NBCRG has agreed that Milwaukee water is available at a lower price than Oak Creek or Racine water and we can get it sooner.

We realize that something must be done quickly to comply with federal EPA and Department of Natural Resources regulations regarding water quality and falling water levels in the deep City wells.

We have no problem with bringing Milwaukee water to the EXISTING water mains, and to new areas that require water which are located east of Calhoun Road.  We are against the City of New Berlin forcing residents west of Calhoun Road in the so called "rural" area of larger lots and conservation sub-divisions to accept Milwaukee water AND MMSD sewers,

The agreement between the City of Milwaukee and New Berlin was finalized with only Mayor Chiovatero and consultants from the firm of Rueckert & Mielke, and the Zeppo firm in attendance. Members of the Utility Committee or the Common Council were not permitted to attend and therefore could not raise any objections to Milwaukee conditions.

There have been several area water and sewer maps published and no one knows what the official map version is.

This and many other questions abound, so we therefore are asking for a Public Hearing before the Common Council approves the Contract

2008 MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

Monday, May 26, 2008 is Memorial Day.

The only day of year we as a Nation have set aside to honor the men & women that gave their lives for our Freedom.

We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by them through out the history of our Nation. All to many of us have lost sight of the true meaning of this most important day. The men and women whose heroism we both celebrate and mourn must never be taken for granted. We must do everything we can to ensure that the generations that follow will fully appreciate the sacrifices that so many have made and the sorrow their families have had to endure so that the rest of us can live in relative peace and security. 

The New Berlin Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is proud to join the Hoeppner-Horn Bros. VFW Post 5716 & Highland Memorial Park Cemetery to make Memorial Day mean even more to the Citizens of New Berlin.

The ceremony will start at 11:00 a.m. with the VFW making their ritual march to the Veterans Memorial.

Former VFW Post Commander Don Hermann will speak.

Other guest speakers will include Mayor Jack Chiovatero and State Senator MaryLazich.

This year State Representative Mark Gundrum is serving his Country in Iraq and for the first time may not be able to attend.

Members of the VFW Post will perform a rifle salute.

Alderman Ted Wysocki has arranged for a Fly Over, weather permitting.

New Berlin, Holy Apostles Boy Scout Troop 93 will help direct traffic, hand out programs & flags for those who attend.

There will be a balloon release with memorial tags. Ament Industrial Truck and Moorland Auto Repair will provide the flags. The event will end with a cannon shoot. The cannon supplied by Glen Porter of Highland Memorial Park Cemetery.

The New Berlin Community Band will perform patriotic music during the ceremony.

The event should last about 45 min. to 1 hour.

Please join your New Berlin neighbors in honoring their memory.

      Dave Ament

7^th District Alderman, New Berlin
New Berlin Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Board of Director

Memorial Day Committee Chair

Public Forum:

As President of New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government
I must respond to  Ray McInerny Sr attacks on our Organization. The meeting on February 16 was not sponsored in any way by NBCRG.

If McInerny read the announcement, he would discover that it was called by Alderman Dave Ament , 7^th District, to inform residents of the area, as to what Mayor Chiavatero, Alderman Moore and JP Walker’s Department of Public Works, was planning for sidewalks and a divided highway for Coffee Road.

The citizens along Calhoun Road, Greenfield Ave, 124^th Street, National Avenue, as well as other areas, have been opposing these sidewalks, sidepaths and and bike trails and the  City has been ignoring their concerns. NBCRG is an active observer that is willing to help as asked.

Incidentally, Ray McInerny Sr. is president of a small group. The group is apparently not active as they claim to be exempt from Wisconsin State laws that require that expenditures over $25, must be reported to the City Clerk. He also was Alderman Poshepny’s campaign manager and the alleged master mind behind Poshepnys election victory. McInerny is reportedly active in Bill Moore's re-election bid.

Alderman Poshepny holds his district 5 meetings at the Senior Housing complex where he lives and does not allow residents outside of his district to attend. He stated to us that it is his home and he can invite whom he wants to. He holds his meetings on the same evening as NBCRG meets, so we can not test to see if he discriminates.

 Aldermnan Poshepny was not shouted down. He was asked by Alderman Ament not to speak as this was supposed to be an informational meeting for taxpayers, not a public hearing where alderman can pontificate.

So far as a reason why groups cannot use the City facilities, Ray should ask Mayor Chiavatero, Alderman Moore and ex-alderman Gallagher, who were the prime instigators two years ago in passing the Ordinance, which prohibited any non-city group from using City Hall and / or the City Channel 25 for any purposes, their reasons for keeping citizens and civic groups from using OUR City Hall.

