Thursday, January 18: Free Community Dinner, 5 p.m., First Congregational United Church of Christ. Third Thursday of every month. Details
Friday, January 19: “Going Gershwin: Ryan & Ryan,” 7:30 p.m., South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Details
Saturday, January 20: South Milwaukee Rockets Wrestling Booster Club Casino Night, 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus. Details
Friday and Saturday, January 19-20: Winter Gallery Night 2024. Celebrate the opening of “Wine About Winter” at Rosenquist Fine Art, 1805 10th Avenue. Activities start with an Opening Night reception at 6 p.m. on Friday. Details
Thursday, January 25: South Milwaukee Library Friends Social, 6-7 p.m., South Milwaukee Library. Details
Update (1/12): They have added a new computer lab, too.
Check out their full list of upcoming events and activities here, and here are details on two favorites — a social on January 25 and Black History Month celebration on February 10.
Also, visit the blog’s Events page for a more comprehensive list of local events.
Details on the lab from Library Director Tristan Boswell …
There are 4 computers and 1 laptop.
All of the computers have access to Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
1 desktop computer has access to a high-quality scanner and software. This is a great setup for digitizing photos, converting paper records to images, and more.
All of the computers have access to different web browsers including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Any free user version software available out there (Google products, Adobe, etc) can be accessed through the internet.
New programs cannot be downloaded on the computer. If there is a request from the community for a specific software we would definitely consider it.
It was quite a night for South Milwaukee small businesses at the Shepherd Express “Best of 2023” awards on Tuesday. The final tally: Five winners! That includes three for Moran’s Pub.
Here is the list of locally owned businesses that won their categories …
Also, we had plenty of local “Best of” finalists: Avenue Coffeehouse (Coffee Shop), Immortal Toys and Collectables (Comic Book Store), South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats (Sausage, Bratwurst/Sausage, Butcher Shop/Meat Selection/Home Cooking Meal Kits, Hot Ham & Rolls), Bakehouse 23 (Bakery, Cupcakes), and Irish Pub (Moran’s).
Effective January 1, 2024, the City of South Milwaukee has a new recycling provider. Call John’s Disposal Service at (262) 473-4700 with questions or service requests.
Pickup starts as early as 7 am. The schedule will remain the same with the new provider.
The spring 2024 election ballot is taking shape, as voters head to the polls on April 2 to elect members of the South Milwaukee Common Council and School Board (among other races).
Here is a look at the local races.
South Milwaukee Common Council
All eight alderpersons are up for re-election, and all but longtime Alderman Ray Navarro are running for new three-year terms. Here is a breakdown by district of who will appear on the ballot:
First District: Brett Briesemeister, Craig Maass (both incumbents)
Second District: Tim Backes (incumbent), Scott Baitinger, Michal Olechowski, Erin Seel
Third District: Joe Bukowski, Lisa Pieper (both incumbents)
Fourth District: David Bartoshevich (incumbent), Ryan Breaker, Peggy Clark (incumbent)
South Milwaukee School Board
Two board seats are up in 2024, and incumbent Jon Shelenske has told the South Milwaukee School District he will not be running for a new three-year term. Here is who will be on the ballot, as voters vote for up to two individuals:
Angie DeFord (incumbent)
Brian Genduso
Matthew Scales
Andy Simmons
Thanks to Sandi and Jessica Hess, executive assistant with the school district, for the information.
South Milwaukee Alderman Tim Backes has graciously volunteered to write regular updates for the blog.
You can see his latest installment here, sharing information on a broad array of topics, including information on consolidation of our police and fire dispatch efforts.
Thanks, Tim, for bringing this idea to the blog! I am always looking for content to further our mission of keeping South Milwaukeeans informed on key issues, while also providing important context and depth where possible. It is why I started this blog as an alderman in 2009, and why I continue it today.
The South Milwaukee Common Council approved the city’s 2024 operating budget on November 21, and it is reflected in tax bills that have hit mailboxes in the last couple of weeks.
