“I want to make Milwaukee the kind of place you come to get an education, and then stay.”- 3rd District Ald. candidate Nicholas Kovac

In the wake of incumbent 3rd District Ald. Michael D’Amato announcing he will not seek re-election, a wide-open race for the position is heating up, with seven candidates vying for the job, as of Dec. 3.

The UWM Post had the opportunity to sit down with one of those candidates, Nicholas Kovac, recently to see where he stands on the issues and what he hopes to bring to the position.

Kovac, 30, is a Harvard graduate and has worked in New York and Milwaukee as a journalist, freelancing for Riverwest Currents and the Shepherd Express, and editing for papers in Queens and Brooklyn.

He said he feels his experience covering politics has given him insight into handling critical issues with constituents and will serve him well as an alderman.

“Good journalists and politicians do a lot of the same things in terms of getting multiple sides of a story and trying to find some sort of agreement. I want to focus on the things that we can agree on and go from there,” said Kovac.

The 3rd District represents a vibrant and diverse area of the city, and an area that has experienced some friction among its constituents, especially near campus where students and residents have tried to co-exist. Kovac said he hopes to help mend those fences.

“I want to set a tone of cooperation, and I don’t want to make community disputes worse,” said Kovac.

He added that he supports the Neighborhood Liaison program at UWM, stating that “we could use five Oscar Perezes.”

A source of dispute within the community has clearly resulted from the parking situation in the district, especially around the campus area. Kovac said he believes parking regulations need to have a bit of wiggle room, and may need to take a second look at how strictly they are enforced.

“Parking regulations need to regulate parking, they shouldn’t be for generating revenue,” said Kovac. “You need to be judicious in how you enforce the regulations,” he added, stating that towing in the district is “ridiculous.”

Kovac added that Residential Preferred Parking (RPP) has not been given enough time to properly address its effectiveness, or if it needs tweaking. He added that the identification requirement needs to be changed.

The current policy requires a current address on a form of ID in order for someone to receive an RPP permit, something most students lack. Kovac believes a utility bill should be sufficient.

In terms of district development, Kovac is for planning and expansion, whether it be on Downer Avenue or in Riverwest. However, he worries that much of the planning has been executed with a short-term focus and with a lack of community involvement.

“Development needs to work in tandem with what is already there. We need to engage greater community involvement,” said Kovac.

He spoke of expanding in ways that will be sustainable and fit into the framework of the district, keeping a patchwork of residential, commercial and open spaces.

Ultimately, Kovac said he believes the district is in need of a change, and that his unique and varied background and commitment to the community qualify him for the position.

“I want to make Milwaukee the kind of place you come to get an education, and then stay.”

The 3rd District primary will take place Feb. 19, 2008.

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