by | December 11, 2011 · 12:07 pm

Oak Creek Mayor Bolender Dead At Age 68

Update: Here is a more detailed story in the Journal Sentinel, and here are details from Oak Creek Patch.

Oak Creek Mayor Dick Bolender has died.

Oak Creek Patch broke the story this morning, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has confirmed it.

Bolender’s death, which reportedly came at his home on Saturday, comes after he announced earlier this week that he would not seek re-election this spring.

I’ll keep you posted when I learn more. In the meantime, let’s keep the Bolender family — and all those who knew and respected the Oak Creek mayor — in our prayers.

Did you know Mayor Bolender? What are your memories of him? What is his legacy? Post your comments below.

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by | December 9, 2011 · 9:26 am

New Concept: Mixed Use Proposal Surfaces For Land At College And Pennsylvania

A mixed-use development with retail, industrial and multi-family housing is now the focus for the 64 acres of land that the U.S. Postal Service had been eyeing for a new mail facility.

The Oak Creek City Council heard details of the conceptual plan at its meeting on Tuesday night. Oak Creek Patch has the story. From it:

This type of development is more viable than a postal facility and would also give the United States Postal Service an exit strategy to get out of its agreement to develop the processing center, said Scott Yauck of Cobalt Partners.

Oak Creek officials like the proposal because it would get the land back on the tax rolls – the land is currently non-taxable since it’s owned by the U.S. government.

It would also seem to be exactly the type of economic development that local officials were hoping for with a new-and-improved College Avenue.

But neighbors of the would-be development, just like they opposed the United States Postal Service building, voiced their displeasure of the plans Tuesday.

Most of their angst seemed to center on the multi-family housing aspect. Residents said they were fine with retail located directly next to the intersection of College and Pennsylvania. An industrial component, as proposed near the railroad tracks, would probably be something along the lines of an electrical parts distributor and unlikely to be seen from the residential neighborhood.

But residents said they did not want multi-family housing that close to their single-family neighborhood. They worried about the increase in traffic, impact on their property values and the type of people who would move in, among other concerns.

Of course, this development has a direct impact on South Milwaukee and the 4th District — it’s across the street. I am working on getting additional information and will keep you posted as the process unfolds.

In the meantime, what do you think? Post your comments below!

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by | December 8, 2011 · 5:48 pm

Mining Bill Has A Fan In Honadel … Me? Not Sure

The long-awaited bill that would streamline the approval process for new mines in Wisconsin has finally seen the light of day — and count South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel as a supporter.

“Our state flag bears a miner on it,” he said in a press release. “That’s not only our heritage, but it must be our future too. To ignore the potential of thousands of good-paying jobs would do a disservice to the people of Wisconsin.”

Learn more about the bill here and here.

At first glance, I absolutely like parts of it. I think a shorter, more-defined approval process is a good thing becuase I do think bureaucracy can unnecessarily slow projects like this down — and kill them altogether. Sometimes, government can’t get out of the way.

But I also worry that, with the compressed timeline and the proposed elimination of “contested case hearings,” mining projects may not get proper due diligence. Plus, the bill “would ease numerous existing restrictions on protections for wetlands, groundwater, lakes, rivers and streams,” according to the Journal Sentinel.

State Sen. Chris Larson also interestingly points out in his new Larson Report that the bill was not assigned to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, but rather to the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and Small Business. This I am sure is a reflection of the attempt to shift the debate on bills like this from a focus on environmental impacts to “jobs, jobs, jobs.” And it appears to be working.

But at what cost, jobs? I want to see more job creation as much as anyone, but there has to be a balance between appropriate regulation and the economics of a proposed mine.

One thing I definitely do not support about this legislation is the process lawmakers seem to be taking to pass it. A public hearing on the bill is planned for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis — just six days after it was introduced. This despite being worked on for months behind closed doors in the legislature.

I think that’s wrong. This bill deserves, demands, more careful consideration than what is being offered.

