DOT says no to Hoan bike lane

After months of entertaining spirited discussion about different infrastructural modifications that could provide bike and pedestrian access to Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced in December that it had rejected all options.

“Given the need to prioritize the top economic development projects, after careful study, WisDOT is not moving forward with a bike path on the Hoan Bridge,” according to a Dec. 16 press release posted at DOT’s website.

“The Hoan Bridge is a vital part of the Milwaukee-area freeway system. However, the alternatives presented in the feasibility study would impair our ability to provide safe, efficient travel and deliver less value than other possible department investments in economic development in Milwaukee,” DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb stated in the release.

Bay View resident and bike-the-Hoan advocate Bill Sell tallied the public input for and against a bike/ped option. Sell reported 5,963 citizen contacts in favor of the amenity and 1,425 against at bikethehoan.com.

Zielinski sign illegal, DNS said

The large illuminated orange “Re-elect Tony Zielinski” sign protruding from the west wall of the former Bay View Barber building, 2710 S. Howell Ave. was illegal from the time it was hung in October until Dec. 1, according to the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services. State laws prohibit political signs from being attached or hung on buildings prior to the day nomination papers are accepted (Dec. 1 for the District 14 aldermanic race), according to DNS’ Todd Weiler, who said city of Milwaukee sign ordinances conform to those laws. Weiler said the city decided not to take building owner John Groh to court over the issue because the discovery of the improper signage was so close to the time it became legal and it would have been an expensive process for taxpayers. An enthusiastic supporter erected the sign, Alderman Zielinski earlier told the Compass.

Fish farm creates jobs with city help

In less than a year, Sweet Water Organics, the Bay View-based fish and vegetable farm at 2151 S. Robinson Ave., has tapped over half of a $250,000 city loan intended to provide capital investment that spurs the creation of 40 jobs over four years.

The forgivable loan from the city’s Development Fund is in a segregated account that requires Department of City Development approval prior to use, according to Jeff Fleming, DCD spokesperson. As of mid-December 2011, Fleming said Sweet Water has drawn $155,000.

By Feb. 1, Sweet Water is required to file documentation with the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation that establishes how many it employed in 2011, Fleming said.

To meet the terms of the loan, Sweet Water needed to employ 10 by the end of 2011, 21 by the end of 2012, 35 by the end of 2013, and 45 by the end of 2014.

If it meets its jobs targets, the entire loan is forgiven. If Sweet Water fails to meet its targets by each annual end-of-the-year deadline, it would be penalized by having to pay back a percentage of the loan. For example, if only five of 10 jobs were created, Sweet Water would be responsible to pay back 50 percent of the loan, with only 50 percent forgiven, Fleming said.

Prior to the influx of the public money, the business employed five, according to Todd Leech, Sweet Water vice-president and sales manager: owners Josh Fraundorf and Jim Godsil, Paul Bistan, Devin Fischer, and Leech himself. In December, Leech provided an updated list of eight additional employees added or rehired in 2011.

Three who had previously worked on a volunteer basis at Sweet Water are now full-time employees, Leech said: horticultural specialists Michelle Maslo and Jeanne Ramponi plus indoor systems specialist Scott Romanski. Ramponi also creates programs to provide autistic volunteers with job experience, Leech said.

Three others have “been around” and involved with Sweet Water’s nonprofit foundation, Leech said, but are now part-time employees who Leech hopes will become full-time: Toni Johns, Emma Kraco, and Margaret Muza.

Water scientist Mark Haase is also a part-time employee, according to Leech, and jack-of-all-trades Nick Montezon was re-added to the payroll in 2011.

Leech said Sweet Water also employs two farm workers in partnership with Goodwill’s TalentBridge: Alex McElroy and Derrick Ford.

Leech said Sweet Water also employs two students part-time through an MPS vocational rehabilitation program.

Sweet Water owner and founder Josh Fraundorf anticipates the first harvest from Sweet Water’s expanded outdoor greenhouses by April 1. Fraundorf expressed hope that Sweet Water would then have data showing a profitable farm.

