Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Waukesha will seek $50 million in grants for Lake Michigan water project.
Could Waukesha get federal funding to help build its pipeline to Oak Creek to purchase Lake Michigan water? Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak will soon travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with top Wisconsin political figures as the city will seek $50 million in grants, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Waukesha Water Utility staff have frequently said they will seek grants as they work on a massive project addressing Waukesha’s water quality. Waukesha is planning a $183 million pipeline to Oak Creek to address problems with its declining water quality and water supply. The Waukesha Water Utility spent a year-and-a-half in negotiations with Oak Creek and Racine over getting Lake Michigan water. Waukesha still …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The School District of Waukesha is unhappy that a decision by the Town of Waukesha would exclude its property from receiving municipal water from the City of Waukesha.
Disagreements about the City of Waukesha’s future water service area with the Town of Waukesha is becoming a problem for the School District of Waukesha. The future water service, which was designated by the Southeastern Regional Planning Commission, included portions of the Town of Waukesha. While the water service area would allow certain town properties to obtain Lake Michigan water if the city is successful in its diversion request through the Great Lakes Compact, the town has opted to exclude all properties south of the Highway 59 area. But the School District of Waukesha has a $1.4 million property that is located outside of the revised future water service area – and the district wants to use municipal water and sewer at the …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
It's cold outside. The Waukesha Water Utility is sharing the following information about how to prevent your pipes from freezing.
Cold weather and wind chills are here. This means we can expect frozen water pipes and water damage if exposed areas aren’t properly insulated or we aren’t careful about winter heating. The attched document from the Waukesha Water Utility shows some problem areas, warning signals and tips to minimize the chance of freezing water pipes
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
While a water sales agreement between Oak Creek and Waukesha is in limbo following a controversial Public Service Commission ruling, a key issue has been resolved.
Waukesha will move forward with a water deal with Oak Creek after language was changed in the letter of intent that satisfies some of Oak Creek’s concerns about compensation. An Oct. 3 ruling by the Public Service Commission (PSC), the regulating body for utilities in Wisconsin, delayed the water deal between the two cities. The ruling came one day after Oak Creek and Waukesha both agreed to proceed with a water deal, followed an appeal by Oak Creek in which the city asked the commission to reconsider parts of a decision regarding a rate increase originally requested in May 2011. Oak Creek is selling water to Franklin, but the PSC approved a greater rate increase for Oak Creek residents than it allowed for an increased charged to Franklin …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wants Waukesha to revise its future water service area after water deal with Oak Creek stumbles.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is calling on City of Waukesha leaders to revise its future water service area so Milwaukee can enter into a water deal with the city following Oak Creek's uncertainty in moving forward. “The Milwaukee Water Works could provide your residents with a healthy and sustainable supply of drinking water at a rate that our competitors cannot even come close to matching,” Barrett said in a letter Wednesday to Mayor Jeff Scrima and Alderman Paul Ybarra. “Our current comparable wholesale rate, for the City of West Allis, is $1.16 per thousand gallons. "In comparison, the wholesale rate contemplated in the Letter of Intent is $1.90 per thousand gallons, or 64.5 percent higher. My staff estimates that our lower cost would …
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility says it can't continue talks with Waukesha about providing Lake Michigan water unless cost-sharing between Oak Creek and Franklin is worked out.
The Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility says it's "willing to continue talks with Waukesha" about providing Lake Michigan water, but only if it can achieve fair cost sharing for its existing customers first. The utility released a statement Tuesday morning regarding the Public Service Commission's decision that shifted costs-of-service from Franklin to Oak Creek. If the decision stands, it will result in an average quarterly increase for Oak Creek of $17.06, compared to an $8.14 increase for Franklin, according to Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility figures. Oak Creek is fighting the PSC's ruling, General Manager Steve Yttri said, but doesn't know when its appeal will be heard. The PSC decision came one day after the Oak Creek and Waukesha …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
At issue is the amount of money Oak Creek recoups from wholesale customers. Current rate distribution is inequitable, according to Oak Creek Water Utility manager.
A ruling Wednesday by the Public Service Commission (PSC), the regulating body for utilities in Wisconsin, has delayed and may ultimately sink a water deal between Oak Creek and Waukesha. The ruling on Wednesday, a day after Oak Creek and Waukesha both agreed to proceed with a water deal, followed an appeal by Oak Creek in which they asked the commission to reconsider parts of a decision regarding a rate increase originally requested in May 2011. An overall rate increase for Oak Creek was approved this July; however, Oak Creek appealed the ruling, requesting that the commission reconsider its decision to not allocate public fire protection costs to Franklin. Wednesday, the commission affirmed the July decision with the exception of two …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Waukesha residents could see their average monthly water bills increase from $26 to $58.26 under the proposal to buy water from Oak Creek.
A pipeline to transport Lake Michigan water to and from Oak Creek will cost Waukesha $183 million to build, according to a water sales letter of intent approved Tuesday night by both the Oak Creek and Waukesha Common Council. The letter effectively fills a missing piece of the city’s application to divert Great Lakes water past the Subcontinental Divide. The letter of intent outlines the terms for a future 40-year contract followed by four additional 10-year automatic renewals for a total of 80 years, according to a news release from the Waukesha Water Utility. However, even if the contract expires after 80 years, Oak Creek would not be able to discontinue water service to Waukesha without Waukesha’s approval. The final contract between …
The Waukesha Common Council will take up controversial Waukesha Business Improvement District and Lake Michigan water purchase negotiations during its meeting Tuesday night.
The Waukesha Common Council will tackle two important issues during its meeting on Tuesday: water and the Waukesha Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors. First, it plans to discuss “recommendations to the mayor for his appointments to the BID board,” according to the agenda. Mass resignations from the board poured in during the last council meeting after accusations of bullying and harassment against a few board members came from the resigning BID executive director, Meghan Sprager. The Common Council meeting is being held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 201 Delafield St. Only two board members, Bill Huelsman and Natalie Walters, remain with the BID. However, because the board does not have enough members on the board, the …
Friday, September 14, 2012
Waukesha Common Council will have the first look at a potential Lake Michigan water sales agreement with Oak Creek or Racine during its meeting on Tuesday.
Proposed water contracts between Waukesha and Oak Creek or Racine as Waukesha looks to purchase Lake Michigan water are being reviewed Tuesday night in closed session. The meeting is being held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Information about potential agreements will not be released yet because of negotiations. However, the city’s originally preferred supplier, Milwaukee, is still not in the running after the Milwaukee Common Council’s terms to begin negotiations were not in compliance with Waukesha’s future water service area. The Waukesha Water Commission will also review the negotiations on Tuesday. It is holding a closed session meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The closed sessions are being held because negotiations are ongoing. The …
James Rowen
9:38 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
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