The Daily Reporter articles from March 2009

The Daily Reporter archives from March 2009

West Allis-based firm paves way with smooth one-liners.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Susan Suleski There are two things John Poblocki knows as well as he knows pavement - the power of words and how to make people smile. Poblocki, president and founder of Poblocki Paving Corp., West Allis, is responsible for the...

Lawmakers in Wisconsin drive to protect transportation cash.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Two Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing a bill to protect the state's transportation money just weeks after two other lawmakers sparked an effort to protect all segregated money. I support the idea of protecting all...

Court cases show Milwaukee-based Bentley closing shop.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Lawyers representing The Bentley Co. are dropping out of two lawsuits because the company is closing. Bentley, Milwaukee, lost a $93,000 lawsuit Feb. 23 because the company closed Dec. 29 and did not want to pay...

Paperwork cuts Racine contractor from project.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block A contractor lost a $480,000 job with the city of Racine because the company did not follow bidding instructions. Highland Hills Landscape Contractors Inc., Racine, submitted the low bid for the spring project but...

Stimulus projects in Wisconsin get second-round bid extension.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Municipalities on Friday learned they will have another opportunity to submit projects for federal stimulus cash and will have one year, rather than 75 days, to prepare to bid the work. City officials said the...

Business groups in Wisconsin seek caps on project fees.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Business associations are meeting opposition in their push for municipalities to cap the amount their private consultants charge developers for plan reviews. Many municipalities hire private engineering firms to...

Some churches in Wisconsin have non-traditional look: Here is the church, but where is the steeple?
March 3, 2009... Byline: Melissa Rigney Baxter There was a time when the dominant design elements of a church building were the steeple and stained glass. Nowadays, more congregations are looking to nontraditional designs and solutions when selecting a...

Local lenders in Madison spur development.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Park Bank President Jim Hegenbarth says it is still too early to say the economy is flowing again, but federal assistance is starting to thaw some of the lending freezes that slowed or stopped development. When...

Village of Little Chute, Outagamie County at crossroads over bridge.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Outagamie County will be short millions of dollars to fix bridges if the village of Little Chute rebuilds the Mill Street bridge. Little Chute received $5 million in 2008 to reconstruct the defunct bridge, which...

Milwaukee closes in on new project rules.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Supporters of hiring and wage requirements for Milwaukee construction projects say they see a way to counter the city's rising unemployment and help union companies compete for private projects. But detractors in the...

Appleton developer settles over project violations.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block State charges over illegally filled wetlands bankrupted a planned condominium project in Menasha, according to the developer. Appleton-based developer Michael Hagans said Monday he was forced to end his Woodland...

Building a message for the future: Hidden time capsules offer glimpse of past in Wisconsin.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Bob Maerzke says he remembers as a young builder wanting to leave his mark on a job he worked on. He'd sign his name on a work order and slip it into a wall or write something behind a bathroom vanity. It was like...

Madison rebuilds to reclaim neighborhood.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison wants a senior housing project to change the culture in a neighborhood long associated with crime and poverty. A lot of people want to see what happens if this goes forward, said Alderman Tim Bruer. I've had...

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College backtracks on bid breaks.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The possibility of lawsuits trumped Southwest Wisconsin Technical College's plan to forgo bid bond requirements to help local companies compete for campus projects. The Fennimore-based college told contractors last...

Communication key to shaping RTA in Dane County.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Steve Hiniker says a handful of public meetings on a Dane County regional transit authority left county and Madison-area transportation planners with one resounding message: improve communication. Communications...

Groups to lobby for changes to wage rules in Milwaukee.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Development groups say they'll spend the next month lobbying for changes to a Milwaukee ordinance increasing hiring and wage requirements after the city's Common Council sent the item back to committee Tuesday. ...

Green Bay code changes meet little resistance.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Green Bay is facing little to no opposition in its creation of guidelines that will increase development fees, require an additional plan for new subdivisions and mandate sidewalks along all new streets. As the...

Iowa targets Wisconsin's construction workers with jobs Web site.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Iowa's chapter of The Associated General Contractors of America is looking to lure some of Wisconsin's unemployed road builders across the border. The organization launched a new career Web site Jan. 15 targeting...

Ashland couple is living life full circle.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Michael and Audrey Joyner wanted to live a little differently, so they built a yurt. Their home's circular layout and simple design dates back thousands of years to nomadic tribes in central Asia. Michael, who has...

Firm wants local preference for campus jobs at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Contractors around Fennimore say Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is opening the door for large companies from outside the area to win $26.2 million worth of campus projects. Patrick McGuire, chief executive of...

Idle workers line up in Racine for road projects.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Olatoye Baiyewu grimaces in the hallway of the First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship Training offices in Racine, takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. "I'm skeptical," said the program's executive director, about the...

