Check out these local headlines …
What’s Up With The Van Beck’s Parcel, Anyway?
As an alderman for the district across the street from the large, vacant plot of land on the southwest corner of Nicholson and College Avenues in Oak Creek, I’ve been wondering what’s up there … especially after plans for a new postal facility were put on hold a couple of years ago.
This WISN piece gets to the bottom of it. Sort of.
It calls the postal project “a dead end” and includes comments from Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi calling for answers.
Scaffidi said the city lost out on the promised jobs and on tax revenue because the Postal Service pays no property taxes.
He wants the post office to either build on the land, which is unlikely, or sell it.
“We’re going to aggressively go after that. We will push the post office to make a decision,” Scaffidi said. “I will say that we will develop that site. Now, what that is? Developers are working on that.”
I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Development, Oak Creek
2, 3 Or 4 Years: How Long Should Aldermanic Terms Be? And Should Those Terms Be Staggered?
Update: We actually didn’t debate this at the City Council meeting Tuesday, March 19. I expect it will be on the next council agenda.
That’s the question the South Milwaukee City Council’s Human Resources and Legislation & Permits Committees considered in a joint meeting Tuesday night.
The vote: 3-2 in favor of recommending to the full Council lengthening aldermanic terms from their current two years to three.
I voted no. Here’s why.
For starters, I am not sure any change is needed at all.
While I am proud to be an alderman and stand behind my record, I like the threat of being voted out of office with some regularity. It’s healthy for a democracy. It forces all elected officials everywhere to be at their best, to be responsive to constituents and responsible in their decision making, at all times. If you’re not, you might be out of a job (albeit a part-time job) every 24 months.
There’s a reason the vast majority of the state’s 190 cities have alderpersons serve two-year terms. According to a 2005 Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance report — the most recent I could find — 162 cities have council members on two-year terms. Seventeen have three-year terms, and 11 have four-year terms.
Many of the cities with three- or four-year aldermanic terms are in or around Milwaukee County, additional data gathered by our clerk’s office shows.
Aldermen in Franklin, Greenfield, and Hales Corners, among others, serve three-year, staggered terms. Cudahy aldermen serve non-staggered three year terms, while Oak Creek aldermen serve staggered two-year terms.
So, where do I stand? Well, I do not favor doubling our terms to four years. It’s simply too long. Three is more reasonable. And I would consider a three-year, but staggered, approach for South Milwaukee.
If we are going to change this, the concept of staggered terms is appealing.
I like the idea of individual aldermen running on their own record. Voters should have the chance to weigh in on me and my performance – not me and my colleague and our performance. That’s essentially what we get right now, with both aldermen from each district up for election every two years. This would change if we went with a system where one alderman from each district could be up for election at a time.
There is also a strong argument to be made for governmental continuity here – avoiding the potential where an entire council, or most of a council, is voted out of office at once. While I like new blood and new ideas on the council over time, having a certain amount of institutional knowledge is also important. The risk of losing much of that all at once is concerning, and it’s happened in other nearby communities. Staggered terms lessens this risk.
The fact that the proposal voted on Tuesday did not include reference to staggering terms is one reason why I voted no. That, and I am not convinced the current system is broken enough – or is at risk to become broken enough — to require fixing.
The issue will likely be on the next City Council agenda Tuesday, and it will require six “yes” votes to pass because the shift from two to three years needs a change to South Milwaukee’s “charter ordinances.” We’ll see what happens.
I also look forward to a broader debate on term lenghts for other elected officials in South Milwaukee, especially more specialized positions like city clerk, treasurer and attorney. They, too, serve two-year terms, for now.
Of course, I’d like to know what you think about this. Post your comments below, and vote in the new poll!
Filed under City Council
Update: Boy Taken To Hospital In Downtown Apartment Fire
A boy suffered burns to his fingers in Thursday afternoon’s apartment fire at 1231 Milwaukee Ave.
