by | December 15, 2010 · 11:42 pm

Plale Helps Kill State Worker Contracts

Update: Plale explains his vote in this BizTimes.com story.

State Sen. Jeff Plale is making his presence felt before he leaves office.

The South Milwaukee Democrat — who lost to incoming Sen. Chris Larson in the senatorial primary in September — was one of two Democrats to vote against controversial labor contracts for state workers late Wednesday night.

The other was Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker.

All Republicans joined Plale and Decker in voting “no” and, with one senator absent, the contracts failed to pass on a 16-16 vote (after passing by one vote in the Assembly). That means Gov.-Elect Scott Walker will have an opportunity to reopen those contracts when he comes into office in January.

Here is the Journal Sentinel story.

From springing a lawmaker from jail to secure a necessary vote to deposing legislative leadership at the last minute, the “inside baseball” involved here is about as ugly as it gets.

Of course, I’d like to know your opinions about how this all went down, including Plale’s vote. Post your comments below.

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by | December 15, 2010 · 9:24 pm

South Milwaukee Pride: Kleppin Shines at NCAA Nationals

A quick shout out to Lauren Kleppin, a South Milwaukee High School graduate who recently finished third in the NCAA Division-2 cross-country championships for Western State College of Colorado.

Read the full story (and see a photo) here. From it:

Kleppin finished the six-kilometer course in 21 minutes and 4.5 seconds, and ran with the breakaway group through the entire race. It’s the highest finish for a Mountaineer in the individual results since Esther Komen won the individual championship in 2006.

Kleppin, a junior, led Western State to a runner-up team finish.

Congratulations, Lauren!

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by | December 15, 2010 · 9:14 pm

South Milwaukee Mayor Seeks Support for 794 Extension

South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki visited the Caledonia Village Board on Tuesday to make the case for extending the Lake Parkway south — perhaps all the way to northern Illinois.

See the Racine Journal Times story here. From it:

South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki presented the advantages of continuing 794 from Milwaukee through Caledonia to the Village Board on Tuesday night at the East Side Community Center, 6156 Douglas Ave., saying it will create a hub for future development and bring jobs to surrounding areas.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution in February to have the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission study the feasibility and impact of a potential extension of Lake Parkway from its current southern end point at Edgerton Avenue to Ryan Road (Highway 100) in southern Milwaukee County, according to the commission.

The commission should have preliminary information on potential project costs and traffic impacts by early next year, said commission Executive Director Ken Yunker.

Although the extension proposal is in its early stages, Zepecki spoke in support of building what he called an uninterrupted thoroughfare from downtown Milwaukee to northern Illinois sometime in the future. He gave the board a six-year timeframe for the extension project in Milwaukee.

As I’ve blogged about numerous times, I fully support this project, and I look forward to the day it becomes reality. However, I think six years is very aggressive timeline for this. My guess? You won’t see an extension until 2020 at the earliest, especially given other road projects on the state’s radar screen in coming years.

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by | December 15, 2010 · 9:06 pm

Update: Homeless Shelter Debate Heats up in Cudahy

Cudahy appears to warming to the idea of caring for area homeless. Finally.

See the Journal Sentinel story here.

The mayor of Cudahy, whose city has come under fire for rejecting a church’s proposal for a homeless shelter, said he will reach out to faith leaders to discuss “the best way and best location to provide a warm place for the homeless” in his city.

Mayor Tony Day issued a statement Wednesday after the Journal Sentinel reported that local churches were hosting all-night prayer services to accommodate the homeless on the coldest nights of the year. St. Mark Lutheran Church in Cudahy took in four guests Monday and Tuesday nights in response to a Journal Sentinel story on the shelter’s rejection in which an alderman made disparaging remarks about the homeless in Cudahy. The service moves to Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church near Bay View on Wednesday.

Day said in the statement that he regretted that comments made during an October Plan Commission meeting, in which an alderman referred to homeless people in his district as “stinky” and “drunk,” had “become the focus of this important issue.”

