Pursuit of alcohol licenses resembles carnival game

A contest over alcohol licenses is brewing in Bay View between Hub Super Market and A. K. Food Mart. What complicates the story is the local alderman’s power to affect the outcome.

Currently Paresh Patel, Hub owner, possesses a license to sell beer in his grocery store at 2277 S. Howell Ave. His neighbor, Jesse Singh, who owns and operates A. K. Foot Mart half a block south of Hub, also wants a beer license, which he believes he needs to fairly compete with Patel.

But now Patel wants a full liquor license. He hopes to establish a liquor store in the building he recently purchased, 2273 S. Howell Ave., which is adjacent to his grocery business.

The Compass learned that Patel and Singh met with District 14 Alderman Tony Zielinski in December 2011 to discuss their mutual aspirations for licenses. At that meeting, according to both Singh and Patel, Patel agreed to give up the beer license at his grocery. Patel said he didn’t need to sell beer in his grocery if he was operating a liquor store next door.

Consequently Patel applied for a full liquor license and Singh for a beer license. The city’s License Division certified both applications. Singh’s hearing before the committee was scheduled for Jan. 23.

Singh had previously applied for a beer license in 2009 but was blocked by Zielinski, who cited neighborhood opposition and the building’s condition.

This time around, Zielinski said that he’s supporting Singh’s application because of the improvements Singh made to the exterior and interior of his building. In 2011 Singh said he invested about $400,000 to remodel the façade and entry of his grocery store. He painted the exterior of the building, replaced windows, and remodeled and painted the interior.

Singh’s hearing before the Licenses Committee was held Jan. 23. Two people testified in support of A. K. No one appeared at the hearing to oppose his application but Bay View resident Patty Pritchard Thompson, who is campaign treasurer of Zielinski’s opponent Jan Pierce in the upcoming aldermanic election, testified that she was neutral. Thompson expressed concern that Zielinski didn’t hold a public meeting to both inform residents of A. K.’s application and get a read on their disposition.

In response to her testimony, Zielinski asked the committee to hold their vote until the next committee meeting and said that he would hold a public meeting in Bay View about Singh’s application. The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 11am.

Balwinder Singh, Jesse Singh’s wife, said that Zielinski called her soon after their application was put on hold and assured her that there was no opposition to their application among the Licenses Committee members.

Meanwhile…

Patel’s application for a new liquor store license was certified and published by the License Division Dec. 6, 2011. The city ordinance that governs beer and liquor licenses provides that an applicant must be heard by the Licenses Committee within three cycles of the committee, or within 60 days of the certification.

In an interview with the Compass Jan. 10, Patel alleged that he had been approached by Zielinski who asked Patel to wait until after the spring aldermanic elections to appear before the Licenses Committee.

Fifth District Alderman Jim Bohl, who chairs the Licenses Committee, said that there are exceptions to the 60-day timeframe between certification and an applicant’s hearing. The hearing can be delayed if the applicant requests more time. He said an alderman can also request that the committee postpone a hearing “for one additional cycle” if an alderman states he needs more time to perform due diligence regarding an applicant or application.

In a phone interview Jan. 10, Zielinski denied that he advised Patel to hold off his liquor store license application until after the election. But he said he tried to delay Patel’s hearing. “I told the [Licenses] committee not to schedule Paresh. I told Paresh to withdraw [the application] because of the feedback I’m getting from the community. I don’t support it now. I don’t support it in the future unless business owners like Sarah Jonas of Lulu’s support it.

“I told [Patel] he’s got to convince those people in the area that would be negatively impacted by him. It’s up to those businesses,” Zielinski said, indicating that the disposition of his constituents forms the basis of his support or non-support of a license application.

However, Zielinski added that he is “leaning toward supporting A. K. Food Mart’s application for a beer license” because of the building improvements made by owner Jesse Singh, whom he described as a good business operator.

