowbridge also pointed out that all Committee members have been appointed by various entities, and that they might wish to mention who appointed them.

 

Bob Cook said that he an Executive Assistant with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and was appointed to the Oversight Advisory Committee by Governor Thompson.

 

Darlene Horner mentioned that she is the president of the Vera Court Neighborhood Association, a member of the North Side Planning Council, and serves on one of the advisory boards for the Warner Park Community Center.  Ms. Horner added that she was appointed to the OAC by Mayor Bauman and County Executive Falk.

 

Ken Golden noted that he is currently Chair of the Dane County Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC), and represents the DCRPC (which is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for this area), on the Oversight Advisory Committee.  He also noted that he has also been a member of every City of Madison transportation commission over the past decade.

 

Dick Wagner noted that he has vast experience in regional issues, such as the 911 consolidation issue and the Dane County Regional Airport expansion (after it had changed from the City to the County).  Wagner also served as co-chair of a previous commuter rail implementation study (1996), co-chairing with former Dane County Executive Jonathan Barry (at the request of Mike Blaska).  In addition, he added, he currently serves as Chair of the City of Madison Plan Commission.  He was appointed to the OAC by Mayor Bauman.

 

Ann Falconer said that she is the Chair of the City’s Transit and Parking Commission and the Long Range Transportation Planning Commission.  She said that she is also a member of the DCRPC and the Dane County Specialized Transportation Commission.  She has a great deal of experience in transportation planning over several years.  Falconer added that she started her interest as a consumer of specialized transportation, and broadened her interest into general transportation issues.  She was appointed to the OAC by the Mayor.

 

John Hendrick is a Dane County Supervisor and is also a member of the Dane County Regional Planning Commission.  He also served, during the early 90’s on the Isthmus 2020 Committee (with Dick Wagner as Chair) and brings perspectives of Madison’s isthmus to the OAC.

 

Michael Blaska is a Dane County Supervisor from the Sun Prairie area.  He previously served as the County Board Chair and appointed the committee to study commuter rail during the middle of the 1990’s.  That committee’s study efforts, he added, helped to get us to this point in the evaluation process.

 

Ken Leonard is the Director of Planning for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and was appointed by WisDOT Secretary Thompson.

 

Rob Kennedy is the Chair of the City’s Pedestrian-Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Commission.  He was appointed by the Mayor and also serves on numerous transportation- and planning-related boards/commissions.  Kennedy added that he has been active for many years in the types of issues that will be considered in the AA.  He also noted that he has served as a policy analyst for numerous statewide environmental organizations.

 

Tom Carlsen is the Director of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s District 1 office (in Madison).  He said that he will be bringing a statewide perspective to the OAC, and helping to coordinate those with local perspectives.  By formula, Mr. Carlsen added, he appointed himself to the OAC.

 

George Nelson was appointed by County Executive Falk, and in the past had served on the 1996 committee that studied commuter rail.  He noted that he has also worked on the Monona Terrace, the Dane County Expo Center, and the Period Garden (many years ago).

 

LaMarr Billups is the Special Assistant to Chancellor David Ward of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was appointed by Mr. Ward.  Billups added that the UW bring about 17,000 employees to the central part of the City every day, and are thus a large stakeholder in transportation issues.  He also said that the UW is a leader in transportation demand management (TDM) and will likely be a major player in whatever rail or transit alternative is selected through the AA process.  As a result, he added, Mr. Billups sits on a number of committees dealing with land use, transportation and parking issues near the UW campus.

 

Warren Onken, appointed by the Mayor, noted that he has served on Madison’s Common Council for a number of years (since 1977).  He added that, in terms of the Alternatives Analysis, he is primarily interested in the financial aspects of the various alternatives.

 

 

4.            OPENING REMARKS FROM ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS SPONSORING AGENCIES

 

Trowbridge noted that this agenda item has been reserved for the primary sponsoring agencies (City of Madison, Dane County, and WisDOT) to offer some opening remarks.