“This office is committed to the well-being of all Cudahy residents, especially those who have fallen on hard times,” he said.

I am glad Cudahy has finally seen the light on this … although it’s too bad it took a story in the Journal Sentinel exposing the problem to spur things along.

I’d like to think we’d have a different reaction in South Milwaukee, but I am not naive enough to think that the misconceptions and biases espoused by some in Cudahy aren’t felt by some here. I, however, don’t share them.

Homelesseness is a real problem everywhere, urban and suburban, and hiding from that fact does no one any good.

Finding both short- and long-term solutions should be the goal, and the graciousness of area churches to open their doors to the homeless is a great start.

God bless those who are doing this.

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by | December 12, 2010 · 12:43 am

Cudahy Says No To Homeless Shelter

Cudahy’s Plan Commission and others have resisted efforts to bring a homeless shelter to the city.

Here is the story in the Journal Sentinel story. From it:

Plans have been on hold since October, when they were shot down by the Cudahy Plan Commission, where one commissioner disparaged the homeless in his district as “stinky” and “drunk,” and another suggested they would be best exported to Milwaukee.

“We really thought by this winter, we’d have multiple sites up and running,” said the Rev. Karen Hagen of Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church, one of four churches in Bay View and Cudahy that hoped to host the shelter starting out.

“Here we have people trying to be good citizens and be faithful to their faith traditions, and it’s gotten so hard.”

I must admit that this story was frustrating to me — that some Cudahy officials and others are trying to find any reason, reasonable or not, to keep this shelter out of their community. “We must help the homeless … but not in my backyard,” they seem to be saying.

What do you think? Would you support this concept in South Milwaukee?

Post your comments below.

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by | December 10, 2010 · 10:08 pm

Honadel’s Legislative Priorities and Other Local Headlines of Note …

Republicans have big plans as they assume control of the State Senate and Assembly in January — and that includes South Milwaukee’s Mark Honadel.

Check out the full story from BizTimes.com here. From it:

Rep. Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) says his immediate pet priorities include: eliminating millions of dollars of current fraud in the Wisconsin Shares program; demanding a “top to bottom” evaluation of state agencies to justify their spending and eliminate vacant positions; and launching mediation arbitration reform to provide local government the tools they need to control costs, reduce spending and make reforms of their own.

Also, Honadel has been named chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Energy and Utilities, where he summarizes his priorities as “focusing on competition and job creation, as well as the overall needs and priorities of our state’s energy, utilities, and telecommunications services so that businesses and consumers can thrive in our state economy.” Learn more here.

And here are some other local stories of interest:

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by | December 8, 2010 · 8:32 pm

Smartly Investing to Improve South Milwaukee’s Emergency Communications Efforts

As you know, I made improving the way the city communicates with its residents a key campaign issue. I said, and continue to say, that we must find new and creative ways to keep citizens informed.

That’s why I am proud to support the city’s purchase of a new phone-based emergency alert system.

The City Council at our meeting Tuesday voted 7-0 to purchase a system that gives city officials the ability to call all city residents — or large numbers of them — at once to share a message in times of emergency.

The uses are easy to see. In fact, the system would have likely been used during two emergencies in the past 10 months alone: the February water main break and the July flooding. During those two emergencies, we found it difficult to communicate broadly with residents and let them know key information, from whether or not the water was safe to drink to details on the extent of the flooding and next steps.

This system, the same used by Milwaukee County and Oak Creek, will solve that problem and give us another tool in our communications toolbox.

It’s also cost effective. Cost will range from $7,000 to $8,000 up front — to be funded with leftover public health emergency response grant funds. Annual upkeep is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000, based on the purchase of additional “call blocks” from the provider.

The system will likely be available in the first quarter of 2011.

Land lines will be automatically populated into the system. You will also have the ability to add your cell number. I will keep you posted on when and how to do that.

