Well I have finally been able to sit down and write up some comments on Monday's Common Council meeting. Before the meeting, there is actually a public hearing on the paving project for Ishnala Trails subdivision. That is pretty straight forward, but I have stopped guesstimating on how long Public Hearings go, so I will just say the Common Council meeting will start some time after 7:00pm on Monday.

Going over the agenda, there is not really a heck of a lot that I can comment on, many of the items do not have any information in my packet and there are some closed session items as well. One thing that is always a hot item is the Trick-or-Treat hours. This year Halloween is on a Friday. Last year, when the council tried to give the kids an opportunity to have Trick-or-Treat on Halloween night, we were told in no uncertain terms that we were wrong. Last year, it was a school night. This year it is not. If we want to stick to the Sunday afternoon tradition, then we have a choice of October 26th or November 2nd. That Packers are playing on the 2nd at Noon however.

There is an agenda item for appointments to the Merger Study Committee that we created at the last meeting. The Committee will have 2 citizen members from the City and two from the Village. There also needs to be an appointment of an Alderperson to the Committee. I have received copies of two citizens that have submitted their resume for consideration.

There is a lot of information regarding a request from the Town of Lisbon for the City of Pewaukee to provide water services to an area of the Town. The proposal would extend water up Duplainville Rd, north to Lisbon Rd and west to a subdivision at the intersection of Lisbon Rd and Maple Ave. There are some concerns about the proposal. One is that this would create a large 'dead end' pipe. Dead ends are a problem in municipal water systems. If there isn't enough draw on the system, a water quality issue results. Another concern is the additional demand on our system, especially in summer months. The extended system would increase the demands on personnel as well. As this project would primarily benefit Town residents, the recommendation from the Directory is to fund the project under a recapture agreement with the Town. In this case, the Town would be the developer and would pay for the project.

We will also be setting the schedule for the budget workshops. One important date to remember in this process is Sept 23rd. That is the deadline for getting a referendum question on the November ballot. There are two workshops proposed in September, the 9th and 10th. I will post the dates once they are confirmed.

I want to make some things clear, just in case there are any misconceptions. I am sure this will piss some people off, but I have to say it.

This site is meant to allow for the open discussions of issues relating to the greater Pewaukee community, it's citizens and taxpayers. I make every attempt to allow anyone to post in a free and open manner. I extend the 'freedom of speech' only as far as I would allow it in my own home, perhaps a little more. However, just as if the conversation were taking place in my home, if I felt someone were getting out of line or found them offensive, I would ask them to leave. My site, my choice. The Constitution(to be accurate the, the first amendment) does not protect your freedom of speech in my home, or on my website. If I feel the comments are not appropriate, I will take action. If you don't agree with that, start your own website.

Even though I allow anonymous comments, a policy I am considering changing by the way, anyone living in the Internet age should already know, unless you go to great lengths to hide yourself, you leave a trail. Every comment is stored in the database along with some information about the source. I am the only one who has legal access to that data and I do not make it openly available. I also will not guarantee that I would fight hard to keep it private. There is a commenter who alleges to know who and where another poster was when a comment was posted, they even allege to know the poster was misusing Internet access at work. To substantiate those allegations, the person would have to have illegally accessed my system. They could also be working for the NSA and monitoring my site because I am such a subversive element. If that is the case, they probably just blew their cover. Otherwise, they are blowing smoke out their behind.

A general comment about the tone of the postings relating to the Police Department. I have not heard so many people express such... distaste for the local police since my high school years. I think that there are some who believe we live in a police state and if they speak up in public, they will be beaten and hauled way never to be seen again. Ok, perhaps a little exaggeration, but what is fraggin' going on here? The tone even goes beyond distrust and distaste and goes into plain old hate and bigotry. If you have a legitimate complaint against members of the CPPD, file them with the PFC. Don't post inflammatory comments on a website and then hide behind Anonymous. If there are legitimate issues, the only way to address them is by making an official complaint. Without a complaint, the PFC can take no action. I doubt if anyone will file a complaint based on unsubstantiated allegations by an anonymous poster on a website.

I support the Captain's willingness to post factual information on this site. There are often half truths or speculation posted and he has provided facts in the past. I find that having the facts helps for a more intelligent conversation. If the Captain felt it necessary to provide his side of the story, I am cool with that. Notice that, even though he takes heat for it, he identifies himself and does not remain behind Anonymous. I give him credit for that.

