South Milwaukee Blog

I love this story from the South Milwaukee Fire Department today.

Well done, as our team saves another life.

And check out TMJ4 coverage of the story, including video of the rescue. 

I was proud to represent South Milwaukee — along with our city engineer and Alderman David Bartoshevich, and residents — at Tuesday’s Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources public hearing regarding a wetlands permit for the proposed Oak Creek postal facility bordering our city.

It was the first public meeting of any kind on the project, and that’s deeply frustrating. More on that later.

Check out the NOW story here. It includes new details on the project that the public had not seen, unless someone had decided to go to City Hall and ask to view the “70%” project plans.

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From the NOW story …

South Milwaukee rescheduled its regular plan commission meeting to allow representatives to attend the Oak Creek meeting.

“This would never be allowed in the private sector,” said South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks. “I ask the post office to step up here.”

Brooks also expressed concern about how the development’s wetland fill could affect the Oak Creek watershed restoration work.

I was happy to see Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s and Rep. Bryan Steil’s offices represented at the meeting. Someone asked at the meeting, “Just who is the USPS accountable to?” Great question. I would say that’s Congress.

So I ask Sen. Baldwin and Rep. Steil to step up in support of public engagement of this project, and hold postal leaders to account.

I look forward to hearing from them on how they plan to do this.

For now, I have questions — many, many questions. And judging from the crowd on Tuesday, I’m not alone. Among them …

• When will the United States Postal Service step up and be transparent with their plans on this project? Will they at all?
• Will they schedule any public meetings on this?
• The plans shown were for a 423,900 square-foot facility, but the DNR notice references an eventual facility nearing a million square feet. When is this “second phase” coming? What does that do to the footprint of the site, and potential impacts to things like wetlands and stormwater (topics relevant to Tuesday’s meeting), as well traffic, noise, and other issues important to neighbors?
• Why did they have to grade — clear cut — the entire site, for a development (at least in phase one) that will not take up nearly that amount of property?
• The USPS representative said Tuesday that they still haven’t submitted 100% plans to the city, even for phase one. How can the DNR even rule on the wetlands permit until they do?
• Speaking of plans, the USPS said submitted their first set of “70%” plans in early November … days after they started grading, which they said was done to ensure they meet project timelines for a 2021 opening. How in the world is that OK? I wonder what would happen if a private developer showed up and started digging on his site without having submitted any level of plans to the city …

I’ll keep you posted, and promise to stay engaged on this, to continue to demand transparency.

The USPS has repeatedly said they do not need to comply with the traditional development process because they are the federal government. The truth is, they don’t. But they should.

In fact, I argue governments have a greater responsibility to doing things the right way, to show the way in being open and honest in their communications with the cities they build in and residents they are impacting. The exact opposite is happening here, and I won’t stand for it.

HGTV’s “Hometown Makeover” show is looking for what it is calling “it biggest renovation project ever — a takeover to makeover an entire town.” The goal: “to help you and your community revitalize the place you call home.” They are accepting submissions now, and the City of South Milwaukee plans on making one.

Video is a big part of this. The question is, how do we break through?

Enter, Kyle Olson. Kyle is a 2007 South Milwaukee High School graduate and Emmy-award winning producer who currently lives in Hollywood.  

Kyle has agreed to come back home to produce this video! Joining him will be fellow South Milwaukee graduate and videographer Nick Koscielniak.

Kyle is flying in Friday and filming this Saturday, Feb. 1, so be sure to say hello if you see him and his crew around town. We may also want you to be part of the story — I’ll be reaching out individually on that.

I can’t wait to see this project come together. Hopefully it leads to additional investment in our city from HGTV. Even if it doesn’t, it will be fun to tell the South Milwaukee story in this unique way. And having that story told by Kyle and his team makes it all the more special.

We could not do this without partners. While Kyle is graciously donating his time and talents, there are still travel and production costs to fund.

The city is covering some of that cost — and in return Kyle has agreed to deliver a separate marketing video for us, using footage he collects here.

Also, I’m happy to announce Da Crusher Foundation and Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home have agreed to contribute toward this community storytelling project. Thank you so much!

We are still looking for additional donors to help fund the cost of bringing Kyle back to town and make these films, including businesses, organizations and individuals. If you are interested, please email me at brooks@smwi.org.

And please join me in welcoming Kyle back to town!

Our history story is authentic, and uniquely South Milwaukee’s. We as a city need to do a better job telling it.

That’s why I was excited to hear about a new public-private partnership the South Milwaukee Historical Society, South Milwaukee Library and a local business leader (Jay Benkowski and Benkowski Builders) — one that you can also help with.

From the society …

One hundred and twelve rolls of 35 mm microfilm covering South Milwaukee newspapers from 1892 to 2006 are currently unusable because of a microfilm reader/printer failure.

