The Daily Reporter articles from August 2004

The Daily Reporter archives from August 2004

Milwaukee's new Emerging Business Enterprise Program manager lays out plan.
August 2, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Christopher Martin, Milwaukee's new Emerging Business Enterprise Program manager, is not going to just sit in his new office and crunch EBE participation numbers. He is hitting the phone lines and the streets next...

WisDOT to help commuters cope with delays.
August 2, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell With major work on Milwaukee's Marquette Interchange now only months away, state and local officials are preparing for imminent delays. On its end, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is set in September...

Commentary: New hire reporting requirements.
August 2, 2004... Byline: Charles Palmer Despite enactment of federal legislation in 1996, only 40 percent of Wisconsin employers are complying with their obligation to report to the state each time they hire a new employee. The Personal Responsibility and...

Asbestos-wetting equipment introduced here.
August 3, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A Wisconsin contractor is giving the United States its first look at asbestos-wetting equipment that has become the industry standard in Britain. "I don't know of anything I can think of that can add anything to our...

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission revising land-use, transportation plan.
August 3, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell In the next year and a half, planners will redefine, or at least alter, the long-term building landscape for the seven counties surrounding Milwaukee. In the last few years, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional...

Calpine Corp. plans second Kaukauna gas turbine unit.
August 4, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Last month, the Wisconsin Public Service Corp. agreed to double the power it will purchase from Calpine Corp.'s Fox Energy Center in Kaukauna, necessitating construction of a second gas turbine. "We always built and...

Court rules in favor of subcontractors.
August 4, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell In a victory for subcontractors, municipal governments are responsible for ensuring their prime contractors obtain payment bonds, according to an appeals court decision. On July 29, the state's 4th District Court...

Commentary: Let the economy's sun shine.
August 4, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale The past week's economic news could hardly be better, though most national media relegate the strongest economic growth in two decades to the back pages or to the business sections. At the same time that the second...

Washington County construction plan includes $37.5M in projects.
August 5, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Washington County's five-year highway construction plan identifies $37.4 million in projects that it will complete by 2010. It also identifies $27.2 million worth of projects that it ought to do but won't be able to...

West Allis OK's rescue contract.
August 5, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The West Allis Common Council on Tuesday cleared the path for the city's Fire Department to take over operation of the Milwaukee-area deep-tunnel rescue team. With the panel's approval of the contract, the West...

Madison City Council accepts donations for public pool.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff The Madison City Council Tuesday accepted a $2 million donation for the city's first public pool, giving its blessing to the task force that is choosing a location and overseeing planning. The unanimous...

Oconomowoc Plan Comm. considers retail plan.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff On Wednesday, the Oconomowoc Plan Commission will consider changing the city's long-range plan to accommodate a 12-acre retail development on the Summit School site. The Oconomowoc Area School District...

Racine jail design receives preliminary approval.
August 6, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Racine County has approved preliminary design work for a possible expansion of its Law Enforcement Center in downtown Racine. A county-funded study of the center's operating conditions by Carter Goble Lee...

Madison government officials investigate plans for building municipal swimming pool.
August 9, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Before plunging headfirst into plans for a new municipal swimming pool, Madison government officials are learning as much as they can. In other words, they're looking before they leap. Madison has been through...

Constructive Comments: August 9, 2004.
August 9, 2004... Byline: Dick Snow TEA-21, the federal bill re-authorizing highway transportation funding, is stuck between Congress and the White House. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, who is on the Joint Economic Committee, is right in the middle - and on top - of...

Pipeline project to start in spring.
August 10, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Six suburban Green Bay municipalities are going to an obvious source for their drinking water: Lake Michigan. The twist, however, is that the water will be pumped not from nearby Green Bay but from Manitowoc, a...

Independent Business Assn. of Wisc. opposing plan to build new hospital.
August 10, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Independent Business Association of Wisconsin is opposing Aurora Health Care's plan to build a hospital at Pabst Farms, saying it isn't necessary to meet the area's current and projected needs. "The availability...

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has authority to draft maintenance rules.
August 11, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has the authority to draft sewer maintenance rules and force the 28 municipalities it serves to follow them. Michael McCabe, MMSD's attorney, told Milwaukee Mayor Tom...

Horizon Development Group developing senior complex.
August 11, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell In the next two months, Horizon Development Group plans to start the first phase of a $36 million senior-living complex in Menomonee Falls. Assuming its proposal nets the approval of village leaders, the...

Commentary: From uncertainties come opportunities.
August 11, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Leave it to the media - and temporarily, the markets - to find a cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Last week, we noted that the economic news could hardly be better. Notwithstanding the largest productivity gains in...

WisDOT major project proposals lack funding.
August 12, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Funding for major highway projects has reached capacity, and the state Department of Transportation sees little chance that cash will become available any time soon. The Transportation Projects Commission, a...