Zielinski added that Lulu co-owner Sarah Jonas “doesn’t have a problem with A. K. getting the license, so I’m leaning toward A. K., but not Hub.” Jonas’ cafe and bar, 2261-65 S. Howell Ave., are located in the buildings directly north of Patel’s proposed liquor store.

Moments after this interview, Zielinski placed a second call to the Compass. Patel was already conferenced in, creating a three-way call between Zielinski, Patel, and the Compass.

The alderman said that he included Patel in the call because he wanted to clarify or correct the information provided to the Compass by Patel.

Zielinski insisted that what he actually said when he approached Patel was that he was not going to support his application for a liquor license unless Patel gained the approval of nearby business owners.

Patel rejected this version of their conversation and maintained his position, asserting three times during the conference call that Zielinski had indeed told him that he should wait until after the spring election to meet with the Licenses Committee.

Zielinski expressed his incredulity that Patel thought he tried to persuade him to delay.

The following day Patel said that he was not going to request a delay of his hearing and would not wait until after the spring elections.

Patel Goes to India

On Jan. 18, Patel informed the Compass that he intended to withdraw his application for the liquor license. He claimed he was certain that he would be denied the application when he appeared before the committee.

He said that his decision was also motivated by learning that his father, who lives in the United States, needed surgery and preferred to receive medical care in India. Patel said he would accompany his father to India, withdraw his application, “and let the building sit empty.”

Patel said he expected he would be in India for three weeks, which would extend beyond the 60-day time period for his hearing. He claimed that he tried to call the License Division to inform them of his decision but that after “being on hold for an hour and a half,” he gave up. (On Jan. 27, an official of the License Division stated that their phones were not functioning properly for two days and that it was very possible Patel called and was on hold for a long time.)

The License Division said Patel’s application was active and had not been withdrawn as of Jan. 27.

When asked about the status of Patel’s application the same day, Zielinski said Patel had informed him of his impending trip to India and that he was going to request that Licenses delay Patel’s hearing.

Stay tuned.

Zielinski said the public meeting to discuss Singh’s application will be held at the Bay View Library in February. The date was not set at press time.

Hub Super Market hopes to open liquor store in Bay View

County Executive Chris Abele vetoes $50K allocation to Bay View’s Art Stop project

Earlier this week Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele vetoed a resolution (RES-11-595) of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to allocate $50,000 that would have helped pay for the Bay View Art Stop project spearheaded by District 14 Alderman Tony Zielinski. The board would have tapped funds that were previously allocated for a public art project for the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

The project aims to place a sculpture in the triangle of the Howell, Kinnickinnic, and Lincoln avenues intersection in Bay View.

In the text of his veto, Abele stated that he’s recommending $720,000 formally allocated to the Public Art Program be used instead to upgrade 25 county underground storage tanks ($475,000) and to replace pedestrian bridges in Grant Park ($245,000). He said that “both projects have on the critical deferred maintenance list based on recommendation(s) from department heads and the Department of Administrative Services.”

Abele said that he has long supported the arts but “given the county’s $55 million deficit, high debt burden, moratorium on borrowing and major deferred maintenance needs” that he couldn’t justify spending taxpayer money on a public art project.

District 14 Supervisor Jason Haas and District 4 Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic both voted to adopt the resolution to fund the project. Haas said he thinks the board will be able to assemble enough support to override the veto.

Alderman Zielinski said that he is optimistic that the veto will be overridden.

 

Security cameras installed

Kinnickinnic Avenue’s new Business Improvement District from KK and Becher to KK and Morgan has had many surveillance cameras recently installed! The installation of these cameras will continue to ensure that KK is one of the safest business districts in the city.

Business owners who already have cameras have cited specific incidents where these cameras were instrumental in the apprehension of criminals. Once it becomes common knowledge that these cameras are up, surely there will be a deterrent effect.

Proposed zoning changes for Port of Milwaukee

I am holding a neighborhood meeting to discuss the Port Redevelopment Plan 6pm on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at the Port of Milwaukee, 2323 S. Lincoln Memorial Dr.