 

Mayor Susan Bauman thanked OAC members and welcomed them to the process.  She also noted that many of the Committee’s members are quite familiar faces, and have been involved in transportation issues in the region for years.  As such, they bring an incredible wealth on knowledge and experience to the table.  She said that this community has studied light rail, commuter rail and other transit options over the past 20 years, and through that have learned that numerous options are feasible.  Now with this Alternatives Analysis, we have the opportunity to look at all of the options at once and determine what we can afford, what the impacts will be, and hopefully determine what the best option is for the future of the Madison and Dane County region.  She added that we have numerous challenges before us - with the population growth that is occurring in our county, and also in surrounding counties (where commuting is increasing).  In particular, we need to be sure that we consider both land use and transportation issues together as we determine the best approach for our near-, mid-, and long-term future.  She added that it is important that Committee members come to the AA with an open mind, and without any preconceived notions about what the final alternative should be.  There is a wealth of information and experience that exists on these types of issues.  We must be sure to consider all of the available information as we begin to answer the numerous questions that are before us, and as we consider the whole panoply of options for our future.  Mayor Bauman concluded by thanking Committee members for their efforts.

 

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk asked Committee members to keep two things in mind as the study proceeds.  The first is to “think big” - and not in the “pie-in-the-sky” or “ivory tower” sense - but rather in the historical sense.  If we could all design the best transportation system possible, she added, with the most efficient way to move people between point A and point B, and in the most environmentally-sensitive manner possible, we probably would not have built exactly what we have today.  However, at this time (as we approach the new century), we have an opportunity with the Alternatives Analysis to determine how to get the best bang for the hundreds of millions of tax dollars we will need to invest.  The transportation system, she added, will need to meet the needs of both year 2000 and also for future generations.

 

Falk said that, we need to think big in terms of “historically”, but also “regionally”.  We need a transportation system that serves people who live downtown and also those who live in Mike Blaska’s district.  The system needs a regional view of how to get people around.  In thinking big, we also need to consider timing.  We have immediate problems with traffic congestion, in the isthmus and in suburban areas.

 

The second thing I would like the Committee to do, Falk added, is to be pragmatic.  We have invested a great deal of resources in the Madison bus system and in the current rail system that serves the county.  In that way, we are blessed with investments that have been made in the past.  We need to look at the future in a pragmatic way that builds on the investments that have been made in our past.  Many of you on this Committee have spent a lot of time thinking about these issues, and new publications come out all the time.  However, one recent publication, she noted, is worth bringing to your attention – and it can be obtained from Dane County staff.  It is called “Does Transit Work?: A Conservative Reappraisal”, and I would urge you to look at it.  The document begins with a prelude from Governor Thompson and asks us to re-think how we wish to invest our transit dollars in the future, and to look into investments in rail and bus systems.

 

Another point I would like to make, about being pragmatic, is to be straight with the numbers – and I know you will because you all have huge integrity.  We will not be helping anybody, she added, if we employ wishful thinking with the numbers.  We need good numbers and analysis based on sound numbers, and I hope that you bring that approach to the evaluation.  Finally, she added, many of you have served on committees that have produced important results.  However, this upcoming study won’t sit on a shelf and we need the products of your work.  And, efforts have been made to ensure that this does not happen.  In fact, she noted, one of the reasons that I had entered into the agreement regarding USH 12 (with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Governor, et. al.) was that it included an unprecedented and welcomed gesture, in writing, that they would contribute to the cost of this study, but also an agreement to share 50% of the costs of any engineering/design work that would be done in the next phase (after the locally-preferred alternative is selected).  In addition, they have offered to help us lobby the federal government, as we attempt to deliver the system that is selected.  This partnership, she noted, will be important as we move forward.  She concluded by thanking the Committee and offering her (or her staff’s) assistance in any way.

 

Terry Mulcahy, Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, wish to provide his spin on the issue.  He started by saying that he endorses what the Mayor and the County Executive have stated in their opening remarks.  In particular, Mulcahy wished to thank OAC members for serving on this important Committee.  He also said he wished to underscore a couple of points made by both the Mayor and the County Executive.  He said that this Alternatives Analysis is a unique opportunity for the City, County and State to work together to come up with a solution.  However, he added, it is very important for the OAC to ensure that the data and information used throughout the study are useful to the decision makers.  There is a great deal of information out there, and it needs to be synthesized and put into meaningful terms for our public officials to use in the decision making process.  Mulcahy noted that those will be an important role of the OAC.  He complimented OAC members for taking the challenge and urged them to look forward to find solutions that will be needed in the near-term and the long-term.  He said that the economy is in pretty good shape and the transportation system that serves the economy needs to be the best that it can be.  He concluded by thanking OAC members and saying that WisDOT will offer its assistance and resources to help facilitate a good study in this community.  In particular, he added, WisDOT has a wealth of information that can be useful for this analysis.

