Category Archives: Milwaukee County

March 6, 2013 · 9:18 pm

Jursik: Clarke “Must Not Be Permitted To Bully The Executive, Bully The Board, And Bully The Taxpayer”

South Shore County Supevisor Pat Jursik has weighed in on recent comments from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke criticizing County Executive Chris Abele and Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn.

Oh, has she ever weighed in.

From the press release, in which she also speaks out against Clarke’s running of the House of Correction …  

Sheriff Clarke’s recent comments have hit a new low. While my office has had policy disagreements with the County Executive, these disagreements have always been at the policy level, never about personalities. Unfortunately Sheriff Clarke has reduced himself to only a personality. He refuses to engage in real discussion much less cooperation with departments.

Clarke’s recent remarks regarding the County Executive and now the City of Milwaukee Police Chief are below the belt, but also entirely out of line for an elected official. If anyone owes an apology, it is the Sheriff for his comments last week regarding the County Executive. …

The Sheriff must not be permitted to bully the Executive, bully the Board, and bully the taxpayer. Bullies do not get to win because they are better at name-calling.

I encourage you to read the whole press release, and post your comments below!

10 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as ,

March 5, 2013 · 6:21 am

Guest Blog: County Supervisor Pat Jursik On How The County Is Bearing Down On The Emerald Ash Borer

I’ve had a few questions about what the county is doing to combat emerald ash borer — including some of my own — so I posed them to Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

Here is her response …

I appreciate the questions about Milwaukee County’s strategy to combat Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Milwaukee County Parks and particularly at Grant Park.  The Milwaukee County Parks Department updated me on its current efforts:

  • To combat EAB and limit the impacts of ash tree loss, the Parks Department has applied a balanced solution of treatment, removal, and replacement.  To date the majority of the work in dealing with EAB in Grant Park has been ash tree removal.  Our goal is a balanced approach by increasing our plantings and ash tree treatments in the park.  We have applied for grants and will continue to apply for them.  To date we have received three grants that have been major keystones in our approach to EAB and Ash.  One grant helped us to write the EAB plan, another helped with treatment, and the most recent will increase plantings in Milwaukee County, specifically Grant Park.  We are currently at Grant doing some work and plan to continue this fall.  For efficiency, we make every attempt to coordinate EAB-targeted work with regular forestry duties in the park. We do continue to work and seek out any partners and other municipalities that share this cause.  For example, we hope to participate in an opportunity using predatory wasps that attack EAB.  The WI DNR is the lead on this.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Milwaukee County, Parks

Tagged as ,

February 28, 2013 · 4:22 pm

Public Meeting Brings Debate Over Restructuring Of County Government To South Milwaukee

For at least one night, South Milwaukee will be the center of the debate around the various proposals to restructure Milwaukee County government — thanks to County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

Pat is hosting a public meeting on the topic on Thursday, April 4, at the South Milwaukee Peforming Arts Center. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Among the speakers is state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, the former county supervisor who has been driving this debate in Madison. Also scheduled to speak is County Supervisor Theo Lipscomb.

The event will feature an overview of Sanfelippo’s bill, a counterpoint from Lipscomb, a review of county services and a question-and-answer session.

It should be an interesting night. Learn more in Pat’s newsletter. From it:

As your representative on the County Board, I have not yet taken a position with regard to this restructuring. In order to take a position, I am holding a public meeting to both inform and to obtain your input. Rep. Sanfelippo will discuss his bill and the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Sup. Theodore Lipscomb, will provide input from the local Board perspective. This format will ensure a good point/counterpoint discussion. It will also allow for your questions.

What do you want from your local County government? I am hopeful that residents will fill the auditorium to discuss this important issue. Don’t miss this opportunity.

2 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as , , ,

February 1, 2013 · 4:36 pm

Supervisor Jursik Update: Seven Bridges, Oak Creek Watercourse And More

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her monthly newsletter, and it includes updates on the Seven Bridges project and the Oak Creek watercourse.

Check it out here. Here is the item on the Seven Bridges …

The Parks Department is working to have the contractor rectify ravine damage during lakeside bridge reconstruction at Seven Bridges trail in Grant Park. Of course, the good news is that Seven Bridges will finally be restored come Spring of 2013.

Along with the Parks Department and engineering staff, I met with the Friends of Grant Park in January. The Friends are alarmed at the ravine damage and want to ensure the area is properly restored with native vegetation and clean soils. They have offered to assist with volunteer hours. I am in awe of wonderful groups like the Friends of Grant Park and thank them for their passion and work.

