Brookfield Happening Now - All Comments

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Larry Knetzger — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:53:39 GMT

The City has no control over a sewer laterl into a private dwelling. If it is leaching rain or ground water to the home the sewer lateral is the problem and not the City. It seems you lack an understanding of how this all works. If the sump pump/drain tile system is overwhelming the sump crock, it is doing its job of getting the ground water off the foundation walls and from under the floor which is what it is suppose to do.The home owner is responsible for providing enough pumping capacity to do so. It may require the additon of another sump crock to provide more pumping capacity and also the additon of a sump pump into the same crock that is energized when the first pump cannot handle the capacity of the drain tile system. That second pump must be activated even when it has not done so by it self to keep the pump from being calcified by the minerals in the water if it is not activated for a long period of time.

Effluent coming into the home from the sewer system is a municipal problem if it is due to the systme not functioning properly. Many people think they can dump there foundation water into the sanitary system and then they are the contributors to the sanitary system being overwhelmed. Shorewood and the City of Milwaukee have that problem that the suburb's got a bill for that never solved there combined sewer problems. The Sewer Wars, Our former Mayor "Kate" did her best to combat that bill but the courts overruled us.

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Brookfield1947 — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:59:10 GMT

Larry- you're dead wrong. this is the city's problem

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Larry Knetzger — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:51:17 GMT

It is not the city's problem if water is finding its way up the sewer lateral through the stone it has been laid in. Your private sewer contractor was responsible for putting in a clay dam at or near the house to stop any infiltration of water through the stone . The City did not install that lateral. He also shouuld have offered you a gate valve ($75 $ instaled) at the minimum penetration point into the home to stop any sewer back up into the home until the sewer line back up is cleared.

The gate valve is closed by the home owner in a few seconds to stop sewer back up if you have that problem where you live.

Some home owners ignore the fact that their sump pump must not enter the sanitary system and pump there foundation water into the sanitary system contributing to the volume of sewer efluent that is not needed.

The City cannot hold the hands of private home owners who are always looking for a cheap way out instead of the right way of doing things. Home owners never take out permits for remodeling for fear they may have to do it in conformance to the Uniform Dwelling Code which really is only minimum standards.

re: The rains came ... ten years later ...

DerekD — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:43:10 GMT

Interestingly enough, I talked to the city worker manning the pump they were using to pump the sewer near you on Pomona (I live up the street). He said they go through Underwood Creek twice a year to clear out logs and stuff, but what they really need to do is go through with a bulldozer in areas, but the DNR won't let them.

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Santa's Elf — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:49:46 GMT

I believe these are short term problems which will disappear once the VK vision for Brookfield is realized: An expanse of rooftops broken only by small strips of concrete intermingled with occasional drainage ponds and weed beds to assure the desired ambiance as measured out in a continuum of fowl droppings.

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

intewedm — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:31:09 GMT

Friend of mine live on the north end of Hillsdale Drive and he has water in the basement from the sump overflowing. The pump has been running continuously since Saturday night and can't keep up even though it's a 3/4 hp pump. He told me he never had water in the basement until they put in the sewers.

Do I need to have an engineering degree to understand that he has the same problem as I do under the same topigraphical conditions? I must tell you that I had a cement "plug" put in last year when the water was connected and I didn't get water coming up the cracks in the floor where the sewer line was laid!

I wouldn't run for council because I'd go nuts dealing with them and I'd get hammered for being "hard to work with" just like Cindy did.

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Santa's Elf — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:26:29 GMT

Jack, I believe that the city is addressing the problem even as we speak. This morning I passed a fleet of flatbed trucks carrying half a dozen Ducks from Wisconsin Dells. As I understand it, the Ducks will be used to ferry residents from their shoreline parking areas to and from the rooftops of their homes near Underwood Creek. All of this is being provided gratis by our fine city government.

There's nothing to fear when Jeff is here. Let full city development continue unabated!

