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Student Council approves website to rate landlords
ASM agrees to fund Internet database for ill-equipped renters
JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo
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The Associated Students of Madison Student Council agreed Wednesday to fund and oversee the creation of a tenant-rating website.
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, the co-creator of the tenant website, said the website hopes to be an objective source of information for students looking to lease in the Madison campus area.
“It’s important to address the numerous concerns and issues that students have with landlords on campus,” Judge said. “By creating an impartial process where civil debate and accurate information can be released for students and property owners alike, this website will become a permanent, separate entity to serve both parties’ best interests and make the leasing process more transparent.”
Judge went on to say students and landlords alike are excited about the website.
UW seniors Scott Resnick and David Lapidus also contributed to the site’s production, and they said as an indirect benefit, they anticipate promoting small landlords who have great relationships with their tenants and don’t have the money to advertise in the way more prominent property owners do.
“Good property owners are excited, and bad property owners are terrified,” Judge said.
Resnick, Lapidus and Judge said the site should be up and running by next fall, just in time for students looking to lease for the beginning of the following year.
ASM representative Chynna Haas agreed with ASM’s decision to fund the site, stating it would not only give students access to their rights as tenants but also protect their rights.
“Students are stressed in the classroom. When they get home, to the place where one hopes to relax, the last thing they want to do is deal with a bad landlord and even more stress,” said ASM representative Johnny Tacket.
ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand said ASM will institute and oversee the website by appointing members to a board of directors. Wiegand also approved funding for the initial development and design for the initiative.
Debate was initiated over the restructuring of ASM’s bylaws within the current constitution after the recent failed proposal for a new document altogether. The proposal for a Bylaws Committee was not passed.
“The Bylaws Committee would be an ad hoc committee, not a standing committee and would be created to ensure reform of ASM is representative of the views and interest of the student body,” Haas said.
Haas, a proponent of the creation of the committee, said the student body would have the right to run for committee seats.
Haas added they would be responsible for proposing specific recommendations and revisions for the bylaws to ASM Student Council to review.
“When an organization is struggling with their mission, you need to go back to the students and back to the original mission and vision,” said Dakota Kaiser, ASM Letters and Science representative in opposition to the committee. “We have strayed from what students want us to do, and the creation of a Bylaws Committee is not the answer, it doesn’t fix the problem.”
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IP hash: 79388cc9
Why does the Herald treat Chynna Haas as if she is the darling of ASM? Did Kyle Szarzynski write this?
Wait…I think Chynna just sneezed, shouldn’t someone be reporting that?
IP hash: 88e35757
RE: the picture
Property Rating websites, keepin it real son.
IP hash: b53e929d
As a landlord, I see the idea of a rating website as a good idea. I think that it would be most beneficial as a source of information to rate not only landlords on the proposed site, but tenants as well. That way, bad landlords and tenants would be revealed, and excellent landlords and tenants would be recognized, making the entire landlord shopping and tenant screening process easier, quicker, and less of a hassle for all.
My concern would be what process would be created to respond to a poor comment/rating from a tenant. Also, what would the process be for removing a false comment/rating/claim by a tenant? Would the individuals that would submit ratings be anonymous? If the users are anonymous and there is no process to respond to a claim, problems could arise.
IP hash: c7e92dd8
Eli Judge and Scott Resnick from Hardin Design and Development: excellent work guys!
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“Anonymous (March 5, 2009 @ 8:13am)”
Hi Anonymous,
Please email me at lapidus@wisc.edu. I would like to speak with you about your ideas, since we want as much input as possible in designing the site.
Best,
David Lapidus
IP hash: bdb5dc59
Hi anonymous,
There are several measures we have discussed to protect property managers from inaccurate comments and system abuses.
The system can automatically email you of any new or recent posts. This will allow you to monitor your rating and report abuses almost immediately. The goal here is to ‘keep you in the loop’ to avoid problems down the line.
A system of IP detection will also be implemented on the website. While the system will allow anonymous comments, this will protect property managers from being harassing by a current or previous tenant.
There will be a mechanism for reporting abuses to the system - both for property managers and users. Posts can be suspended and deleted, if necessary. We are still drafting formal rules and regulations to ensure accurate ratings. Before they are finalized, there will be an open listening session and you are more than welcome to attend.
If you have any further concerns or have other suggestions (even better!), feel free to shoot myself, David or Eli an email.
Scott Resnick sjresnick@wisc.edu
IP hash: ac17802e
I think the fact that ASM funded what was clearly a pet project of Eli Judge raises some interesting questions. Especially since no information was provided to ASM about the firm with whom they just created a long term agreement with. Something seemed strange and fishy with the whole agreement, but after all I guess that does seem to be ASM’s style these days.
I’m also unhappy that the BH didn’t make any mention of the outrageous rhetoric that was sent back and forth at the council meeting concerning the Bylaw revision committee proposal. Hillary Minor’s rant about GSSF groups was so ridiculous and showed the true nature of ASM’s commitment to reform. There were so many comments thrown around last night that were incendiary towards student orgs and all in all just arrogant; I would like to see the BH just publish some of them straight.
IP hash: c7e92dd8
You call it a “pet project” I call it doing what he said he would during a campaign. This isn’t Soviet Russia, Judge and Resnick have bent over backwards to provide any and all information to all those who submit a request. Email them. This isn’t shady. Something makes me think you’re angry Eli Judge is a popular Alder who gets real results. If you were really “concerned” you’d simply say, “Hey Eli, I have some questions”. Because he’s quite possibly the most accessible student on campus you could easily reach him.
But I know you don’t care, Mr. Troll, and you’re just a hack. What is your name. Come out with it already. Let people contact you. Then you’ll be taken seriously. But, it’s pretty clear who you are. Sorry about your failed attempt to run a website and bring down Judge.
IP hash: c7e92dd8
Also: it’s a non-profit venture. Nobody makes any money off of this. Not that you’d care because you’re just a hack who never took a split second to research the project.