Milwaukee Could Clog Water Deal

By Sean Ryan

Milwaukee aldermen disagree as to how much the city can influence New Berlin’s development plans as part of a deal to sell water to the suburb.

Milwaukee proposed a 20-year agreement with New Berlin to provide water to a 1,100-acre area in the center of the city. On top of the water rates, which Milwaukee estimates will run $960,000 a year, New Berlin will pay $1.5 million by the end of 2009 and sign an agreement stating the two cities won’t poach companies from each other.

There’s a fine line in this deal, said Milwaukee Alderman Jim Bohl. Milwaukee could price itself out of a deal if it pushes New Berlin too hard on development or transportation issues because Racine and Oak Creek are waiting in the wings.

“What it boils down to is this much: We can, as a country, talk about all we want to do in terms of extracting concessions from others in terms of North Korea or Iran, but you have to deal with the realities,” he said. “There are some things that are beyond your control, and the same is true here.”

But Alderman Robert Bauman, chairman of Milwaukee’s Public Works Committee that will consider the agreement July 29, said the city should push for more. He wants a monetary commitment to create bus routes connecting Milwaukee workers with employers in the expanded water-service area and a commitment to housing that workers can afford.

If New Berlin doesn’t agree, Bauman welcomed the city to turn to Oak Creek or Racine.

“I’m not going to sell them the bullets to shoot back at me,” he said. “They can buy bullets from someone else, and, I might add, that it will cost more.”

New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero said he is being as straightforward as possible with Milwaukee.

“He’s a little skeptical,” Chiovatero said of Bauman. “But he’s just protecting his people. That’s fine.”

Chiovatero said New Berlin doesn’t need water for development; it needs water for resident safety because the federal government has deemed the suburb’s underground sources contaminated. Bohl agrees.

Chiovatero said he doesn’t want concerns over development to enter water sale discussions because most of the land in the service area is developed already. He said most of the developable land in the area is zoned for one house per five acres, and he agrees with residents that voted to zone it that way.

According to a Milwaukee Department of City Development report, there are 175 developable acres in the proposed service area, and the 88 acres zoned for industrial could generate 5,668 jobs if developed.

“We have never, ever had an issue with development because of water,” Chiovatero said.

Milwaukee Water Works foresaw no big increase in water usage in the new area because of water conservation measures and the small amount of developable land, said Water Works Superintendent Carrie Lewis. The expanded service area would get about 3.6 million gallons on the average day, compared to 3.9 projected in 2035.

Bohl said he wants the water agreement to create a partnership because growth in the region creates opportunities for both communities. He said the draft deal could gain approval July 29 so the full Common Council could consider it the following day.

Originally published by Sean Ryan.

(c) 2008 Daily Reporter (Milwaukee). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.