In the meantime, let me know what you think about the deal. Post your comments below.

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by | December 8, 2010 · 12:36 am

Our Area’s Loss is Maryland’s Gain

Cudahy Economic Development Director Lara Fritts — the victim of a raw deal by that city’s elected leaders recently in which her hours were reduced and staff were cut in an 11th-hour budget debate — has landed a new job.

In fact, it’s a better one.

Fritts has been named president and chief executive officer of the Annapolis (Md.) Economic Development Corporation.

See the full story here. From it:

As Cudahy’s chief economic developer, Fritts negotiated development agreements expected to result in $66.3 million worth of new development in the city. In a one-year period, she met and followed up with over 180 prospects, resulting in six new businesses and 12 retained businesses. She also created and implemented an expedited development process for all proposed construction projects in the city.

Previously, Fritts was executive director of the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation in Alexandria, Virginia; President of the Washington, D.C. Technology Council; and Director of Membership of the Technology Council of Maryland. She also served as President and Executive Director and was involved in the creation of the Greater Rockville Partnership, now known as Rockville Economic Development, Inc.

“We are very pleased to have someone of the caliber of Lara Fritts as the first President and Chief Executive Officer of the Annapolis Economic Development Corporation,” said Midgett S. Parker, Jr., Chair of the AEDC Board of Directors. “Her involvement in the successful start-up of the economic development corporation in Rockville was critical to her selection.”

Cudahy will regret losing her.

As for Fritts, this is a promotion. Annapolis, home of the Naval Academy, is nearly twice the size of Cudahy, which will now apparently be left with a part-time economic development director and the status of its economic development efforts in question at the worst possible time.

Good luck, Cudahy. Good luck, Lara.

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by | December 8, 2010 · 12:27 am

Kindercare Bus Driver Charged

Charges have been filed against the bus driver in the case of the 5-year-old left on the Kindercare bus last week.

See the press release from the South Milwaukee Police Department here.

The woman faces up to a $10,000 fine or up to nine months in prison if convicted of the charge: Child left unattended on a day care bus, a Class A misdemeanor.

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by | December 7, 2010 · 12:31 am

Large Water Main Break Reported in Downtown South Milwaukee

Update: See below for more details.

If you noticed your water pressure drop around 1 p.m. on Monday, you were not alone.

A large water main broke around 10th and Michigan Avenue, the Water Utility reported. And while this wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened in February — when a large water main break left the city without drinking water for a day — this one apparently impacted a number of businesses and residents.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the utility was still working to repair the main, and there was still low pressure for a few customers, the city reported.

Were you affected by the main break? Let me know how. Post your comments below.

I’ll keep you posted when I learn more about this.

UPDATE

Here is information I got from Doug Fischer, our water utility superintendent, on Tuesday.

A 12’ main on 10th and Michigan broke around 12:30 pm causing low pressure throughout the city. Our crew responded immediately to isolate the break. They were able to get the water shut off at approximately an hour later. The only customer that was without water during the repair was Nona’s.

After digging we found that the pipe had pretty much blew apart. A big section of the pipe had broken off causing extensive road damage. The crew also had to repair an old valve that was hit while digging that we believe was for an abandoned fire hydrant. The repairs were completed and water back on around 11:30 pm. We had to wait to back fill until today because the Wastewater Department wanted to send a camera into the sewer that is below the water main to make sure it wasn’t damaged. We also could not get slurry for back fill until after 11:00 am today.

The road will be opened up for traffic after The Street Department has the holes patched with asphalt.

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by | December 5, 2010 · 6:03 pm

Mourning the Loss of a Man Committed to Community … and History

In case you haven’t heard, Dave Lang, the founder of the Bucyrus History Museum, died this week of brain cancer. He was 65.

I only met Dave a couple times when we were starting up the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, and it was easy to see how much he loved and supported our community.

He was also dedicated to preserving its history as Bucyrus curator and founder of its cool museum, a true hidden gem in South Milwaukee.