“With the introduction of our new systems we should be running at a profit by late winter,” said Leech. “The construction of these systems was made possible in part by the city loan and will increase our production capacity by 1,000 percent while cutting our energy usage immensely.”

In late 2011, the Sweet Water Foundation, a nonprofit that partners with the for-profit Sweet Water Organics, moved into the office space vacated by Beepods.com, which moved its offices to Bucketworks. Snowfall Creative and Glass Aquatics currently maintain office space at the Sweet Water campus, according to Leech.

Leech is also coordinator and manager of the East Side Green Market, coordinator of Made in Milwaukee, and a board member of the Sweet Water Foundation.

Odd Duck, not sushi, now planned for Future Green

Odd Duck, a new bar and restaurant, is planned for the former Future Green building at 2352 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., the Compass has learned. The new business owners signed their lease with new property owner Sigfried Keller Dec. 28, 2011, but asked to remain anonymous for now.

Odd Duck’s full-service bar will feature hand-crafted cocktails. The restaurant will have about 16 tables. It will serve breakfast and lunch, featuring a casual farm-to-table menu of small plates and sandwiches.

The owners are Bay View residents. One has served as executive chef in restaurants in metro Milwaukee. The other has been a general manager of Milwaukee restaurants. The existing kitchen will not be remodeled or expanded. The owners hope to open Odd Duck this spring.

According to 14th District Alderman Tony Zielinski, Brian Park of Brookfield’s Wasabi Sushi & Lounge remains interested in a KK location for a Bay View restaurant.

 

Saving taxpayers some green?

 

Evaluating Milwaukee County’s Green Print

Bay View’s Marina Dimitrijevic, county supervisor for the Fourth District, spearheaded the initiative five years ago as a way to legislate green practices across county government. It was touted as a tool to comprehensively review the status quo, overhaul inefficient systems, achieve long-term savings, and set an example of how to practice the oft-bandied but ill-defined concept of sustainability.

Dimitrijevic’s February 2007 proposal was met with enthusiasm on the County Board and implemented shortly thereafter, but former County Executive Scott Walker never created Dimitrijevic’s keystone Green Print component—a full-time sustainability director to oversee the program across the county’s sprawling bureaucracy and hundreds of facilities.

This spring, County Executive Chris Abele is expected to hire a full-time sustainability director, though the timeline and salary were not yet clear.

In the meantime, the job of overseeing the Green Print falls to Steve Keith, sustainability & environmental engineer in the county’s Department of Transportation & Public Works Environmental Services Section. Keith has spent a lifetime as an environmental engineer and is considered the part-time Green Print director.

“There’s 16 different initiatives [in the Green Print] and they include things ranging from energy efficiency to stormwater management to recycling to education. It’s kind of broad,” Keith said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. So to get all these things going all at once—it reminds me of one of those early video games where you have all those things coming at you and you’re firing at all those different spaceships coming at you. There’s a lot of balls in the air. And you try to keep them all going because everybody has a question about that one thing. ‘Shouldn’t we be doing more on that?’ We’re kind of getting there.”

Keith said the county was attuned to sustainability issues before the Green Print, but credits it with balling all the concerns together and creating an emphasis. “That legislation was critical,” he said.

Energy Savings Contracts

A cornerstone of the Green Print thus far has been the use of guaranteed energy savings performance contracts, or GESPCs, which are already responsible for at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in avoided utility costs, according to county figures.

Here’s how they work. The county contracts with a company to perform an energy audit of its facilities and then employs it to install specific efficiency upgrades. The county and contractor fund the project through a loan, not the tax levy. The loan is paid back from the energy savings over time. If the company’s upgrades don’t result in their contractually guaranteed energy savings, they cut the county a check for the balance to pay up the loan. The payback period ranges depending on utility rates, but the county has targeted projects that pay for themselves in eight to 10 years.

One of the first examples is the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Although natural gas savings measures were also implemented, considering the electric bill over the past five years shows a striking reduction in consumption.

