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Welcome to Mr. Palm’s Neighborhood
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by Bridget Roby
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Ald. Larry Palm, District 15, considers himself a neighborhood man.
Having originally run for Madison's City Council two years ago with the vision of helping neighborhoods acquire more city resources, Palm will continue to work as the liaison between his community and the city government when he begins his second term Tuesday.
"The city is very big, and neighborhoods need a connection from the local level to the city," Palm said. "As alders, we live in the areas that we represent, and our job is to connect neighborhoods to what the city has to offer."
A Madison resident since 1991 — when he began his studies at the University of Wisconsin — Palm has been an active member of Madison's east side for years, serving as the president of his neighborhood as well as a member of the library board.
"My goal and plan is to continue to do what I do best, which is connect those residents to the city resources," Palm said. "I think one of the things I really tried to promote last time was communication."
Distributing newsletters to residents and extending invitations to meetings were two of the ways Palm tried to improve communication between residents and their city government.
As a member of the Commission on the Environment, Palm said he is also an advocate of environmental protection initiatives, such as working to achieve greener buildings in Madison. After working with Palm on the commission the past year, Jonathan Standridge — vice president of the Madison Board of Water Commission — said Palm is a crucial member of the group.
"He's knowledgeable of city government, he does his homework, and he asks good questions," Standridge said. "He's a vital part of the committee."
Palm has requested to be selected for the Commission on the Environment again for his second term, but he awaits the appointment from Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
As a strong supporter of outgoing City Council President's Austin King's energy-efficient light bulb proposal, Palm agrees the city should require those who rent out more than three units in a building to supply either compact florescent light bulbs or light bulbs of equivalent efficiency for their renters.
"It would reduce our dependence on energy," Palm said. "Installation is more expensive, but over time, it is cheaper."
Through his involvement in the Downtown Coordinating Committee, Palm also plays an active role in the decisions made regarding the downtown area of Madison. Palm's fellow committee member Rosemary Lee, who has worked with Palm since she was appointed to the committee in fall 2006, said Palm's experience as an alderperson often brings helpful insight to the group.
"He's very congenial, has very good ideas, and he's helpful when the rest of the members need to know about city process," Lee said.
After defeating Vicky Selkowe 58 percent to 42 percent in the April 3 election, Palm is preparing to serve his neighborhood in District 15 as alder for another two years.
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