Milwaukee targets Esser property for cleaning.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee is moving to acquire and clean the former Esser Paint facility because private developers are not interested in buying the contaminated property. The property owner, Galena Redevelopment Corp., Milwaukee,...

Project stumbles over parking lot proposal in La Crosse.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A parking lot disagreement could drain some city support for the third stage of La Crosse developer Don Weber's Riverside Center project. (The project) has always been favored by the city, and I would be shocked if...

Design and function share spotlight in theater competition in Wisconsin.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Scott Georgeson says he remembers a theater conference five years ago where no technicians showed up for the architecture sessions. But those same technicians -- lighting designers, set designers and theater managers...

University of Wisconsin System offers project delivery options.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The UW System Board of Regents on Thursday formally pitched a set of changes to the state's review and approvals process for new construction. These recommendations are fairly modest, said regent Jeffrey Bartell,...

Wisconsin businesses resist asbestos fee boost.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Wisconsin contractors do not want to shoulder the higher fees the state Department of Natural Resources wants to charge to cover the cost of its four asbestos inspectors. The DNR, in the proposed state budget, is...

Diesel grants fill void left by state cuts in Wisconsin.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Stimulus money to reduce diesel-engine pollution from construction equipment might not be enough to offset state budget cuts to a similar program. Wisconsin expects to receive $1.7 million in stimulus money this...

Wisconsin Supreme Court case questions state contracting.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Joseph Cincotta says the Wisconsin Supreme Court's interpretation of one law will determine if the state can be held accountable if it bungles contractual or bidding processes. It's better to make the state pay when...

Daylight saving prompts calls for caution: Any change to workplace can increase the risk of suicide.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan There is always a rash of construction accidents on a Monday following the beginning of daylight saving time, warns Frank Keres. These aren't major catastrophic accidents, said Keres, president of Construction Risk...

Neenah builder blitzes the home market.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Neenah homebuilder Robert Millay says it's not the housing market that's bad. It's the houses. "The market is flooded with spec homes at $200,000," said Millay, who's sitting on a $1 million spec home of his own....

Environmentalists question University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee land sale.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Environmental groups want their say before Milwaukee County approves a land sale for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee engineering campus. But the longer the county takes to make a decision, the more difficult it...

Architects in Wisconsin lament lost opportunities.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block A healthy financial market could generate a steadier flow of new buildings than a watered-down stimulus bill, say architects in Wisconsin. Congress cut out billions of dollars in new construction from the $787...

Milwaukee works to woo battery manufacturer.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee is negotiating to get battery maker Boston-Power Inc. to build its new manufacturing facility in the city. We are having multiple conversations and Milwaukee is one of those parties that have shown an...

State of Wisconsin forces contractor registration.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Groups representing Wisconsin builders worry the Department of Commerce's mandatory contractor registration rule is just the start of state efforts to track construction companies. I understand the state is trying...

Madison group builds regional stimulus list.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A Madison-based economic development group is the latest to try to clear up stimulus-related confusion, but those waiting for the federal money say clarity will arrive only when cash is in hand. Everything about...

Waterford tries to save subdivision.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Stanley Mainus says he was shocked when T&L Development LLC wanted bought his 106 acres of farmland in 2007. "I couldn't believe these guys wanted to buy it," Mainus said. "But their mind was made up." Now, he...

Wisconsin tribes snag share of stimulus money.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Small American Indian tribes in Wisconsin will receive more stimulus money for housing projects than most other cities in the state, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The...

Dane County pushes communities to collaborate.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The city of Verona is calling on Dane County to back off its request for the city to collaborate with the town of Verona and Fitchburg on an intergovernmental development plan. It's premature and a bit intrusive for...

Species reviews endanger stimulus projects in Wisconsin.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Municipalities are worried projects that require an endangered species review will not meet the deadlines to obtain federal stimulus money. The more issues that are thrown into the equation obviously have a time...

Truss treatment takes center stage at opera house in Oshkosh.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Recent performers at the state's oldest operating theater came a little too close to bringing down the house. The city of Oshkosh shut down the Grand Opera House on March 6, after an engineer discovered two trusses...

Industry: Let Wisconsin governor select DNR secretary.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Representatives from Wisconsin's construction and development communities do not see a need for a legislative push for change in appointing a Department of Natural Resources secretary. I think it's a horrible idea,...

Attorney threatens to sue Wisconsin over roundabouts.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Richard Bernstein says he vowed in law school to advocate for people with disabilities if he graduated and passed the bar exam. The Michigan attorney -- who is blind -- graduated, passed the exam and, this month,...