 

 

5.            REVIEW/OVERVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS

 

David Trowbridge then told Oversight Advisory Committee members that he would be going through some slides, to provide some introductory information.  He added that much of the information in the slides might be repetitive to some members of the Committee, but that it is important that everyone have the benefit of this information as the study begins.

 

In general, Trowbridge said, the slide presentation will:

 

-         define what an Alternatives Analysis is;

-         describe the components and the anticipated end products of the AA;

-         explain the oversight and guidance structure for the AA; and,

-         outline the study’s near-term timeline and next steps.

 

(Note: Copies of the slides used in the presentation were provided at the 9-29-99 meeting, and can be obtained upon request)

 

Trowbridge began by noting that an Alternatives Analysis is a detailed planning study that take between 1 ½ and two years to complete.  The purpose of the AA is to compare and evaluate several transportation system improvement alternatives against one another.  Improvement alternatives will include both highway and transit options and will be focused on one or more travel corridors in the region.  He added that this study will evaluate alternatives against a common set of evaluation criteria, goals, objectives, etc.

 

Over the past couple of decades, Trowbridge noted, numerous plans and studies have evaluated transit system improvements in this community.  These included feasibility evaluations of light rail, commuter rail, and other transit corridor concepts.  Most recently, the official regional transportation plan, the Vision 2020 Dane County Land Use and Transportation Plan (1997), identified travel deficiencies in numerous travel corridors.  To address these deficiencies, the Vision 2020 Plan recommended that an Alternatives Analysis be conducted.

 

The AA will include several components, including estimates of capital and operating costs, forecasts of traffic levels, transit ridership, travel times, and assessments of impacts – for each transportation system alternative.  Also, he added, a number of alternative future land use/development scenarios will be considered, to help show the differences among these varying growth patterns, particularly in terms of their transportation needs and impacts.

 

Trowbridge noted that the AA is a required study for projects of the type being evaluated here, if they are to ever receive federal funding.  Currently, there are regulations governing the Alternatives Analysis, and to-date, this study’s process and components have been designed to fully reflect those regulations.  In terms of the transportation system improvements that will be studied, the federal regulations clearly require that certain options be considered.  They can be organized into three “categories” of options:

 

(1)   No-Build Alternative;

(2)   Low-Cost Alternative, with Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and Transportation System Management (TSM) approaches; and,

(3)   Build Alternatives (i.e., several transit and highway improvement alternatives).

 

Michael Blaska asked if the federal Alternatives Analysis requirement is the same as the former “Major Investment Study” requirement.  Trowbridge responded that it was, although there are some minor changes in the components that must be included in the AA.  However, he added, the basic approach of the evaluation is the same – evaluating the full range of improvements alternatives and comparing them against a common set of evaluation criteria.

 

Trowbridge noted that the No-Build alternative is basically the existing transportation system, with various assumptions of future development.  The Low-Cost Alternative, he added, is an alternative that considers minor changes to the physical transportation system (such as minor intersection modification, adding auxiliary traffic lanes, etc.), and also considers institutional measures (such as parking management techniques and/or employer-based demand management programs).  In terms of the Build Alternatives, numerous street/highway and transit alternatives will be considered.  Trowbridge said that these alternatives will need to be more clearly refined, as part of the AA process, but that he would like to show some pictures of the various modal alternatives – to help give OAC members a sense of what could be considered.

 

He showed slides of a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, conventional commuter rail, diesel--multiple unit (DMU) technology for commuter rail, light rail transit, and exclusive busways.  He also showed slides that demonstrated the various mode options working together.  One example, from Pittsburgh, showed bus services integrated with a light rail system at a pedestrian-oriented station area.  Trowbridge pointed out that this integration is important, as the entire transit trip (from origin to final destination) must be considered if a transit system is to be work effectively.