I asked City Administrator Patrick Brever for a few additional details, and here is his response …
For the 3.34% increase in the levy, approximately 90% ($381,483) can be attributed to debt service. These are the City’s payments for borrowings for the capital improvement and project budgets.
The increase in public safety can largely be attributed to the paramedic fund being moved over to the general fund. On page 1 of the budget pages, you’ll see that the paramedic fund now shows $0 for 2024. Paramedics are now reflected in the public safety budget.
The conservation and development budget includes funding for an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan as well as a rewrite of the zoning chapter of the municipal code. Per WI statute, we are required to update the comprehensive plan every 10 years. The City’s zoning code has not been updated since the early 1990s.
I also asked about revenues …
The City received an additional $746,000 through the supplemental shared revenue approved with the Act 12 local government funding.
With moving paramedic expenses to the general fund, ambulance charges have moved over as well. This resulted in $600,000 moving to the general fund.
Based on recent interest collected on investments, we are forecasting a 73% increase in 2024 to $225,000.
Today, Rocket, a one-year old Dutch Shepherd, the K9 was sworn in as our latest officer. All of Rocket’s needs, costs and training are covered by private donations.
I love to see the Bucyrus Foundation grant funds continue to be leveraged in support of economic development. Those types of investments were a foundational piece of the agreement.
The latest example: A new business retention and expansion program, announced recently.
The South Milwaukee Common Council is proud to announce the launch of a Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program, an initiative aimed at fostering economic resilience and growth within the community.
South Milwaukee is committed to supporting our local businesses, driving job creation, and fortifying the economic foundations of the City. The program’s goal is to recognize the City’s businesses, connect them with resources, generate data to influence policy making, and work to ensure that South Milwaukee businesses stay and grow in South Milwaukee.
The S.M.ALL Business Program will officially kick-off in January 2024.The program includes celebrating milestone anniversaries for South Milwaukee businesses, the awarding of business retention grants, annual business awards, a monthly business newsletter, regular business surveys, and more.
South Milwaukee’s ongoing partnership with the Bucyrus Foundation now includes a $5,000 pilot program to help existing businesses stick around and expand.
That money is supporting new façade improvement, mural, business attraction and interior renovation grants. The latest addition is the $5,000 Business Retention and Expansion program that next year will award grants of $500 to three businesses along with other support, such as a consultation with DBHW Wealth Partners, which in 2021 completed a 12,000-square-foot expansion by renovating two South Milwaukee buildings.
“We’re looking at what we can do to retain (businesses) and what we can do to help them grow,” said Patrick Brever, city administrator and economic development director. “We’re trying to diversify efforts as much as we can, especially with these Bucyrus funds.”
The retention and expansion program could grow in the future after this first round of funding, Brever said. The city in the first quarter of 2024 will distribute a survey to local businesses, and those that respond will participate in a raffle to receive the grants or other support.
In November 2023, the South Milwaukee Water Utility was awarded funding in 2024 for Lead Service Line replacements. The funding amount of $2,258,500.00, a mix of low-interest loans and grant funding, will be utilized to replace properties that had been identified as having a lead service line during a recent inventory done by the South Milwaukee Water Utility.
Currently, there are 1,708 known lead service lines within South Milwaukee.
The South Milwaukee Water Utility has been working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for private Lead Service Replacement funding, and based on census tract data from the United States Census Bureau, 6 of our 7 census tract segments are eligible for different grant amounts (between 75% and 25%). The City of South Milwaukee will also be using federal grant funds to cover an additional 25% (limited to $2,000) to those property owners in census tracts that only qualify for 25% from the DNR’s funding report.
The remaining balance on the private side lead service line replacement will be placed on a 10-year special assessment at an interest rate of 0.25% and paid annually on the property real estate tax bill.
In 2024, the lead service line replacements will be prioritized to the road repair projects scheduled on Park Ave., between N. Chicago Ave. and Lake Dr.; and 13th Avenue between Drexel Blvd and Rawson Ave. These projects are scheduled to begin in Spring 2024.
In early December 2023, the South Milwaukee Water Utility will be going out for public bid, and any property owners in line for replacement must be notified at least 45 days in advance of a scheduled lead service replacement.
