Category Archives: South Milwaukee

Here is the South Milwaukee Police press release …

And check out coverage from the Journal Sentinel, CBS 58 and WISN.

A key component of the $10 million Bucyrus Foundation legacy grant from 2021 was the Civic Grant Program — an opportunity for the city to pay it forward and help local nonprofits put the foundation money to work on efforts that “address a community need, improve community support, solve a problem, or enrich the people of South Milwaukee.”

The application period for 2024 grants is now open. Get more details here. From the city website …

This annual program allows for nonprofit organizations to apply for up to $25,000 to address a community need, improve community support, solve a problem, or enrich the people of South Milwaukee. Submit a Letter of Interest to the city’s economic development staff to receive preliminary approval.  The letter should be a brief, typed, one page summary that outlines the project, who will benefit, and a budget estimate.  Applications will not be accepted prior to preapproval. 

• Letters of Interest are due March 1, 2024, emailed to elang@smwi.org
• Applications are due April 31, 2024

Eligible grant items, from the Program Guide …

• Existing program improvements or program expansion to reach a unique audience.
• New innovative programs that address an unmet community need.
• New fixed assets to improve organizations capacity to serve the community with consideration given to other system improvements.
• Capacity building efforts that benefit existing nonprofit organizations.
• Vibrant art and cultural amenities and other activities that offer experiences for residents and visitors.
• Programs that encourage collaborative partnerships that employ comprehensive strategies to strengthen community systems.
• Programs that empower individuals or groups of people with the skills they need to effect change.
• Organization’s planning needs related directly to how they might achieve their mission through strategic planning, merger conversations, and similar efforts.
• Community initiatives that advance solutions to community’s greatest challenges using innovative strategies and a collaborative spirit
• New projects that sustain a healthy local community and provide opportunities for outdoor entertainment and recreation.

See the 2023 recipients here.

As a fellow Rawson Elementary family, we came to know Jolene Waldref over the years as incredibly kind, caring and helpful. And we were not alone.

Jolene passed away on Jan. 15, possibly freezing to death after falling in the bitter cold near a bus stop outside her job in Milwaukee. Learn more about the sad and tragic circumstances from Fox 6 and TMJ4. From a Journal Sentinel story …

Waldref leaves behind two daughters, ages 14 and 21. Her longtime partner, Kevin, died about six months ago, said former neighbor Jodi Pelczynski. Waldref had served as the caregiver for her partner, who was disabled.

Pelczynski and Waldref lived across the street from each other for about 17 years until Pelczynski moved away from South Milwaukee in October. She has fond memories of their children playing in Pelczynski’s pool and roasting marshmallows in the summertime.

Waldref “adored her daughters,” Pelczynski said, and was a generous and joyful friend.

“She’d give her shirt off her back if you needed it,” Pelczynski said. “Always had a smile, always had a story. Always just loved life.”

Her supervisor at the home health care agency, Deborah Johnson, said Waldref was friendly, outgoing and a hard worker. She had been a caregiver with Life Touches Home Healthcare for much of the last decade and had switched to receptionist work in the last year and a half.

Clients and caregivers alike loved Waldref, Johnson said, and would drop off Christmas gifts for her.

“She was exceptional in this position,” Johnson said. “We should all just be pleasant the way she was.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help her two surviving daughters. Donate here. From it …

Hi, my name is Shannon and I’m fundraising for Jolene’s daughters Kevina and Kaleia.

On Monday January 16, 2024 Jolene passed away. She had finished work and was waiting for the bus, she slipped on some ice and fell face forward into the snow. She tried calling 911 but the call was dropped. They called back, but she had gone unconscious. She was found over an hour and half later. She died of hypothermia. Her girls have a long road ahead of them. They are still reeling from the loss of their dad 6 months ago.

