Author Archives: Erik Brooks

Our city’s efforts at bird conversation are taking flight, led by some truly dedicated bird enthusiasts who are doing great work in this important area.

The Friends of Grant Park are leading the way — and have been rewarded for it by the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.

From their newsletter …

The group recently was honored with the Noel J. Cutright Conservation Award, formerly the Green Passenger Pigeon Award. The award was initiated in 2005 and renamed in 2014 to honor one of Wisconsin’s premier bird conservationists. It recognizes outstanding contributions to bird conservation in Wisconsin.  Recipients may be an individual/group/organization working on behalf of endangered, threatened, and/or common species; promoting the establishment, management, and protection of bird habitat; and educating the public on bird conservation issues.

The Friends bring that criteria to life. From their newsletter …

This year’s award will go to the Friends of Grant Park (FOGP), the South Milwaukee organization dedicated to preserving the natural areas of Grant Park, encouraging use of the park and providing a mechanism for private contributions to supplement public funding. Because of the group’s efforts, Grant Park, on the shore of Lake Michigan in southern Milwaukee County, has become a birding hot spot. Noel Cutright, the late two-time president of WSO, initiated Grant Park’s spring warbler walks in 2005. The walks continue each Sunday from the end of April through the end of May. They attract birders and non-birders alike and therefore have sparked an interest in many for birding and bird conservation.

FOGP also coordinates “weed-outs”, burdock removal and park trash cleanups. It established rain gardens throughout the park using native plants and manages a bluebird trail at the Grant Park golf course. Members conduct a “Trek or Treat” to help families appreciate natural areas. FOGP members have been a great partner in bird conservation and good environmental practices, contributing to South Milwaukee earning a Bird City Wisconsin designation in 2017.

The Friends will be honored at the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology annual convention May 19 in Green Lake. It’s a richly deserved honor for a group that is tireless in its work in keeping this community icon something future generations can cherish and enjoy. Congratulations!

We continue to make strides — and investments — in South Milwaukee’s urban forestry program. We have to, now and in the future.

Here is what’s happening this spring …

• Adopt a Tree: We are bringing this Beautification Committee program back for a second year, planting 50 more trees in areas where trees were recently removed due to disease, age or road projects. We are sending letters to 239 impacted residents who had trees removed and stumps ground in 2017, asking if they would like a new tree — and asking them to pledge to care for it. The fee is $100 for each participant, with the city paying the remaining cost. We sold out of trees last year, and I expect we will do the same in 2018.
•  Arbor Day celebrations: Our Street Department will continue to partner with our local elementary schools in 2018, holding Arbor Day events at each school in the next couple of months. Trees are planted at each school, and kids learn about the value of a strong urban forest, and tree planting, from our Street superintendent. They also go home with free saplings.
• Tree removals: The city continues to fund removal of  dead, dying, or diseased trees in the public right of way, especially those impacted by emerald ash borer. Between 2014 and November of 2017, the city has removed approximately 675 trees from the right of way, including 480 ash trees, with more to do.

We are also moving forestry supervision to the Street Department, bringing it closer to the people tasked with caring for our urban forest every day. This is transition is ongoing.

Of course, this is just the start.

We have to continue to invest in this work, and will, moving closer to creating an urban forestry infrastructure sustainable for the long term … one tree at a time.

We owe it to you, our taxpayers, to always explore better ways of doing things, driving efficiency while (hopefully) delivering better quality services at a lower cost.

That’s why I love shining a light on success stories like this. Pun intended.

Here is a video summary of the recently completed project to convert the city’s municipal building lighting to LED technology.

From a story in Commercial Architecture magazine …

Municipalities throughout the country are upgrading to LED luminaires to promote efficiency, reduce waste, conserve resources, lessen overall environmental impact, and support the health and safety of employees and residents.

About three years ago, City of South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks asked Jim Shelenske, South Milwaukee city clerk to head up a citywide effort to convert the city’s municipal building lighting to LED technology.

