Milwaukee aldermen reject Waukesha water compromise
Milwaukee Ald. Jim Bohl failed Tuesday to persuade even one other Common Council member to support his compromise plan for negotiating a Lake Michigan water deal with the City of Waukesha.
On a 13-1 vote, with one member absent, the council rejected Bohl's proposal to negotiate two water sales agreements with Waukesha as a way to break an impasse. Bohl had suggested forging one deal for distributing lake water to Waukesha's existing service area and a second deal for distributing water in the future to a larger regional service area.
At Tuesday's council meeting, Bohl said Waukesha could reach a deal to buy water from Oak Creek without ever starting talks with Milwaukee.
"We are, unfortunately, in a game of chicken at this point," Bohl said.
Apart from not being at the table to cut a deal favorable to Milwaukee, there could be other long-term consequences, he said. If Oak Creek sells water to Waukesha, Milwaukee might lose some of its long-term municipal customers in southern Milwaukee County to Oak Creek, according to Bohl. He did not specify which communities might decide to buy water from Oak Creek instead of Milwaukee.
Ald. Bob Bauman told Bohl: "I'll take my chances in that game of chicken." Milwaukee is driving the Mack truck in that game while Waukesha is driving a motor scooter, according to Bauman.
Ald. Mike Murphy described Milwaukee as being in a position of strength, able to offer Waukesha better quality water at lower cost than Oak Creek.
A July 6 resolution adopted by Milwaukee's Common Council approved negotiations for distributing water only to Waukesha's current service area. This area includes the city and 112 or so residences and businesses in the Town of Waukesha that have been connected in recent years.
Milwaukee is refusing to talk with Waukesha about distributing water in the future to a larger service area designated by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Waukesha's future service area extends into the City of Pewaukee and Towns of Delafield, Genesee and Waukesha.
Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak has said state law obligates Waukesha to serve the entire future service area designated by the regional planning commission.
Bauman advised fellow council members to let the game play out.
"Let's have them come to us on our terms," he said.
The state Department of Natural Resources will decide whether Milwaukee has the upper hand.
DNR water use section chief Eric Ebersberger has said that the department will not accept an agreement between Waukesha and a supplier that does not distribute water to the entire future service area.
