Ralph Heun, a 38-year resident of New Berlin, will be blogging about issues of concern to the New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government, an organization that promotes fiscal responsibility among all units of 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
