The Clarke Hotel Removed From BID Dissolving Petition

Property owners who signed a petition to dissolve the Waukesha Business Improvement District have until Friday to remove their names from the petition or the process moves forward.

As of Thursday morning, officials with The Clarke Hotel removed the hotel property from the petition, according to Steve Crandell, community development director. But that isn’t enough to stop the process.

Without The Clarke Hotel on the petition, 58.7 percent of property owners remain on the petition to disband the BID. The petition was filed Feb. 5 after controversies and resignations plagued the board. The majority of the property owners in the downtown area signaled that they no longer wanted to be part of the special taxing district.

The BID has been in a state of upheaval for months — although some say problems have been occurring for years. After the former executive director resigned from her position citing bullying and a harassing work environment as the reason for her departure, the majority of the BID board resigned. After months of battling, the Common Council and the mayor finally came an agreement to appointment enough members and restore the board. 

The BID has existed since 1986. The Waukesha mayor appoints members to the Board of Directors, which are then approved by the Waukesha Common Council.

State statutes require the city to terminate its BID if property owners from more than 50 percent of the assessed value in the district petition to leave the district. The total property in the BID is assessed at $52.366 million, according to Crandell. Without The Clarke Hotel on the petition, property owners representing $30.715 million of the BID’s assessment remain on the petition.

Waukesha Common Council members and the BID board tried to salvage the BID by making legislation changes, however, it may be unsuccessful.