Here is the update from South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …
At approximately 2:50PM, SMFD received a call from SMPD Dispatch of a cell phone call from the apartment building at 1231 Milwaukee Avenue reporting a fire in an apartment. Upon arrival of SMFD units, SMPD officers were evacuating the residents and reported one juvenile male with burns to the fingertips of both hands. This patient was treated at the scene and transported to St. Luke’s – South Shore Hospital by ambulance for further treatment. SMFD units gained access to the 2nd floor and encountered heavy smoke conditions and a well-involved fire in one apartment, extending to the common hallway and attic area. Extra assistance was immediately requested from our mutual aid partners and additional units arrived and were put to work. One apartment towards the rear of the building suffered extensive damage with heavy smoke damage to most of the second floor and minor water damage to the first floor apartment and business. The fire was kept from extending into the attic. The origin of the fire appears to be in the 2nd floor apartment with the cause still under investigation. All of the occupants were accounted for and the Red Cross Disaster Team was on the scene providing them with assistance. The Building Inspector was requested to the scene as overall damage to the 2nd floor is extensive. No other injuries were reported.
h/t South Milwaukee Fire Department for the photos
One Person Hurt In Milwaukee Avenue Fire
A person suffered burns to their hands after an apartment building caught fire Thursday afternoon at 1231 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee.
TMJ4 is reporting nine people were displaced due to the fire.
I’ll post more details when I get them … and please keep those families, and our firefighters, in your prayers.
Filed under Fire
Report: Union Leaders Want MATC To Stop Training Potential Caterpillar Replacement Workers
As labor negotiations loom for workers at the South Milwaukee Caterpillar plant, a local union is asking Milwaukee Area Technical College to stop training potential strike replacement workers.
That’s according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. From it:
United Steelworkers Local 1343 says Caterpillar has placed about 25 nonunion employees in the college’s welder training program before contract negotiations with the union, which are set to begin in April.
Should the talks break down, those employees could step in and replace striking workers.
“Please don’t allow MATC to be used as a pawn in Caterpillar’s union-busting games,” the Steelworkers said Wednesday in a letter to the college’s board of directors and President Michael Burke.
The union has asked the college to immediately stop the training and to return any training materials to Caterpillar.
“Judging from its training of these potential replacement workers, and the company’s long history of confronting unions, we already know that these negotiations will be tough,” Local 1343 said in a note to its membership.
The union has represented workers at the mining equipment factory for more than 70 years, but this will be the first contract negotiations since Caterpillar acquired the plant as part of its $7.6 billion purchase of the former Bucyrus International in 2010.
Caterpillar acknowledges putting nonunion employees into the welder training program, and it says that’s standard practice when preparing for contract talks that could break down and result in a work stoppage.
“We do this well in advance of a contract expiring. We train our own employees to do specific jobs so that we don’t have a slowdown in production,” said company spokesman Jim Baumgartner.
“This is a normal precautionary plan that we go through in any union labor situation,” he said.
Here is a previous post on fears of a Cat strike.
I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear about the labor talks that have yet to begin. I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Caterpillar, Local Business
Appeals Court Upholds South Milwaukee Sex Offender Ordinance
Call it a win for South Milwaukee citizens.
On Wednesday, a state appeals ruled in favor of South Milwaukee’s ordinance that prohibits sex offenders from living near schools.
You may recall the challenge from Todd Kester, who wanted to live near Lakeview Elementary.
In his suit, he claimed the ordinance was unconstitutional because it created additional punishment, and he wasn’t given the opportunity to show he wasn’t a danger. The First District Court of Appeals in Madison disagreed, and I’m glad to see common sense – and neighborhood safety – prevailed on this one.
See the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here. And here is the full ruling.
Of course, I’d like to know what you think about this. Post your comments below!
Filed under Courts
More South Milwaukee And Area Headlines
Check out these South Shore headlines …
- South Milwaukee Man, Stuck In Ditch, Grabs Pot Before Getting Ride From Cops (NOW)
- Four Points Hotel In Oak Creek Grounded By Airport Restrictions (NOW)
- Oak Creek To Use Wasps To Fight Emerald Ash Borer (Oak Creek Patch)
- State Eyes 2015 For 27th Street Reconstruction (Patch)
- Sporting Goods Store To Close (Patch)
- School Board Settles On New Grading Scale (Patch)
- Angelic Bakery HQ At Cudahy Iceport Site Gains First Endorsement (Business Journal)
Also, NOW has published a new police blotter, albeit minus South Milwaukee items this week.
Filed under Headlines
Attention Preschool Parents: Child Development Day Is Saturday
The South Milwaukee Health Department and South Milwaukee School District are partnering to offer a Child Development Day for children ages 2-5 and their parents.
It’s this Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Lakeview Elementary School gymnasium, 711 Marion Ave.