 

At the very end of the Alternatives Analysis process (after the evaluation has been completed), Trowbridge noted, the end products of the study are anticipated to be the following:

 

-         a recommended “Preferred Investment Strategy”;

-         an implementation schedule/timeline;

-         a long-range financial strategy; and,

-         a long-range land use/regional development strategy.

 

Trowbridge said that he is frequently asked when something will be built, and showed a slide with a general implementation timeline.  After the AA, he noted, further environmental and engineering work would need to take place, and could potentially take between one and two years.  After that, if it is recommended, construction could begin.

 

Trowbridge noted that, earlier in 1999, the City of Madison and Dane County adopted resolutions that (among other things) defined the AA’s oversight and guidance structure.  Within that guidance structure, the resolutions created the Oversight Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and specified their roles.  The resolutions also specified the OAC’s and TAC’s relationship to one another and to their respective policy bodies, agencies, and units of government.

 

He said that the OAC’s role is to provide broad policy oversight and ensure that the AA addresses the full range of policy issues and considerations of the sponsoring agencies.  The OAC are to meet 5-10 times over the course of the study period, which is on average, about every three months (depending on the progress of the study).  The OAC will make important recommendations to help guide the study’s consultant, at key decision milestones.  Such decision milestones will include the approval of the consultant Request for Proposals (RFP), approval of the AA consultant, confirmation of the refined study area and travel corridors to be evaluated, and the refinement and screening of the system improvement alternatives (throughout the study).

 

The Technical Advisory Committee would meet much more frequently (about monthly) and would be engaged in issues of a more technical nature.  Their role is to ensure that the AA meets all federal requirements and that the AA is of high professional quality.  The TAC will provide recommendations and guidance to the OAC, to help them as they make decisions at the key milestones.

 

Both OAC members and TAC members are responsible for keeping their respective policy bodies and agencies up-to-date on the AA’s progress, the study’s findings, etc.  For example, periodic reports may need to be given to the County Board of Supervisors or the City of Madison Common Council, as appropriate.  In addition, particularly with the City of Madison (where numerous boards and commissions will be interested in this study), presentations will need to be made to such interested entities, as appropriate.  Trowbridge added that it is important that OAC and TAC members be available to give these presentations and updates to their respective agencies, as a great deal of consultant resources might be used up for these types of updates, travel expenses, etc.  He stressed that the consultant’s AA resources should be focused on evaluation and analysis, and that sponsoring/participating agencies should do as much as they can to help carry the burden of keeping interested parties informed.

 

In terms of the near-term schedule for the AA, Trowbridge noted that the TAC would be meeting October 8th to review (and hopefully approve) the Draft RFP.  Then, the OAC will need to meet (in late October or early November) to review/approve the RFP.  After that, the RFP can be released for consultant bids.  After consultant proposals are received, they must be reviewed by the TAC and consultant interviews would be scheduled.  After the consultant is selected, negotiations would take place, to refine costs and scope of work.  Trowbridge added that he’s not sure how long the entire consultant selection process will take, given the fact that it is uncertain how many proposals will be submitted, how many will be interviewed, etc.  However, he said that it is likely that a consultant will be hired in early 2000, and could begin work by early spring of next year.

 

Trowbridge then asked OAC members if they had any questions regarding the material presented.  Ann Falconer asked if the Committee would be considering issues of governance for the Preferred Investment Strategy that is ultimately selected.  Trowbridge responded that the development of a financial plan, as is explicitly included in the AA, will address those issues.  He added that a potential organizational structure (for operating the alternative selected), as well as the financial component will need to be determined.  Many of these concerns are made explicit in the RFP, which will be provided to the OAC shortly.

 

Darlene Horner asked for documentation of the slides that were presented.  In response, Trowbridge distributed them to OAC members.  He also added that, at any time, OAC members can contact him for information.  He said that this is his role, as Project Administrator, to act as a conduit between Committee members and the consultant (once hired).  In addition, Trowbridge said that his role will be to serve as a central point of contact for OAC members, and serve as a provider of information throughout conduct of the study.

