Town of Waukesha to hold closed meeting on water talks
Waukesha - The Waukesha Town Board will meet behind closed doors with Waukesha city officials Tuesday on a potential memorandum of understanding outlining terms of service should the town join the city's future water service area.
The future water service area is one key component of the city's application for Lake Michigan water, now under review by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In seeking a future water supply, the city's application outlines who eventually would get that water. Parts of the Towns of Genesee and Delafield and a small part of the City of Pewaukee have agreed to inclusion with the city, but the Waukesha Town Board has been weighing a decision for more than a year.
Waukesha is under court order to reduce high radium from its water supply that now exceeds federal standards by 2018. In order to get Lake Michigan water under the Great Lakes protection compact, the city needs a willing supplier and approval of every state bordering the Great Lakes.
Dan Duchniak, Waukesha Water Utility general manager, said he's hopeful that information the city will share with the Town Board on Tuesday about its negotiations with a likely Lake Michigan water supplier will help the town make a decision.
The DNR has said the Town Board has 30 days after the Waukesha Common Council reaches agreement with a supplier to join the service area. The city is in talks with Oak Creek and Racine, but Milwaukee has refused to negotiate if the existing service area is expanded to neighboring communities. The Waukesha council could take up an agreement with a supplier as soon as Aug. 21.
No action by the Waukesha Town Board would mean the town would be excluded from the service area, and should it ever need an alternative water supply, it would have to submit its own application under the compact if Lake Michigan is the source.
The Town Board met in closed session Monday, citing the need for competitive or bargaining reasons related to the city's water service area. Tuesday's meeting is being held under the same terms.
Town Chairman Angie Van Scyoc refused to explain the reason for the closed strategy session - particularly one involving city representatives in attendance - beyond the pro-forma meeting notice.
However, Duchniak said the Town Board is looking for a memorandum of understanding on how its residents in the proposed water service area would get water. He said town officials are concerned about the potential for forced annexation, whereby residents seeking water would have to be annexed to the city to get it.
Duchniak said town officials have been provided the city's policy - a resolution stating that requests for water and sewer service are considered on a case-by-case basis. About 112 residences in the town receive city water now.
