Accomplishments

*Note from Luke: One thing that won’t show up on the accomplishment list, is all the executive experience that I’ve gained as Mayor.  Dealing with personnel issues and working through other tricky issues has made me a better leader. While I firmly believe anyone who is highly motivated could succeed as a Mayor, there is a learning curve and I believe that I’m better suited to this job after doing it since 2018.

A selection of key accomplishments.

Building Community

  • Worked to establish a 2+ acre park in our downtown that will be a focal point for community gathers as part of the redevelopment of the old Sugar Creek Elementary school site.
  • Supported Badger Prairie Needs Network.
  • Supported the second sheet of ice for the ice arena.
  • Supported the Verona Area Community Theater (VACT) loan which helped them build a new facility: Grant, city loan get VACT done.
  • Supported the addition of the fountain in the veterans memorial in Hometown Junction Park in Verona.
  • Preserved two historically and culturally significant buildings (the Matts House and the New Century School Building).
  • Lead the city through the COVID pandemic: This included small business grants, flexibility on outdoor dining, better ventilation systems, COVID safe policies with the library, healthcare policies to protect workers, and approving a Verona testing site. We were busy.
  • Helped make year round Sunday hours happen at the Verona Library.
  • Successfully advocated for more early voting hours to make it easier for every citizen in Verona to exercise their right to vote.
  • Signed the anti-discrimination ordinance to protect LGBT members of our community.

Housing

  • Worked with developers to include housing developments in the middle class price range.
  • Supported the creation of an affordable housing fund.
  • Supported Senior Housing at Prairie Oaks – we should have housing that works for people of all ages.
  • Supported the development of the first two workforce housing projects in Verona since at least the 1990s.  *Note from Luke: I supported this project because if you’re good enough to work in Verona, you’re good enough to live in Verona.

Protecting Our Environment

  • Worked with Dane County and the City of Madison to purchase land adjacent to the Ice Age Trail in Verona.
  • Made the first city-owned solar power system happen.
  • Worked to convert parts of the city’s vehicle fleet to cleaner electric vehicles.
  • Rewrote the city’s landscaping ordinance to encourage more native trees to be planted.
  • Changed the city’s landscaping ordinance to require that plantings in new developments include 75% native plants.
  • Wrote a sustainability resolution for Verona that guides the city on environmental issues.
  • Removed milkweed from the noxious weed list in Verona. We like butterflies, so people should be allowed to plant milkweed.
  • Worked with Dane County on restoration efforts along the Badger Mill Creek.  There’s more work to be done here, but both Verona and Dane County are improving the Badger Mill Creek corridor for wildlife and people.
  • Supported the Lincoln Street Stormwater Pond: Lincoln Street stormwater facility aims to improve water quality.
  • Supported the anti-phosphorus treatment of American Way Pond.

Economic Development

Transportation

  • Made it easier for people in Verona to bike around the city, culminating in Verona earning a bronze level bike friendliness certificate from the League of American Bicyclists.
  • Supported the 2015 Verona Bicycle and Pedestrian Study, which guided the city’s expansion of multi-use paths.
  • Supported the bike connection related to the Ice Age Junction Path Extension.
  • Worked consistently to make Verona more friendly for people who want to walk, for example:
    • Supported the Locust Street sidewalk.
    • Supported rapid flashing beacons at critical crossing points.
    • Supported the enhanced crossing on Whalen and County M.
  • Signed on to letters asking for grants from the federal government for Madison Metro.
  • Supported Madison Metro bus routes in Verona.

Fiscal Responsibility

  • Under Luke’s leadership, Verona improved its bond rating from aa2 to aa1.
  • Meticulously reviewed city spending. For example, as an alder I caught a mistake during the bidding for the Fire Department which saved the city $19,000.
  • Worked aggressively to reduce Verona’s reliance on running up debt.  One of Luke’s best budgets was this No Debt Budget.

Transparency and Communication

  • Helped get the city council meetings on YouTube (VeronaWIMeetings).
  • Got city staff to make more information for developments in Verona available and easier to find.
  • Limited the use of closed sessions when conducting city business.

*Note from Luke: I would also like to note that while I’m very proud of all the things I accomplished, I didn’t get these things done all by myself.  These accomplishments were a collaborative effort between community members, city staff, other elected officials, and sometimes other government entities.