by | January 21, 2011 · 10:42 pm

Shareholders Approve Bucyrus Deal and Other Local Headlines of Interest

Bucyrus shareholders have approved a buyout by Caterpillar.

Read the story from Bloomberg here. From it:

Bucyrus says about 73.8 percent of the total outstanding shares voted Thursday in favor of the deal. The acquisition still requires approval by regulators. Bucyrus says it expects the deal to close later this year.

Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

And check out these other local headlines of interest:

Also, in case you missed it, Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik published her January Enews update recently. See it here.

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by | January 19, 2011 · 3:53 pm

A New Job for Jeff Plale …

Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

Jeff Plale, the former Democratic State Senator representing South Milwaukee and current 4th District resident, has apparently landed a job in Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s administration.

Here is The Associated Press story, and here is even more from the Wisconsin State Journal.

Congratulations to Jeff. I respected him as a legislator, and it’s unfortunate how some are spinning this story as Jeff being “rewarded” for his vote against new state worker union contracts in December. As I’ve blogged about, I agreed with his vote on that issue, especially given how the vote went down.  

That said, Jeff and I didn’t agree on everything (we agreed more often than not), but I think he was a strong voice for the South Shore and South Milwaukee while in Madison. I hope newly elected State Sen. Chris Larson has just as strong a voice. Only time will tell.

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by | January 18, 2011 · 11:22 pm

Reflecting on a Busy Council Meeting

It was a busy City Council meeting Tuesday night, with robust debate on everything from the future of the International Cycling Classic to the granting of bartender licenses.

Here’s a brief update on a few of the items …

  • July bike race. With Bucyrus International declining to sponsor year two of the event (at $15,000), that has left us looking for new partners as a deadline for the city to pull out of the 2011 race looms at the end of January. The council voted to extend that deadline to March 7, buying more time to find sponsorship dollars. Wheaton Franciscan Health Care has stepped up to pledge $7,500 toward the $15,000 “site fee,” and we’re looking for additional sponsors to make up the difference. If you know anyone interested in sponsoring this event, please contact me. Learn more about the 2010 race at our website and in this previous post.
  • Bartender licenses. The council also had a good discussion about parameters around approving and denying bartender licenses, in response to a vote on one applicant who had three DUI-related offenses in his past. As you may know, I am a member of the Legislation & Permits Committee, and we are asked to approve dozens of these licenses each year. I and the rest of the committee take this responsibility seriously, and these are worthy debates. I am proud to say we are not a “rubber stamp” committee.
  • School district planning. South Milwaukee School Board President Pat Bordak was on hand to brief council members on the district’s visioning and planning process. I am honored to be a part of the planning committee and am very happy with the progress we’ve made in developing goals and strategies around academics, communications and partnerships, and finances. Look for a post with more information on this process in coming days.

We also unanimously approved a motion to retain Nancy Pirkey of Buelow, Vetter, Buikema, Olson, & Vliet, LLC as legal counsel for Police Chief Ann Wellens regarding a personnel issue, with funds from the legal fees account. This was approved in anticipation of the chief bringing charges against an officer with the Police and Fire Commission.

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by | January 18, 2011 · 10:57 pm

One Way MMSD Plans to Address Flooding Problems and Other Headlines of Local Interest

As you probably know, South Milwaukee has its own wastewater utility — one independent of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

I think this is a positive for our city, giving us local control over this important public works responsibility.

That said, I think it’s important to keep an eye on what MMSD is doing in response to basement backups and other flooding problems arising from last July’s storms. The district’s latest proposal: potentially charge homeowners an average of $3,000 to repair sewer laterals and disconnect foundation drains.

Learn more in this Journal Sentinel story.

I’ll tell you that there are no plans for a similar response in South Milwaukee, where we are planning to focus on some bigger picture solutions, rather than going home by home and putting the cost of some of these fixes directly on the backs of property owners. Learn more in my previous post on this … and stay tuned for more details on some of the projects we’ll be undertaking in 2011 and beyond in coming weeks.

And check out these other headlines of local interest:

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by | January 16, 2011 · 12:36 am

25,000 Views: Blog Hits a Milestone

When I launched 4thDistrictBlog.com in October of 2009, I had no idea it would grow like it has. But it has.

This week, the blog hit a major milestone (at least for me), as the number of page views to date topped 25,000.

Simply … thank you, thank you, thank you. I could not do this without you, and I appreciate and value your readership.

I look forward to continuing this service in 2011 and beyond, so please tell your family and friends about this website.

And please consider subscribing to the blog by clicking on the button on the right-hand side of this page. By doing so, you can have new blog entries automatically emailed to you, saving you the hassle of having to log on to see what’s new (although I’m not complaining if you do).

And did I say “thank you” yet?

