South Milwaukee Blog

It’s a rather light agenda for Tuesday’s South Milwaukee Common Council meeting, but there are a few topics of note. They include discussion and action on three public works projects, two of which directly impact the 4th District:  Approval of the design and engineering contract for the planned widening of Pennsylvania/Nicholson from College to Rawson; Approval for [...]

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We’re making strong progress on two South Milwaukee, and 4th District, road projects. We discussed the two jobs – the rehabilitation of 15th Avenue and the widening of Pennsylvania/Nicholson, both from College Avenue south to Rawson – at Thursday night’s Public Works and Property meeting.  Here’s where we stand … 15th Avenue Bids will be open on [...]

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As someone who seldom misses a meal — check out the photo on the front page of this blog for evidence — I am lucky to live in South Milwaukee. The reason: Our city is full of great restaurants. You can add another one to the list: Paisano’s. The restaurant opened earlier this month at [...]

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There’s a lot going on in Oak Creek these days, and it’s not all good news. Here’s a sampling of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headlines from just the past few days. Oak Creek Council Fires City Administrator Oak Creek Coal Plant Ready to Roll Utility Aid Could give Oak Creek a $40 Million Opportunity I’m especially [...]

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South Milwaukee School District Superintendent David Ewald is retiring. He will leave at the end of the school year after 11 years on the job. From the posting on the school district’s website: In his letter to the School Board in which he sought his release into retirement, he describes himself as being blessed beyond [...]

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As I said in a previous post, I had the pleasure of attending last week’s press conference at Bucyrus International where Governor Jim Doyle joined business, labor and political leaders to announce the introduction of a bill to create a Southeastern Wisconsin regional transit authority. I called it “a new day” in the longstanding debate [...]

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Looking for an update on the upcoming improvements to Pennsylvania/Nicholson and 15th Avenue? Stop by the Public Works and Property Committee meeting next Thursday. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. On the agenda are more details on the 15th Avenue rehabilitation and Pennsylvania/Nicholson expansion projects, including more details on the project schedules and the city’s [...]

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The Milwaukee County Board’s Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee unanimously passed a resolution on Wednesday calling for a formal study of the Lake Parkway south to Ryan Road or beyond. South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki and South Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce President Bryan Lorentzen were among those who spoke in favor of the proposal [...]

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Here are some Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headlines you might be interested in. I especially want to keep my eyes on how effective the Cudahy business initiative is. There could be some lessons for South Milwaukee coming from our neighbor to the north … Oak Creek Loosens Alcohol License Rules; Cudahy Doesn’t Cudahy, Shorewood OK Aid to Businesses [...]

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First, it stopped at Layton Avenue. Now, Edgerton. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Lake Parkway extended all the way to Ryan Road, or even Racine County? That’s the subject of a resolution the Milwaukee County Transportation Committee will consider at a meeting on Wednesday.  The resolution, being introduced by Supervisor Pat Jursik, seeks County Board [...]

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Regional tranportation got a major lift on Tuesday, and it happened in South Milwaukee. Governor Jim Doyle joined the chief executives of Bucyrus International, Northwestern Mutual, Johnson Controls, SC Johnson, Roundy’s and AT&T to unveil legislation to create a Southeastern Wisconsin regional transit authority and, in doing so, fix our broken system of transportation funding [...]

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Tuesday’s South Milwaukee Common Council meeting promises to be a busy one. Among the items on the agenda: Several items from the Legislation and Permits Committee, at the request of Police Chief Ann Wellens. I’ve already written about the proposed business security camera mandate and a potential “sober server” ordinance. We’ll also be discussing increasing [...]

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I am a believer in tax incremental financing districts … if used properly. And the city’s decision in 2005 to move ahead with TIF #4 is an example of their value.    TIF #4, with a preliminary budget of $24 million, was formed to help Bucyrus in its renovation and expansion plans. It’s an investment [...]

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Should the city require retailers to install and maintain security cameras? Should bartenders be forced to stay sober while on the job? The Legislation & Permits Committee debated those two topics Tuesday night, at the request of South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens. We voted to move discussion to the full City Council at its next [...]

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The South Milwaukee Common Council will have a chance to weigh in on the Gateway Aerotropolis concept at its meeting on Tuesday, January 19. I hope the end result is a strong endorsement. The council will consider a resolution that declares the city’s support for the organization. It does not promise city funding for the group, [...]

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