Shelenske’s initial effort was to improve lighting in the City Hall rear parking lot where police cars are parked in the open. The successful parking-lot project was followed by a recently completed conversion of all of the city’s municipal building lighting to LED fixtures. The upgrades included interior and exterior spaces at seven locations with energy-efficient replacements that are on track to deliver a return on investment in as little as 1 1/2 yr.

Facilities that received lighting upgrades include the city’s wastewater and water departments, city hall, self-deposit station, public library, fire, and streets departments. … The completed city-wide projects achieved consistently longer maintained light levels and significantly reduced costs in energy use and labor maintenance. The benefits of improved light levels, lighting quality, and overall safer environments that have resulted from LED technology will benefit the City of South Milwaukee for years to come and likely in ways not yet realized.

Thank you to Jim, Jason Boswell in City Hall maintenance, and all of our department heads and their teams for getting behind this initiative. We won’t stop here in using technology like this to become better at what we do, and how we do it.

We’ll always do what it takes to make our future brighter. Literally.

Update: Growing South Milwaukee tells me the community garden groundbreaking has been cancelled. More details to come on a new date.

A few examples of why I’m so excited for the future in South Milwaukee …

Join us as we celebrate small business and community in coming weeks! And this is only the start …

• This Friday, April 13: South Shore Family Chiropractic and South Milwaukee Family Dental ribbon cutting. Check out their beautiful new facility at 1113 College Ave., and while you’re there be sure to thank Dr. Steven for choosing to stay, grow and invest in South Milwaukee. 12:30 p.m. Details here.
• This Friday, April 13: C3 Designs celebration event. Not quite a ribbon cutting, but there will be a red carpet! Celebrate our local jeweler’s recent national award from the Jewelers of America. 5 to 8 p.m. at 2110 10th Ave. Details here.
• Saturday, April 22: Growing South Milwaukee Community Garden groundbreaking. Stop by and help this group of volunteers celebrate a new downtown community garden, south of the train station. 1 p.m. Details here. It’s a transformational project, which you can see in this video. Wow!
• Saturday, May 5: Gecko Leatherworks ribbon cutting. Come check out John Jarmuskiewicz’s terrific new small business, full of handmade items. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 916 Milwaukee Ave. Details here.
• Friday, May 18: Betty Ferchoff tells me Ferch’s Beachside opens for the season at Grant Park Beach on May 18, with weekend hours to start. Stay tuned for details.

Also coming in early May: Openings for Milwaukee Sausage Co., 1200 Milwaukee Ave.; and Katrina’s Vintage Shop, the former Green Flag Racing NASCAR store at 1218 Milwaukee Ave. I stopped into both businesses on Saturday to check out their progress and found lots of work going on — things are looking great! More to come …

The South Milwaukee Fire Department has filed its 2017 annual report.

Please take a look at it for a glimpse of what services the SMFD provides to the citizens who live, work, visit, or invest in our community.

From the introductory letter from Chief Knitter …

The changing face of our community and the increasing demand for our services keeps us continuously challenging ourselves to find new and creative ways to serve the public.

Our overall call volume decreased slightly during 2017 in comparison to 2016, with the decrease most probably attributed to an increased effort to refer frequent, non-emergent, users of our ambulance service to the South Milwaukee Health Department (SMHD). The SMHD does a fabulous job interacting with these patients and guiding them towards whatever solution is necessary to keep them from utilizing the ambulance service for nonemergent conditions. Unfortunately, we did see a 39% increase in building fire responses in 2017 resulting in a significant increase in dollar loss associated with these fires. No one identifiable behavior or cause can be used to explain this spike.

I am proud to announce several distinguished awards presented to our department during 2017. First, Captain Glen McCoy, our Department Training Officer, was honored as the Instructor of the Year by the Wisconsin Society of Emergency Service Instructors. Additionally, our department was awarded the Safety Leadership Award by the Wisconsin State Fire Chief’s Association for our Firefighters Addressing Cancer Exposure (FACE) Program. This program has served as a model set of best practices to many departments across the state and the country and continues to be a work in progress for us as we try very hard to make an inherently dangerous occupation safer. 