And I think it was only fitting that on Saturday, the day after he was buried, Bucyrus opened its doors for the Christmas Market and attracted hundreds of people to the museum that Lang helped build.

Read an obituary here, and post memories of Dave below. Rest in peace, Dave, and your family is in my prayers.

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by | December 3, 2010 · 9:35 pm

A New Tradition: Join Us for the Christmas Market on Saturday!

Looking for some unique Christmas gifts, and to get your holiday shopping done with a couple weeks to spare?

Then check out the first-ever South Milwaukee Christmas Market on Saturday at Bucyrus International’s Heritage Building, 1970 10th Ave. across from the library. More than 50 vendors are coming, and we’ll have live music throughout the day. And, while you’re there, be sure to visit the cool Bucyrus History Museum in the same building.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Learn more in this press release and our on our Facebook page.

As for those unique gifts, be sure to pick up a $2 market logo bag at the welcome table. Each bag contains a $1-off coupon for use at the market.

And what about that snow? It’s not much of a storm, and I think in only adds ambiance. After all, it’s December in Wisconsin, and this is a Christmas Market.

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by | December 3, 2010 · 9:27 pm

Five Year Old Left on Bus for 40 Minutes and Other Headlines of Note

Update: The WISN-TV website finally has a story on this.

A potentially dangerous situation had a happy ending on Thursday, as a five-year-old girl was discovered unharmed after being left on a cold bus outside a South Milwaukee day care center for 40 minutes.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department press release:

On 12/02/10 at about 400pm a five year old girl had been left alone on a bus, for about forty minutes, at the Kindercare day care center in South Milwaukee .  The bus had been parked outside when this occurred. The temperatures were below freezing however, the child sustained no injuries. The driver of the bus, a thirty two year old female, will be ordered into the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office on 12/07/10 for the possible charge of  Neglecting A Child.

I’ll keep you posted if I learn more.

Also, four people were injured in a fire Tuesday night in downtown Cudahy.

Check out the Journal Sentinel story here, and here is a story and video from WISN-TV.

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

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by | December 1, 2010 · 9:48 pm

A Sure Sign of the Season: Winter Parking Regulations Now in Effect

It’s Dec. 1, and it’s the meteorological start of winter … and the start of winter parking regulations.

Learn more about parking permits and regulations on the South Milwaukee Police Department’s website here.

Here are the basics:

During the period from December 1st to March 31st, no person shall park a vehicle on any street in the City of South Milwaukee between the hours of 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

However, vehicles may be parked during such hours if a permit is obtained from the Police Department after the filing of an application and the payment of $25.00 per month permit fee, $22.00 if obtained after the 15th of the month, or $75.00 for a 4-month permit.

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by | November 30, 2010 · 10:56 pm

City Council Approves 2011 Budget

The South Milwaukee City Council approved the 2011 budget on Tuesday night in a 7-0 vote.

The details (and context) are not much different than what I reported in my previous post found here.

But here is some updated information …

  • The city tax levy will increase 1.86 percent, from $10,001,640 to $10,188,003. This is actually lower than the increase called for in the initial draft of the budget.
  • The city tax rate will increase 2.13%, from $7.09 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $7.24 per $1,000. That means for the owner of a $150,000 home in South Milwaukee, the city portion of that person’s property tax bill we be $1,086 in 2011, up less than $23 from 2010.
  • Changes from the proposed executive budget include a small increase in auditing fees, a decrease in fees paid to Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control and a small increase in the Police and Fire Commission budget due to the looming search for a new fire chief.

I should also point out some of the fears raised about the local impact of state budget woes for the back half of 2011 and beyond. A potential loss in shared revenue, among other impacts, looms when the new governor and legislature hammer out the 2011-13 biennial budget.

Why is this potentially significant for us? Shared revenue is a more than $3.1 million line item for us, so any cut could hurt. I’ll keep you posted.

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