Investing In Our Services And Infrastructure

It was a busy South Milwaukee City Council meeting Tuesday night, with the annual police department awards topping the agenda.

More on those awards in a separate post.

For now, I want to call out a few items that passed showing the city’s continued commitment to invest in our infrastructure.

• First, the council gave final passage to significant changes to our urban forestry ordinance, 6-1. Key details were contained in my previous post, although the final version passed Tuesday does include a change making the idea of care for more than 5,o00 “street trees” more of a partnership with property owners than the sole responsibility of the city. But the spirit of the ordinance is the same — the city is taking a much more active role in maintaining our urban forest, including removal of dead or dying trees in the right of way and pruning. As I’ve said, I hope this is a good first step toward a broader urban forestry effort, and it’s the right thing to do. The city should play an active role in maintaining (and enhancing) its urban forest, and we’re now in the game, as we offer a new service for taxpayers that I hope residents embrace.
• The council also approved spending for engineering services for the looming reconstruction of 17th Avenue between Rawson and Milwaukee. It’s likely going to be a late-season project — and one badly needed.
• Alderpersons also voted to fund a study into storm sewer relief for the neighborhood south of City Hall, between 16th and 17th Avenues, Mackinac to Marshall. This is an area hit particularly hard by the 2008 and 2010 floods, and this study will look at ways we can address issues in that neighborhood long term … the latest example of investments the city has made to reduce the risk of major flooding.

I’ll keep you posted as these projects evolve.