This short sighted policyalso has kept election forums, Christmas and July 4^th parades, and other events from being televised.

If Mr. McInery does not know the facts, He should not  make the complaints.

 Ralph Heun, New Berlin

Guest editorial by Vern Bentley

Mayor Chiavatero has requested an affidavit from a Real Estate professional to prove that trails operating across private property cause land values to fall more than 10% as compared to property that has no trails in place. He received an answer but still insists on extending a trail into still another area.

A developer requested approval by the Planning Commission, of a 10 acre property to be split into a 2 lot land division at 17445 W Observatory Road to include 2 -5 acre parcels

When Ronald Reagan School was built the school was forced to provise a 50' easemant for a trail to the north to connect to these two properties.

This connection to Observatory Road  would extend the trails further north thru more private properties, crossing  Calhoun Road and lead to Malone City Park

The city wants an easement thru these 2 properties, or they will probably not approve the  land division.There is no mention of financial compensation for this easement in spite of the fact that the Mayor said the trails may not be buit for another 20 years. These 2 lots have  wetland areas that would require  Department of Natural Resources approval to build. Granting this trail easement  will affect placement of building, driveways, septic systems and leech beds. Possibly both lots will be  uninhabitable. When developer offered to sell the 10 acre site to the city of New Berlin. the mayor replied "That will never happen, at least by this body".

Viewing the proposed trail map, this trail seems to travel south across National Avenue and thru more private lands down to Calhoun Park.

The City is taking lands, without compensation, that owners paid for and is forcing the current owners to accept strangers in their yards in a blatant invasion of privacy. How can the City compensate the owners for maintenance and insurance problems in case of accidents or injuries and lowering of the value of their properties. 

 I would like to ask Mayor Chiavatero, all Planning Commissioners, including Paul Gehring, who also chairs the non functional Alternative Transportation Committee, "would you allow trails to go thru your back and side yards"?

 An example of what I mean:

Plan Commissioner Lee Sisson voted to approve trails and sidepaths. He also voted to approve the Deer Creek Inn and Conference Center without a Public Hearing . Mr Sisson was very upset that the The same Planning Commission approved
the Cement Batch Plant in the Johnson Quarry. Mr Sisson was upset because that put more traffic on National Avenue
near his home on Barton Road. 

How about a trail from Barton road up to the Historic Orchard on Propect Hill? 

If you buy a property that has sidewalks , you are well aware of their presence and that is acceptable!

The mayor talks about people with wheelchairs going to the store etc. There are no stores within miles of the sidewalks, from Cold Spring to Grange avenues. It goes from nowhere to nowhere.

If the people in Hales Corners & Greenfield want their track team to run on the sidewalk, let them build it on the east side and that way no one will have to cross 124th street multiple times to go to the gas station or the beauty shop on Layton avenue.
If  those non residents of New Berlin want more trails etc., they can advocate for those in their own cities and county.

There is a letter on fill to the Mayor and Council from First Weber Realty, disclosing that the side walk on the west side of 124th would reduce the value of those properties from 10 to 20 percent on properties that have their backs to 124th street.

Paul Koller, Assessor, has said that those properties that have their backs to 124th street already have lower assessments than properties deeper into the sub division.

We have reason to believe that there are no lower assessed valuations due to property backs being towards  124th Street.

We call on the New Berlin Assessors office to prove his statement or to rescind his comments.

We have no problem with City Engineer J P Walker making recommendations to the Department of Public works.
However New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government  have stated numerous times that  since he is a non-resident of the City of New Berlin ( lives in Watertown), he should NOT be a VOTING member on the Department of Public Works  committee.

Since we have City Staff members who have made drawings and plans for 124th street, the question arises as to the need to spend another $197,000 to have a design company tell the city what it already has decided. That money can be put to better use elsewhere.
 

Ralph Heun  President NBCRG

 Please do not use aliases when commenting!
 

 COFFEE ROAD
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The City has hired a consultant to do the design work for the Coffee Road Reconstruction Project. This segment of the project will be from National Avenue west to Calhoun Road.

The preliminary plans for this project include stormwater improvements (storm sewers) along the entire length of the project and then north to Poplar Creek. It will also include lane widening, completely reconstructing the base and surface of the roadway as well as to lower (cut down) the hill just west of St. Francis Drive.