I can understand where his comment about the allegations of police misconduct could be misinterpreted. Keep in mind however, this comment was made at the same time someone was asking for the name of an officer that is allegedly under investigation for an alleged misconduct. I believe that the Captain may have in fact been trying to protect anyone from making a painful mistake. Let me make it perfectly clear, if anyone would post a name to go along with the the allegations, I would remove the comment. I would also make the information about the poster available to law enforcement... if requested. That type of allegation does not belong on this website. If there are legitimate complaints, there are legal channels that should be followed. Posting information on a public forum such as this could in fact jeopardize any investigation that may be taking place. This is serious business and it should be treated as so.

If there is some sort of investigation related to the events described by the Captain, I cannot say. Such an investigation would be a police matter and very limited disclosure would be made until there was a determination of whether or not misconduct did occur and if charges should be filed with the PFC. If my understanding of police procedure is correct, and I do not claim to be an expert, for a department of this size, any such investigation would be handled by an outside agency. In a large department there may be an 'internal affairs' division for such situations, but not here.

I was not witness to the events mentioned but I want to make some comments. Yes, I know some of the people posting on the site are in law enforcement, and maybe I will not get this completely correct as I have never been in their shoes, but I know many who have and I think I have a fair understanding. When you are a patrol officer, part of you job is to stop drivers for violations. With every traffic stop, you are walking up to a vehicle where you do not know who or what is waiting inside. Depending on where you work, there is a possibility it could be the last stop of you life. Yeah, but this is Pewaukee, how likely is that to happen here? Maybe... but I bet Chiefs Bach and Baumann can tell a story about that as well as a few other officers. You may also want to check with Officer James A. Lutz as well... oh wait, he is dead.

Now imagine yourself as a patrol officer. An ATL (Attempt To Locate) is issued describing a vehicle involved in a bank robbery. The suspect in that robbery is known to be armed. Now, what is going through your head when you see a vehicle matching the description? I have never been in that position, thankfully, but along with an understanding of my duty, there is going to be a concern for my personal safety. I am sure I will also be asking myself, "Did I kiss my wife goodbye this morning?", "What was the last thing I said to my kids?" and a bunch more. Let me make it perfectly clear, my side arm will be at the ready when I approach that vehicle. No question about that. I would also take every precaution until I was satisfied that there was not danger to myself, my fellow officers or any bystanders. Would tensions be high? You bet. In this case, the driver was not the suspect being sought. I am sure that he was scared to death. I don't blame him. But would I expect the situation to be handled any different. In my opinion, no. Yes, this is Pewaukee, but Milwaukee is not so far away. Nor is Chicago. You never know what a situation like this could turn into. The alternative to taking proper precautions are not always pretty.

Now, on to the situation with the Chief. As I have said before, I do not know anything other than what is in the news. My personal opinion is that this has nothing to do with any merger discussions. But, that is just my opinion. Was the Chief and his lawyer told that by someone? I don't know, I was not in any of those discussions. Why would such a story be told to the newspaper? I can only guess, but I choose to keep my opinon on that to myself. My choice. If that seems weak, so be it.

Let me just say this about any possible merger or consolidated services. If there is consolidation, there will be jobs lost. That is a plain old fact. If the two police departments merged, we would not need two Chiefs and two Captains. Just as we would not need two DPW Directors if those departments merged. If the two municipal governments became one, we would not need two Administrators or two Clerk/Treasurers. Nor would we need 14 elected officials. Does that really come as a surprise to anyone?

Feel free to express your opinions, but keep it civil and let's try to avoid unsubstantiated allegations.

There are several news items regarding high levels of lead in the water of Village homes. This is NOT a problem with the Village's water system. The problem appears in older homes, the ones that were built with lead solder on the pipes. The use of lead in water pipes was outlawed in 1984. The lead in the pipes can dissolve into the water supply if the water sits long enough without being used. If the water is run regularly there really is not a problem. If the water sits in the pipes for 8+ hours, you should run the water for 30 seconds to clear any possibly tainted water from the pipes.

According to an article in the MJS today, Chief Bach's attorney believes the Chief was put on administrative leave because of comments he made regarding the idea of merging the City and Village Police Departments.

The attorney for Police Chief Gary Bach said Monday that the chief is under investigation for discussing the possibility of merging the city and village police departments and telling employees job loss would result.

I have said before, and want to reiterate that, I have no information on this issue. It is being handled by the HR Director and I know what is reported in the papers. As the Chief, statutorily, reports to the Mayor, the Council has no jurisdiction on the matter.