 

Dick Wagner asked about other communities that have done these types of studies, and how long it could take to complete it.  Wagner asked if any had been done in Wisconsin.  Trowbridge responded that one study conducted in Wisconsin, that is somewhat comparable, would be the East-West Corridor Study, from the southeastern Wisconsin region.  That study was a little bit different because it considered a major freeway redesign and reconstruction, in addition to evaluating some transit alternatives.  They deliberated for roughly six years, are still not much closer to consensus on a preferred investment strategy in that area.  However, he added that the Madison/Dane County community are well-educated (in terms of transit studies), due to our experience with this, and hence it may be possible to get through the analysis faster than other regions have.  However, Trowbridge added, 1 ½ to 2 years is a conservative estimate.  He said that Cleveland and Indianapolis had taken somewhat longer with their AAs.  However, Trowbridge pointed out that numerous factors can influence how long the analysis takes – such as political relationships and conditions, level of public interest and participation, the nature of the improvements being considered, etc.

 

George Nelson asked what the budget was for the consultant.  Trowbridge responded that, at this time, about $700,000 had been committed for the Alternatives Analysis.  However, he added, the Draft RFP contains an ambitious program.  He also noted that other communities throughout the country have paid far more for similar studies.  However, Trowbridge added, if the consultant contract is managed carefully (and the consultant resources are focused on the analysis), the AA might cost a bit more than the amount currently committed, but not cost excessively more than has been budgeted.

 

Darlene Horner asked about the corridors to be evaluated in the AA, and noted the corridors linking the City to Stoughton and Mazomanie have been looked at.  Trowbridge responded that the 1998 Dane County Commuter Rail Preliminary Feasibility Study looked at a number of travel corridors, some of which may be re-evaluated (in greater detail) in the Alternatives Analysis.  One of the first work activities to be undertaken in the AA will be a scoping process, to more carefully define the study area and the travel corridors to be subject to further evaluation.  We have a great deal of information from past studies that will be helpful as we review travel corridors, as part of the AA’s scoping process.

 

 

6.         OAC MEETING PROTOCOL AND GROUND RULES: COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

 

Trowbridge noted that this agenda item was intended to be a discussion, among OAC members, to establish meeting ground rules and protocol.  He also asked that the OAC elect a Chair and Vice Chair, to serve as meeting facilitators, and also to perhaps meet more directly with the Project Administrator and the consultant, as the study progresses.  Trowbridge said that, at this evening’s meeting, he had been doing a lot of talking, and that at future meetings, it would be his preference to do much less of that.  Certainly, he added, it would be most appropriate for the Chair to lead future meetings.

 

Dick Wagner said that, having co-chaired a study in the past, co-chairs are an effective way of leading studies, particularly in that it allows some balance among local units of government.  Wagner noted that Ald. Ken Golden has a great deal of experience in transportation issues and has a regional perspective.  Additionally, Wagner added, another OAC member, Supv. Scott McDonell (who is out of the country, and unfortunately not in attendance) has valuable transportation experience - having been involved in the 1998 Commuter Rail Feasibility Study.  As such, Wagner concluded that Ald. Golden and Supv. McDonell would be fine co-chairs for the Alternatives Analysis, and hence nominated them.  Rob Kennedy made a motion to close the nominations, Ann Falconer seconded that motion.

 

After no discussion among Committee members, the motion to elect Ald. Golden and Supv. McDonell carried unanimously.

 

Trowbridge pointed out that some of the language included in the resolutions establishing the framework for the AA, and the specification of OAC membership in the resolutions, recognized the regional nature of our transportation and growth management challenges.  As such, OAC membership includes representation from numerous agencies and interests.  This was done, in part, recognizing the fact that consensus needs to be reached among a wide cross-section of interests.  Trowbridge asked Committee members if there were a particular manner in which they would like to make decisions, in order to ensure some semblance of consensus.

 

Ald. Golden said that he had thought a great deal about this issue and the OAC structure, and pointed out that he has worked with numerous individuals representing the City of Madison and Dane County on the issue of consensus-building.  He added that one of the key elements of the OAC was the assumption that this is a constructive partnership among the various entities represented at the table.  He said that the City and the County, in particular, had concluded that the Alternatives Analysis was needed, but had done so from different perspectives.  This, he added, needed to be reconciled into a common program, and since then, other interests have been included at the table.

