Bike and ped projects connect Veronans
Mayor Luke Diaz, who advocated for the bike and ped project to be pushed forward when he was a District 3 alder and member of the Public Works committee, said sometimes in order to get things done in city government, you need to be in the “right place at the right time.”
Sugar Creek Commons project passes on split vote
3 alders against using TIF to displace residents
Ald. Luke Diaz (Dist. 3) started the avalanche that took over the discussion right from the beginning. He acknowledged that he loves the idea of getting rid of the old, abandoned truck stop and that “the whole corridor is ripe for development,” but he could not, from a “moral perspective” vote for it.
“The idea of using TIF incentives to push people out of their houses does not sit right with me,” he said.
Alders discuss road to school in closed session (Oct 27, 2017 )
Luke Diaz almost got his wish Monday night.
The District 3 alder has long campaigned for fewer closed discussions of city business, and he had made his strongest pitch yet, stating flatly that the city should keep negotiations with the school district – which includes the entire city among its constituents – open and transparent.
With two alders and the mayor missing, the council voted 3-2 to take the matter into closed session.
Wherever it may go, alders on board with VACT move
A pair of VACT parents had addressed the council earlier, during public comment, and extolled the virtues of what exposure to theater had done for their kids. They made Diaz “twice as convinced” of its value to the community.
*Note from Luke: Community arts groups important to our community and elected officials should support them when possible.
Verona Press Thursday, March 26, 2015 (page 3)
Vaccine maker gets $700K TIF
Alds. Evan Touchett (Dist. 4) and Luke Diaz (D-3) called the deal a “no-brainer,” as the three-person UV contingent flashed wide grins from the back of the room.
“I’d love to see our employment base get balanced in at least a small way,” Diaz added in an obvious reference to the thousands of his own colleagues at Epic who work in Verona.
Verona alders: Keep options open for Matts House
“Generally, in principle, I favor the open bid process, because I feel like that’s the most fair to everyone,” Ald. Luke Diaz (Dist. 3) explained. “There were a lot of good ideas tonight.”
*Note from Luke: This was a long process but ultimately the city was able to preserve a building that was important to people in the community and historically significant.
City of Verona: 80-unit complex gets commission review Monday
As a result of the discussion, prompted by Ald. Luke Diaz (Dist. 3), Sayre also last month put links to past, future and current projects more prominently on the city’s website. The list is accessible from the city’s front page (ci.verona.wi.us), and people can sign up for alerts on the website, as well.
*Note from Luke: I’ve always been a big proponent for transparency – there’s a lot municipalities can do to make it easier for people to see what’s going on.