Brookfield-based Beaudoin's equipment could go to auction.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Paul Thomas, who filed a $15,558 claim against William Beaudoin and Sons Inc., said he feels no ill will toward the defunct Brookfield-based road builder. I have no negativity against Beaudoin, said Thomas, co-owner...

Menomonee Falls-based Thomas & Egenhoefer closes.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Thomas & Egenhoefer Inc., a 28-year-old general contractor, is officially closed. The company's Menomonee Falls headquarters phone number has only a message saying the office closed permanently Friday. Officials from...

Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters log support for prevailing wage, road money.(Conference notes)
March 12, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Depending on which side of the political aisle is talking, changes to the state's prevailing wage rules and transportation financing formula are either poorly timed, expensive ideas or nearly law. That was the mixed...

Accelerated roadwork in Oshkosh draws mixed response.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Accelerating the Highway 41 expansion does nothing to change an opposition group's argument the project will harm Oshkosh businesses, according to the group's leader. Norm Mueller, who has run Mueller of Oshkosh...

Contractors place liens on Milwaukee Staybridge project.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Four contractors that worked on the $20 million Staybridge Suites hotel and residential project in Milwaukee filed construction liens against the project developer. The four companies -- Spancrete Industries Inc.,...

Madison Web site targets developers.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison wants its new one-stop shop Web site to eliminate some of the confusion and frustration developers and residents experience when seeking project approval. The hope is that this encourages more development,...

Stimulus cash puts heat on energy groups in Wisconsin.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Wisconsin groups that use public money to make homes more energy efficient worry they do not have enough material or labor to cover the extra work tied to a $141 million influx of stimulus cash. It's a significant...

Ruling costs Fond du Lac contractor fire station project.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Contractors that win jobs with towns need to pay close attention to who approved the work, according to a court ruling. Cardinal Construction Co. Inc., Fond du Lac, lost a $660,000 contract to build a fire station...

Employment trumps union vs. nonunion debate.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Matthew Cushing has worked in a union and worked without a union. Now, he just wants to work. "In this day and age, I just want something decent," said the 46-year-old forklift driver from Kenosha who was laid off...

Industry hungry for digester projects in Wisconsin.
March 16, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Developers and installers caution Wisconsin must be sure the economy is ready for another run on renewable energy before the state rushes into building new anaerobic digesters. There's not a lack of interest or...

Caledonia, Raymond strike development pact.
March 16, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block A Racine County village would trade tax base for control over new developments along Interstate 94 in an agreement with a neighboring town. The deal between the village of Caledonia and the town of Raymond would...

Milwaukee pitches development partnerships.
March 16, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee wants to team up with the real estate industry to redevelop foreclosed homes, but the partnership could fail before it starts if banks do not give up the property. Local banks are easy to deal with, but it...

Oil company fee in Wisconsin faces possible lawsuits.
March 17, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder The specter of a prolonged legal battle looms over Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed oil-franchise fee, threatening the more than $271 million the tax could generate for the state's transportation system. It's just bad...

Racine arts district's progress depends on new mayor.
March 17, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block The waves created by Racine Mayor Gary Becker's January arrest are threatening to overturn a plan to rebuild a rundown neighborhood into an arts district. Becker was a lead advocate of the "Heart of the Arts"...

Bridge debate centers on county entitlements Little Chute.
March 17, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Outagamie County is asking the state for clarification on money set aside for a $7.5 million bridge to a 6-acre island. County officials said they are planning to meet with Frank Busalacchi, secretary of the...

WisDOT sets bid dates on stimulus jobs: Milwaukee mayor frustrated city left off list.
March 17, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block None of the 107 local and state road projects scheduled for letting in April, May and June are in the state's largest city, according to state records. Milwaukee was left off of the Wisconsin Department of...

Groups in Milwaukee urge development review.
March 17, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee groups are telling the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to find out if sending Lake Michigan water to suburban communities will take developments away from the city. The planning...

Hazardous dirt plagues Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District project.
March 18, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The price tag on a Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District tunneling project could increase by $600,000 after the state ruled dirt excavated on the job is a hazardous material. The district and its consultants knew...

Dairy project worries Vernon County residents.
March 18, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Vernon County leaders must decide how to strike a balance between the need for regional economic development and a major dairy project proposal facing strong opposition in two towns. I don't think there's an...

Wisconsin Department of Transportation: Objectivity guides stimulus selection.
March 18, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Politics were not in play when the city of Milwaukee missed out on the first round of stimulus money, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The $42.5 million in local road and bridge projects...

State of Wisconsin closes in on penalties for cheating contractors.
March 18, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder A state task force is cooking up what could be stiff penalties for contractors that misclassify workers for the state. By improperly classifying workers as independent, a contractor can pay them under the table and...

Economy slows Kenosha school construction.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block The economy, not a faulty $37.5 million investment, will slow construction in the Kenosha Unified School District. Patrick Finnemore, the district's director of facilities, said Kenosha likely will not seek...

