Lots on the agenda, and lots accomplished, at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. I already wrote about the passage of funding for a development of Caterpillar redevelopment strategies. Among other news …
- We honored a local hero — Fire Capt. Glen McCoy — for a recent award.
- The council voted to create a new Adopt-a-Tree program, where we’ll be partnering with property owners to plant up to 50 trees this summer, starting in neighborhoods where we’ve removed trees in the past three years. This Beautification Committee initiative is the latest example of how we’re stepping up our game in urban forestry. Look for more details in a future blog post.
- The council also voted to get a head start on spring construction projects, agreeing to advertise for bids for 2017 road construction projects on Southtowne Court, Drive and Place, as well as Montana Avenue (Fifth to Ninth Avenues).
- The council also approved additional study of — and the development of guidelines we can use in allowing them — around pedlets, a cool outdoor dining option popularized in West Allis and other communities. Two Milwaukee Avenue businesses are exploring the concept. West Allis is an innovator with pedlets, a modified version of the more common parklet.
- We became the first community to adopt the aerotropolis redevelopment plan — another example of our city’s commitment to a regional approach to economic development. Check out the press release here, and here is Business Journal coverage.
- We also passed a resolution endorsing the League of Municipalities efforts against “dark stores,” an unreasonable effort by some big-box retailers to reduce their assessments. Read the resolution for some real-world — and hard-to-comprehend — examples from across the state that legislation could prevent.
South Milwaukee Blog 
We are just a bit confused with the Adopt-a-Tree program. We are encouraged not to rake leaves in the fall to the curb as the city needs to truck them to locations that except the leaves. I understood that it has been a problem with locating places that will take them. Why would the city encourage to plant more? Our yard can not except anymore leaves. We mulch them but even our yard over time is showing that mulch is building up in our lawns. Many of the neighbors don’t rake because of not knowing when the city will come to pick them up. If we rake to early they just blow all over.