In 2007, according to figures provided by Keith, the courthouse used over 24 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for which it was billed just over $1.6 million. Over the course of two phases of GESPCs and an additional efficiency measure funded through the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant program, the building’s annual electrical usage was slashed 21.5 percent from 2007. In 2011, the courthouse consumed just under 19 million kilowatt-hours. Due to rate increases, it was billed slightly more for those 19 million kilowatt-hours in 2011 than it was for its 24 million in 2007, but assuming an 8.5-cent per kilowatt-hour cost, Keith tabulates a $443,242 equivalent avoided cost due mainly to the efficiency upgrades.

The upgrades cost $2.4 million and included high-efficiency lamps, upgrading building control systems, and adding variable-speed drives to motors.

“I think we’re just getting past the stage where we can say, hey, we’ve done some good things,” Keith said. “And now it’s about trying to be more quantitative about a lot of that stuff. And we need tools to do that more.”

He said the county is looking to acquire energy and billing software that will enable him to better track the data and communicate it to facilities managers.

Other Measures

The Green Print is not truly top-down, nor is it exclusively about large energy savings projects. Since 2008, the county directed that its thermostats be set to 68 degrees for heating and 76 for cooling. It’s purchased a fleet of 35 Ford Fusion hybrids that average 40 miles per gallon. This past year, the Parks Department contracted for services for additional recycling containers at 22 park facilities. An October report estimates that over 14,000 pounds of recyclables were collected.

By using shuttle buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of diesel, the county-owned airport reports an avoided fuel cost of over $100,000 in 2011. The CNG buses initially cost $15,500 more than diesel buses, according to Keith, but the upfront costs were offset by federal air quality grants and the vehicles experience an annual fuel savings of $9,960 each, with CNG currently at $1.88 per gallon and diesel at $3.54. The airport plans to convert its two remaining diesel shuttles to CNG this month.

The Green Print also identifies stormwater as an issue for county properties, which have adopted different strategies to better manage it.

One strategy is a green roof, where plants and a shallow soil system are mounted atop buildings to collect rainwater. Green roofs help keep stormwater where it falls, resulting in water quality benefits and reducing the amount of stormwater runoff.

In a partnership with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, the county-owned Milwaukee Public Museum installed a 4,100-square-foot green roof in late 2011. Another is on the drawing board for one of the buildings of the Mitchell Park Domes. And currently in the plans for the airport’s $51 million baggage claim renovation is $125,000 for green roof segments.

Another strategy is what gets paved and how. The Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin is set to receive a new parking lot in 2012, but planners are paying attention to stormwater management in the design.

“Rather than just asphalt that all across, we’re going to put in permeable pavers,” Keith said. “Not totally for the new lot, but we’re going to put enough pavers there to infiltrate the water from the vast majority of storms.”

According to the draft plans, approximately 98,100 square feet of pervious pavers will be installed where there is currently an unpaved lot adjacent to over 70,000 square feet of paved lot, which will be repaved with asphalt. The permeable pavers should provide for almost 1.6 million gallons of stormwater recharge, according to MMSD’s online h2ocapture calculator.

Keith said he’s also confident that over 100 million gallons of water annually have been saved at the Milwaukee County Zoo—much of those through zookeepers turning off water for exhibits at night.

“Let’s assume some animals do sleep at night,” Keith said, recalling the contractors’ discussions with zookeepers about how to save water, “and they have a running-water thing where the animals go down to drink. Maybe the question is, can we turn it off at night? And it made them ask the question, are they going to be okay? Is that going to bother them?”

Keith said the county was attuned to sustainability issues before the Green Print, but credits it with balling all the concerns together and creating an emphasis. “That legislation was critical,” he said.

He doesn’t expect all change will be quick or easy. There’s a lot of data to manage and communicate. But he compares Milwaukee County favorably with other regional municipalities and businesses in terms of what’s been accomplished so far.

“What’s important for us to do is just ask the question,” Keith said. “Can we do something different in a way that saves us money and consumes less? If it turns out you ask the question and the answer is no, then that satisfies me. At least somebody’s looked at it and analyzed it. But I think sometimes it’s an issue of just asking the question.”