The South Milwaukee Historical Society and the South Milwaukee Library have begun a project to copy the film digitally that will make research of the newspaper files much easier.

A local businessman, Jay Benkowski and his firm Benkowski Properties have generously agreed to match all new donations toward this project dollar for dollar. We hope to reach a total of $15,000 dollars, which would allow completion of the project.

Newspapers are considered a primary source of historical information about people and events. Their preservation and access is very important to researchers both today and in the future. Please help in achieving our goal of making these papers easily researchable.

We are a 501(c)3 Organization. Donations over $250 will be acknowledged by letter.

Send checks to: South Milwaukee Historical Society, 717 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee, WI 53172

Thanks, Jay, for stepping up to support this effort!

The Shepherd Express “Best Of” awards were announced this week, and once again South Milwaukee is well represented.

Congratulations to all of these locally based runners up!

• Caribbean Restaurant: Island Jam
• Fine Jewelry: C3 Designs
• Flower Shop: Parkway Floral
• New Retail Shop: Hollyville
• Bratwurst and Sausage: Milwaukee Sausage Company
• Bar to Watch Soccer and Sports Bar: Moran’s Pub

Also, congratulations to Educators Credit Union! They won three awards, for “best financial institution for getting a business loan … home mortgage … and checking account.” And Associated Bank won for “Best Bank.”

As for politicians, State Sen. Chris Larson won for “Best State Legislator,” and Steven Shea was a runner-up for “Best County Supervisor.”

Here is the full list of winners.

There is lots on tap at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center these days — literally.

Here is an upcoming schedule.

It starts Thursday, Jan. 30, with “Shaun Boothe: The Unauthorized Biography Series,” described as “a critically acclaimed musical motivational project that celebrates the world’s greatest cultural icons Creator Shaun Boothe is an award-winning hip hop artist, TEDx motivational speaker and founder of Live Your Legacy Academy.”

Then, on Friday, Feb. 1, it’s the Varsity Vocals International Championship of a Cappella. From the SMPAC website …

The Varsity Vocals International Championship of A Cappella is the only international tournament that showcases the art of student a cappella singing. Our programs include both The Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and The Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA), and both are dedicated to providing top-notch a cappella groups with valuable feedback from our highly qualified judges. Our young vocalists also have the opportunity to showcase their talent to an international audience and develop relationships with each other, cultivating the art of a cappella singing and a lifelong love of music.

Also mark your calendars for Feb. 29 and “The Tap Pack” … “an elegant, high energy, tap comedy show inspired by the infamous “Rat Pack” which included the famous talents of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. With dazzling performances on stage, dressed in slick suits and equipped with sharp wit, The Tap Pack is a modern twist on the classic “Rat Pack.” 

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My wife and I had the pleasure of celebrating the installation of the new South Milwaukee Yacht Club officers on Saturday, including Commodore Bryan Gahan, who has been elected to a second year in the position.

It’s going to be a big year for the club in 2020, as it turns 70 with a big party tentatively planned for July 11. (Many more details to come on that.)

The club is making more than $500,000 in capital investments to their facility this year, including upgrades to their public fishing pier and their outer ring wall — not including another nearly $100,000 in fixes for damage caused by the winter storm earlier this month. (The club’s damage was included in Milwaukee County’s federal disaster declaration this week.)

The club’s slips are full, with a waiting list, and it’s easy to see why demand is high: Its people, the dedicated members and volunteers who filled the club at the event last weekend, including two original members.

I love this public-private partnership. The club leases its land and building from the city, and in return we get a terrific community asset built in the 1950s and maintained today by the hands of volunteers. The club also allows our fire department boat to dock and launch there.

South Milwaukee’s story is a strong one, and this facility is part of that story, a point of pride. Let’s tell that story as the club turns 70.

The lack of transparency from the United States Postal Service on their project on our city’s borders continues to frustrate me.

No other developer would be allowed to act this way, and keep the public in the dark as to what is happening at the corner of College and Pennsylvania Avenues. But, by law, the USPS can.

So we are forced to struggle to find out even the most basic details about their project … a lack of public input that led to the Oak Creek and South Milwaukee City Councils to oppose the project last year.

The public’s first chance to learn more about the project and share their feelings on the development comes Tuesday, Jan. 28, at a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wetlands permit public hearing at Oak Creek City Hall. The hearing begins at 6 p.m.

Check out the notice here, and here is NOW coverage.

I’ll see you there. Please ask tough questions. I will. We deserve answers.

Do better, United States Postal Service.