The funds that are raised will be used to cover the costs of funeral arrangements and things that will be needed for the girls. Kevina (21) will be taking guardianship over Kaleia (14). These kids have had to grow up much too fast. Let’s help make this transition a little less stressful for them.

Did you know Jolene? Post your comments.

If you haven’t yet seen this terrific local attraction, now is a great time to do it.

Museum Days run through January 28, with 30 museums across the area offering discounted admission. See the full list here, with stops from Sheboygan to Racine.

More information on the museum here. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This have been years in the making … and I am so glad to see this get to the finish line.

The city service will be even better because of it. And I hope we continue to look for even more ways to partner with our neighbors on services where it makes sense. Governments need to do more of this stuff, not less. Hopefully this partnership spurs more.

From the city press release …

The City of Oak Creek’s commitment to providing exceptional emergency dispatch services expands as they welcome South Milwaukee into their collaborative partnership. Approved by both Oak Creek and South Milwaukee Common Councils in December 2023, the intergovernmental agreement solidifies Oak Creek’s role in offering emergency dispatch services to South Milwaukee, beginning in 2025. Oak Creek also renewed its agreement with the City of St. Francis through 2035.

The Oak Creek Dispatch Center offers capacity and resilience that South Milwaukee could not afford on its own. The partnership addresses challenges such as staffing shortages due to medical leave, where South Milwaukee had to redirect police officers to dispatch duties. Further, Oak Creek’s capability to directly handle cell phone calls eliminates delays caused by the current transfer process through Milwaukee County.

The partnership aims for cost efficiency and increased staffing levels, with designated dispatchers for each jurisdiction’s channels and shared resources. Committees with representatives from each jurisdiction will be created to provide input and recommendations to encourage additional collaboration.

Here is what’s coming up the rest of the month!

Check the Events page on the blog for the most updated information — and bookmark it while you’re there. Did I miss something? Email me at erikbrooks32@gmail.com.

• 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 …

• Women’s Clothing: Omen Subculture Clothing and Accessories
• New Retail Store (Opened in 2023): Bakehouse 23
• Bar to Watch Soccer, Sports Bar and Trivia Night: Moran’s Pub

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).

See the full list here, and shop local!

From the city …

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.

• View the recycling map here: https://bit.ly/SMRecyclingMap
• View the holiday schedule here: https://bit.ly/SM2324JohnsRecycling

Updated on January 8, 2024

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.

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.

Check out the full document, with context, here.

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.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department Facebook page …

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.

We’d like to thank all our donors for their generosity. These people include, but certainly are not limited to the South Milwaukee Walmart, Oak Creek Veterinary Care, South Milwaukee Lions Club, AM Vet Ladies Auxiliary Post #4, South Milwaukee American Legion Auxiliary Unit 27, Wisconsin Vest-A-Dog, South Milwaukee McDonald’s (Jeff Steren- management), Skyline Catering & Express Deli, the Bucyrus Museum, the Bucyrus Foundation, Tony G’s Grant Park Garage, Eaton Corporation, Damascus Shrine Masons, Affordable Heating & Cooling, Brew City Towing, Mike Edwards, Divine Mercy Catholic Schools, the elementary schools of the South Milwaukee Schools, Marty and Betty Storm, Stephen and Lois Schreiter, Diane Ulrich and Martha Vera.

Please join us welcoming Rocket to our community!

Also, check out coverage from Fox 6.

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.

From the city press release …

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.

More from the Business Journal and BizTimes.

From the Business Journal …

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 is among five new grant programs for downtown-area businesses the city launched this year using funds committed by The Bucyrus Foundation. The foundation is led by Tim Sullivan, former CEO of Bucyrus-Erie/Bucyrus International, which had its headquarters in South Milwaukee. It committed $10 million over 10 years to education and economic development efforts in South Milwaukee.

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.

From the city website …

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 13^th 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.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Lead Service Line Information
• 2024 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program Intended Use Program
  • Section XIII, pages 18-27 details how the census tracts are scored for funding.