In closing, the South Milwaukee Fire Department will continue to answer the call 24/7/365 and maintain its high level of service delivery as we respond to the needs of the community as an all-hazard, all-risk department. Our focus will remain on community involvement, risk reduction, fire prevention, public education, and delivering timely, professional, effective, and efficient service.

Thanks for your service and dedication!

You may recall that 11 advanced level students from Mount Mary University are making redesigning and rethinking our city center their class project, focused on vacant buildings.

They’re making strong progress.

See for yourself this Monday, April 9. Students will display their early work — including design images and floor plans — starting at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall. Presentations should be done by 11 a.m.

Feedback is welcome on their early work, with their final presentation coming in May. More details on the effort here.

Thanks to these students for being part of the solution for downtown South Milwaukee, and please stop by on Monday!

Wrestlers, comedians and some terrific musicians. All in less than 48 hours. It’s why I love the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center!

Here is a look at their upcoming schedule …

• Friday, April 6: Legends Roundtable: The Life and The Legend of ‘Da Crusher Lives On. 7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 7: St. Matthew Oak Creek presents John McGivern. 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, April 8: Knightwind Spring Concert. 3 p.m.
• Friday, April 13: 4 Guyz in Dinner Jackets: Now in Technicolor. 7:30 p.m.

And mark your calendars for the SMPAC’s May 23 Season Preview Party, two exciting new shows announced this week, presented by ACG …

• Oct. 26: Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary
• Oct. 27: Bruce Cockburn

Details on all shows here.

The Milwaukee County Traveling Beer Garden is returning to Grant Park this year: June 27-July 15 at Picnic Area 5 and the Brown Pavilion. Also planned for the South Milwaukee stop are a 5K and painting and wood project event.

Details were announced today.

From the Milwaukee County Parks Facebook page …

There are two seasons in Milwaukee, winter and Beer Garden season – and we can all agree, we’ve had enough of winter.

Beergardening season begins in April with the opening of South Shore Terrace Beer Garden, and will move into top gear on May 16 with the return of the Traveling Beer Gardens.

The two, simultaneously running, tours will travel to fourteen stops in Milwaukee County parks in 2018, and this year they’ll feature a few exciting changes – including the ability to take credit cards. Other new features include:

New Roll Out the Barrel format
New format for the Roll Out the Barrel tour – this year each stop will be for three weeks, which allows for the addition of a fifth stop. The Roll Out the Barrel tour will end at Juneau Park on Labor Day weekend – during the Harley Davidson 115th Anniversary

New Food Partnership with Iron Grate BBQ
Beer garden favorites including pretzels, bratwurst and Polish sausage will be available every night, and on opening nights, special events, and weekends throughout the summer, the Iron Grate BBQ food truck will also visit the beer gardens.

New ‘Oak Leaf’ Flight
Our exclusive beer partner, Sprecher, offers an ever-changing selection of craft beer and hard sodas at each of the stops on the tour – served from the unique Sprecher fire trucks and new this year will be the option to purchase a flight of all twelve beers available on the fire truck. The ‘Oak Leaf’ Flight will be served on a unique Oak Leaf shaped sharing board.

New Beer Gardening Gifts
New gifts for beergardeners will also be available to purchase at the Traveling Beer Gardens – including limited edition metal pints, a new design for the souvenir pint glass and a new Beer Garden gift card. Gifts, food and beer can all be purchased with a credit card this year too.