As for details of the bill itself, I guess I’ll wait and see.

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by | December 8, 2011 · 5:09 pm

“Get The Meds Out” Is, Well, Out

The Get the Meds Out medication collection program has been suspended, although South Milwaukeeans still have an opportunity to discard old medications through the South Milwaukee Police Department.

That’s according to this story by Jacqueline Ove, our city’s health administrator, on South Milwaukee NOW.

I’ll keep you posted.

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by | December 8, 2011 · 1:45 pm

Oak Creek Mayor To Retire And Other Local Headlines

Oak Creek Mayor Dick Bolender is retiring and will not seek another term this April.

Check out the story in Oak Creek Patch.

And check out these other local headlines:

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by | December 7, 2011 · 9:43 pm

Recapping Tuesday’s Council Meeting

Rounding up the City Council meeting Tuesday night …

  • The council voted to approve submittal of an application to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for a “Ready for Reuse” brownfield grant. This grant would help fund cleanup of the former tannery property on North Chicago Avenue where Walmart wants to build. Learn more about the program here.
  • We also voted to approve cancellation of the contract with Breakaway Event Productions for an International Cycling Classic event in South Milwaukee this summer. In other words, no downtown bike race, like last year. This is the last year of the three-year contract we signed with the race promoters — with the easy “out” language, thankfully.
  • The council unanimously approved combining the Water and Wastewater Commissions into a single, seven-member Water/Wastewater Commission. This approach will give the council more line of sight to the operations of both utilities — without micromanaging — and also help ensure a more a unified approach as the city tackles some of the major water and sewer infrastructure projects we’re facing in coming years.
  • The council also approved conditional use permits for an auto repair business at 2201 12th Ave.; for construction of a 2,940 equipment storage building (plus a second addition down the road) for EK Construction at 1113 Montana Ave.; and for a shared commercial kitchen, craft fair, indoor farmers’ market and restaurant planned for the former Zion Lutheran/Calvary Academy property at 2200 9th Ave.
  • The council also voted to cancel its Jan. 3 meeting due to the holidays. It will meet on Dec. 20 and then not again until Jan. 17.

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by | December 6, 2011 · 10:19 pm

Buy Local This Christmas … And Here Are Some Suggestions To Do It

Update: I have also added items on Studio 915 and Green Flag Racing. They are two more outstanding South Milwaukee downtown businesses, and they’re definitely worth a trip this holiday season. And don’t forget PJ’s Variety at 1234 Milwaukee!

You can get all of your Christmas shopping done without leaving South Milwaukee.

Sound crazy in this world of big boxes and shopping malls? It’s not. Here are some suggestions.