Leave a comment

Filed under Milwaukee County, Oak Creek, Parks

Tagged as , , ,

January 14, 2013 · 9:48 am

Guest Blog: Pat Jursik On Joe Sanfelippo’s Proposal To Make The Milwaukee County Board Part-Time

Update: Be sure to vote in my new poll on the right-hand side of the page!

I asked Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik for her thoughts on the legislation proposed by state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo to require a binding referendum asking voters if Milwaukee County supervisors should be part time.

Here is what she wrote me …

First, it is hard for any supervisor to discuss this issue since it affects pay and benefits; therefore, I have an automatic conflict of interest.  Any attorney would call such a witness biased.  This being said, I want you and all of my constituent to know that I will serve my constituents throughout my term as promised in my Oath of office no matter how this turns out.

Second, Can this job be done by a part-timer?  Yes, if all you do is attend committee meetings and board meetings.  Sanfelippo has already said he works part-time and therefore knows it can be done.  But I would ask anyone to tell me what Sanfelippo has accomplished for his district?  He has no successful projects because he does not work with others to reach consensus or compromise.  He Votes “NO” on any controversial or budgetary matter which really does not require him to spend much time studying the issue.  But enough about Sanfelippo, I will talk about my district.  When I first ran for this office, I had a full-time law practice.  I thought perhaps I’d be able to do my superviosry duties and still be able to run a scaled-down practice.  Then I ran into the first major issue that effected the South Shore, the move to take down the Hoan Bridge. I reacted with creation of the Coalition to Save the Hoan.  I created a Petition and held town-hall meetings.  I appeared at the Press Club and many other venues to press our case for saving the Hoan.  I soon discovered I had no time for other duties.  I’ve fought for extension of 794, repair of the 7 Bridges, keeping the 128th open, South Shore Option for Economic Development and other projects to benefit our district.  I am proud of my record.  I probably sound like a candidate for re-election (as I said there is an automatic conflict for me to address this issue).  I hold these accomplishments up to those of Sanfelippo to show what working full-time vs. part-time looks like.

Third:   A pox on both their houses.  Yes, this is base politics at its raw, ugly, take-no-hostages level.  I did not vote for the current redistricting plan on the board.  When the Holloway-led board did redistricting, they too used their majority to reduce Republican representation on the board basically redistricting Joe Rice out of his seat.  This ugly act has now come full-circle and perhpas the “board” (some new members were elected and did not participate) has reaped what it sowed.  Should we govern regionally?  SEWRPC is our regional planner, and perhaps our governance should be as well.  The problem with Sanfelippo’s attack from this view-point is that he would only change the rules for Milwaukee County while leaving all others the same.  When you want real change, everyone should sit at that table. 

Of course, I’d like to know what your thoughts are on this issue. Post your comments below!

4 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as , ,

December 30, 2012 · 11:39 am

Mill Pond Update: DNR Requires Dam Upgrades

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has ordered some upgrades be made to the Mill Pond Dam, according to the monthly newsletter from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

They are:

  • the removal of vegetation from specific areas under the supervision of an engineer;
  • the maintenance of healthy grass cover on the embankments;
  • a structural evaluation by an engineer of the spillway abutments to determine if masonry repairs are required;
  • the repair of the sluice gate, which is currently inoperable; and
  • the installation of two benchmarks.

Check out the full newsletter here.

Leave a comment

Filed under Milwaukee County, Parks

Tagged as ,

December 28, 2012 · 1:11 pm

Seven Bridges Update … And It’s Not Good

The following is from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, in her monthly news Update.

Throughout December 2012, a contractor repaired the large lakeside bridge at Seven Bridges trail in Grant Park. Many of us were alarmed at the lack of erosion controls; at the excessive removal of trees and walls to access the site; and at the road that was built to lower a back hoe to the bridge level. This was all outside the job description.

At this point, I am working with the Parks Department and engineering staff to demand the best remedy for this sad situation. Milwaukee County will not make further payments until the contractor repairs the damage, plants trees and takes other steps. We will do our best to get this rectified.

Jursik’s monthly newsletter also includes updates on the 794 extension, Mill Pond repairs, Bender Park and a variety of county issues.