For additional questions regarding the upcoming Lead Service Replacement program, please contact the South Milwaukee Water Utility at 414-768-8070 or WaterUtilityDept@smwi.org.
Additional information:
For 2025, the South Milwaukee Water Utility has requested over $7,000,000 for replacement funding for lead service line replacements.
More details on the event, set for 4 to 7 p.m. on December 6 at the Bucyrus Club, here.
I first met Ben when I was mayor, and I’m excited to see his vision and years of work paying off with the release of this book — one that will memorialize an important (and often untold) part of South Milwaukee’s history story. Congratulations, Ben!
After nearly 30 years of research, three authors ― including a local tile-maker ― are releasing a new book that tells the story of one Belgian immigrant and his connection to a South Milwaukee-based tile company working to stay in business through the middle of the 20th century.
The book, titled “Carl Bergmans and the Continental Faience & Tile Co.,” will make its debut during a special event from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Bucyrus Club, 1919 12th Ave., South Milwaukee. It will sell for $60.
Continental Faience and Tile Company operated in South Milwaukee from 1925 to 1943, according to Tyjeski. Tiles made there can be found throughout Wisconsin and in buildings in Minnesota, Ohio and Florida, he said.
The 272-page hardcover book covers the company’s history along with the life of Belgian immigrant Carl Bergmans, who Tyjeski said kept the business going through the difficult years when many tile companies were closing.
It contains 1,200 color photos and 75 black-and-white pictures documenting many tile designs, the factory itself and more. The narrative portion contains comments from Bergmans’ own letters ― including some to famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
After the company revamped the factory to produce pottery during its last few years in operation, the business closed in 1943 due to a worker shortage caused by World War II, Tyjeski said. The building at 909 Menomonee Ave. was torn down in 2008.
For those who can’t attend the launch event, the book will be available for purchase at the Bucyrus Museum, at Historic Milwaukee, Inc. in downtown Milwaukee, and at the Urban Milwaukee store.
Also, the South Milwaukee Historical Society also put together a display in one of the cases at the Bucyrus Club to go with the book launch. Check it out!
During the period from December 1st to March 31st, no person shall park a vehicle on any street in the city of South Milwaukee between the hours of 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM.
However, vehicles may be parked during such hours if a permit is obtained from the Police Department after the filing of an application and the payment of $30.00 per month permit fee, $20.00 if obtained after the 15th of the month, or $100.00 for a 4-month permit. Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Excluding Holidays and Holidays observed (November 24 – 25; December 23 – 26; December 30- January 2)
Any vehicle parked according to (1) or (2) above shall only be permitted to park on the EVEN numbered side of the street on those nights when the calendar date before midnight is even (N and W sides of the street are even) and on the ODD side of the street on those nights when the calendar date before midnight is odd (S and E sides of the street are odd), *Where parking is normally permitted only on one side of the street this section (3) shall not apply.
SNOW EMERGENCY DECLARED The Mayor, if after consulting with the Street Department, finds that due to snow, sleet, or freezing rain, the street must be plowed or salted, may declare a SNOW EMERGENCY, which will prohibit parking on any of the Arterial Streets as named in Section 28.12 of the Municipal Code. Whenever such an emergency is declared, which will be announced on at least (3) radio stations (WTMJ, WISN,WOKY), it shall be unlawful to park any vehicle between the hours of 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM inclusive, or any of the Arterial Streets as mentioned above.
South Milwaukee Alderman Tim Backes has graciously volunteered to write regular updates for the blog.
You can see his latest installment here, sharing information on a broad array of topics, including updates on lead water pipe replacement.
Thanks, Tim, for bringing this idea to the blog! I am always looking for content to further our mission of keeping South Milwaukeeans informed on key issues, while also providing important context and depth where possible. It is why I started this blog as an alderman in 2009, and why I continue it today.
It’s Da Crusher, of course! Shot the night of Crusherfest, as we unveiled this statue to the world. Do you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog? Send it along.
South Milwaukee Blog 