Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Alderman Dan Soltysiak had raised questions on whether places that sell alcohol should put up fences to keep drinkers from walking away with beverages, but police argued that the barriers actually encourage drinking.
As the first big party of the season approaches, businesses hoping to serve beer or other alcoholic beverages at Jammin' on Janesville had to wait for approval of their permits based on safety concerns raised by an alderman. At the April 9 Finance Committee meeting, Dan Soltysiak had asked what controls would be in place to define the licensed areas and who would be served, saying he believed alcohol needed to be restricted to a specific area. Mayor Kathy Chiaverotti noted then that the Police Department had not had any issues with the event in the past, but the matter was deferred in order to assemble the parties requesting a permit. High Hitchin’ Tractor Pullers, Heritage Presbyterian Church (June and August only), Sandhill Booster Club…
Thursday, March 28, 2013
A new computer system allows judicial clerks to intercept tax payments for delinquent defendants in Muskego court, and the council approves extending staff time to keep up with the workload.
Muskego judicial clerks have been working on a nearly 30-year backlog of unpaid citations using a system that the city recently approved, and so far they've recaptured $40,000, representing only about one-quarter to one-third of the outstanding fines. However, they've told the finance committee, and Tuesday night the Common Council, that the work needed to keep up is more than they can handle at present staffing levels, and requested a part-time position become full time to keep up. The council approved the request. Clerk Susan Hutcheson's task has been to delve into cases where court fines had gone unpaid and uncollected by the city, and the newer program called TIPS allows the courts to employ tax intercept to garner fines from the …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Alderman, residents in Muskego's 7th District say they're tired of waiting for access to trail system, and promise to fight for it as the matter is pushed back to the Park and Rec board
After a revision to the recreational trail plan was approved at the Parks Board meeting Monday March 11, some residents are saying not so fast. The Public Works Committee had the trail plan on its agenda Monday to see how the revised schedule would mesh with planned road projects. The Parks and Recreation board had pushed back a section of trail along North Cape Road (Highway OO) from Durham Drive to Highway 36 to 2019, in order to begin work on a "lake loop" around Little Muskego Lake. The trail, which was slated as the only such project in 2014, would have finished a southern section of trails and connected the recent trail on Durham Drive to another that runs the stretch of Highway 36. However, District 7 Alderman Eileen Madden told the…
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A desire to focus on putting trails in where the most residents live may anger some on Muskego's south side
Residents living in Champions Village, which is along Highway 36 and North Cape Road, will be asked for a little patience as the recreational trail from Durham Drive to Highway 36 will be diverted from 2014 to 2019 planning. The section would have connected that development to the rest of the Muskego trail system. Stepping in front will be a 'lake loop' series of trails, which weren't scheduled to begin until 2015. The Parks and Recreation Board met Monday night, and debate arose on whether the city should finish the southern section of its recreational trail plan as scheduled, or start to focus on the higher population centers next. "You would have a whole section of trail that would be complete, and it's something we've talked about for …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Hearing from residents in his own district, Muskego Alderman Dan Soltysiak asks parks board to reconsider how a dog park could figure into the mix.
With all of the changes to the landscape, including road projects and new recreational trails and a new park, is it time for Muskego to consider adding a dog park to its current recreational offerings? The issue has come up in previous Park and Recreation Board meetings, and was again put on the table Monday night as Alderman Dan Soltysiak explained he's been hearing from constituents that they see a need. Previous suggestions have been to take existing city parks that appear not to be used as much and place a dog park there. "I get emails all the time about dog parks, but I've never gotten one about a splash pad," Soltysiak told Parks Director Craig Anderson. He was referring to a recent project that a department intern conducted, …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Some council members wanted more oversight of expenses, but others saw the move as micromanaging and less efficient. The Committee of the Whole voted against making any changes to the city policy.
The city's purchasing policy will remain as it has been, but not after some debate on how much can be spent before the Common Council has to review it. The discussion occurred Tuesday night at the Committee of the Whole meeting. Generally expenses that were included in the council's approved budget do not need another look, unless they exceed the expected amount. Department heads can approve expenses up to $25,000, with the Mayor's approval also needed for those higher than that. However, Alderman Dan Soltysiak challenged the policy stating that the Common Council was charged with the oversight of finances, not the mayor, and said they should be the ones signing off on expenses over $25,000. "This would provide another layer of checks and…
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Muskego mud-slinging takes a new turn downward as leftover resentments from the contentious Lake Park issue spills into the aldermanic elections
Relevant or not, this story which revealed past indiscretions of a member of the Common Council could have been a new low in small-town politics. The story received a lot of traffic with many comments in support for Alderman Dan Soltysiak as well as those defending the release of documents from the alderman's past. This was one of the more difficult stories to present, as ignoring it was just as obvious as running it. However, the idea of Patch is to allow discussion, and it was a fairly even split among commenters. Ultimately, Soltysiak went on to win re-election for the 5th District seat in April. You can now debate on whether negative campaigns work or not. Read the original story, which ran in March, here: Alderman's Record: A …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
While city-owned facilities are not in a state of disrepair as those reviewed in the school district, aldermen approved hiring a firm to determine needs and efficiencies, despite some feeling it's an expense that can wait.
A proposal to spend $40,000 to hire a consultant to review all city-owned buildings came under fire from some Common Council members Tuesday night, but was ultimately approved after an extended debate. Jeff Muenkel, the city's director of development, recommended hiring Zimmerman Architectural Studios to conduct a study of the library, City Hall, and departmental buildings, like parks and public works. The firm would survey staff and others who those buildings to determine needs, and how best each space could be utilized. Potential recommendations may include construction of new facilities, but could also point out more efficient use of the spaces, which would save the city money in the long run. The 2012 budget estimated the cost of the …
Council compromises to include retirees in on 2 percent increase for 2012, with realization decisions will need to be made for 2013 sooner than later.
Police personnel from officers to the chief were on hand Tuesday night to hear the decision over whether city employees who left their positions before August 2012 would receive retro pay. The decision to pay only retirees came after extended debate over fairness versus precedence. Police Chief Paul Geiszler took issue with the possibility that people who worked for the city during 2012 would not be eligible for a 2 percent cost of living increase, which the Common Council approved in August. He explained that three staff members had retired in 2012 with 85 years of experience among them, and another employee from the library had an additional 13 years with the city. "We have a tough enough time hiring personnel, we've been short-staffed …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
By clearing a hurdle at Plan Commission, hopes are that construction of a multi-family residence toward lake can begin as soon as tavern is razed, with a new pub and restaurant to follow shortly after.
In contrast to the debate over the request and approval to rezone the property for DJ's Pub and Grill this past summer, the review of plans for the business and residential property was relatively peaceful. The Plan Commission met Tuesday night to review the building, site and operation plan for the 1.4 acre parcel, which is now zoned as a downtown rivival property. With Waukesha County planning on razing the current tavern, owner Dan Hewitt hoped to replace the business with a new 3,500 square foot restaurant near Janesville Road, and a 3,800-square-foot four-family residence toward Little Muskego Lake. The developer, Burback Builders, provided plans for landscaping, parking, lighting and construction to the commission. The biggest point …
Jeff C.
8:02 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013
we whole-heartedly agree! We don't like the fact that while the older part of the Durham drive trail still gets snow-removal but the newer southern part of trail (where we live) doesn't get snow removal. Why is this? more ›