The Daily Reporter articles from June 2009

The Daily Reporter archives from June 2009

Spring Green in danger of flooding until town officials get funding for fix.
June 4, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The threat of rain will hang over Spring Green until town officials get state and federal money for a project to prevent flooding. But the long process of securing approvals for the project and fears that last year's...

State of Wisconsin fights odds for online bidding.
June 4, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A state agency remains committed to launching an electronic bidding system in eight months despite uncertain legislative support, an untried system and industry representatives who say there are more important issues....

Wisconsin Assembly preps for state budget debate.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder State Assembly members are preparing for a round of amendments to remove controversial state budget items such as prevailing wage requirements and the joint and shared liability motion. Assistant Assembly Minority...

Wisconsin roadworker death highlights safety shortcomings.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Wisconsin roadworkers are at the mercy of inattentive drivers and a difficult-to-enforce move-over law. Ultimately, the orange barrel doesn't do much to protect us, said Bruce Stelzner, Chippewa County highway...

Wisconsin cities losing prevailing wage momentum.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Municipalities are losing their battle to reverse a decision that would require prevailing wages be paid on more projects. Thirteen municipalities are appealing Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development decisions...

City of Cudahy readies bid for Iceport property.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Cudahy will bid $34.8 million to buy the Iceport property when it is auctioned off Monday. The city's bid represents the money Cudahy was awarded when it won its lawsuit to foreclose on the 31.2-acre site, which...

One of three founders of Milwaukee-based Graef dies at 86.(Obituary)
June 5, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Robert Schloemer, one of the three founders of Graef, died Monday and was buried Friday. Schloemer, 86, died of a stroke. A private funeral was held Thursday. A structural engineer, Schloemer teamed up with Leonard...

Budget cut renews energy debate in Wisconsin.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Wisconsin's efforts to close its budget gap could stymie the state's goal to create more renewable energy. When you are reaching for a goal -- and 25 percent is a reach -- it doesn't make sense to take away the one...

School District of Black River Falls officials seeks $25M for school project.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The temptation of stimulus money and opportunity presented by construction companies hungry for work persuaded School District of Black River Falls officials to seek $25.3 million for school projects. Those...

Bay View pushes for disclosure on development.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Bay View residents want the skinny on development proposals submitted for a former Army Reserve property in their Milwaukee neighborhood. They're not likely to get it before the project is awarded to a developer. ...

Wisconsin builders could miss the boat.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Rick Benedict Wisconsin will miss an opportunity to grow its shipbuilding businesses if contractors are forced to hire out-of-state companies to build boats for offshore wind farm projects. Wisconsin has shipyards in Superior,...

Madison puts brakes on road resurfacing project.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder An estimated $3.5 million project by the city of Madison to resurface Monroe Street will be pushed back at least one year in an effort to reduce stress on drivers. Deputy City Engineer Rob Phillips said with the...

Budget Update: GOP readies amendments targeting contractor rules in Wisconsin.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Assembly Republicans will try to remove contractor registration and worker misclassification measures from the state budget with a round of proposed amendments Thursday. How far they will go, I don't know, said...

Budget Update: Business groups in Wisconsin target new measures with eraser.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan State economic-development groups are trying to cut measures they dislike from the state budget rather than insert new incentives to attract business. Compared to other states, Wisconsin doesn't offer much in terms...

Jefferson businesses seek shelter from the floods.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The tanking economy could ground a plan to raise the Jefferson Area Business Center 2 feet to avoid floods from the nearby Rock River. The river poured over its banks during last year's floods, sending a foot of water...

Oak Creek farm land in Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to become business park, school.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District sold 255 acres of land in Oak Creek for a Wispark LLC business park and a new school. Wispark, Milwaukee, bought 169 acres of land for $5.4 million. The Oak Creek-Franklin...

Cross-training sharpens competitive edge for some Wisconsin construction firms.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Office workers in construction firms are learning business expertise is not enough in a lean market overcrowded with companies desperate for a shot at any job that can keep them alive. The clients we work with are a...

Wisconsin transmission project wins state approval.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on Thursday approved construction of a major transmission line from Rockdale to West Middleton. The 345-kilovolt project, which the American Transmission Co. LLC first...

Road money muddies Dane County regional transportation authority debate.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A state budget amendment that would free up a Dane County regional transit authority's money for road projects added fuel to an already heated debate. Even supporters of the original proposal say the inclusion of...

Sick-leave lives despite Milwaukee ruling.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Federal proposals and the promise of an appeal mean sick-leave requirements did not die when a Milwaukee judge rejected the city's law. One of the defendants in the case, 9to5, National Association of Working Women,...