Commentary: Parade of Homes starts soon.
August 12, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney Unlike other parades that come to town that come and go, when the Parade of Homes comes to a community, it leaves behind a beautiful neighborhood that is enjoyed for generations. For that reason, we felt that "Building...

Developer files suit against KBS Construction.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The developers of Cathedral Place in downtown Milwaukee are suing KBS Construction for allegedly filing fraudulent payment claims. Cathedral Place in May filed a civil complaint claiming McFarland-headquartered KBS...

Reliable infrastructure is key to economic growth.
August 13, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The overwhelming majority of state residents believe a reliable highway and energy infrastructure is important to economic development, according to a new survey. At the same time, however, Wisconsin citizens...

SBC Communications using Pabst Farms developments to test fiber optic lines.
August 16, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan SBC Communications is using new developments at Pabst Farms to field test its plans to run fiber optic communication lines directly to houses and business buildings. "The people inquiring about Pabst Farms are...

How should transportation be funded?
August 18, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Local leaders in southeastern Wisconsin added their two cents to the state Legislature's dilemma over how to fund state transportation now that the gas tax and federal funds can't cover the cost. The question...

Commentary: Suburbs likely to pay price for Metro. Milwaukee Sewerage District's actions.
August 18, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Over the past two weeks, we've witnessed the latest salvo by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District to pick the pocket of neighboring communities and thwart future construction growth. The MMSD is still...

Voters won't have say on Mequon roads.
August 19, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Mequon's Public Welfare Committee Tuesday rejected a plan to hold a voter referendum over how it should go about funding and repairing local roads. The Public Works Department catalogues the conditions of Mequon's...

Milwaukee motorcade tours development sites.
August 20, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A pack of developers, contractors and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker formed a caravan of seven motorcycles and a stretch SUV to tour four projects that will create much-needed jobs. "It really sounds like...

Member of WI Transportation Projects Comm. believes group should have more authority.
August 20, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell At least one member of the state committee that approves major transportation projects believes the panel should meet despite the transportation secretary's contention there's no money for new projects. The...

Renovation of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison well ahead of schedule.
August 23, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The arrival of the University of Wisconsin football season in two weeks means the project team rebuilding the Badgers' home field should be about halfway finished, but they're not. They're ahead of schedule. ...

Milwaukee-area health-care costs far above national average.
August 24, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Federal auditors have confirmed that Milwaukee-area health-care costs are soaring far above the national average. At the same time, the General Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress,...

Light industrial park planned for blighted site.
August 25, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A blighted site near Miller Park will become a light industrial park with 200 new jobs thanks to $3 million in public remediation funds and a $10 million investment from Real Estate Recycling. "As the stadium was...

Wisconsin to study ways to link, boost transportation systems.
August 25, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state Legislature is assembling a group of industry experts, business officials and public leaders to study ways to link and boost the state's rail, air, water and highway transportation systems. The Special...

Commentary: Which way energy prices?
August 25, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale These days, all controversy is political and energy prices are no exception. Every recession in the past half century has tended to be preceded by a spike in energy prices. But on the other hand, there have been...

WisDOT to rebid DBE development contract.
August 26, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The state Department of Transportation is looking to sign numerous contracts for different Marquette Interchange disadvantaged business enterprise consulting services after deciding the original consultant contract didn't...

Commentary: Be cautious of construction site theft.
August 26, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney I have been with the Metropolitan Builders Association for almost a decade now, and this is one of the worst years I remember for construction site theft. Appliances, lumber, fixtures, tools, equipment, even dry wall -...

Canal Street funding comes through.
August 27, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A $5 million federal contribution along with an additional $3 million from Milwaukee brought the $28 million Canal Street reconstruction to fruition this week. "It is essential to the entire state of Wisconsin that we...

BHS Architects to close doors.
August 27, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell At the end of August, BHS Architects Inc. will be closing the doors of its office on Green Bay Avenue in Milwaukee. Firm principal and co-owner Peter Schuyler said the company's office lease was up at the end of...

Insurer limits coverage for roofers.
August 30, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Wisconsin commercial roofing contractors are dealing with an increasingly difficult insurance market that might not sort itself out for another year. Late last year, the major insurer of roofing companies...

Commentary: Constructive Comments August 30, 2004.
August 30, 2004... Byline: Dick Snow Labor Day is, indeed, upon us once more. Thus, it's appropriate to acknowledge the men and women of the building trades of Wisconsin and their contributions to the process of building on the occasion of Labor Day...

Milwaukee County picks up community benefits debate.
August 31, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Some Milwaukee County supervisors are taking a second look at setting wage rates, hiring goals and affordable housing provisions on county-owned land in the Park East corridor. For more than a year, the idea has set...

Wisconsin state senator again attacks hospital construction.
August 31, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell A state senator is once again stoking the debate over establishing government control of hospital costs and construction. Sen. Russ Decker, D-Schofield, a longtime proponent of the hospital rate-setting...