Alderman Witkowski - 13th District

City Hall, Room 205, 200 E. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 286-8537
E-mail twitko@milwaukee.gov

13th District Newsletters

  What's New

Garden District Neighborhood Association 3rd Annual Front Yard Tour
Come enjoy the 3rd annual tour of private residence front yards in the Gateway Greater Mitchell Airport area on Sunday, August 22, 2010. All you need is a map. Just look for the Green Garden sign at the front of the home. These can be drive-by viewings. Here is a list of participating homes:

Upcoming Garden District Events
Speaker: Dividing Perennials and Saving Seeds - Tuesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Simon Landscaping - 4121 S. 6th St.

Garden Awards Banquet - Wednesday, September 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Moose Lodge #49 - 5476 S. 13th St. (By invitation only)

Fall Perennial and Seed Exchange - Saturday, September 18 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at Custom Grown Greenhouses - 4507 S. 6th St.

Have You Experienced a Basement Backup?
If you experienced a basement backup as a result of the exceptionally heavy rain in the area, we want to hear about it. Your input is valuable in determining where backups occurred and how to possibly prevent future problems of this nature. Call 286-CITY (2489) to report your problem 24/7.

The 2010 Business & Residential Garden Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 Business & Residential Garden Awards. The awards are sponsored by the Garden District Neighborhood Association, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to serving and improving the quality of life for all residents of Milwaukee’s 13th District, The Garden District. They provide assistance in neighborhood and garden projects, in an effort to help beautify the Garden District of Milwaukee. Download the Garden Awards Nomination Form or for more information and to view past winners, visit their website at www.thegdna.org.

Milwaukee is First to Offer Innovative Solar Power Revolving Loans
The Common Council’s Community and Economic Development committee unanimously approved an ordinance that allows the City of Milwaukee to create the state’s first property assessed solar power revolving loan program to make solar power a more attractive option for homeowners. The ordinance was approved by the Common Council on March 2.

Alderman Witkowski, a co-sponsor of the ordinance, says promoting solar power is beneficial for environmental reasons as well as job creation. “Homeowners are looking for green solutions, and the City of Milwaukee can only stand to benefit by exploring alternatives like the solar power loan program.”

“This loan program will reduce the up-front costs impediment, and for as little as a few hundred dollars, a homeowner could create energy efficiency in their home and begin saving money immediately,” Alderman Witkowski said.

Homeowners who take advantage of the loan program would have 15 years to repay the installation costs; money they can easily earn in energy savings, Alderman Witkowski said. Residents who would like to learn more about the property assessed solar loan program can click the following links to read its key points, read the manual, or read the text of the ordinance. For more information about how the City of Milwaukee supports solar energy, click on www.MilwaukeeShines.com.

Information on Swine Flu
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is closely monitoring the ongoing swine flu outbreak and investigation. Please visit the City of Milwaukee Health Department website for more information and updates.

Holler Park Rain Garden Dedication a Success
Alderman Terry Witkowski, along with the Airport Gateway Business Association, the Garden District Neighborhood Association and the Holler Park Neighborhood Association hosted a rain garden dedication in Holler Park Wednesday, July 22, 2009.

Many dedicated residents, students and neighborhood leaders worked very hard on the plantings and park improvements in Holler Park and the rain garden dedication marked a celebration of this community effort. The city’s Garden District (the 13th Aldermanic District) began hosting some new volunteer initiatives to restore and retain the city of Milwaukee’s outdoor landscape, and one of this year’s first projects began Saturday, May 9. Volunteers participated in planting 10,000 native plants around the Holler Park lodge and the work continued through May 17. Students from five neighborhood grade schools participated in the planting activities, as well.

In addition to planting, 15-20 volunteers were trained in the installation of rain barrels and one cistern at the Holler Park lodge. The rain gardens will help to improve storm water quality by catching scrubbing and evaporating storm water from the lodge roof and Easter Seals parking lot and driveways before it enters the pond that empties into the Holmes Creek, Wilson Creek and the Kinnickinnic River watershed.

The project and training is supported with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant through the City of Milwaukee and the Garden District. If you are interested in participating in these volunteer initiatives, please contact the plan coordinator for both projects, David Ciepluch, at 414-483-9551 or dciepluch@att.net for more details.

I-94 Project Website Has New Content
The www.plan94.org web site is in its second phase and provides trip planning resources to aid travel during construction, including:

• Driving directions around construction for travel today or on future dates
• Current traffic conditions, such as speeds, travel times and alerts
• Current and upcoming road closure information, and ability to search for planned future closures
• Ability to subscribe to receive customized travel alerts delivered via e-mail or right to your desktop

 If you are affected by the I-94 project it makes sense to check out www.plan94.org soon.

Urban Coyotes
Learn more about coexisting safely and humanely with these fascinating, adaptable creatures at www.wihumane.org/wildlife/coyotes.aspx.

Garden District is Carved in Stone!
The Garden District is recognized for its plentiful array of outstanding landscaping, numerous gardens and its residents' care and concern for the area. This boulder naming the district is on display in front of the new Sleep Inn in the 4600 block of S. 6th St.

Southeast Side Area Plan
The Southeast Side Area Plan was adopted by the Common Council on October 29, 2008. Read the plan.
More info. can also be found on DCD's website at www.mkedcd.org/planning/plans/Southeast/index.html.

The Gateway to Milwaukee
The Gateway To Milwaukee is a community of businesses, commercial property owners and resources supporting the area around the airport and the people who live, work, relax and play there. It offers broad choices for visitors and customers to benefit from the many products, services, employment and growth opportunities that its businesses provide. Alderman Witkowski helped form the organization and serves on its board. Click here for more details.