  • Studio One Art Glass, 1333 Milwaukee Ave. I buy a stained glass item here every Christmas, and most of our first-floor windows now have one of these beautiful pieces. Owner Kim Kostuch makes many of the stained glass items on display at the store, and he does some first-class custom work. Learn more at the Studio One website.
  • Parkway Floral, 1001 Milwaukee Ave. Our local florist has a wide variety of floral arrangements and gift items at the store and even more online.
  • Donn Powers Jeweler, 2110 10th Ave. “Your hometown jeweler” delivers personal service you can’t get at a mall jeweler, and his variety is outstanding. There is something for every price point at Donn Powers. Check out their website here.
  • FNF Skate Shop, 1203 Milwaukee Ave. Bet you didn’t know South Milwaukee is home to one of the area’s top up-and-coming skateboard stores. The shop has a wide range of skateboard gear, as well as 60 feet of “fingerboard ramps.” Not sure what that is? Check out the FNF website and watch the interesting welcome video.
  • Green Flag Racing, 1218 Milwaukee Ave. Bet you didn’t know South Milwaukee is home to one of the nation’s top NASCAR product retailers. They have a strong online presence, as well as a really cool retail store downtown, with a variety of NASCAR gear (clothing, diecasts, signs, etc.). As a relatively new NASCAR fan — go Blue Deuce! — I shop here for me and my 7-year-old. You can get even more items on its website.
  • Ace Hardware, 1009 Marquette Ave. I often choose to avoid the big box home improvement stores keep my dollars local, shopping the “helpful hardware place” for projects small and large. These guys are indeed helpful … and their selection isn’t bad either. You can get all the power tools and other manly gift items you need here without having to navigate the several football fields of Lowes, Home Depot or Menard’s.
  • Caterpillar, 1970 10th Ave. Know or related to a Caterpillar employee? Just like the company colors? The Cat company store inside the Heritage Building has a wide variety of items, from clothing to toys to NASCAR racing gear.
  • South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 901 15th Ave. Communities our size are not supposed to have PACs, especially as good as the one we have. But we do. So we should count our blessings … and take advantage of the strong lineup of performances offered year-round through the facility. Some of my favorites coming up? The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Too! this Thursday, John Gurda’s “A Region Built on Water” presentation on Jan. 7, John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party on Jan. 21 and Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana on Feb. 4. And that’s just the start. Learn more on the PAC website, and be sure to stop by the box office to pick up tickets.
  • Studio 915, 915 Milwaukee Ave. South Milwaukee’s newest art gallery and studio is absolutely worth a trip. Not only does it have some unique pieces at a variety of prices, it is also in a really cool storefront. Check out my previous post here and its website.

I’d also recommend gift certificates to some of our top local restaurants. Nona’s Café, Azteca, China Chef, Paisano’s, Papa Luigi’s II/Salvatore’s and Barbiere’s are among the first-class eateries that call South Milwaukee home. And if you’re looking to cater a holiday gathering, I’d suggest Emerald City’s Creative Catering at 1645 Rawson Ave. Their broasted chicken and fish are fantastic, and they have a wide variety of take-and-bake items available.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t put another plug in here for this Saturday’s South Milwaukee Christmas Market at Caterpillar, where you can “shop local” from among more than 40 vendors selling arts, crafts, organics, baked goods, prepared food and other items.

And, finally, I ask: What did I miss? And what’s your favorite locally sold Christmas gift? Post your comments below!

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by | December 6, 2011 · 2:06 pm

Unique Approach: Honadel’s “Wisconsin Wins” Job Training Initiative Introduced

South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel and his counterpart in the Senate, Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), have introduced a bill that gives unemployed job seekers a “tryout period” with prospective employers while still receiving unemployment benefits.

Check out the press release here.

And here is my previous post on this.

It’s an interesting concept and unique approach to matching unemployed workers with jobs. I hope it gets strong consideration.

Either way, it’s just refreshing to see a state legislator introduce a bill focused on jobs, a departure from the often non-job-focused bills that framed the recently concluded special “jobs” session. This editorial from the Appleton Post-Crescent put it well.

I’ll keep you posted as this moves through the legislature.

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by | December 5, 2011 · 8:44 pm

Final Budget Posted

City Clerk Jim Shelenske has posted the updated 2012 city budget on the city’s website. Check it out here.

I wanted to call your attention to a couple interesting charts at the front of the document, one which shows where we spend our money as a city and the second answering where your tax dollars go.

  • To the city budget breakdown, you’ll note that by far our biggest expense is public safety, as it should be, at 38%. That’s followed by debt service (23%), public works (18%) and general government (14%).
  • As to where you overall property tax bill goes, 43% goes to the South Milwaukee School District, 32% to the city and 17% to the county. The Milwaukee Area Technical College gets 7%, and the state portion of your tax bill is just 1%.

Check out my previous post on the budget here.

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by | December 3, 2011 · 11:49 pm

Larson Proposes Expanded Use Of Ignition Interlock Devices And Other Headlines

State Sen. Chris Larson, a Democrat who represents the South Shore, is co-sponsoring a bill that would require all convicted drunk drivers — not just repeat offenders — use ignition interlock devices to operate their vehicles.