Here are the 2018 dates and locations:

Roll Out the Barrel Tour Schedule

• Greenfield Park, West Allis: May 16 – June 3
• Bender Park, Oak Creek: – June 6 – 24
• Grant Park, South Milwaukee: June 27 – July 15
• Doctors Park, Fox Point: July 18 – August 5
• Juneau Park, Milwaukee: August 8 – September 3

The Traveling Beer gardens open from 5pm-10pm weekdays and 11am-10pm on weekends. Last call at 9pm. Live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

Traveling Beer Garden 5k Run Dates
The Beer Garden 5k run series is expanding to six runs in 2018. The Thursday evening runs begin at 6pm and all participants receive a race t-shirt and a pint glass full of beer or root beer. 5ks cost $30 per race or $150 for the full series.
Registration is now open at https://buff.ly/2uWiCKf 

• Greenfield Park, May 17
• Bender Park, June 7
• Froemming Park, June 21
• Grant Park, July 12 
• Lake Park, July 26
• Juneau Park, August 23

#beerandpaint with Splash Studio Event Dates
New for 2018, Splash Studio will be bringing their #beerandpaint Mini Painting & Wood Projects events to the Traveling Beer Garden for seven dates.

• Juneau Park, May 27
• Bender Park, June 10
• Froemming Park, June 24
• Grant Park, July 15
• Doctors Park, July 29
• Lake Park, Aug 5
• Juneau Park, Aug 19

Headlines from today’s local election results …

• Turnout — at more than 34 percent of registered voters — was again strong in South Milwaukee, and I thank residents for stepping up to do their constitutional duty. We always seem to exceed local and state turnout figures in this city, and I love it.
• In South Milwaukee aldermanic contests, challenger Brett Breisemeister joined incumbent Craig Maass to win seats in the First District, beating incumbent Frank Van Dusen and challenger James Leavens. Aldermanic incumbents Pat Stoner, Ray Navarro, Joe Bukowski, Lisa Pieper, Peggy Clark and David Bartoshevich also won new three-year terms.
• Incumbents Jon Shelenske and David Maass won new three-year terms on the South Milwaukee School Board.
• In the District 8 Milwaukee County Board race, Steve Shea beat James Davies in South Milwaukee and overall, and will succeed incumbent David Sartori.
• In the statewide Supreme Court race, Rebecca Dallet defeated Michael Screnock in South Milwaukee and overall.

Check out full results here.

I want to congratulate all of the incumbent alderpersons who won tonight. Thank you for your service, and I look forward to continuing to work together with you to bring South Milwaukee’s promising, positive future to life every day.

I also thank Alderman Van Dusen for his service on the council, and for his service to this city. That will not be forgotten, and I wish him nothing but the best. And I welcome Brett, a member of our Plan Commission who I have gotten to know well. He will be a strong leader for his district and a champion of South Milwaukee’s positive future.

I also congratulate Steve Shea in his victory. Indeed, I supported his opponent in the race, but that doesn’t change the fact that Steve ran a strong campaign, worked hard and earned his victory. I look forward to working with him as mayor to move South Milwaukee and the entire South Shore forward. There is lots to do, together, in reinvigorating our parks, transit and other vital county services.

Today is Election Day! Please do your constitutional duty and vote.

There are contested races for South Milwaukee School Board, Milwaukee County supervisor, and Wisconsin Supreme Court; they will appear on all ballots.

• Here is a sample ballot for District 1, where there are four aldermanic candidates running for two spots on the April 3 ballot, in addition to the other races.
• There is also a contested aldermanic race in District 2.
• Here are sample ballots for District 3 and District 4.

And and here are additional voting details …

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• First District voters vote at Divine Mercy School, 695 College Ave.
• Second District voters vote at Lakeview School, 711 Marion Ave.
• Third District voters vote at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave.
• Fourth District voters vote at Rawson Elementary, 1410 Rawson Ave.
• Not sure what district you live in? Here is a map.
• Please remember to bring photo ID.
• For information on voter registration, polling locations, and to request an absentee ballot for future elections, visit MyVote.

Check out more details on the city’s elections web page … and look for more information on local results from South Milwaukee Blog later tonight or Wednesday morning.