Holiday pet-safety tips and reminders from Wisconsin Humane Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wisconsin Humane Society would like to remind families to keep their animals safe this holiday season. Holiday festivities, decorations and visitors often present unique situations that can be harmful to your animals. Follow these simple tips to keep your four-legged friends safe and happy!

 

• Keep holiday treats out of reach. Chocolate, chicken bones and skin, greasy foods, grapes, onions, candies and bread dough can all cause serious health problems for your companion animal.
• Your cat may see your holiday tree as new territory to explore… and conquer. Avoid glass ornaments, tinsel and low-hanging decorations. Also, keep Fido out of the tree stand’s water, which can cause gastrointestinal problems.
• Tinsel, string, ribbon and yarn will all be seen as delightful toys, especially to your cat, but they can cause serious internal damage if swallowed.
• Don’t place holiday candles within reach of Fido. The pretty flame can be an enticement and candles can easily be knocked over. To keep your household safe, never leave a candle burning while you are away or sleeping.
• Keep all of those extra electrical cords from being a tempting toy. Don’t allow cords to dangle or run loosely across the floor. Keep all of them safely taped down and unplug them when you are not home.
• Be aware that some popular holiday plants can be toxic if ingested. These include, but are not limited to, holly, mistletoe, azalea, hibiscus, amaryllis and Christmas rose. The jury is still out on poinsettias, but it is advised to keep them out of reach just in case.
• With all the holiday traffic, provide a quiet oasis where your animals can retreat to if they become overwhelmed with all the commotion. Likewise, if you host a party, be sure Sparky doesn’t try to make a clever escape with one of your guests.

 

 

Milwaukee County Board encourages partnerships to provide needed support for victims of sex assault

Source: Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors

Last week, the County Board approved a resolution authored by Supervisor Peggy Romo West supporting the use of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in local hospitals to ensure that victims of sexual assault receive the best care and support possible.

“The average citizen might be surprised that many of our hospitals don’t provide adequate support services for victims of sexual assault,” Supervisor Romo West said.  “I’m pleased that the County Board is unanimously urging hospitals to foster partnerships to offer this extra support via Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.”

“I commend the County Board for encouraging that all hospitals provide SANE responders for sex assault victims.  When victims discover that support services aren’t available, it can dramatically increase the trauma of an already painful experience,” said Michele Reimer, Lead Organizer of SlutWalk Milwaukee, a coalition dedicated to supporting sexual assault survivors and ending victim-blaming.  “I hope that all Milwaukee County hospitals will take the County Board’s resolution seriously and begin to implement proper victim services in all facilities.”

The resolution was co-sponsored by Supervisors Nikiya Harris, Patricia Jursik, Michael Mayo, Sr., Eyon Biddle, Sr., and Jason Haas.  It also calls for the Medical Society of Milwaukee County, through its Emergency Medical Services Committee, to consider incorporating the coordination of SANE services among hospitals in Milwaukee County into its community advocacy platform.

EPA releases new toxic mercury pollution standards

Source: Clean Wisconsin

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled new standards for mercury and other toxic air pollutants today that will reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants, reduce mercury pollution coming into Wisconsin from other states, and improve the health of people across the nation.

 “Mercury and other dangerous toxins threaten the health of our nation’s residents, especially our most vulnerable citizens, children and the unborn,” said Elizabeth Wheeler, staff attorney at Clean Wisconsin. “Every year, thousands of children suffer the negative health consequences of mercury pollution. This is simply unacceptable and these new standards are welcome.”

Clean Wisconsin led the effort to adopt Wisconsin’s landmark law in 2008 that requires coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury pollution by 90 percent by 2015.  The standards released today will ensure that plants upwind face the same limits on mercury pollution as Wisconsin plants. The standards will require electric utilities to clean up or close down the nation’s dirtiest coal-fired power plants, the largest sources of mercury pollution.