Homebuilders in Wisconsin brace for code change.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block A new state code set to go into effect will require, among other things, that all homes built after April 1 have a stiffer hull to deflect wind. The new requirements for bracing walls are part of the first...

Industry debates OSHA crane rules.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Various groups this week are arguing new crane safety rules should not apply to small equipment, but those speaking in Washington, D.C., do not represent a unified industry voice. The proposed Occupational Safety and...

Milwaukee housing authority targets stimulus projects.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee wants federal permission to waive some limitations on how to spend stimulus money. The authority expects to receive at least $10.3 million in stimulus money from the U.S....

Election investigation tied to Mount Pleasant development.
March 20, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block The Racine County district attorney continues to investigate a Mount Pleasant political action committee that was backed by builders and developers. District Attorney Mike Nieskes said he plans to interview the...

City of Milwauke, Milwaukee County to fill stimulus committee vacancies.
March 20, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block There are three vacancies on the committee that will distribute $38.7 million in stimulus money in the Milwaukee area. Milwaukee County has two vacancies and the city of Milwaukee has one on the advisory committee...

Republican Party of Wisconsin attacks prevailing wage rule.
March 20, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan The Republican Party of Wisconsin falls on the side of those who say prevailing wages increase project costs. It is one side of a national debate coming to a head in Wisconsin as Gov. Jim Doyle's budget would align...

Superior Mayor Dave Ross: DNR rule puts port development at risk.
March 20, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' proposal to regulate ballast water threatens the ports the rules are designed to protect, said Superior Mayor Dave Ross. The governor's push to so-called lead on this...

City of Milwaukee plans hearings for sick-day rules.
March 20, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee wants to collect public input next month on the rules designed to guide the city's sick-leave law. Milwaukee staff members finished drafting the rules, which specify what businesses must do to satisfy the...

Schools in Wisconsin search for gold in naming rights deals.
March 23, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder School districts pressed for cash for new construction might start selling more naming rights, though the payback might not be worth the effort. It's something you talk about, said Allen Roehl, Milton School Board...

Union, contractors split on crane certification.
March 23, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Contractors say they are not ready for crane operator certifications, but the union representing many of those workers argues the rules are long overdue. The certification requirement in the Occupational Safety and...

Washington County watches stimulus slip away.
March 23, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block Jon Edgren walked into a meeting Friday with $7.8 million in stimulus money for two Washington County road projects. The Washington County highway commissioner walked out with questions and, possibly, empty...

Janesville searches for development rebound.
March 23, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Janesville absorbed some of the most significant losses in the state's economic downturn, but Eric Schwartz says his firm sees no reason to abandon the city. In fact, Middleton-based Sara Investment Real Estate LLC...

Attorney rallies opposition to Wisconsin Department of Transportation rule.
March 23, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block An out-of-state attorney is organizing opposition to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation budget proposal that would make it more difficult to fight the agency over land seized for road projects. The proposal...

Money scarce for Gays Mills relocation.
March 24, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Gays Mills does not have enough money to move about 150 homes and businesses, giving those who live and work in the village's flood plain a rising sense of anxiety as the rainy season approaches. I'm not going to go...

Local builders struggle for Southwest Wisconsin Technical College projects.
March 24, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Miron Construction Co. Inc. wants to hire local subs for Southwest Wisconsin Technical College's campus projects, say representatives from the Neenah-based general contractor. But -- as was the case when leaders with...

Idle industry in Wisconsin split on training time.
March 24, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block George Seater Jr. cannot find work for his best employees. Now, he said, is not the time to mentor apprentices. "It's tough to train somebody if you don't have enough work to keep them on site," said Seater,...

Obama budget could expose highway money in Wisconsin.
March 24, 2009... Byline: Dustin Block President Barack Obama's budget could let money raised from the federal gas tax be spent on programs other than building roads and supporting transit. Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget would eliminate the "contract...

Parkway project in Dane County stalled in political debate.
March 25, 2009... Byline: Paul Snyder Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk's lack of leadership is stalling progress on the North Mendota Parkway project, according to the woman challenging Falk in an April 7 election. Had Kathleen Falk had an interest...

Builders try to break project backlog in Wisconsin.
March 25, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan Builders are pushing Wisconsin governments to stop trying to balance their budgets by putting construction projects on the back burner. Milwaukee County emerged as an example Tuesday when the Public Policy Forum...

Bank sues Dorner, Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
March 25, 2009... Byline: Sean Ryan First Bank Financial Centre is suing the state and Dorner Inc., claiming the contractor flooded the bank's basement by breaking an underground water pipe while rebuilding Wisconsin Avenue in Oconomowoc. The lawsuit...