5 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County, Parks

Tagged as , ,

December 6, 2012 · 5:49 pm

Another Step Taken In Extending 794

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission added the extension of the Lake Parkway to the Year 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, unanimously approving the six-mile project at its meeting Wednesday.

Check out the press release from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, a champion of this project, and coverage from Oak Creek Patch.

Jursik’s statement:

An extended Lake Parkway will provide the necessary transportation infrastructure to promote economic development in Milwaukee County’s South Shore and around the Port of Milwaukee and General Mitchell International Airport.  We are part of the increasingly powerful lake corridor mega-region that stretches from Gary, Indiana through Chicago, Illinois to Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.  I call upon State elected officials to fund this important corridor project.

Indeed, that is the hardest part about this important initiative. I’ll keep you posted.

3 Comments

Filed under Construction, Milwaukee County, Transportation

Tagged as , ,

December 5, 2012 · 10:02 pm

Dredging Up Positive Memories: Debating The Future Of The South Milwaukee Mill Pond

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a story on the effort of former Alderwoman Mary Nelson — and many others — to “Restore the Magic” of South Milwaukee’s Oak Creek Mill Pond.

Check it out here. Among the new information in the article …

Cost of dredging the pond and disposing of the sediment starts at $830,400 and climbs as high as $1.5 million, according to preliminary estimates from the county’s Department of Administrative Services and released by Jursik. She represents the 8th supervisory district, encompassing St. Francis, South Milwaukee, Cudahy and a portion of Oak Creek.

State and federal grants could help pay part of the dredging costs, she said. …

The state Department of Natural Resources last week ordered Milwaukee County to complete some long-neglected dam maintenance and hire an engineer to evaluate the structure by June 2014.

The dam is made of dolomite stone blocks and it stands 18 feet tall in a ravine at Mill Road, according to DNR water management engineer Tanya Lourigan in Milwaukee. Water from the shallow pond spills over the top of the 35-foot-wide stone wall.

On Oct. 26 and Nov. 19, Lourigan inspected the dam and earthen embankments on each end.

An engineering analysis of the wall is needed since stones are missing on each end of the dam where it meets the embankment, Lourigan said in a Nov. 27 report to the county Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.

Among the maintenance to be completed by June 2014: remove all trees and brush, including stumps, from the embankments and fill in holes; and repair an inoperable sluice gate needed to raise or lower water levels on the pond. A valve controlling the gate must be tested annually in the future to ensure it will work in an emergency, such as creek flooding, or for dam repairs, Lourigan says in the report.

She rated the condition of the dam as “conditionally fair” because of the extensive tree growth on the embankments, deterioration of the masonry wall and inoperable valve.

Where do I stand on this? My previous post on the petition effort sums up my position.

I feel strongly about this issue. I hate to see the Mill Pond and its surroundings in the state they are in. They could be so much more, and they have been so much more in the past.

We need a path to making the Mill Pond a recreational treasure for South Milwaukee once again, a community gathering place. That’s why I am 100% behind all of the work being done by Pat Jursik, Mary Nelson and others to find a solution here — one that involves the city, county, Friends groups and other parties. It’s complicated, and likely costly, but I think an investment in the Mill Pond is a good one — and one that is long overdue.

What do you think? Post your comments below!

2 Comments

Filed under Community, Milwaukee County, Parks

Tagged as , ,

December 4, 2012 · 5:07 pm

County Board Chairwoman Dimitrijevic To Hold South Milwaukee Listening Session

Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic is getting closer to her goal of holding a listening session in every county municipality … and her South Milwaukee stop is coming up soon.

Dimitrijevic will stop at the Grobschmidt Senior Center from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Learn more here … and welcome to South Milwaukee, Supervisor Dimitrijevic!

2 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as

November 27, 2012 · 7:36 pm

Milwaukee County News Update: 2013 Budget Update, College Avenue, 794 And More

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik has published her new E-news update, with items on the 2013 county budget, College Avenue, the Cudahy native court house Christmas tree and this one on the 794 extension …

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) completed technical work for the potential extension of the Lake
Parkway. Federal and State agencies have reviewed the Air Quality Conformity Analysis. In early November, SEWRPC’s Advisory Committee on Regional Transportation Planning and SEWRPC’s Planning and Research Committee recommended that the Lake Parkway extension be added to the regional transportation plan. SEWRPC itself will consider the extension on December 5 when the Commission meets at General Mitchell International Airport.

Check out the full report here.