“Wisconsin has long been a leader in reducing mercury pollution,” said Wheeler. “The new standards unveiled today are a win for Wisconsin that will help clean our environment and improve the health of our residents by reducing toxic mercury pollution coming into Wisconsin from neighboring states.”

Chronic exposure to mercury results in memory loss, speech difficulties, troubles with vision, and cardiovascular problems in adults. Children and the unborn exposed to mercury can face neurological damage that impairs development, leads to low intelligence, and inhibits school performance.

“We estimate that between 5,000 and 9,000 children born in Wisconsin every year are at risk of having lower IQs and reduced memory as a result,” said Wheeler. “We applaud the EPA for setting strong, national standards that will help reduce mercury pollution and improve the quality of life for our children.”

Governor Walker provides some funding—concerning potential lapses—to protect Wisconsin’s vulnerable

Source: Office of Governor Walker

Today Governor Walker directed the Department of Administration to protect more funding for programs in reviewing potential lapse plans.  Specifically, the Governor directed the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, Board on Aging and Long Term Care, and the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities to be exempt from any discretionary lapses.

Board for People with Developmental Disabilities
The Governor directed DOA to exempt the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities to be exempt from a lapse.  The Board for People with Developmental Disabilities was established to advocate on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities, with the mission of improving the independence, productivity and integration of people with developmental disabilities.

“The Board for People with Development Disabilities is a small program that does big things,” said Governor Walker.  “Exempting them from even a small lapse ensures they are still able to provide services to Wisconsinites with developmental disabilities.”

Board on Aging and Long Term Care
The Governor also directed DOA to exempt the Board on Aging and Long Term Care from any discretionary lapse.  This action will put nearly $140,000 toward programs the board serves.  Specifically the Governor’s direction will allow the board to keep the ombudsman and Medigap programs.

The Ombudsman and volunteer ombudsman programs protect and advocate for the elderly living in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes and CBRF’s, by investigating complaints, mediating disputes and representing the interests of residents during enforcement actions.

The Medigap helpline is a free counseling service for all Medicare recipients, including the elderly and people with disabilities, that assists callers with questions about Medicare and Medicare supplement plans, COBRA, employer retiree plans and long-term care insurance.

“The board’s programs help protect our elderly citizens in long-term care facilities,” said Governor Walker.  “They also provide counseling for all Wisconsin Medicare recipients.”

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board

Finally, the Governor directed DOA to exempt the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board from any discretionary lapse.  This action will put more than $122, 934 toward the Board’s programs.  The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board administers grants to local organizations that provide services to prevent child abuse and neglect.  Most importantly, this action will ensure over $100,000 in additional Child Abuse Prevention Grants are able to be funded.

“The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board serves a vulnerable population,” said Governor Walker.  “Restoring funding for the Board will help them continue their important mission.”

The Governor’s office said it will continue to review possible lapse exemptions.

Kite Festival Jan. 1 at Veteran’s Park

The 25th Annual Cool Fool Kite Festival will be held on Saturday, January 1st, in Veterans Park, 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, on Milwaukee’s Lakefront from 11am until 5:00 pm.  The Kite Society of Wisconsin and Illinois, The Milwaukee County Parks, and Gift of Wings sponsor this cool event.  Free hot chocolate, coffee and snacks will be available while supplies last.

This is a free fly joined by a group of local professional ice carvers who will create ice designs during the afternoon.  Horse and buggy rides will be offered and the kite store will be open selling kites and Johnsonville Brats.  Several performers like Brett Williams will be on hand flying his stack of Revolution kites, along with the giant kites of Yves LaForest, including the giant Octopus kite.  This family event is free to all, with free parking.

Free kite flying lessons will be offered and kites will be available for sale during the event.  Some free kites will be made for children.  For more information contact giftofwings.com or contact Scott Fisher at (414) 305-3145.  

 

How to recycle electronics after holiday gift blast — don’t send them to our landfills

Source: Wired Wisconsin

With many Wisconsin residents giving and receiving electronics as gifts this holiday season, Wired Wisconsin is reminding consumers to take advantage of the E-Cycle Wisconsin program and safely dispose of old or unwanted electronics after the holidays.