The agenda for the August 4th Common Council meeting is available on the City's website. It is a pretty light agenda, but there are a couple of items that I am sure will be of interest.

The first thing that I know is of interest, based on the thread regarding the fire station, is item 3.5 on the consent agenda. That item is the approval of change order #14 for the construction of the fire station. As I have already discussed regarding the July 21st meeting, the fire station construction has reached the point of a total of just over $100,000 used from the budgeted $280,000 for contingencies. Now that we have reached that point, every change order must come before the council for approval. This item is for the installation of 2 conduits. Total cost... $251.00. Are these conduits critical to the immediate operation of the fire station? No. In fact they are for future use, but this is the cost effective time to place them, before the walls and ceiling are in place. What would be the cost to install the same conduits in the future? I cannot say, but I would be willing to bet it will be a good bit more than $251.

There is also an item on the agenda regarding the merger study process. At the joint meeting on the 24th, there were some very vocal opinions regarding the merging of the municipalities. I am concerned that there are those who have made a firm decision on the issue before we have even gathered all the information regarding the pros and cons of a merged government. It is important that we look at all of the issues, we need to look at the past, present and the future of both municipalities. The Village is an established municipality, it has been built out for a while now, pretty much all development in the Village is redevelopment. The City on the other hand has been in a state of growth. New development has been responsible for an increasing tax base, new roads and utility extensions, an increasing population and an increasing demand for services. However, this growth cannot continue forever, and even now has slowed. I cannot predict exactly when, but at some point, we will be built out, as the Village is now. What does the City do then? Will the City be able to maintain a low tax rate with little or no growth and an aging infrastructure? No. What will the future costs be and how can we protect ourselves and our posterity from excessive costs? Let's take a serious look at all the factors and facts. Then we can make an informed decision as a community.

Item 12 on the agenda may also be of interest to many. If you remember, when the lake was at it's highest, Chief Back declared a no motor restriction on the lake. That was implemented to protect not only the riparian owners, but the safety of lake users as there were many floating or submerged hazards. That decision was questioned by the Town of Delafield Board. What is being brought before the Council are changes to the emergency powere to lake restrictions agreement. These proposed changes must be agreed upon by all three municipalities which border the lake. The proposed agreement is as follows:

a. When the elevation of the lake is in excess of 853.4 above sea level as measured at the Village of Pewaukee dam, no person shall operate a watercraft in excess of slow-no-wake in any area of the lake.

b. 1. The Chief of the Water Safety Patrol is authorized to impose additional speed limit or other additional special emergency restrictions regarding the use of Pewaukee Lake when the water exceeds the established water level in subsection (a). Any order for additional special emergency restrictions shall be in effect for no longer than 48 hours, unless extended in conformity with the procedure stated herein. In the event the Chief believes that additional special emergency restriction should be in effect for a period longer than 48 hours, the Chief of the Water Safety Patrol shall consult with the Mayor, Village President and Town Chairman of their designees. Upon written approval of a majority of the parties, the additional special emergency restrictions may be extended upon the terms approved by the parties.

d. Lake Patrol shall post slow-no-wake and additional special emergency restrictions, if any, at all public accesses. When possible, the slow-no-wake and additional emergency restrictions should be posted on each municipal website.

I do not see this proposal as unreasonable.

The man who locked himself in the restroom at the CPPD was charged Tuesday. This MJS story has details. He is being held on $100,000 bail and has been order to undergo evaluation. The MJS also has a link to a copy of the note that he slipped under the door.

Some of may have seen or heard about this on the news, but the City of Pewaukee was the center of attention again today. This time for a person who had locked himself into the public restroom outside the Police Department and then slipped a note under the door indicating he had a bomb.

The situation forced the evacuation of City Hall as well as the PD, brought in the special tactical unit as well as all the major news media. Even the airspace in a 1/2 mile radius of City Hall was cleared because the news helicopters were making so much noise that the personnel on the ground were having trouble hearing the radio.

While the suspect was wearing some sort of device, the bomb squad determined it to be of no threat. He was taken into custody and the bomb sniffing dogs checked the building as well as the grounds. No other devices were found.

As I drove up the hill to the PSD campus, I saw the number of cars in the lot and thought, Oh my, this is going to be an interesting meeting. You see, the lots we getting full and it was only about 6:40pm. As it turns out, there was a basketball game and most of the cars were not for the consolidation meeting. For a while there, I thought there would be standing room only. That is not to say that the meeting was not well attended. I was in the front row facing the speakers, so I did not get a chance to get a good head count, but I would guess about 100 were in attendance.

