Recapping Tuesday’s Council Meeting

Rounding up the City Council meeting Tuesday night …

• The council voted to approve submittal of an application to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for a “Ready for Reuse” brownfield grant. This grant would help fund cleanup of the former tannery property on North Chicago Avenue where Walmart wants to build. Learn more about the program here.
• We also voted to approve cancellation of the contract with Breakaway Event Productions for an International Cycling Classic event in South Milwaukee this summer. In other words, no downtown bike race, like last year. This is the last year of the three-year contract we signed with the race promoters — with the easy “out” language, thankfully.
• The council unanimously approved combining the Water and Wastewater Commissions into a single, seven-member Water/Wastewater Commission. This approach will give the council more line of sight to the operations of both utilities — without micromanaging — and also help ensure a more a unified approach as the city tackles some of the major water and sewer infrastructure projects we’re facing in coming years.
• The council also approved conditional use permits for an auto repair business at 2201 12th Ave.; for construction of a 2,940 equipment storage building (plus a second addition down the road) for EK Construction at 1113 Montana Ave.; and for a shared commercial kitchen, craft fair, indoor farmers’ market and restaurant planned for the former Zion Lutheran/Calvary Academy property at 2200 9th Ave.
• The council also voted to cancel its Jan. 3 meeting due to the holidays. It will meet on Dec. 20 and then not again until Jan. 17.