Tag Archives: South Milwaukee emerald ash borer

April 16, 2013 · 10:27 pm

Council Roundup: EAB Update, Walgreens Property Sale, Council Leadership And More

Rounding up some items from tonight’s South Milwaukee City Council meeting …

  • The council approved awarding a contract to Bluestem Forestry Consulting for a citywide tree survey. The survey should be wrapped up by the fall, as Bluestem identifies each tree on city property and in the right of way (estimated to be between 8,000 and 10,000 trees) using a variety of characteristics, including its relative health (and potential for emerald ash borer infestation). All trees will then be plotted on the city’s GIS system. Bluestem will also present options to the city as to what to do with the data that’s collected, as we determine just how to tackle EAB in South Milwaukee. Here is a previous post.
  • The council approved the sale of the Grant Park Plaza Walgreens parcel to LJL Holdings Milwaukee, a Florida-based company that owns a number of Walgreens parcels in strip malls across the country. This is in line with the plan approved earlier this year allowing for the sale of “pieces” of Grant Park Plaza to be sold individually. You will recall an agreement has also been reached to sell the Pick ‘n Save parcel. We’ll see what happens with the other sections. Of course, the center section of the strip mall remains vacant. Let’s hope that the financial flexibility the selling of these parcels provides the mall owner will lead to added investment in the property, and the filling of the vacancy.
  • The council approved contracts for repaving projects on the Nicholson Avenue frontage road and 8th Avenue from Lakeview Avenue to Drexel Avenue, as well as patching on Columbia Avenue. This is just the start of the summer construction projects. I’ll post more on individual projects as they come before the council.

The council also voted on its 2013-15 leadership and council assignments, and they essentially remain unchanged. Alderman David Bartoshevich remains council president. I was named chairman of the Public Works & Public Property Committee after serving in that role in 2011-12. I was vice chairman last year.

Also, former Alderman, state Rep. and state Sen. Jeff Plale was appointed to the Police & Fire Commission. 

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March 26, 2013 · 9:19 pm

“Severe Infestation”? Sobering News On Emerald Ash Borer’s Presence In South Milwaukee

Is emerald ash borer in South Milwaukee?

This email from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik — sent in response to a constituent concern about trees being cut down near Oak Creek Parkway recently — essentially confirms it is.

Here is the email …

I communicated with the Milwaukee County Parks Department about the tree removal north of South Milwaukee High School.  This removal is indeed related to Emerald Ash Borer as your constituent surmised.

The forestry manager explained that the removal of the ash trees along 15th Avenue just south of Oak Creek Parkway is in response to a  severe infestation by Emerald Ash Borer near 15th Avenue, city sidewalks and park paths. The same week, Milwaukee County Parks forestry removed several mature ash trees just west of Grobschmidt pool because they were also infested and could pose a threat to the pool, and walkway.

The forestry manager believes that we will see a rapid increase in the infestation, removal and requests for removal of Ash trees in South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Franklin, and Cudahy.  Forestry staff has confirmed infestations at several County Parks locations including Oak Creek Parkway, Grobschmidt Pool, Pulaski (Cudahy), Oakwood, the Sports complex and Southwood Glen.

Jursik also reported that South Milwaukee officials, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Milwaukee County Parks administration “have been proactively working together to identify and address infested ash trees.”

So that’s the problem on county land, and what the county is doing in response. What is the city doing?

As you may recall, the South Milwaukee City Council recently voted to match grant funding from the state to perform a GPS study of trees on city property and in the right of way, as well as develop options for fighting EAB.

It’s a start. At least we’ll get a better handle on the problem — and have the information we need as a council to make a decision on an EAB action plan. From the looks of things, we can’t start soon enough.

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