{"id":6036,"date":"2023-10-04T05:07:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T05:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=6036"},"modified":"2023-10-04T06:02:21","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T06:02:21","slug":"franklin-city-meeting-on-the-rock-gets-testy-fast-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=6036","title":{"rendered":"Franklin City Meeting on the Rock Gets Testy Fast [VIDEO]"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/www.wisconsinrightnow.com\/the-rock-mike-zimmerman-franklin\/<\/a><\/p>\n

At times, the meeting grew testy. However, speakers also stressed a need to improve communication going forward.
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Neighbors and aldermen raised questions about a proposed \u201cmemorandum of understanding\u201d between the City of Franklin and the Rock sports and entertainment complex at a Tuesday Common Council meeting, with several residents expressing concern about a provision that includes a near-blanket assurance granting future permits for special events at the Rock without any specific new decibel-limit being reached.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here as one of the seniors in this city\u2026You people aren\u2019t taking good care of us. I\u2019m 95 years old, and I don\u2019t like putting up with some of this stuff,\u201d an affected neighbor, Le Roy Lewandowski, told city officials. \u201cPlease, we have to do something. I feel like I\u2019m in a city that I don\u2019t have the power to do anything.\u201d He said the Rock\u2019s developer, Mike Zimmerman, is a friend of his.<\/p>\n

Lewandowski said the recent noise scared a 90-year-old woman who lives next to him.<\/p>\n

Neighbors are especially upset that Franklin\u2019s earlier agreement with the Rock set the allowed decibel levels much higher (79) than the regular city noise ordinance allows.<\/p>\n

The Rock was represented at the meeting by Zimmerman and Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor, who works for the Rock. Zimmerman said the provision on permits was important to the Rock. \u201cIf we are going to negotiate with the city in good faith, what we do ask for is terms that allow for us to run our business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Alderman Mike Barber said he wanted to mitigate the adversarial roles. \u201cWe still have to have methods to protect our citizens and that is something that I as an alderman would not want to give up,\u201d he told Zimmerman.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Ald. Mike barber<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, despite the at times-collaborative language, tensions still flared, especially when Zimmerman and Taylor first spoke to the Council after a lengthy and emotional public comment session. Several speakers claimed Franklin is getting a black eye on talk radio because the sound issues haven\u2019t been fixed.<\/p>\n

Taylor called a citizen, Orville Seymer, a \u201cgoof\u201d during one exchange, and Zimmerman got into a brief heated exchange with a neighbor in the audience when Zimmerman sarcastically referred to the man\u2019s wife by her first name, Joy, while saying some of his critics were ignorant. Watch:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Rock\u2019s representatives and city officials stressed the MOU was a work in progress, not a final document. The document represents an attempt by the city to resolve neighbors\u2019 long-standing noise concerns, which they say are destroying their quality of life.<\/p>\n

The controversial passage on extraordinary events in the MOU says,<\/p>\n

\u201cExtraordinary Events. The City of Franklin agrees to support the entertainment efforts of Ballpark Commons for extraordinary events such as concerts, fireworks, and seasonal events (Hill Has Eyes, Enchant). The City of Franklin will not withhold permits and approvals unless there are direct violations of sound ordinance and\/or reasonable compliance concerns with city departments (fire, police, health, etc.) and municipal codes as outlined in the new PDD (city agreement with the Rock).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That concerns some neighbors, who think it means the city will lose all leverage.<\/p>\n

Neighbors have contended that the city\u2019s development agreement and practices have made it impossible for the Rock to have violations. The decibel level set in the city\u2019s development agreement with the Rock (called the PDD) is 79, much higher than Franklin\u2019s regular noise ordinance allows and other guidelines. Furthermore, a violation is not counted unless it occurs for 30 minutes straight. Many neighbors said the 79 decibel limit, and how it came to be, is the crux of the problem.<\/p>\n

The MOU does not specify a new decibel level. Instead it says, \u201cFollowing execution of this MOU, the parties agree to begin negotiations on a new decibel level agreement by type of event. Specifically, the parties agree to adjust volumes to comply with 3 different thresholds for Milkmen games (based on attendance and\/or day of the week), extraordinary events, and fireworks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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