New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

Mayor Chiovatero wants to “flush” residents west of Moorland into MMSD Sewers

Recent articles in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel state that Mayor Jack intends to extend Milwaukee water and MMSD sewers to limits of MMSD boundaries. The DNR ruling said the Milwaukee Water would have to be returned to Lake Michigan, Therefore area must be in the MMSD service area.

This would include everything south of National Avenue from Calhoun Road to the city line at Crowbar Road. Also included would be lands located south from the present served area from Sunny Slope Road to Calhoun Road. This would open many square miles for development and increase costs to the city as well as residents of the area.

At a meeting last fall sponsored by The Ecology Association and New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government at the New Berlin Library, which was attended by Mayor Chiovatero and Alderman Ken Harenda, 4th District Alderman and about 52 people. The people were assured by City Staff Members that sewers and water would NEVER come to the area unless the people wanted it. The School Board has also stated that they have no money to extend sewers and water to New Berlin West Middle and High schools.

Now less than 8 months later and without ANY public hearing about the MMSD 20/20 plan, we learn that this is about to happen.

The maps that were in the paper show conflicting areas. supposedly 1880 people with private wells would not be affected. Just who are these 1880 people? Mayor Chiovatero said New Berlin would help Milwaukee pay for increasing the pipe sizes and more pumps to bring water to New Berlin. He has no idea what costs are involved or authority to spend the money.

New Berlin could buy water from Wauwatosa! That is just Milwaukee water at a higher cost.

Milwaukee could buy water from Oak Creek! What an absurd idea. That is about 9 miles from 27th and College, to 124th and Grange. What would a pipeline cost? $10,000,000? Would Milwaukee allow the pipeline to travel along their streets or cross their water and sewer mains?

New Berlin would have to pay Oak Creek to supersize their pipes too.

In addition there is apparently a plan by MMSD to tax the residents of this area when the new plan is approved, for all that can be charged against each property value. This is intended to make areas with no sewers pay the same as the area which have sewers.

We demand a Public Hearing now before any more commitments are made to the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District. All we have is the mayor saying we need more water without offering any supporting statements.

Our Septic systems are not failing and if they do in the future, new state laws permit different types of private sanitary systems, which can be installed and maintained for far less costs that the MMSD charges. Our individual wells are operating satisfactorily and the water table is not dropping. Therefore there is no need to move as quickly as what appears to be happening.

It would be interesting to discover what acreage in this area is owned, or under option by developers, and whether any have connections to City Hall. Something is definitely driving this hysteria.

Ralph Heun,

President, New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

Tuesday I took my grandson to Valley View Park to see if we can still hit the target with an arrow.

Problem was that the 3 targets had weeds growing 2 feet high all around the targets and the protective hill, which serves as an arrow safety area, behind the targets has weeds 4 feet high.

We had to pull out the weeds in front of the straw bales , just to be able to approach to attach a paper target. It is obvious that the area has not had the grass cut for a long time too.

My safety concern is that if there was anyone in the high weeds behind the straw bales, they would be invisible to anyone shooting at the targets. The high weeds also make it impossible for anyone to find a lost arrow if they ever miss the straw bales. It would be a tragedy if anyone was ever shot accidently wandering around in those high weeds

Most of the weeds and thistles are classified as noxious and should be cut down. This is also an area which has wood ticks too

The park department receives a lot of our tax money and it seems that they could at least trim in the area to serve as an example to cut noxious weeds. I think state law requires that these weeds be cut as well.

Thank you

The New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government would like to thank members of the Fourth of July commission and everyone who helped make the New Berlin Fourth of July activities the success that it was. A time when all of us can enjoy the benefits of living in the United States of America.

It seems that every year’s program is better than the previous year’s.

Schoeneck Container’s sponsorship of many activities and especially the fireworks display, is worthy of special thanks and personally I always look forward to it.

Dave Ament’s contribution of the tram and other personnel carriers so that many people don’t have to walk is also worthy of mention.

I am sure that many other companies contributed to the event and I apologize that I cannot mention everyone for fear of missing anyone.

This is the Unique New Berlin Spirit when people and companies, both large and small, work together to make an enjoyable event without any thought of personal gain.

It has come to our attention that New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government has been removed from the City of New Berlin Web site.

We have never been notified of this change by anyone at City Hall.

We feel that this was an arbitrary and capricious action which is designed to suppress our organization because we questioned the leadership of Mayor Jack Chiovatero.

No one person has the right to censor a list of organizations that are permitted to be listed

While we have many members, it is interesting to note that one of the Mayors friends group on the city website has only one (1) member.

Therefore we are requesting that the Common Council direct the mayor to immediately re-instate NBCRG to the New Berlin Website of civic organizations.

Thank you
Ralph Heun

President
New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government