The preliminary drawings also include 4 lanes from National Avenue to about Monterey Drive and then narrowing back to 2-lanes, with curb and gutter. The plans include sidewalks/sidepaths in the entire project. The sidewalks/sidepaths would be 8’ to 10’ wide with a terrace between Coffee Road and the sidewalk/sidepath.

I will be holding a neighborhood meeting to give you as much information as I have as of now and to make sure that the City addresses your concerns at the very beginning of the design so that we are in a position to influence how this section of Coffee Road is rebuilt.

While those of you who live west of Calhoun Road will not be immediately affected, you need to be aware that this would be the 1^st leg of the Coffee Road and Sidewalk/sidepath project. If they are installed east of Calhoun the next leg would be from Calhoun Road to Racine. So if you are interested in this project please come to this neighborhood meeting.

This neighborhood meeting will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 12:00 noon at your New Berlin City Hall 3805 S. Casper Drive.

Dave Ament

7^th District Alderman, New Berlin

262-544-4534

dament@newberlin.org

   No mandates say that a path MUST be constructed…

   The US Census Bureau says that the Median Household Income in New Berlin is $67,946. Logic  says most people with that income could afford a car. What ”large segment” of the population does not have access to a car ?

   While walking and bicycling may promote physical fitness, we already have parks, safer, less traveled roads within sub-divisions that allow people to exercise in this

  MARK  Your Calendars  Thurs. Feb. 21st 5:30 pm City Hall

Call Hansons: 414-525-0563
One will be delivered to you at your convenience.

E-mail:  Council@NewBerlin.org

Mayor Chiovatero                           Alderman Harenda

 262-77-2441                                     262 971 1048

Alderman Seidl                                Alderman Ament 

 262-784-1352                                    262 544 4534

Alderman Poshepny                       Alderman Augustine

 262-780-5440                                    262 617 1554
                                Alderman Moore

                                262 785 9022

I periodically check the site www.newberlin.org to see if any thing has changed in regard to NBCRG.

Tonite Ken Harenda, 4th District Alderman called and told me to look again. To my great surprise and pleasure, I discovered the Mayor Jack Chiavatero has restored our group to the official list of New Berlin Civic Groups and this  posting is to publically thank him for doing that.

Thank you Mayor,

Ralph Heun, President, NBCRG 

New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government wish to thank Senator Mary Lazich for again contacting the Department of Natural Resources, and for obtaining additional time for the City of New Berlin to conduct a Public Hearing on the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewage District (MMSD) 2020 Plan.

I contacted Senator Lazich last week and asked her to see if the City could get an extension to December 15, 2007,  This she did and the Senator told me on Friday she would call Mayor Chiavatero and inform him of the DNR extension.

It seems to me that when private citizens must follow up  contacting the DNR  or any one else, that we pay this Administration to do, that there is something radically wrong. 

Mr Mayor, please schedule a Public Hearing on the MMSD 2020 plan immediately. You are the CEO of the City of New Berlin and if you want to get anything done, all you have to do is schedule it. In spite of your attempting to put the blame for no Public Hearing on members of the Common Council, it is still your responsibility.

We on the West Side are waiting and watching and have long memories of unfulfilled promises.

NBCRG is still waiting after 8 months to be put back on the list of Community organizations, or for you to develop a procedure for doing so.

Ralph Heun.  President NBCRG

No answer from Department of Natural Resources prompts request for follow-up. 

At a September Common Council meeting the Council voted to send a letter to the Secretary of the the Department of Natural resources, expressing the Common Council's concerns with the MMSD 2020 Plan. This was requested because the Council had serious concerns about the contents of the plan as to how it affects the ultimate sewer service area and other items.

The letter was mailed to John Welcher on September 14,  2007.

As president of the New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government, I  contacted the mayor's office on October 4 and again on November 1, to inquire if any answer had been received by Mayor Chiavatero's office. Each time I was informed that no answer had been received.

I phoned State Senator Mary Lazichs' office on Friday, November 2 and told her of the situation. She said she would investigate and report back to me on Monday (today). True to her word, she did just that and has the following report.

Mary Lazich was informed on November 5, 2007 that Mr Welcher was NOT the Secretary of the DNR. The letter was not forwarded to the secretary in any case. At the present time the letter has not been located.

The DNR said they would call Mayor Chiavatero's office and tell them that the Common Council has until November 30, 2007 to file any written questions and concerns to the Department of Natural Resources.

NBCRG would like to thank Senator Lazich for another job done in record time. We ask that the Mayor schedule a Public Hearing, separate from the budget Public Hearing, within the next 2 weeks, so the the Citizens opinions will be heard and acted upon