by | October 9, 2010 · 8:16 pm

South Milwaukee Mayor Zepecki Endorses Republican Ripp

South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki has endorsed Jess Ripp, the Republican candidate vying to replace Jeff Plale in the state Senate’s 7th District.

You can read the release here. From it:

“With his background in small business and law, Jess is the perfect candidate to represent this district,” Zepecki said. “Our citizens have real concerns about rising government spending, tax increases, and vanishing jobs. Jess has the same concerns and understands what it will take to repair our economy and keep jobs in Wisconsin.”

For Ripp, an attorney and relative unknown politically, this endorsement is a nice win.

For Larson, a Milwaukee County supervisor, this will only further hurt his chances in South Milwaukee … although his prospects here seemed pretty bleak anyway. Keep in mind that voters backed Plale nearly two to one in South Milwaukee in the September primary, even as Larson rolled to victory elsewhere, winning 60 percent to 40 percent overall. This endorsement certainly won’t help turn those numbers around.

Still, a local endorsement in this race surprises me some because neither candidate, to my knowledge, has campaigned much in South Milwaukee.

I know I’ve never met either one of them, and I hope that changes. I want to feel confident that both candidates will stand up for our city in Madison come January … and alleviate the real concerns locally that South Milwaukee will be a forgotten part of the 7th District after the election.

Here is Ripp’s campaign website. Here is Larson’s.

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by | October 9, 2010 · 5:51 pm

South Milwaukee “Going Pink” on Oct. 19

You’ll see a lot of pink around town on Tuesday, Oct. 19 … including at the City Council meeting that night.

That’s when elected officials and employees of the city and school district — including police officers and firefighters — and employees at a number of area businesses are “going pink” to support breast cancer victims and survivors.

Read the press release here.

A special thanks to South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens for leading the effort here. It’s an honor to be a small part of it. (And check out my new pink t-shirt at the Common Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19.)

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by | October 7, 2010 · 10:08 am

Get Your Flu Shots Today!

My apologies for the late notice, but the city Health Department is offering an adult seasonal flu shot clinic today at City Hall.

Hours are noon to 6 p.m., and you should probably stop by since the CDC is urging flu shots for essentially everyone this year.

Learn more on the city’s website.

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by | October 6, 2010 · 9:10 pm

Help Wanted: Oak Creek Cleanup Planned for Saturday Morning

Take ownership of a 4th District resource!

Friends of the Mill Pond & Oak Creek Watercourse have scheduled the fall cleanup for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The designated clean-up area is from North Chicago Avenue to Rawson Avenue.

Volunteers are needed to clean trash and debris from selected areas along the watercourse. Some of the items previously found (along with common trash) removed are: shopping carts, a plastic slide, a pay phone, tires, tire rims, crutches, bike tires, batteries, assorted balls and toys, a tricycle, fire extinguisher, jacket, container of oil, pieces of plywood and a street barricade.

Safety vests, bags, bottled water and vinyl gloves are provided to participants. Volunteers are urged to bring tall boots if they have them.

Email friendsofthemillpond@gmail.com for additional information.

It’s supposed to be a great day … and I hope to see you there. The Friends of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Watercourse could use your help in cleaning up this South Milwaukee jewel. Bring your family and friends!

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by | October 6, 2010 · 8:26 pm

Local Connection to Deadly Bicycle Crash and Other Headlines of Note

Jeff Littmann, the well-known area bicyclist who died in a crash on Tuesday in Waukesha County, was a Cudahy High School athlete.

See the Journal Sentinel story here. From it:

Littmann was a high school athlete in Cudahy, and managed Vic Tanny health clubs in the 1990s. He then opened his own Wisconsin Health & Fitness Centers and built a large network of friends and fellow athletes who sought his counsel and leadership.

In March, he and his wife, Kelly James, opened an Attitude Sports shop in Pewaukee, in a space that formerly housed Transition Cycles.

Also check out this local memory of Jeff from the MACC Fund.

And here are some other headlines of note from the area:

And check out Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik’s October E-News here.

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by | October 4, 2010 · 12:32 pm

South Milwaukee Trick-or-Treating Hours Set

This year, setting the trick-or-treat hours was easy.

Since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, South Milwaukee trick-or-treating will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31.

I continue would like to see trick-or-treating done at night in South Milwaukee, but I don’t see council support for this. What do you think? Post your comments below.

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by | September 28, 2010 · 11:00 pm

Public Service Commission Approves 56% Water Rate Increase

Expect a big increase in the size of your next water bill.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved the South Milwaukee Water Utility’s requested rate increase, meaning the average property owner’s bill will go up 56 percent effective Oct. 1.

November bills will reflect the increase for one month.

Click here to see the full PSC decision. From it:

The Commission appreciates and is sensitive to the customers’ concerns in this matter. However, the Commission finds that the revenue resulting from the authorized rates is necessary to provide for the financial needs of the utility over the long-term. …

These rates are reasonable and just. All customers will be required to pay an appropriate amount for the service provided.

Just how much will you pay? Obviously, it depends on usage, but average residential customers will pay $97.75 every four months with the increase, up from $62.82 currently (or the aforementioned 56 percent).

Increases for larger commercial, industrial and public users will run in the mid-60 percent range.

Check out a complete rate chart in Appendix D of the PSC decision.

While the increase is unfortunate — I have said before that I wish the pain of such a large increase could have been spread over a series of years vs. levied all at once — I was happy to see that residents made their voices known in the debate. According the PSC, 17 individuals submitted written comments to the commission, and 39 water customers appeared at the public hearing earlier this month.

“Most expressed concern with the level of rate increase in this bad economic environment,” according to the decision.

