Monthly Archives: February 2010

Complain early, complain often

Posted on by
1

A Common Council committee on Thursday recommended, 3-1, that the city pay for sidewalk replacements damaged by city-owned trees, but only in the isolated instances when property owners complain about the damage.

Property owners are now billed for 50% of the cost of all sidewalk slab replacements.

Ald. Joe Dudzik voted agains the measure.

Property owners still would be assessed for replacing city tree-damaged sidewalks if the replacement was part of an area sidewalk maintenance and repair project, as occurred in Story Hill last fall, or if it was part of a paving project, under the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.

Ald. Robert Bauman originally proposed that the city replace any sidewalk slab that was damaged by a city-owned tree — such damage usually occurs when tree roots dislodge or raise a sidewalk slab.

Bauman, though, added language sharply limiting the potential city-paid sidewalk slab replacements after colleagues questioned where the $25,000 to $50,000 estimated annual cost of the measure.

If the full Common Council approves the measure, property owners would best off if they complain to the city as soon as they notice that sidewalk slabs adjoining their properties are affected by city tree roots. Waiting until the city schedules a sidewalk replacement project would only expose property owners to a special assessment.

City to consider free fixes for city tree-damaged sidewalks

Posted on by
1

Ald. Robert Bauman is sponsoring a measure that would exempt property owners from  assessments for new sidewalk sections if the sidewalk damage necessitating replacement is caused by city trees.

The measure is expected to be considered today by the Common Council’s Public Works Committee.

South-of-Bluemound Rd. Story Hill property owners got new sidewalks last in the fall and will be looking at sizeable special assessments for those sidewalks on their next property bills.

Some of the old sidewalks were damaged by roots from city trees — as the trees grew, the roots pushed up the sidewalk slabs. The city’s attitude was basically “too bad, so sad” — the adjoining property owner was liable for 50% of the cost of the replacement sidewalk slab. That is the standard sidewalk assessment rate.

Any chance of making the “city tree exemption” retroactive?

City task force recommends single stream recycling

Posted on by
2

A city task force is recommending the city adopt single stream recycling that would not require residents to separate recyclable materials.

The Recycling Task Force also is recommending that the city immediately adopt a three-week recycling collection schedule and implement a “pay-as-you-throw” system under which, in its most common form, the city would charge residents for garbage carts but provide recycling carts for free.

17 percent diversion from residential trash is the average, which is generally divided
equally among recycling, yard waste and source reduction.”

“The PAYT program results in a decrease in the trash tonnage and increase in recycling tonnage. A 16 to 17 percent diversion from residential trash is the average, which is generally divided equally among recycling, yard waste and source reduction,” the task force said in its report.

The city collects recyclables once a month from 95-gallon carts in 85% of the city and weekly from 18-gallon bins in the other 15%. The system in the bulk of the city uses divided recycling carts, with one-half reserved for containers and the other half reserved for paper. The larger carts generally are not big enough to hold a month’s worth of recyclables, particularly for newspaper subscribers.

The task force’s report is scheduled to be discussed Thursday by the Common Council’s Public Works Committee.

Recycling by city residents has declined sharply.

Recycling by city residents has declined sharply.

Source: Recycling Task Force Final Report and Recommendations to the Common Council

The single stream recommendation, if adopted, would eliminate the need for divided recycling carts.

“Single stream recycling is more user friendly because the public can simply consolidate all recyclables in the home and place them all in one cart without further sorting,” the task force said in its report. “The recycling industry is moving toward single stream recycling nationwide. Single stream can accommodate fully automated collection, which improves efficiency by allowing carts to be serviced without the driver exiting the vehicle.”

Under a single stream recycling program, recyclables would be sorted after they are collected. The task force recommended  two options for handling the materials after they are collected — one recommendation assumes the city would work on its own and the other assumes it would team up with Waukesha County and Wauwatosa to develop a materials recycling facility.

In the neighborhood: The foot patrols

Posted on by
2

A number of folks have asked, “Why, oh why, have their been police foot patrols in the neighborhood?”

It’s reassuring, but a little unnerving, to see cops walk down sidewalks where they rarely tread, even during Brewers season.

Not to worry, according to Mark Stanmeyer, Police Department spokesman and neighborhood resident. There were some burglaries on the west side, although NOT in Story Hill — so District 3 ordered extra foot patrols. A few arrests were made in the meantime and the break-in problem seems to have gone away.

This does not mean you should leave your doors and windows unlocked, however. A vigilant neighbor late last month spotted a man wandering suspiciously around the neighborhood, called police and followed him, letting the police know where he went. They stopped him, and he was wanted on outstanding warrants. He went to jail that day.