Thursday, February 16, 2012
Waukesha's search for a new water supply deals with complex issues, including geology and chemistry.
Dozens of Waukesha residents came to Horning Middle School Wednesday night for what they thought would be a discussion about radium levels in the city’s water supply and how the city’s working to become compliant with federal levels by June 2018. But what the residents soon discovered is that Waukesha’s search for a new water supply is not just about radium levels. Declining water quality and quantity are major reasons the city is seeking to divert Lake Michigan water past the Subcontinental Divide. While radium levels were the “impetus” for the city to seek Great Lakes water, it is not only for that reason, said General Manager Dan Duchniak. “It is an overall water quality issues and water quantity issue,” Duchniak said. The city needs …
43.01416
-88.23557
Waukesha Water Utility
115 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI
/articles/residents-find-city-s-water-problem-not-just-about-radium
1062846
/locations/6390750
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Some aldermen and Waukesha Water Utility general manager set neighborhood meetings to get more information about the city’s search for a water supply.
A series of neighborhood meetings that are designed to educate the public about the city’s search for a future water supply will be held in the next two months. Some city aldermen and Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak are holding the meetings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. A 30- to 45-minute presentation will begin at 6:45 p.m. The following districts are set for their neighborhood discussions: Common Council members Andy Reiland, Joan Francoeur and Paul Ybarra are in the process of scheduling neighborhood meetings, according to Duchniak. “We plan to educate the community on how we arrived at this point, the options considered, the Great Lakes Application process, and what will happen as we move forward,” Duchniak said in an e-…
43.01416
-88.23557
Waukesha Water Utility
115 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI
/articles/want-to-learn-more-about-city-s-great-lakes-application
1062846
/locations/6341755
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Neighbors fear multi-family apartment complex will be too dense for vacant parcel of land.
Developers from MSP Real Estate got the green light to build a controversial apartment complex on Meadow Lane despite many neighbors and residents bringing concerns about traffic and density to the proposal during a public hearing before the Common Council on Tuesday after a lengthy debate. Alderman Paul Ybarra tried unsuccessfully to change the project to a planned unit development to give the Common Council more oversight in the plans. The Common Council denied his request but eventually approved the rezoning of the property from temporary zoning to multi-family residential zoning. Voting against the rezoning were Ybarra and council members Rick Hastings, Joe Pieper, Eric Payne and Joan Francoeur. In favor of the zoning were council …
Common Council approves appointments to new taskforce.
As downtown bickering over street closures continues, especially for Freeman Friday Night Live’s summer music events, the Waukesha Common Council agreed to form a downtown taskforce that will address concerns related to events that occur in the central business district. After a lengthy discussion and mixed public comment, the following people were appointed to the taskforce: Payne and Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings voted against creating the group. Payne said he wanted people who “aren’t front page news” on the taskforce. Cummings, though, blasted Mayor Jeff Scrima because she made a referral to discuss the street closures and it took 35 days for anything to move forward, she said. The taskforce will be unable to complete the necessary work…
43.0149
-88.23542
City of Waukesha
201 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI
/articles/downtown-taskforce-formed-as-street-closure-quarrel-continues
1063004
/locations/6336727
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
City could create another source of revenue with a private partnership that would add batting practice to the Saratoga Softball Complex.
Before Chris Matthews became a business owner, he was a softball fan. Not just any softball fan, but a softball fan that knew the frustrations of trying to get in batting practice before games when playing in recreation leagues. Whether it was rounding up teammates to shag balls or rules that prohibited practice on the fields, Matthews knew he needed to do something. That’s why his company, Heavy Hitters LLC, which is in its third year of business, came forward with an “innovative approach to batting practice,” Matthews said. “I was the customer that I built the business for,” Matthews told the Waukesha Parks, Recreation & Forestry Board on Monday. “I am hoping there are other people out there that have the same thought process as I do …
43.000106
-88.243136
Saratoga Softball Complex
301 S Prairie Ave, Waukesha, WI
/articles/owner-pitches-batting-cage-proposal-to-parks-board
1061329
/locations/6327623
Monday, February 6, 2012
Public art project going before government boards and commissions for approvals.