Learn more in this press release and in this Oak Creek Patch story.

And check out these other local headlines:

Also, The Business Journal has a subscription-based story on Luis De Leon, president of Caterpillar’s global mining products business.

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by | December 2, 2011 · 9:51 pm

See You At Saturday’s Christmas Market!

Get some Christmas shopping done away from the shopping malls and big box stores at the first of our two South Milwaukee Christmas Markets on Saturday at the Caterpillar Heritage Building.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it returns on Saturday, Dec. 10, during those same hours.

More than 40 vendors are expected both days, as well as live Christmas music throughout the markets. South Milwaukee’s Ron Plevak plays from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a host of South Milwaukee student music acts from noon to 3 p.m.

Learn more in this press release.

See you there!

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by | December 2, 2011 · 10:40 am

Decision 2012: Want Your Name On The Ballot?

December is a key time for those looking to run for office in the spring of 2012.

All candidates for local, county and state positions must declare their candidacy and file a campaign registration statement – as well as gain necessary signatures to get on the ballot, if required – by Jan. 3.

Learn more on the Government Accountability Board’s website.

There are a number of local elected officials up for re-election on April 3, including:

  • South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki, City Clerk Jim Shelenske, City Treasurer Karen Skowronski, City Attorney Joseph Murphy and Municipal Judge William Fenger;
  • South Milwaukee School Board incumbents David Maass and Kathleen Molus; and
  • Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik.

There is also a special election for the 1st District aldermanic seat currently held by Frank Van Dusen III. If you recall, the council appointed Frank as an alderman this summer to replace Mike Karbowski, who passed away. The winner of the April 3 election will serve one year and be up for election again with the other council members in April of 2013.

The city positions (except for the aldermanic post) and Honadel’s seat are two-year terms. The school board positions are for three years, and county supervisors serve four years.

Candidates interested in the city posts can contact the city clerk’s office for more information by calling 414-762-2222. School board candidates can contact the district office at 414-766-5011.

Necessary forms can also be downloaded from the GAB website.

I’ll keep you posted as candidates declare and the election season progresses. And check out the city’s 2010 election results here.

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by | December 1, 2011 · 5:08 pm

Following Up On Reports Of Grant Park Poaching

South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens provided the following update to the reports of potential poaching in Grant Park.

Here is her email verbatim …

In order to clear up some of the rumors in the community I personally spoke with Game Warden Ben Mott this morning regarding the deer complaints in Grant Park.  The following is a summary of our conversation:

  • SMPD/Milw County Park notified the DNR of a gut pile (in the compose pile) by the tennis court area.  Officer Olson responded and had a description of a vehicle.  Officer Olson contacted neighboring law enforcement agencies and determined a resident of SM had a deer (struck by a car) tagged in the City of Oak Creek.  Officer Olson contacted this subject and interviewed this subject.  The subject verified the deer was struck by a car in Oak Creek, was tagged by Oak Creek PD, he brought the deer to Grant Park to clean (he didn’t want the mess at his residence – and knew the animals would eat the guts), and then took the deer to the butcher in Oak Creek.  Officer Olson and Investigator Hesse went to the butcher to verify the deer had a tag.  Investigator Hesse examined the deer and stated the front legs were broken (consistent with being struck by a vehicle).
  • SMPD notified the DNR of a deer in the park missing it’s head.  The DNR was aware of this as Game Warden Mott had taken the head of the deer (buck).  Game Warden Mott stated he could not be certain how this deer died but suspected it could have been shot.  He said the body was very badly mauled by coyotes and he could not verify if the deer was sick, injured or shot.  He stated he left the body there for the animals to eat.
  • 3rd & Marquette (behind the pump house) SMPD notified the DNR of a carcass (spine and rib cage) found at this location.  There is no way to determine where this deer came from (the park or someplace else).  Game Warden Mott assumed this was a buck as the head was missing.
  • Hawthorne Ave – SMPD notified DNR of a deer carcass laying in the ravine. 
  • There was a deer struck by a car on Nicholson Avenue – OCPD responded and tagged the deer.  The driver of the vehicle did not want the deer.  An off duty South Milwaukee Officer was there and asked if he could have the deer which the driver told him yes.  This was completely legal.