I share that same concern … while at the same time accepting the increase as necessary given the recent $9.4 million in plant upgrades, declining industrial and residential usage and other factors. I don’t love it. But I will live with it.

What do you think? Post your comments below … and cast your vote in my new poll on the right-hand side of this page.

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by | September 28, 2010 · 5:02 pm

South Milwaukee Police Search For 15 Year Old With Rare Genetic Disorder

Updated: Kayla was found later Tuesday evening near 105th and Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee. See the updated release here.

Police are searching for a 15-year-old South Milwauke High School student who went missing from school this morning.

But Kayla Sirovina is not a typical runaway.

From the press release:

Sirovina suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome. The disorder does not allow her to control her hunger.  Unsupervised, she will eat until her stomach ruptures.

She is 5-foot-2, 144 pounds with brown or hazel hair and was last seen wearing a hooded jacket, blue jeans and white, pink and silver tennis shooes. If you see here, please call police at 768-8060.

Check out the Fox 6 story, with photo, here.

I’ll keep you posted on this story as I hear more.

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by | September 27, 2010 · 11:03 pm

It’s That Time of Year Again: Key Budget Dates Set

It’s budget season, and I promise to keep you informed on the city budget process as it unfolds in coming weeks.

Here are some key upcoming budget dates:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 20: Executive budget review
  • Wednesday, Oct. 27: Additional budget review (if necessary)
  • Thursday, Nov. 4: Publish proposed budget
  • Monday, Nov. 29: Budget public hearing
  • Tuesday, Nov. 30: City Council meeting to adopt budget

Check out the complete listing of important dates here.

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by | September 25, 2010 · 11:15 pm

More on the Lake Bluff Settlement and Other Headlines of Interest

It took four days, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story finally has a comprehensive story on the Lake Bluff settlement the South Milwaukee City Council approved on Tuesday.

Read the story here.

And check out these other headlines of South Shore interest:

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by | September 21, 2010 · 11:02 pm

Settlement Reached in Lake Bluff Case

Sixteen years of on-and-off-again litigation over the Lake Bluff Apartments is coming to an end.

The South Milwaukee City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday night to settle a complicated lawsuit involving, among others, State Financial Bank, the American Civil Liberties Union and the owners of the two lakefront apartment buildings that the city contended for years were built illegally.

Here is an in-depth Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story summarizing the lawsuit from 2009 — written before a Milwaukee County Circuit Court jury decided that, if the city tore down Lake Bluff, it would be considered discrimination against the low-income and disabled residents who live there.

That ruling set in motion the settlement talks, which culminated with Tuesday’s vote. Here are the key details:

  • Under the settlement, the city will move to rezone the Lake Bluff properties “multifamily,” making the buildings there legal and allowing us to collect the appropriate property taxes (estimated at $60,000 annually, compared to the $10,000 we currently collect).
  • Lake Bluff will buy the adjacent 13-acre Northwestern Barrel Superfund site from Towne Realty and donate it to the city for use as a park or other public purpose (such as stormwater mitigation).  It will be named after late Towne founder Joseph Zilber.
  • Lake Bluff will also pay a significant part of attorney fees involved in the case. The city pays none.
  • The ACLU will release a statement saying the city has met its fair housing obligations.

Of course, the deal is much more complicated than that because the case itself is so complicated. You can imagine the paperwork (and legal fees) that 16 years of litigation has wrought.

In the end, however, the deal is a good one because it’s time. It’s time for this to end. It’s time to move on.

The city was victorious in court every step along the way … until the 2009 ruling. We could have appealed, but that would have meant more years of court battles and more tarnish to our image. It’s a prospect few were happy with, including me.

This settlement gives us a chance to put this behind us. I’m ready to do so.

Do you agree? I’d like to know what you think. Post your comments below, and vote in the new poll on the right-hand side of this page.

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by | September 20, 2010 · 5:02 pm

How to Apply for FEMA Aid

The front page of the South Milwaukee website has information for those seeking help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the July storms. Visit the site here.

Here is a direct link to the FEMA website’s Assistance section, and you can apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov. You can also apply by phone by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362).

WISN also has a good flooding recovery resources page.

Nearly 2,000 people have already applied, and FEMA wants to hear from everyone who suffered flood damage, so please take advantage of the aid.

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by | September 18, 2010 · 8:17 pm

FEMA Decides to Offer Flood Assistance for Homeowners

It looks like South Milwaukeeans who suffered flood damage in the July storms may receive federal aid after all.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story:

Federal officials, reacting to an appeal, have decided to make federal flood aid available to individuals in Milwaukee and Grant Counties, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Saturday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had previously approved disaster aid only for local governments in the two counties following the record flooding.

Millions of dollars in loans and grants will flow into the state to affected residents, said Lori Getter of the Wisconsin Emergency Management division.

“This is good news,” said Getter.

The application process for aid will start immediately.

I’ll keep you posted as to how to apply.

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by | September 16, 2010 · 9:37 pm

Police: Man Found Dead in Car Died of Prescription Drug Overdose

The man found dead in his car Tuesday morning near 13th and Rawson Avenues died after an accidental prescription drug overdose, according to South Milwaukee Police.

That’s all the information I have, but I hope it puts some minds at ease.

See my original post here.

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by | September 16, 2010 · 9:31 pm

Willow Lane Fire Update: How to Help the Family

Updated: Reports in South Milwaukee NOW that arson was the suspected cause of this fire were incorrect. I apologize for repeating the error on this blog. I’ll keep you posted on more information when I get it.

Here is how you can help the family displaced by the recent fire at 500 Willow Lane.

Rawson Elementary is collecting clothes for the two children (girls sizes 6-8 and boys 10-12) until Wednesday, Sept. 22. Donations can be brought to the school office, with the family picking up donations from there.

See my previous post about the fire here.

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

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