Check out the report here, as well as coverage from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Oak Creek Patch.

You’ll recall that the Public Policy Forum is also working on a study involving the potential consolidation of the South Milwaukee, Cudahy and St. Francis Fire Departments, as well as dispatch services. Work on those reports continues. The report on the potential dispatch consolidation is expected in July, while the report on the potential fire consolidation is expected in mid-fall.

I’ll keep you posted as the process continues.

The Oak Creek-Franklin-Hales Corners-Greenfield-Greendale study contains several potential options for consolidation, with some leading to significant cost savings. From the story:

Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners and Oak Creek could save $1 million annually in operating costs and about $4 million over the next five years in vehicle replacement costs if they formed one fire department, the report released Wednesday states.

The communities could save money if they stopped short of consolidation and shared some services, but the saving would not be as great, said Rob Henken, forum president.

For example, if the communities retained all five fire departments but operated under an “automatic aid agreement” in which the closest unit responds to a fire or EMS call regardless of municipal boundary, the municipalities potentially could save $3.35 million on vehicle replacement costs over five years. The report refers to this set up as an “operational consolidation.”

“Essentially, all calls would be treated as if it was a consolidated department, but still you would have five independent departments that would maintain their own personnel, their own personnel policies, their own equipment,” Henken said.

A third option, the report says, is to share some services, such as fire inspections, vehicle maintenance and training. This would produce efficiencies but probably not a lot of saving, Henken said.

As I’ve posted before, I’m certainly open to considering consolidation locally. But I want to be convinced we won’t be sacrificing service just to save money.

What do you think? Post your comments below!

The formal groundbreaking for the new Walmart on North Chicago Avenue has been set: It’s June 6. And, if all goes to plan, the store will open its doors in March of 2013. 

As you know, the City Council has granted several approvals of the project in the past 18 months, most recently approving borrowing and spending related to cleanup of the site in April. The land sale — including a city-owned parcel fronting Chicago Avenue and a private parcel west of it — closed that week.

The site has sat largely untouched since then as project developers awaited approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources related to demolition of the property west of what is now 11th Avenue. 

The groundbreaking starts at 9 a.m., and local government officials and representatives from Walmart and Randolph Construction, the project’s general contractor, are expected to attend. 

I’ll keep you posted as the project progresses. 

And you can learn more about the project in this one-pager.

There was a fatal motorcycle crash this afternoon on the border of South Milwaukee and Cudahy.

Our police and fire departments responded to the scene at Lake Drive and College Avenue, and another vehicle was involved.

I don’t have many other details beyond that, but I’ll keep you posted.

Here is the TMJ4 story.

• 31 Arrests, 11 Lakefront Arrests Over Memorial Day Weekend (620 WTMJ)
• Foreclosure Suit Targets Proposed Oak Creek Hotel Site (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• PHOTOS: Oak Creek Memorial Day Ceremony (Oak Creek Patch)
• Oak Creek Man Recalls His Fight Against Flesh-Eating Bacteria (TMJ4)
• Market Place Village Sprucing Things Up (Oak Creek Patch blog)
• Community Center Director Honored With Citizen Of The Year Award (Oak Creek Patch)

Kleppin, a senior at Western State College of Colorado, finished second in the women’s 10,000-meters at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday. She took fifth in the 5,000 meters on Saturday.

Check out coverage on the Western State website here. From it:

Kleppin finished as the national runner-up in the 10,000-meter run for the second time in her outdoor career for the eighth All-America title in her overall career. She finished in 34:56.86, less than two seconds behind champion Rachel Patterson from Grand Valley State.

Lauren was 10 seconds off the pace in the 5,000.

Here is Lauren’s bio. She finished third in the last two NCAA Division II Cross-Country Championships.

Congratulations, Lauren!

The route begins at Divine Mercy’s 13th Avenue parish (the old St. Mary’s) and continues south on 13th to Milwaukee Avenue, east to 10th Avenue, then north to Veterans Memorial Park, where a ceremony will be held.

The event is presented by the South Milwaukee Veterans Council, Inc., a corporation of the five chartered veteran units in South Milwaukee: the American Legion, American Veterans, Catholic War Veterans, Polish Legion of American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Thanks to all of those groups for holding this special event, and thanks to all of our veterans (and active duty soldiers). Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.

(One more note: I’ll be taking a few days off from blogging this Memorial Day weekend. Back on Monday!)

Check out the Oak Creek Patch story here.

And check out these headlines from around the South Shore:

• Two Hospitalized After Crash At Howell And Centennial (Oak Creek Patch)
• Crash In Front Of Piggly Wiggly Injures One (Oak Creek Patch)
• Teen Gets 25 Years For Role In Killing Of Pregnant Woman (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Dispatchers’ CPR Coaching Saves Lives When Every Minute Counts (National Public Radio)

Also, state Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report. The headline: “Remembering Wisconsin’s Veterans.”

And Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik recently put out a press release entitled “Strategic Plan Update: A Progress Report.” It includes criticism for the lack of progress with the county’s comprehensive facilities and space needs plan.

See the story here. From it:

Caterpillar has considered leasing about 25,000 square feet of space in the Liberty Corporate Preserve I building at 10050 S. 27th St., Oak Creek, said Neal Driscoll, vice president of leasing and development at Liberty Property Trust, which recently sold that building and most of its southeastern Wisconsin portfolio.

One source said Caterpillar was seeking space in Oak Creek to create a data center.

Another source said the company is considering plans to create a data center, an engineering technology center and a plant in southeastern Wisconsin. The company is expected to announce its plans by early June, that source said.

Of course, my hope is that growth comes in South Milwaukee, even if that sounds unlikely. I’ll keep you posted.

Voting at City Hall is open during normal city business hours through Friday, June 1, ahead of the June 5 recall election.

Learn more about voting in South Milwaukee — including checking out sample ballots — on the city website.

Absentee voting has been brisk, including in Oak Creek. I’ve been told it’s pretty busy in South Milwaukee too.

First, some good news.

• Opening night of the South Milwaukee Downtown Market went very well (and windy). Thanks to everyone who came out, and to Melinda Myers for her time. It’s going to be a great summer at the market … and we’re just getting started! Learn more about our website.
• Studio 915, the art gallery and atelier at 915 Milwaukee Ave., is hosting an artist reception for Jeff Sadowski from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 25. Along with the art on display, live music, wine, beer and food will be available. The studio is also holding a couples painting workshop on Wednesday, May 30. Learn more at the Studio 915 website.
• Nearby, the former bank-turned-B&B Trophy store is getting a new tenant: PJ’s Variety Store. PJ’s is moving from its current store at 1234 Milwaukee to the cool old building at 921 Milwaukee in the next few weeks, owner Tony Bloom tells me. Stay tuned.
• Across the street, it look like (judging by the sign) Hometown Sports Cards has opened in the building that also houses Sunrise Clothiers and other small shops at 916 Milwaukee Ave.
• Down the block at 1203 Milwaukee Ave., Tiny-Tanks Leather, a leather store, has replaced the skateboard shop that closed earlier this year. See the leather store Craigslist page here.

And now some bad news … Wild Flour Bakery has closed its retail storefront at 1205 Milwaukee Ave. — again. But there’s some good news here too: Wild Flour will be back at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market all summer.

So, what to make of all this? Not sure. Comings and goings are certainly part of every small retail district. And while I’m happy to see some of the empty storefronts get filled, there are still way too many vacancies in our city center. There’s lots of work to do.

And the uncertain future of Spirits doesn’t make things any easier.