The city of Milwaukee approved the boundary for the Port Redevelopment Plan in March 2009 and directed the Department of City Development to prepare a draft of the plan. A map of the boundary is available online at mkedcd.org/planning/Port/index.html.

The proposed Port Redevelopment Plan seeks to preserve land for uses that support the operations and growth of the Port of Milwaukee and water-related businesses, promote development that creates or retains employment opportunities in the city of Milwaukee, mitigate environmental contamination, eliminate blighting influences, and improve public access to natural water resources.

To accomplish the above objectives, the plan recommends zoning changes to certain properties within the boundary. It is important to note that the approval of the redevelopment plan by the Common Council does not enact the new zoning recommendations. Later action by the Common Council is necessary for any zoning changes to be enacted. Also, the recommended zoning changes would only apply to future development—all existing uses are grandfathered in.

A draft of the plan will be posted at least one week prior to the public meeting at mkedcd.org/planning/Port/index.html. In the draft there will be maps showing recommended zoning changes, a list of all properties in the boundary and their recommended zoning, and details regarding what uses are allowed in various zoning categories.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

KK BID security ambassadors

We successfully spearheaded the creation of Bay View’s first business improvement district (BID) last year. BIDs are economic development tools designed to stimulate business growth along business strips. There are approximately 30 BIDs in the city of Milwaukee. Our BID runs along KK from Becher to Morgan.

Public safety initiatives fall under the rubric of economic development. While KK is one of the safest business districts in the city, we must be constantly vigilant to make it safer. Within the next few weeks there will be a visible presence of security/community ambassador personnel along KK during the evening and late-night hours. The security/community ambassador personnel will also be able to answer questions and help patrons in other ways to maximize their shopping experience.

Another initiative of our BID is in the area of graffiti removal along KK. Because of the company we are contracting out with, any graffiti will be removed more quickly. People are less likely to shop in areas where graffiti exists because of the negative perception.

At our first official BID board meeting early in June we elected our officers. The president is Jason Wedesky from Actaea Works; the vice-president is Bill Doyle; the treasurer is Mike Krolic from M&I Bank; and the secretary is Joyce Parker from Joyce Parker Productions.

At the end of this year the board can vote to participate in a myriad of other initiatives to improve business along KK.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

Mayor signs solar loan ordinance

Mayor Barrett recently signed the Solar Power Revolving Loan Fund ordinance. This makes Milwaukee one of the first communities in the nation to have such a program. The ordinance went into effect March 19.

The more we promote solar power the better it will be for our environment and our economy. The more solar power we use the less greenhouse gases that are emitted. The more solar power we use the less foreign fossil fuels we have to import thereby reducing our imbalance of trade. The more solar power we use the more solar panel installation jobs that are created.

Historically, the principal barrier to entry for solar panels has been the significant upfront costs. This ordinance overcomes this hurdle by requiring only $300 upfront. The homeowner then has 15 years to pay the city back. The idea is that the reduced energy costs could be used to help pay the city back. Everybody wins under this scenario.

Once again, I am honored to be working closely with Mayor Tom Barrett in promoting initiatives that are good for the residents of our community. Mayor Barrett has consistently signed ordinances I have passed for workers and the environment and I look forward to working with Mayor Barrett in bringing more such initiatives forward. If anybody wants more information on the program or they know of other communities that want to pass similar legislation then please contact me at tzielinski@wi.rr.com. The more communities that pass such an ordinance the better it will be for all involved.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

Providing city loans for energy efficiency improvements

I introduced an ordinance to make Milwaukee one of the first cities in the country to set up a revolving loan fund program for energy efficiency improvements.

Promoting solar power is critical not only for our environment, but for our economy and for job creation as well. Solar emits no greenhouse gases, as fossil fuels do. Additionally, solar would allow us to purchase less fossil fuel from overseas, and create jobs in the installation and manufacturing market.

Historically, the barrier to people installing solar panels has been the high upfront cost. This rotating loan fund requires a minimal amount of money up front, and the homeowner can pay the city back over a 15-year time period. The idea is that most of the money will come from money saved as a result of not having to purchase power from a carrier.