The meeting itself went pretty well. I have a copy of the handout from Phil Evenson.There were a few people who felt necessary to make rude commentary during Phil's presentation. During the presentation, Phil explained briefly the background including the 2002 study, the meetings that have been taking place between the City and Village officials and presented some of the information that was gathered. One of the outcomes from these meetings is the creation of a theoretical joint budget which was based on the 2008 adopted budgets for each municipality. This budget did NOT include the water utilities. That joint budget showed a potential savings of $800,000. Some in the audience described that $800,000 as a drop in the bucket. I beg to differ from that opinion. $800,000 is about 7% of the City's 2008 budget. I have to wonder if those audience members would feel the same if the City requested a 7% increase in the budget. I doubt it. Funny how that same $800,000 can be a drop or a tidal wave depending on which side of the balance sheet you are looking at.

It was also explained that the $800,000 could turn into additional savings in future years. To that, one audience member suggested that we should focus on now and not worry about the future. We should let the future tax payers worry about their taxes, we should not. That is the first time anyone ever told me that government officials should not plan for the future. Normally it is the other way around, we are accused of NOT thinking long term.

One of the biggest issues facing us regarding the consolidation issue is that of the disparity in municipal fiscal capacity, which is the equalized value per capita. At this point in time, the City has approximately twice the fiscal capacity as the Village. Is there a way to merge the communities and realize a cost savings for the taxpayers and at the same time making an equitable transition. That is something that still needs further study. Right now, if we were to wait for a possible constitutional amendment to allow differential tax rates, the soonest that could happen would be 2011. If we wait that long, the City would probably be spending money on infrastructure changes in the water utility that could be avoided by either a joint utility or a merged municipality.

Besides the money issue, are there other issues that need to be addressed. Sure there are. Many of the issues would need to be included in a complete study. However, there is one issue that I am not sure could ever be addressed properly in the study.

There was an article in the MJS regarding the meeting. The article starts with Can these kissing cousins ever marry?. There were several people in the audience who felt that any actions that would benefit the property owners in the Village, even if there were no negative impact on City owners, should not even be considered. Why should we bail out the Village? They are the ones that got themselves into this situation. I have always considered Pewaukee a single community, even if there are to municipal bodies. Considering the fact that some residents don't even really understand there are two entities, I feel I am not alone. (No honestly, some people do not know which municipality they live in.) The City -vs- Village attitude that some maintain is surprising and I do not understand where it comes from, but for some it is very real. Unfortunately, because of that, I think we are less like kissing cousins and closer to the hatfields and the McCoys.

Tonight is the informational meeting about possible merger. This is to present the information that the City and Village has researched regarding updates to the 2002 consolidation study. The goal is to present the information we have found and gauge the public reaction towards continuing the update of the study.

I have received a few calls regarding the meeting from people who believe we are nearly at the point of merger. That is not the case. We are at the point where we have done some initial research on what was wrong with or has changed since the 2002 consolidation study. It is a meeting to discuss whether or not continued study even makes sense.

The meeting is tonight at 7pm at the Pewaukee High School auditorium. I hope to see you there.

The agenda for the July 21st Common Council meeting is available on the City's website. It is not a very busy agenda but there are a few items that may be of interest. Besides the continuing issues regarding the flooding that is.

Probably the item most people will be interested in is an update on the change orders for the construction of the new fire station. When we approved the project in 2007, we placed a requirement that if the change orders grew to exceed $100,000 all subsequent changes need to come before the Council. I have a memo that outlines the 13 change orders to date for a total of $73,420. There is however, an unrealized anticipated savings of $34,375 that brings the total to $107,795. I don't have any real detail on any of the individual change orders, just one sentence descriptions. There was a total of $280,000 in contingency included in the costs of the project. As of July 9, there was $172,205 remaining. From this point forward, any change orders need to come before the Council for approval.

This is probably only of limited interest, but I find it interesting that we have one the agenda two separate items where we are looking to draw upon a developer's letter of credit. The Council has already addressed on of the issues in the past, the Wethersfield Condo Development. In that one, The developer has failed to complete the required storm water management facilities as required. After a significant amount of time, the City intends to complete the work and draw upon that letter of credit. In the second situation, a developer again has failed to complete necessary work. The problem with this one is... the bank cancelled the letter of credit without the city's approval. Now we have to get the City Attorney involved. It just seems a bit odd that, as far as I can remember, it has not been necessary to draw upon a letter of credit very often, now suddenly we have two.