Educational screenings will be offered, and parents will have a chance to interact with personnel from the Health Department, school district, Head Start and local preschool and child care centers.
It’s a great chance for families to learn more about all the community resources available when it comes to early childhood development — and there are lots of them — as well as information on normal growth and development for those 5 and under.
Learn more in this flyer … and thanks ahead of time to our Health Department and schools for putting on this important event.
Did Anyone Else Get Water In Their Basement?
An inch of rain, melting snow, frozen ground and a gutter probably in need of an extension … not a good combination.
Did anyone else get water in their basement the last couple of days? We did — as much as we’ve ever had in the six-plus years we’ve lived in our house.
Post your comments below!
Filed under Weather
794 Changes, A Different Perspective On The Worker “Skills Gap” And Other Local Headlines
Check out these South Shore headlines, including a well-done piece from Bruce Murphy, now of Urban Milwaukee, that dissects former Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan’s notion of a “skills gap” in Wisconsin …
- Murphy’s Law: The World According To Tim Sullivan (Urban Milwaukee)
- Walker, Barrett Cut Deal On Lakefront Road Work; Land Would Open For Development (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Flood Warning Issued For Oak Creek (Oak Creek Patch)
- China Will Drive Caterpillar’s Long-Term Growth Despite Recent Weakness (Forbes)
Filed under Headlines
Cudahy News Update: New Development Proposed For Iceport, Vaccaro Passes Away
Updating the update: Here is a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story on the Angelic Bakehouse project.
A couple news items from our neighbors to the north …
Cudahy lost a community icon last week, as Jack Vaccaro — the city’s former economic development director, as well as a longtime teacher and businessman — passed away at the age of 75.
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obituary here.
Also, the former Iceport site may (finally) be getting some new life, with the relocation of the Angelic Bakehouse headquarters and the addition of up to 100 jobs at a 3.7-acre site along Layton Avenue.
The Business Journal has the details.
Filed under Cudahy
Concerts Aplenty In South Milwaukee As “March Music Madness” Kicks Off This Week
The South Milwaukee Music Parents Association is promoting a number of student musical performances starting tonight and running through March 23.
South Milwaukee NOW has all the details about “March Music Madness.”
South Milwaukee Has Moxie (Fitness)
Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to downtown South Milwaukee’s newest business — Moxie Fitness.
Here is how the owners of the business, located in the former home of PJ’s Variety Store at 1234 Milwaukee Ave., describe themselves …
Moxie Fitness creates coaching and training plans for triathlon, running, cycling, fitness, and more. Tori Oman is one of the most well-loved triathlon coaches in the Milwaukee area. Tori and her workout leaders provide individual attention, group coaching, goal setting, and more. Group programs provide an environment of support and team building, and all programs can be individualized with additional sessions.
Learn more on the Moxie website, and welcome to South Milwaukee!
Filed under Local Business
Rawson Interchange Update: Long Summer
Expect delays as you head through the Rawson Ave.-Interstate 94 interchange through the summer.
Oak Creek Patch has more, and here is a one-pager from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation with more details and a construction timeline. From the DOT document …
Construction on this project will take place in four major stages.
- In Stage 1, Rawson Avenue will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between 13th and 20th Streets. The northbound exit ramp to westbound Rawson Avenue and the westbound Rawson Avenue bus and carpool entrance to the northbound loop ramp will also be closed at this time. Stage 1 of construction begins in mid-February to early March.
- In Stage 2, Rawson Avenue southbound entrance ramp, northbound loop ramp, northbound exit-ramp, and southbound exit ramp to eastbound Rawson Avenue will be closed to traffic. Rawson Avenue will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction between 13th and 20th Streets. Stage 2 of construction will start in early March to early June.
- In Stage 3, Rawson Avenue between 13th and 20th Streets will be closed to traffic as the old bridge is demolished and a new bridge installed. In addition to the ramps closed in Stage 2, the northbound entrance ramp from Rawson Avenue to I-94 will also be closed to traffic. Stage 3 of construction will begin early June to early July.
- In Stage 4, Rawson Avenue will be reopened to one lane in each direction between 13th and 20th Streets. All entrance and exit ramps atthe interchange will be closed to traffic during this stage as construction on the new interchange is finished. Stage 4 of construction will begin in early July and completed in late fall.
In other words, please be patient.
Filed under Construction
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