Milwaukee has received a federal grant to fund the initial lending program, and is actively soliciting funds from foundations and other outside sources in order to expand service to more homes. In these tight fiscal times, it’s crucial that we continue to assemble great programs like this with minimal tax impact.

This ordinance was considered before the Community and Economic Development Committee Feb. 22. I have broad support for this legislation, and anticipate it being approved by the full council when it next meets March 2. Anybody who is interested in participating in this loan fund should contact me at (414) 286-3769 or tzielinski@wi.rr.com.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

City should have picked American made uniforms

In order to solve our economic woes I have been promoting “leveling the playing field for the American worker.” That is, our economic woes are caused primarily from an uneven playing field for the American worker. In other words, because we have a value system that prides itself on family-supporting jobs, worker’s compensation, social security, providing for the safety of the workers, and protecting the environment, etc., we are being penalized by companies that want to exploit workers for economic gain by going overseas. Overseas, these companies can exploit workers without paying family-supporting wages, etc.

Until we level the playing field for the American workers we will continue to see the mass exodus of manufacturing overseas. With that exodus rides our cumulative wealth of this country.

In an effort to help level the playing field I have passed sweat-free and buy-American legislation on the city level. My goal is to have this movement spread to other communities and the state and ultimately other states because together we have the cumulative purchasing power (if used right) to level the playing field.

Meanwhile, we have experienced a new challenge: a major Milwaukee Police Department uniform contract was recently awarded to a company overseas when an American union manufacturer came in at a lower bid. The procurement director awarded the contract to a foreign manufacturer even though it was at a higher cost to the taxpayers. I am looking at introducing legislation to prevent this problem from occurring again.

Tony Zielinski is the city of Milwaukee’s alderman for the 14th District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at tzieli@milwaukee.gov or (414) 286-3769.

Expanding Sweet Water Organics

I am working with James Godsil, Steve Lindner, and partners on significantly expanding Sweet Water Organics fish farm in Bay View. They are continuing the tradition of this part of the city being a leader in progressive and creative initiatives. From a marketing perspective it is good for Bay View development to promote these types of initiatives.

These pioneers raise organic fish at 2151 S. Robinson Ave. and they are on target to raise 50,000 organic fish in our urban environment. By raising fish locally they are helping the environment by reducing the need to transport fish over great distances with trucks. Similarly, they are helping the local economy with jobs. Lastly, they are helping health-conscious people by providing more options for organic fish.  »Read more

Buy American

If we are going to revitalize the economy we need to level the playing field for the American worker. That is, we believe in family-supporting jobs, worker’s compensation, social security, providing for the safety of the workers, and protecting the environment. Over the past decades manufacturing plants have been closing down and taking these jobs overseas so they can avoid the costs associated with a socially responsible society. Trade is good if it is on a level playing field.

One way to help level the playing field is to participate in the growing sweat-free movement. That is, governmental entities are passing ordinances and bills that require certain purchases take place with companies that can demonstrate that their workers are paid above poverty-level wages. The more such legislation that passes, the more we are leveling the playing field.  »Read more

CPC approves KK BID

A Business Improvement District (BID) is an economic development tool used to help maximize business growth along a major business strip. BIDs are areas where property owners in designated geographic areas voluntarily collect annual assessments that are spent on projects that enhance the local business environment. These may include improvements to the streetscape, marketing efforts, business recruitment activity, and security programs.

The proposed BID for Bay View is along Kinnickinnic Avenue from Becher Street to Morgan Avenue. The initial plan targets the money for security guards and graffiti removal. While KK is one of the safest business strips in the city, we want to make it even safer yet, and special security for KK will go a long way toward achieving that goal. The BID can also take advantage of the graffiti removal grant matching program whereby the city will match any money designated for graffiti removal. This will ensure that all the businesses will have graffiti removed more quickly, thereby helping the overall image of the business strip and making it a more attractive place to shop. This in turn will help us attract even more businesses.  »Read more

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