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by | January 16, 2011 · 12:24 am

Expanding on My Quotes in the Journal Sentinel’s Walmart Story

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a story in Sunday’s edition updating the status — and mixed reception — of some of the new Walmarts proposed for the area. And the story quotes me.

You can read the piece by Tom Daykin here.

Here is the section on South Milwaukee …

In November, the Common Council approved plans to sell a city-owned lot to Gatlin as part of the Walmart site. The plan for the larger 10-acre site, west of Chicago Ave., one block south of College Ave., is expected to be filed soon.

Ald. Erik Brooks, whose district borders the Walmart site, says he’s heard from more Walmart supporters than opponents.

“I think they like the idea of a shopping source close by,” Brooks said. “We really don’t have big-box retail in South Milwaukee.”

Brooks also said the store would provide economic benefits, including about 200 jobs.

Ald. Mike Karbowski, whose district includes the site, said some residents are concerned about the effects of store traffic and water run-off.

But the benefits, he said, include property tax revenue generated by the development.

I think the story was well-done, and my quotes are accurate. Indeed, at community events, while on the campaign trail and simply talking to neighbors and friends, I have heard more positive than negative comments on the proposed Walmart so far.

The same holds true on my blog.

One reason I created this blog was to drive a community dialog on key issues (like the proposed Walmart) and give residents and others a forum to discuss them. The poll question (albeit admittedly unscientific and far from perfect) is one of those vehicles, and the strong response to the Walmart question the past couple of months has been as good a measuring stick as any for me on community reaction to the development.

Respondents have been overwhelmingly positive — more than 2-to-1 in favor of the store since the poll was published. And there is still time to vote. I will keep the poll question up at least a couple more weeks, so if you haven’t already weighed in, please do so.

Your feedback on this and every issue is important to me. The Journal Sentinel does not state this, but I have not made up my mind on the Walmart development, and I remain anxious to learn more about the plan, get some key questions answered and hear more of your thoughts. Let me know what you think. I promise to listen and take your perspective to heart as this moves ahead.

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by | January 14, 2011 · 11:30 pm

Local Mining Jobs in Question … Again

The U.S. Export-Import Bank is back in the news again, and that has not meant good news for South Milwaukee-based Bucyrus recently.

At issue is the bank’s potential funding of a mining project in South Africa — and the potential impact that that decision could have on jobs at either Bucyrus or Milwaukee-based Joy Global (which would likely make the shovel needed for the project). Read more in this Journal Sentinel story. From it:

If the plant gets financed, either Bucyrus or Joy Global would likely win a contract to build a coal mining dragline – a huge machine that Bucyrus says would take 30 months to manufacture at a cost of roughly $120 million.

It is work that could be started this year, said Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan.

“We know the mine would need a dragline,” he said. “If the Export-Import Bank processes this decision the way we hope they will, it means jobs in Milwaukee one way or the other.”

Sound familiar?

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by | January 12, 2011 · 9:10 pm

Oak Creek Power Plant Update and Other Headlines of Interest

So, the Oak Creek power plant is finally complete.

Read the full Journal Sentinel story here. From it:

The biggest unknown: the project’s final cost. We Energies will file reports detailing the final cost this year when it seeks to adjust rates for 2012 and 2013, Kuester said.

Regulators approved a $2.15 billion price tag for the project, and set a cap allowing overruns of up to 5% to be passed along to utility customers.

“We hope customers won’t have to pay for any cost overruns associated with the construction of the power plants,” Charlie Higley, executive director of the coustomer group Wisconsin Citizens’ Utility Board. “We’re also hopeful that the plants continue to run well, and that We Energies doesn’t charge customers for any costs associated with uneven performance” of the first coal plant last year.

And check out these other local headlines of note:

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by | January 10, 2011 · 3:23 pm

Flu Shots Available from South Milwaukee Health Department

The South Milwaukee Health Department will offer flu shots for adults and children from 2 to 4 p.m. every Thursday through March 31.

Cost for adults is $15, and shots for children are free.  This is a walk-in clinic, so no appointments are necessary. 

Call the Health Department for more information at 768-8055. And here is more information from the Centers for Disease Control about the 2010-11 flu season.

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by | January 9, 2011 · 11:56 pm

Don’t Sleep on the South Milwaukee Boys’ Basketball Team …

Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story on the team’s 69-61 win over New Berlin Eisenhower on Tuesday.

The Rockets are firing.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has named the streaking South Milwaukee boys’ basketball team its Team of the Week. Learn more here, and check out more information on the team on the Wisconsin Sports Network’s team page.

We can only hope the basketball team finds the same success the football team had. Go Rockets!