Leave a comment

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as , , ,

November 4, 2012 · 11:25 pm

Parks Update: Lakefront Parks Joint Meeting, Seven Bridges Repair

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik’s eNews update has a couple of updates involving Grant Park, including word of joint meeting of lakefront park Friends groups set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Grant Park clubhouse.

The goal: increased cooperation around common issues like erosion, beach health and safety.

There is also good news on Grant Park’s Seven Bridges:

The Parks Department plans to restore the large lakeside bridge at Seven Bridges soon. The contractors hope to begin construction in late November and complete work by the end of 2012.  While Seven Bridges shall remain open to the public, some areas will be obstructed to accommodate heavy machinery.  Reconstruction of the large lakeside bridge will be prioritized.   The crew will then repair the footbridge by Wil-O-Way.

To protect this sensitive area, we need to use the official paths.  Unfortunately, visitors have climbed down and eroded the ravine while the bridge has been out of service.

4 Comments

Filed under Milwaukee County, Parks

Tagged as , ,

November 2, 2012 · 7:58 pm

Jursik: “Disappointed” With Proposed Budget

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik shares her thoughts on the proposed 2013 county budget in her latest eNews update.

Check it out here. From it:

The County Executive’s proposed budget includes some upgrades for our district. We will see traffic cameras at Layton & Packard Avenues. Grant Park’s Wil-O-Way will receive needed repairs. The Oak Creek Parkway in South Milwaukee will have lighting replaced in advance of expected road repairs in future years. I have worked with our parks and environmental engineering staff to fund stream bank stabilization for the Oak Creek in 2014. This bank restoration will keep much sediment from accumulating in the Creek and in the Mill Pond downstream. However, in many ways, I was disappointed with the proposed budget.

The update also includes on park patrolling, paramedic funding, long-range facility planning and other issues.

The item on paramedic funding is especially good news:

The FPA Committee added $500,000 in funding for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), bringing the total allocation to $2 million.  The countywide EMS program is a successful cooperative model that includes training, certification and continuing education of Emergency Medical Technicians (basic and paramedic).  Milwaukee County EMS hosts the Communications Center which provides consultation to  paramedics onsite and shares information among dispatched paramedics, ambulances, medical control physicians, hospitals and other emergency personnel.  Milwaukee County EMS uses state-of-the-art technology to develop electronic patient care records. 

This program improves the quality and efficiency of emergency response in our community. Under the EMS program, eight municipalities have contractual agreements to provide Advanced Life Support (paramedic-level emergency medical services).  The City of South Milwaukee provides service to Cudahy while St. Francis is served by Milwaukee.  Oak Creek provides service in its own city and back-up service to other cities.  This is truly a metro government approach.

The County Board will likely adopt a budget on Monday.

1 Comment

Filed under Milwaukee County

Tagged as , ,

October 29, 2012 · 5:01 pm

Grant Park Closed Due To Concerns Over Hurricane Sandy’s Waves

Update: Bender Park is also closed until Friday, according to the Oak Creek website. Here is some YouTube footage of waves at Grant Park.

In an amazing testatment to the power of Hurricane Sandy, weather officials are predicting waves higher than 15 feet on Lake Michigan on Tuesday. Winds are expected to gust to 40 mph or more.

In preparation for the storm, the access gates to Grant Park were going to close at 5 p.m. Monday, according to Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

“We are doing our best to keep visitors away from the dangerous waves,” she wrote in an email.

Here is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage of the storm’s local impact.

I’ll keep you posted.

1 Comment

Filed under Milwaukee County, Parks, Weather

Tagged as

October 4, 2012 · 9:59 pm

Summarizing Growth Plans: See What’s Happening In South Shore Economic Development

I was happy to attend Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik’s South Shore Option 2.0 Economic Development Forum last week.

It was informative and eye-opening — a great way to get up to speed on what other area South Shore communities are doing when it comes to growing their cities. And it’s a lot.

Jursik has posted all of the presentations here. Here is South Milwaukee’s.

I’d like to call particular attention to the presentation on the MKE Regional Business Park, the complex at the former 44oth Airlift Wing on East College Avenue that is just now coming on line. With its one-of-a-kind offering of vacant buildings and vacant land — as well as its prime location — it has strong potential to change the game when it comes to South Shore economic development.

See that presentation here.

And thanks to Pat for hosting this event. I am already looking forward to 2013.

Leave a comment

Filed under Cudahy, Milwaukee County, Oak Creek

Tagged as , ,