Mazomanie project threatens planning group.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Backers of a 200-acre Mazomanie development that was twice rejected by a Dane County planning group could use the project to undercut the group's authority. If the village of Mazomanie appeals a decision by the...

Transit proposal in Wisconsin raises referendum questions.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The state budget debate over using referendums for regional transit authority projects has legislators wondering if they should let voters make the call. John Antaramian, former mayor of Kenosha, said elected...

Taxpayer group in Milwaukee criticizes roadwork spending.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan A Milwaukee taxpayers group is challenging the way the city spends Community Development Block Grant money, arguing job training should trump street projects. Our concern is that Community Development Block Grant...

Westby wind farm waits for money.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Westby represents a rare case in which a Wisconsin community embraces a wind farm proposal, but money problems prevent developers from taking advantage of the support. We've received very little resistance, if any,...

Builders wait for federal PLA rules.
June 16, 2009... Byline: State and Milwaukee preservation experts A delay in enacting the federal government's support of project-labor agreements on contracts is frustrating some unions and giving nonunion builders a short respite. President Barack...

Hide House history in Milwaukee prompts split decision.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan State and Milwaukee preservation experts disagree over whether the Hide House in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood has any historic significance. The Hide House is a 200,000-square-foot complex that started out as a...

Development trumps neighborhood plan approval in Madison.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder For the first time in city history, Madison is approving just pieces of a neighborhood plan to accommodate a proposed development. That does not sit well with one city leader; she argues Madison should take an...

Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects Kenilworth lawsuit.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday reaffirmed that state bidding laws force contractors to bear the heaviest burden when challenging government contract awards. The court on Wednesday rejected Chicago-based...

Silence greets Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc public hearing.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan A public hearing for an air-quality permit for the Pabst Farms Town Centre lasted about one minute because no one showed up to speak against the project. The 121-acre, 1.07-million-square-foot retail project would...

Wisconsin State Building Commission again debates project delivery.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The state Building Commission on Wednesday broke into another debate over the state's project delivery methods. It's a mistake to delay the idea of changing the process, said state Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield. I...

Assembly committee in Wisconsin passes wind farm bill.
June 17, 2009... Byline: rbenedict The state Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities passed Assembly Bill 256 today, a bipartisan bill that would encourage growth in the clean energy industry by providing statewide standards for permitting safe wind...

Monroe County pays more to avoid stimulus 'risk'.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Monroe County leaders are willing to spend an extra $1.2 million on a justice center project because they do not trust a federal stimulus program. The county plans to issue bonds later this year to pay for a...

Aldermen oppose Zoo Interchange expansion in Milwaukee.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Waukesha County leaders are bristling over a Milwaukee proposal to prevent expanding the Zoo Interchange during its reconstruction. It's very important to realize the city of Milwaukee is not driving this discussion...

Seeking common ground on budget in Wisconsin.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The state Legislature's budget conference committee has a long to-do list before striking a compromise between the Senate and Assembly versions of the spending package. The following list breaks down, according to...

911 law in Wisconsin gives diggers unwanted attention.
June 19, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Dorner Inc. calls 911 every time its workers strike an underground gas line, and the company deals with more negative exposure because of the policy, according to Dorner's attorney. Tough, said Richard Wanta,...

Consultant ban in Wisconsin could pinch WisDOT.
June 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A Wisconsin budget amendment that would prohibit the use of private consultants during state furloughs or hiring freezes could handcuff timelines for road projects. You can't reduce staff and expect work is going to...

Assembly required for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee architecture and engineering students.
June 19, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan About 15 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee architecture and engineering students have three months to build an energy-efficient house to compete in the national Solar Decathlon Competition. The U.S. Department of...

After going roundabout, highway project in Kiel a go.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Construction work on Highway 67 in Kiel will continue through the summer, even though the project has little local support. Whether that lack of support is rooted in an effort to save money or to stop the...

Idaho budget threatens county highway cash flow.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder County highway crews could lose a big chunk of their revenue to private road builders if the Legislature approves an amendment in the state Senate's version of the 2009-11 budget. The Senate's budget includes a...

Hoan Bridge reconstruction debate revs up in Milwaukee.
June 22, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan A Milwaukee official is getting a jump on the Hoan Bridge rebuilding debate by steering state planners away from a surface freeway alternative. Alderman Robert Bauman wants the Wisconsin Department of Transportation...

Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Link tax stirs up mix of opposition in Wisconsin.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Pro-transit groups, residents and car-rental companies are scrambling for the best argument for why someone else should pay for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Link. The Wisconsin Senate and Assembly versions of...

Shoreline debate shifts to counties in Wisconsin.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Strict county rules governing shoreline development could bust up the common ground builder groups are finding with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The thing about the DNR rules are that they're...

Madison's zoning puzzle still lacks pieces.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison is on pace to approve a new zoning code by summer 2010 that could be as vexing to developers as the 43-year-old document the city is trying to replace. There's a lot of policy being discussed and a lot of...

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse tries to clear the air in lab.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Students in University of Wisconsin-La Crosse summer classes cannot dissect cadavers because the Anatomy Laboratory's HVAC system cannot clear the air. The system that serves the La Crosse Health Science Center's lab...

Inconvenience posed by Zoo Interchange reconstruction in Milwaukee concerns locals.
June 23, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Although commerce and transportation groups say retooling Milwaukee's Zoo will make the interchange safer and help businesses in the area, some residents say they're happy with it as-is. Richard Knepprath lives on...

Wisconsin dam project draws water into energy talks.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A proposed hydropower project on the Mississippi River is inspiring a state lawmaker to reconsider his dismissal of water as a likely source of renewable energy. I think a lot of people just put (hydropower) out of...

Decline continues in architecture.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan When U.S. architects reported work was picking up in March, expectations followed that the industry would be in recovery mode by now. It looks like this recovery is going to be a bit more elusive than we hoped,...

Buy America puzzles construction industry.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Contractors, suppliers and local governments are struggling to figure out how Buy America requirements will be applied to stimulus projects. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act requires builders use...

Wisconsin Senate OKs final budget agreement; Assembly vote on tap.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The state Senate approved a special Legislative committee's agreement reached on the 2009-11 state budget early Friday morning on a 17-15 vote. Sen. Alan Lasee, R-De Pere, was absent from the vote. Sen. Jim...

Compromise reached on public and private road jobs in Wisconsin.
June 26, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder For the time being, highway departments and private road builders agree counties should not perform any road or construction work that uses private money. Instead of forcing county highway departments to...

Wisconsin roadworker death highlights safety shortcomings.
June 26, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Wisconsin roadworkers are at the mercy of inattentive drivers and a difficult-to-enforce move-over law. Ultimately, the orange barrel doesn't do much to protect us, said Bruce Stelzner, Chippewa County highway...

Rocky roads under repair in Wisconsin.
June 26, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan While there's no cure-all for pavement blowups that are popping up across the state amid the high heat, regular maintenance helps. Blowups have not been big problems in past years because the weather did not climb...

Fate of transit authority rests with Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.
June 26, 2009... Byline: Rick Benedict The state Legislature met several requests in creating a Dane County regional transit authority in the 2009-11 Wisconsin budget. But its efforts might not be enough to bring the RTA to fruition. I think it's a...

Bursting the Dane County bubble.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Melissa Rigney Baxter The economic recession has drastically affected Wisconsin: Factories have closed, mass layoffs caused unemployment numbers to rise and building projects have been suspended. Yet in the middle of the gloom,...

Urban renewal hits roadblock.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Caley Clinton There's just something about city life. It attracts people. It attracts development. And, although Dane County recently lost support for a program that promotes urban infill projects, officials say the push for urban...

Dane County cuts back as revenue streams slow.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Jessica Stephen Shared revenue cutbacks and revenue shortfalls are giving Dane County's budget a one-two punch that might only be shielded with layoffs, unpaid furloughs, wage freezes and delays in construction projects. ...

Groups criticize Wisconsin for stimulus spending.
June 29, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The state is not doing enough with stimulus money to maximize job creation because Wisconsin is spending too much on highway expansion jobs, such as the Interstate 94 project, according to two watchdog organizations. ...

Early support gives Madison's Edgewater Hotel momentum.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The Hammes Co.'s proposed $100 million renovation of Madison's Edgewater Hotel could set a new course for developers frustrated with the city's project approval process. We could be looking at a whole different...

Neighborhood's growth in Milwaukee depends on Goldmann's.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Silence has ruled the stretch of Historic Mitchell Street near the vacant Goldmann's Department Store ever since the retailer closed down in October 2007. The building being unoccupied, that end of the street, the...

Cities in Wisconsin brace for cuts to road money.
June 30, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Wisconsin public works directors on July 6 will feel the first cut in the state's reduction in road-maintenance money for cities. Municipalities will get 6.13 percent less in the July payment from the state's...