Game Warden Mott stated during/after the 9 day gun season it is common to find deer carcasses in parks, on the road side, etc. as hunters tend to dispose of the carcasses in this manner.  He said some hunters do not want to bring home the “remains” and put them in their garbage or they are too lazy to go to the dump.  He stated it is not unusual to find carcasses not properly disposed of. 

Game Warden Mott also stated he has been in the park conducting surveillance and has found citizens in the park shinning deer he has not seen any evidence of poachers.  He stated he does not approach the citizens shinning because it is not illegal to shine them unless it is after 10pm.  In order to check them out he would have to see some other type of violation.  One individual he found shinning was a County Park worker.

Game Warden Mott has offered to meet with the Friends of Grant Park to answer their questions.  I have notified Investigator Mike Hill (Crime Prevention Officer who attends these meetings) to coordinate this meeting.

A big thanks to Chief Wellens and her department for staying on top of this. I’ll keep you posted.

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by | November 30, 2011 · 4:38 pm

Reminder: Winter Parking Kicks In On Thursday

One sure sign of winter: restricted overnight parking.

Don’t forget that between Dec. 1 and March 31 you must have a permit to park on city streets between 3 and 6 a.m. each morning. Cost is $25 per month, or $80 for a four-month permit. “Holiday permits,” good Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, are also available for $25.

Learn more on the South Milwaukee Police Department website.

Also, starting Dec. 1 there will be new, reduced winter hours for the self-deposit station. The station will be open Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be closed Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and, of course, Sundays.

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by | November 29, 2011 · 11:24 pm

Council Recap: City Approves 2012 Budget, 4th District Public Works Project And More

Update: Here is the letter sent to area residents on the Parkway Drive/17th Avenue project.

The South Milwaukee City Council unanimously approved the 2012 city budget at a special meeting on Tuesday night.

It is essentially the same document I’ve already written about.

Of note, however, is the 2012 tax rate. It, too, was set Tuesday night, and it will be $8.83 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This compares with a city tax rate of $7.24 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for 2011 … although it’s important to point out that this is not an apples to apples comparison.

The revaluation earlier this year reduced property values by an average of more than 10%, so the tax rate was certain to rise to reflect this.

So, how much will your bill increase? Of course, that depends a lot on your revaluation (among other factors). In fact, it’s possible the city portion of your tax bill could decline if your home dropped in value significantly more than the city average.

Among other topics discussed at the council Tuesday …

  • The council voted unanimously to approve wages and benefits packages for union and non-union employees in 2012. The biggest changes in these reflect that all city workers outside of police officers and firefighters will pay more for their health insurance and pension next year, in line with the “tools” given communities by state lawmakers. Non-represented workers already began paying more for these benefits last year. Members of AFSCME will pay the higher out-of-pocket costs once their contract expires on June 30.
  • We also voted unanimously to spend more than $220,000 to tackle stormwater and sanitary sewer work on Parkway Drive and 17th Avenue in the 4th District. This document describes the work in more detail. Work will begin within the week, as the contractor hopes to get as much done before winter sets in. Construction will continue in the spring – and include the resurfacing of 17th north of Rawson Avenue. The road work will be subject to a separate set of bids in 2012. I’ll keep you posted.
  • The Public Works & Public Property Committee also voted to recommend council approval of an ordinance to combine the Wastewater and Water Commissions. The new Water/Wastewater Commission would include seven members and have more direct oversight from the council. One of the biggest changes: All water utility rate increases would now need council approval before they are forwarded on to the state’s Public Service Commission. We’ll also have to approve the water utility and sewer treatment budgets going forward. I’ll keep you posted.

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