And while you’re out, please thank a pollworker. These dedicated citizens bring democracy to life through their too-often thankless work.

See you at the polls!

Our biennial capital plan is much more than numbers on a page. It’s a chance to show real commitment to investing in our infrastructure, efficiency and priorities for future growth.

The plan approved by the South Milwaukee City Council in February — and the borrowing associated with it approved in March — is no different.

The council voted unanimously to borrow more than $7.3 million for a variety of projects. Among the items in the capital plan for 2018-19 being funded with the 10-year borrowing:

• More than $2 million in road repairs and replacements, including on Milwaukee Avenue at Nicholson, Marshall, Edgewood, Memorial, Juniper, Linden and Willow.
• More than $1.6 million for the stormwater utility, often to support main replacements with the aforementioned street projects;
• $1.2 million in Milwaukee Avenue streetscaping;
• $400,000 for new vacuum and dump trucks;
• $300,000 for hazardous tree removal, and another $50,000 for tree planting;
• $350,000 in sidewalk and alley repair and replacement, as we continue this annual investment;
• $300,000 for land acquisition, as the city continues to seek opportunities to strategically acquire properties for potential redevelopment;
• $250,000 to advance the Shoreline Park being developed along 5th Avenue at the former Northwest Barrel site;
• $200,000 in economic development costs, as we continue our work on redeveloping significant opportunity sites across the city;
• $100,000 to support improvements to Little League Park, including a new parking lot;
• $75,000 to bring our new city brand to life (more on that rollout soon); and
• $40,000 for a salt brine maker and tanks, as we explore moving to pre-treating our roads ahead of snow and ice storms next winter and beyond.

Check out the full plan here.

The borrowing portion of this is significant. We are able to bond for this money at just shy of 3 percent, a terrific interest rate that reflects our strong Aa2 bond rating – one recently reaffirmed by Moody’s.

This bond rating is the result of a continuing legacy of strong, and conservative, financial management practices we all should be proud of. In other words, we are good stewards of taxpayer money. Because of it, we are able to invest in the future of our city.

4/18 Update: The suspect driver from our incident on 3/31/18 has been identified and arrested. Thank you to the Milwaukee Police Department, the Oak Creek Police Department, the Franklin Police Department and the citizens who helped bring this case to a resolution.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

The person in the photos is wanted by the South Milwaukee Police Department for Reckless Endangering Safety and Fleeing Police. No Weapons were involved.

This is stemming from a suspicious activity call on 3/31/18, at about 9:19am in the 100 blk of N. Chicago Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle which was occupied and parked. Officers made contact with the driver who then fled the scene. The driver then drove northbound into Cudahy on Packard Avenue. While SMPD officers were attempting to stop the vehicle, the driver then began to drive into the southbound lanes of traffic in attempt to elude officers at which time the pursuit was then terminated.

The vehicle is a 4-dr silver Honda Civic which had a stolen plate on the back. The driver is described as a thin white male in his 20’s.

The SMPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying the driver of this vehicle. Please contact the SMPD at 414.768.8060 with any information on the identity of the driver. Thank you.

In many ways, redeveloping a city comes to down money, and access to it. Obviously, if a deal doesn’t make sense financially, it won’t work, both for the business/property owner or the city.

A key job of any city — especially one focused on redevelopment, like South Milwaukee — is to determine creative ways to bring dollars to the table.

Our economic development team is working hard to do just that.

From the Bucyrus Foundation grant earlier this year to the work we’re doing in studying the future of our tax incremental financing districts to our strengthened relationships with key state agencies like the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, we are getting creative in bringing potential funding solutions to the table for the developers of today and tomorrow.

Add Economic Opportunity Zones to that list.

Last week, Gov. Scott Walker announced his recommendations for areas that could be eligible for funding as part of the new tool made available through the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. From his press release …

“We are excited to embrace Economic Opportunity Zones as a new tool to build on our track record of economic growth,” Governor Walker said. “Right now, more people are employed in our state than ever before in our history, and Wisconsin is at near record lows for unemployment. These recommendations reach communities across our state – urban, rural, and tribal – that are positioned for strong and sustained growth.”