Check out these South Milwaukee headlines …

• Return to Hometown of South Milwaukee Led to Avenue Coffeehouse and a Future in Baking (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Good Samaritan Unites Lost Phone Found in South Carolina With its Wisconsin Owner (WISN)
• Loud Unidentified Sounds Heard at South Milwaukee MS Prompt Temporary Lockdown (Fox 6)
• TODAY’S TMJ4 Helps South Milwaukee Woman Resolve More Than $30K Medical Bill (TMJ 4)
• Jan. 12 Was the Last Day for Milwaukee Sausage Company (Journal Sentinel)
• South Milwaukee Dental Assistant Says She Was Fired After Posting Pro-Trump Comment on Facebook (NOW)

From the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department …

Do you or someone you know need help? Do you have questions about medication assisted treatment for addiction? Join us January 20th 6:30pm at the South Milwaukee PAC to learn more.

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From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

At approx.. 4:57pm, SMFD Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call of a fire in a house in the 1700 blk. of Rawson Avenue. Due to the description of the fire provided by the caller, mutual aid was immediately called and Oak Creek, St. Francis, and Cudahy responded. Greendale also responded with a paramedic unit to standby at our station and Milwaukee provided both an engine (special called due to another ongoing EMS call in SM) and a paramedic unit to the scene.

The caller for the house fire stated he did not know for sure what was on fire, but that there were flames in the bedroom in the rear of the house. SMFD and SMPD units arrived to find a small, single-family residence with smoke issuing from the building. The sole occupant was out of the building and reported no other occupants. Fire crews advanced a hoseline into the house, conducted a primary search to confirm that there were no other occupants and extinguished the fire while another crew cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the heat, gases, and smoke out.

Damage to the interior of the structure was extensive. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by SMPD and SMFD personnel.

Crime fighting is a partnership. We all play a role — and we all can help.

That is why I love this post on the South Milwaukee Police Department Facebook page so much.

Great work from the SMPD, and thank you to the citizens who stepped up to help with video doorbell footage. Well done!

You may have already seen the “lines” on our main streets.

Ahead of this weekend’s winter storm, the city is adding a new weapon in our fight against snow and ice — brine.

From the city Facebook page:

The truck in the picture has been outfitted with a new piece of equipment used in delivering a salt brine solution to our roads before inclement weather. 

The salt brine is a solution of salt and water, used to deliver a pre-treatment anti-icing approach. The anti-icing approach is taken to decrease the likelihood of snow and ice bonding to the pavement surface. Anti-icing involves placing a layer of brine on the surface of the pavement before the winter storm has begun.

A benefit of this process is that anti-icing will achieve the same level of service on the roads using 1/4 to 1/5 the amount of salt!

Indeed, cost savings are a big part of this. Not only should this reduce our use of road salt, it could also reduce overtime costs, as we can potentially wait longer to call in Street Department personnel to deal with a storm.

There are also big environmental benefits to reducing road salt usage, critical as we sharpen our focus on cleaning up the Oak Creek watershed.

It’s also a great example of a regional partnership, as we look to purchase most of our brine from the City of Cudahy.

(The purchase of the large tank was also a win. We will use it year-round to water flowers, grass and other plantings on city-owned property, and to keep dust down on South Milwaukee road projects.)

I want to thank our Street Department for exploring this and putting it into action. It was months in the making, and took a lot of research and discussions with other communities about their approaches before we settled on moving ahead with brining.

In that way, I am glad we are not at the “bleeding edge” of this. Others have done this for years, and we get to learn from their trials and errors, and put those refined best practices to work here.

I urge patience as we roll this out locally. It will take time to get this right for South Milwaukee, but we’ve started on the path to another example of our city teams finding new and innovative ways to deliver services more cost effectively, and better. We won’t stop here.

Stay safe, South Milwaukee!

The campaign filing deadline for spring 2020 candidates came and went on Tuesday, and here is who is running for what locally.

These races will appear on the April 7, 2020, ballot …

• South Milwaukee Mayor: I will not have ballot opposition, as I seek a third three-year term leading the city. I am grateful for that, but also pledge to not stop working to deliver South Milwaukee’s promising future, together. Forward!
• South Milwaukee School Board: Five candidates are vying for three spots: three incumbents (my wife, Sarah Brooks; John Haslam and Augie Vega) and challengers Crystal Champagne and Patrick Hintz.
• Milwaukee County Board: Supervisor Steven Shea is also running unopposed, as he seeks his second two-year term.

There will be a contested primary on Tuesday, Feb. 18, for Milwaukee County executive. More details on that and other races here.

I’ll be posting more on the upcoming elections as they get closer. Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to run for public office!

Don’t forget about the Community Meals at First Congregational Church the third Thursday of each month … with the next one set for January 16. Skyline Catering will provide the meal, after more than 100 people attended the December meal (Knights of Columbus).

Thanks to First Congregational for hosting this community event, and to all of the partners for their work in preparing and serving. If you haven’t attended one of these yet, please do.

And save your appetite! If you’re in town Jan. 24-26, check these two meals out … I’ll save some lefse for you at the Meatball Supper!