 

Ald. Golden said that, in following the spirit of the resolutions and the keeping of records, it would be appropriate to vote on certain items that come before the OAC.  However, he added, in the process of coming to our conclusions, it is critically important that we do so in a “consensus” manner, to the extent possible.  He did not wish to downplay the possibility that there could be dissent, given the wide range of perspectives and points of view represented at the table.  However, Golden suggested that OAC meetings be conducted in a normal manner (including recognition, etc.), but that in terms of key decision items/key juncture points (where we are deciding whether or not to move things forward, for example), we attempt to have our decisions made by consensus.  Golden added that this protocol of developing consensus at key decision points would be consistent with the theme of partnership that has been specified in the resolutions governing the AA.  Golden asked if OAC members had any thoughts or comments on this approach.

 

Rob Kennedy asked Golden to clarify the notion of “consensus” for key decision items.  Kennedy asked whether votes on issues would to be unanimous, or 75% in favor of, etc.  Golden said that it would depend on the action being taken.  For example, Golden clarified, if there is a report coming from the OAC, and there is dissent, this should not be obscured.  Still, the level of dissent and the information contained in the report (for example) would be useful information for decision makers.  However, as work items move forward and we try to guide things throughout the conduct of the AA, they should (hopefully) move forward unanimously.  If there are details and slight differences of opinion, we should try to resolve these to the extent possible.  Golden said that, in essence, he is looking for a bifurcated model.  However, he added, it is important for this Committee to leave a legacy and a record, so that people can look back and see what was done, what was the level of dissent, what were the issues, what were the controversies, etc.

 

In addition, Golden said that we, at the table, have to get used to working with one another.  To the extent that all of the local units of government, WisDOT, UW, etc. can work constructively together, the Preferred Investment Strategy that is ultimately selected at the end of this process will be that much more likely to come about.  To that end, he said that the decision making model he is talking about is designed with that in mind.  Golden also noted that if OAC members feel that, at any time, the decision making structure/process is straying toward something that they’re not fully comfortable with, it should be challenged.  Golden said that, as Co-Chair, he would attempt to lead things towards consensus.  If, however, the consensus is not there, we may need to revert to a more parliamentary/formal action form of decision making.

 

Kennedy thanked Golden for the clarification of the mechanics of the process.  Kennedy wished to add that there are three principal agencies at the table that will need to come to consensus, and that the OAC should be mindful of that throughout the conduct of this study.  Tom Carlsen added that the key to coming to consensus is to transform the “dissent” into some form of “consent”.  Carlsen added that we should try to leave this process speaking from a common same voice, and work on keeping that dissent on the side.

 

Golden thanked OAC members for their thoughts and noted that, hearing no objection, we will proceed with decision making on that basis.

 

 

7.         SETUP OF FUTURE OVERSIGHT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

 

Dave Trowbridge asked OAC members to refer to their calendars, in order to schedule the next two meetings of the OAC.

 

The Committee agreed that their next meeting (#2) will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd, 4:45 pm, in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building.  Trowbridge noted that the primary agenda item at that meeting will be review and approval of the Draft Consultant Request for Proposals.

 

Ald. Warren Onken requested that staff provide all materials (expected to be digested by OAC members prior to the meetings) as early as possible.  Golden said that, depending on the volume of material, having a weekend between receipt of the materials and the meeting time should generally be sufficient review time.  Trowbridge promised that all attempts will be made to ensure reasonable review time for OAC meeting materials.

 

Trowbridge asked Committee members to block off time (in early 2000) for Meeting #3, even though there may be a good chance that it will need to rescheduled.  As noted earlier, Trowbridge added that there are some uncertainties regarding the timing of the consultant selection/negotiation process, which may necessitate a rescheduling.  He suggested the fourth week in February, and the Committee agreed to schedule its third meeting for Thursday, February 24th, 4:45 pm, at a location to be determined.

 

 

8.            ADJOURNMENT

 

The Committee adjourned its meeting at 5:45 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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