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by | January 7, 2011 · 10:55 pm

Learn About South Milwaukee Sex Offender Rules and Other South Shore Headlines of Interest

The South Milwaukee Police Department is holding an informational session on sex offender registration laws on Monday, Jan. 20, at City Hall.

The approximately 30-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session, starts at 7 p.m. Learn more in this flier.

Also, the South Milwaukee Fire Department joined others in the area responding to a fire in Cudahy Friday morning.

And check out these other headlines of interest from around the South Shore:

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by | January 6, 2011 · 10:40 pm

Celebrating a Refreshing Local Business

Haven’t heard of Joseph Ryan Clothing? You will.

It’s a “socially conscious clothier” started by brothers Nicholas and Chris Fare, South Milwaukee brothers who have both overcome muscular dystrophy en route to becoming entrepreneurs with a purpose — helping those with special needs.

Learn more on the brothers’ website and in this YouTube video. Also check out this story on South Milwaukee NOW, one that details the brothers’ efforts to land a Pepsi Refresh Project grant for their business.

From the business website:

The brothers have been personally involved in every phase of developing JR Clothing, from choosing the fine pima cotton fabric from a Peruvian supplier to designing the company’s logo. The name of the clothing is a combination of the brothers’ middle names, Nicholas Joseph and Christopher Ryan Fare.

The company donates 20% of every shirt sold. “This may seem like a lot especially for a new business but we are confident that we can establish ourselves as a successful brand in fashion and as a charitable organization by combining our values and our style.”

Sounds like a great concept, something South Milwaukee can be proud of. The Fares grew up in the city, went to South Milwaukee High School and still live here … so let’s get behind two of our own!

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by | January 6, 2011 · 11:22 am

A Quick Update on Walmart

There isn’t much new on the South Milwaukee Walmart front, but I’ve had a number of people ask recently, so here is what I know, based on an email from Community Development Director Danielle Devlin:

  • The executed purchase agreement between Gatlin Development and the city for the 3.5-acre, city-owned parcel on North Chicago Avenue has been completed and received. (You’ll recall that the entire development is around 10 acres and includes other privately owned parcels to the west of the city site.)
  • Our engineering department is working through the environmental and utility issues on the site with the developer’s consultants.
  • We expect Gatlin (Walmart) will formally submit plans for the site later this month.

I promise to keep you informed on the proposed Walmart if and when I know more — including information on any public meetings about the project. You will have a number of chances to be heard on this issue.

In the meantime, feel free to post your comments below and to vote in the poll found on the right-hand side of this page.

(Also: Gatlin and Walmart continues their efforts to build in a number of other communities in the area, to varying levels of hospitaility, including Menomonee Falls and the area near Timmerman Field.)

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by | January 5, 2011 · 12:57 pm

Three Candidates for Three South Milwaukee School Board Seats

The South Milwaukee School Board ballot is set.  

Three of the eight School Board seats are up for election on April 5 — those held by incumbents Patricia Bordak (board president), John Haslam and Brett Briesemeister — and there are three people formally running for those seats.

Pat and John will join challenger Carol Dufek on the ballot, according to the district. Brett is not running again after six years of service.

It’s good to see that there will at least be three candidates on the ballot. You’ll recall that in 2009 just one candidate (Theresa Travia) declared to run for two open School Board seats.

Joe Weirich beat Dufek as a write-in candidate to claim the other seat.

School board candidates serve three-year terms. Elected city officials serve two-year terms.

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by | January 5, 2011 · 11:34 am

Declaration Day: Who is Running for Alderman?

Tuesday’s filing deadline has come and gone, and it looks like the names on the April 5 ballot will be familiar ones.

Of the eight South Milwaukee aldermanic seats up for election, only one race — that for First District alderman — will feature competition.

In that district, incumbent Mike Karbowski will square off against local businessman Mike Moeller and Craig Maass for two seats. (You’ll recall that Mike McCarthy resigned the other First District seat in October.)

In the other three districts, only the two incumbents will have their names on the ballot come April: Patrick Stoner and Ramon Navarro in the Second District, Lisa Pieper and Joe Bukowski in the Third District and Dave Bartoshevich and me in the Fourth District.

Click here to see a complete list of aldermanic candidates whose names will appear on the South Milwaukee ballot.

Here is a link to my campaign website. You can view Moeller’s campaign site here. No other candidate has such a site.

Of course, South Milwaukee is not alone in having most of its local council seats uncontested. Here is a Journal Sentinel roundup of local election filings, and here is a look at what Oak Creek voters will see on their ballot.

On a personal note, the fact that I do not have competition on the ballot does not mean I won’t campaign this spring (although it might mean fewer yard signs). I look forward to getting out in the district in coming weeks and months to continue a dialog with my constituents and talk about the future of the Fourth District and South Milwaukee.

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