The Economic Opportunity Zones Program is a federal community development tax incentive program which creates an incentive for businesses and community members to invest in designated EOZs. These investments will help communities in designated areas develop, and the return on the investment will have reduced tax liability.

Governor Walker recommended the maximum number of Economic Opportunity Zones: 120 recommendations within 44 counties in rural, urban and tribal areas. These designations were made based on recommendations from an interagency working group comprised of WHEDA, WEDC, DOA, and DCF; public comment; and an independent analysis conducted by a nationally respected consulting firm.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury will make the final selection for EOZs in Wisconsin based on the Governor’s recommendations. These designations represent ten years of potential private investment into these communities.

I wondered, what does that last sentence really mean?

This site provided some more information, although it sounds like a lot of details are yet to be worked out. From the FAQs …

A qualified Opportunity Fund is any investment vehicle organized as a corporation or partnership with the specific purpose of investing in Opportunity Zone assets. The fund must hold at least 90 percent of its assets in qualifying property. The U.S. Treasury must certify new Opportunity Funds and is responsible for prescribing regulations regarding certification. …

The statute allows for broad participation in the creation of Opportunity Funds with the goal of drawing a wide array of investors to support the broad variety of needs in low income communities nationwide. Any entity, including regional economic development groups, can establish a fund as long as they follow the guidelines set out by the statute and Treasury (forthcoming). …

The policy enables funds to be responsive to the needs of different communities, allowing for investment in operating businesses, equipment, and real property. For example, funds can make equity investments in or purchase the stock of a company if substantially all of the company’s tangible property is and remains located in an Opportunity Zone. Funds can take interests in partnerships that meet the same criteria. Funds can also invest directly in qualifying property, such as real estate or infrastructure, if the original use of the property commences with the fund or if the fund substantially improves the property.

I’ll keep you posted as the federal government considers including South Milwaukee in this redevelopment opportunity.

I’m excited we are being considered, for the future of this city.

Check out these South Milwaukee headlines …

• Group Working to Preserve 130 Years of Bucyrus History in South Milwaukee with a Museum (NOW)
• Proposed Soccer Facility in Former Bowling Alley Intrigues Plan Commission; Public Hearing Set for April 23 (NOW)
• Ambulance Involved in Medical Emergency Crash (CBS 58)
• South Milwaukee Library Getting a $107K Update (NOW)
• Police Investigating Possible Police Impersonator (NOW)
• South Milwaukee Portion of Oak Creek Parkway to be Reconstructed with $1 Million of County Funding (NOW)

Want to help the Bucyrus museum effort? Learn more here. 

From South Milwaukee Library Director Nan Champe …

A complete flooring upgrade and new paint throughout the South Milwaukee Library will close the facility April 15-29. The Library will resume normal operating hours Monday, April 30, 2018.

The new flooring will include walk off/highly durable carpet squares at all entrances, vinyl flooring in two meeting rooms and carpet squares throughout the rest of the library. The new flooring will help create natural walkways and space definition and provide easy maintenance and repair. The current carpet was installed in 1995.Warm and welcoming colors will be added to the walls throughout the library and will also help define key areas, such as the children’s library space.

During closing:

• Due dates for South Milwaukee-owned items will be extended through the closed period. Take advantage of the extended due dates by stocking up before the closing!
• The outside book drop will be open to receive returns. It will be emptied daily and items will be checked in.
• Don’t forget to use our digital services during this time: Overdrive, Hoopla and RBdigital Magazines. If you need help getting started, let us know.

This renovation project represents a significant capital investment in the library by the City of South Milwaukee. The total cost of the renovation is $107,000.The last major library renovation project, which included the building’s expansion, was completed in 1995 at the cost of $1.3 million.