The committee working to make Waukesha a Gibson GuitarTown has identified 13 possible locations for 10 10-foot guitars that are being painted by local artists and displayed in downtown Waukesha, according to a news release. The plans are going before the following city boards and committees for approval: The organizers of the project have proposed more than 10 locations for flexibility. You can see the proposed locations here. “We are moving forward through the approval processes with the city on the locations of the guitars and are excited about bringing the Waukesha GuitarTown Project closer to be a reality and honoring the legacy of Les Paul,” the release states. “It truly is special to be selected by Gibson for this project. The guitar…
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Waukesha Common Council exploring if it wants to join county dispatch.
The next step as the city considers joining the Waukesha County’s dispatch center is a tour of the city’s dispatch center at the Waukesha Police Department. A group of aldermen will tour the facility at 7 pm. Tuesday as a part of the Finance Committee. The group previously toured the consolidated dispatch site at a meeting earlier this month. Following the presentation on the city’s dispatch center and the tour, the Finance Committee will review and discuss the presentation and the tour. The aldermen also will discuss the long-term financial planning and services year of the city. The aldermen are exploring the possibility of joint dispatch in an effort to save the city budget money but savings estimates have not yet been delivered to the …
43.02942
-88.24305
Waukesha Police Department
1901 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI
/articles/finance-committee-to-tour-city-s-dispatch-center
1062584
/locations/6266830
Monday, January 23, 2012
Some fear that a proposed ordinance that is being circulated could put an end to popular weekly summer music events.
A spirited debate about potential changes to the city’s street closures ordinance – changes that some fear will spell the end for a popular weekly music event in downtown Waukesha – broke out Monday night but no action was taken by the Ordinance & License Committee as Mayor Jeff Scrima has a work group to address some of the issues that are related to street closures. Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings had asked the committee review the street closure ordinance to “define the duties and responsibilities of organizers of Special Events that requests a street closure,” a City Hall document states. “All this is is a vetting process,” Cummings said. However, an example ordinance has been presented among community members that could restrict street …
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Revised city ordinance also changes the amount of time a person is given to pay off parking tickets before the price increases.
The cost of permits for parking on overnight city streets will increase under an ordinance revision the Waukesha Common Council approved unanimously Tuesday night. The changes were approved without discussion as a part of the council’s consent agenda. The following changes are: Other changes include the amount of days people are given to pay parking tickets. Previously, people had seven days to pay their non-traffic violation tickets. Under the revised ordinance, they now have 15 days to pay the ticket. People are also given additional time before the city refers the issue to the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles. Previously the tickets would be forwarded to the DMV if gone unpaid for more than 14 days. The new ordinance extends that …
43.0149
-88.23542
City of Waukesha
201 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI
/articles/waukesha-increases-parking-permit-prices
1063004
/locations/6201345
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Waukesha aldermen begin research into joint dispatch with the county. The city currently operates its separate dispatch center in the police department.
The Waukesha Finance Committee is beginning to explore if the city should join the county’s dispatch center instead of having its own operations in the Waukesha Police Department. No decisions were made when the Finance Committee toured the Waukesha County Communications Center Tuesday night. They did, though, learn that it would cost the city $450,989 to join the county’s operations. An additional $37,540 charge could also assessed depending on how the county’s dispatch center would need to make technological changes to be compatible with the city’s software system. There is no estimate yet about how much the city would save by joining the county’s dispatch center, according to Finance Director Steve Neaman. The Waukesha fire and police …
43.02333
-88.22804
Waukesha County Dispatch - 911 Center
515 W Moreland Blvd, Waukesha, WI
/articles/waukesha-committee-tours-county-dispatch
1062991
/locations/6161585
the 'sha guy
11:52 am on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Paul is correct in that the other neighboring communities will directly benefit by Waukesha paying for this entirely on its own. The other communities will not have to seek another source of water themselves and have NO expenses. Are there any sources or links for that information about the Green Bay / Brown County water issue that could be found or posted. As stated above, It appears that if … more ›