“As an influx of people are looking to get rid of old electronics after the holidays, it is important we are properly recycling them,” says Thad Nation, executive director of Wired Wisconsin. “By taking our old electronics to an e-cycling center, we can keep our communities safe from hazardous materials, reduce waste and support local job growth.”

Recycling old electronics after the holidays has become hassle free with Wisconsin’s electronic recycling program, E-Cycle Wisconsin, which established registered collection sites throughout the state in 2010. Consumers can drop their unwanted electronics at one of 400 permanent collection sites in Wisconsin where recycled goods will be sold to recyclers and broken down for their component recyclable parts.

“Giving electronics as holiday gifts is more popular than ever before,” says Nation. “We need to remember that there is still some value in those old DVD players and laptops if they are recycled properly.”

More information on the benefits of e-cycling and where to find the nearest collection site can be found here. Data about Wisconsin residents’ participation in recycling programs/what has been collected and how much can be accessed here.

 

 

Reduce holiday waste — take advantage of Milwaukee’s (greatly) expanded, simpler recycling options

 Source: Mayor Barrett’s Office

The average Wisconsin resident generates 1,500 pounds of garbage each year, and the holiday season can be an especially wasteful time. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the trash we generate can increase by 25%! This year, generate memories, not waste. There are many easy ways to do this, and recycling tops the list. It’s also the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. As you enjoy festivities with family and friends, your recycling gives back to the environment, the economy, and our community at the same time!

Single-Sort Makes it Easy 

With the City of Milwaukee’s new Single-Sort recycling program, holiday recycling is easier than ever. “We are excited about our new program and the additional items that we are now able to accept for recycling,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “Eggnog cartons (and those from milk, juice and soup); #4 & 5 plastic tubs and lids from products such as sour cream and yogurt; aluminum foil and baking pans; even worn-out metal pots and pans are all now recyclable,” he continued. Rinse them clean and then just toss them in along with the usual papers, bottles and cans. Milwaukee residents are also able to recycle wrapping paper, as long as it’s free of foil, ribbon, or other non-paper items. “After separating from trash, all of these items may be mixed together in your recycling bin or cart. Recycling for a healthier environment and stronger economy is a gift you can give your family and your community” Barrett concluded. For a complete list of accepted materials and more information on Single-Sort recycling, visit www.MilwaukeeRecycles.com.

NEW this winter! Look up your next estimated recycling collection date online!

“With the ability to recycle more items and the added convenience of Single-Sort recycling, residents may find themselves knee-deep in recyclables,” said Rick Meyers, DPW Recycling Specialist. “The holidays can be hectic enough, so before you get frustrated wondering when that recycling cart will be emptied next, look up your projected service date on DPW’s website.” Residents may visit www.mpw.milwaukee.gov/services/garbage_day and enter their address to find their next projected collection dates for garbage and recycling. Residents may bag or box any recyclables that don’t fit in their cart and place them next to it. Cardboard boxes should be flattened.

More Tips to Keep Your Holiday Clean and Green 

• Look for gifts with little or no packaging, or packaging that can be easily reused or recycled.

• Support recycling by purchasing gifts made of recycled material.

• Give experiences, not things. Examples: concert tickets or gift cards for a lunch out.

• Wrap presents in old comics, reusable cloth, or your own artwork.

• Reuse boxes, ribbon, gift bags & wrapping paper.

• Use washable plates, cups, silverware, tablecloths and napkins instead of disposables.

• Send food leftovers home with your guests in reusable containers

• Compost fruit and vegetable scraps or grind them in your sink’s garbage disposal unit.

• Potted trees are a great waste-free alternative and can be planted in the yard in the spring.

• After the holidays, give your cut tree new life by taking it to a Self-Help Center. It will then be composted or mulched rather than buried in a landfill. Remove all wires and decoration first.

• Have lights that no longer work? Search for “holiday lights” at www.earth911.org for recycling options. Some companies offer discounts on new energy-efficient LED products in return for recycling old ones.

www.MilwaukeeRecycles.com 

 

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