Quick Update from Tuesday’s Council Meeting

The South Milwaukee Common Council had a full agenda Tuesday night, and we got a lot done. Here’s a summary of some of the key votes …

• Police and fire contracts. The council approved 8-0 the labor agreements with the South Milwaukee Professional Police Association Local 201 (pending its ratification) and the South Firefighters Protective Association Local 1633 (which has already been ratified). The two-year contracts are similar, as they call for no pay raises for 2010 and 2 percent raises effective January 1, 2011. They also call for $10 increases (for both 2010 and 2011) in what union members will pay for their health insurance each month, among other provisions.
• Sewer rates. The council approved a rate increase that will ultimately mean an additional $16 annually on the sewer bill of an average user in 2010. It passed 8-0. You can read this post to learn more about why I supported the increase. And keep this in mind: Even with the increase, our sewer rates are among the lowest of all Milwaukee-area communities, according to an independent 2008 rate study. The council also voted to allow the wastewater plant to charge the city’s water utility for treating its backwash water, the first time this will happen. The charge will be phased in over time and in the end not affect the size of your combined sewer and water bill … so I’m not going to discuss the intricacies here.
• Street projects. The council voted 8-0 on plans to be submitted to the state regarding 15th Avenue improvements from Rawson to College. I’ve posted on this topic several times already, but the biggest changes (and safety improvements) we agreed to include the addition of medians, left-turn restrictions and widening at Cherry, Walnut and Beech. This is in addition to full resurfacing of the travel lanes on 15th, spot resurfacing of the parking lanes and spot replacement of curb and gutter. Work, to be funded with federal stimulus money, will be done in phases beginning next summer. I’ll keep you posted on project timelines. … The council also voted to seek state funding for resurfacing of 12th Avenue north of Milwaukee. I would have rather seen the money go toward 11th Avenue, reflecting the need for improvements to the street that houses the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, and I initially voted as such. In the end, I’m hoping both projects get done. Both are worthwhile … and needed.

Here is a Journal Sentinel story about the meeting.