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

intewedm — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:16:25 GMT

We know you love the city's administrators, but even with such an abnormally heavy rainfall there are obvious things the city could do to help. River Road is a prime example of poor planning. It floods over every couple of years and it has been raised, but not enough, in the area of the Fox underpass. It should have been raised higher and for a much longer distance! The same applies to all the roads in the areas where the Fox passes under them. If they are county roads, they need to work with them to solve such simple problems.

Another example of poor engineering requirements it that sewer/water lines are laid in a gravel bed running into the homes. That forms a tunnel for water to flow right under the house if it is on a downhill terrain. For example, the homes to the north of Bluemound east of Brookfield Road are all on the downhill side and subterranean water flows to the foundations. There should be a requirement that a solid barrier of earth or concrete is in the line to block the rapid flow of water under the house. Our building codes are very poor, many basement walls require repair when a house is sold, and our brilliant engineers do nothing to improve the codes.

So rave on about your friends at city hall, Jack, but I'm not impressed with them at all. Let's continue with all the commercial developments so we can have more runoff!

I must assume you have an engineering degree. And I am sorry you hold the administration in such low esteem. Perhaps you should serve in the Council.

re: An apology to the City's Engineering Department

Cindy — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:14:44 GMT

Such a quick apology, Jack. You must have had a phone call.

You know, you were the guy with the power for a few years. It looks like maybe you could have implemented a few things then if it was really a concern to you.

Sorry, Cindy, no phone call was made or received. My apology was made based on observation alone. My serving as alderman for only two years gave me no more "power for a few years" than any other Brookfield citizen.

re: The rains came ... ten years later ...

intewedm — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:04:51 GMT

Comments may be completely valid even if posted anonymously! Your observation is trite!

Perhaps I should have said, "easier to accept" rather than "valid."

re: The rains came ... ten years later ...

jshaw42 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:06:17 GMT

While I appreciate the comments, I think they would afford more validity if the posters would identify themselves.

re: The rains came ... ten years later ...

Santa's Elf — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:33:50 GMT

Jack, anyone who believes the city ought to work for my boss!

Why not just get together with neighbors, and sell the entire area to VK. He'll develop a bunch of high end condos which will never get sold, so he'll have the basement full of s..t*!

* See Capital Blights!

re: The rains came ... ten years later ...

My Two Cents — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:57:35 GMT

Well Jack, isn't this just dandy? This is the city engineering department that tells us that all this development is good for us. This is the engineering department that wants to approve all the development at Ruby Farms. When that's all paved over, where will this water go then?? Let me guess. Across Calhoun Road to the residents' properties who don't have a say in anything the city approves. We had about 8" in our rec room. How much did you get? At least ours wasn't sewerage!

re: School referendum

intewedm — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:22:00 GMT

Referendum "yes"

Shaw "no"

Well that's a reason to find some consolation in the voting!

re: School referendum

WI Sports Guy — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:21:05 GMT

Bravo. I commend you on your big picture view rather than the "blinders on" style. At some point, Brookfield and Elm Gove will see a massive shift in demographics. A lot of younger families are already "infiltrating" the suburbias once reserved for retirees and CEOs. So while the current enrollment numbers may not reflect or justify to some this referendum, people need to be aware of something called "futures planning." Most successful organizations and businesses practice this, and a community should be no different.

Sure the first referendum was a bit too expensive, but here's another business practice - always go in asking for the most you can get but be satisfied with what you think they will offer. Who knows? Maybe you could get more than you originally thought?

I also would like to echo your comment about why people cite their preference to a certain community - the education. Who needs education? Families...families with children. The same families that will be invading a neighborhood near you.

Thanks again for your thoughtful post and thinking ahead when many think of themselves.

re: School referendum

had to comment — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:00:17 GMT

Jack, it's good to see another realist. Some people only support things if it will benefit them personally and in a very obvious way. It's great to see someone who sees that a strong education system is probably "the" most important thing we can ever "throw our money away on".

I don't like my taxes to go up either but trying to stand in the way of anything that might raise my taxes is not very responsible. There is a lot of "irresponsibility" going around these days.

I think a guy like you will do a great job.

re: School referendum

intewedm — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:16:37 GMT

"But the new proposal is a great compromise." Baloney! You are an obvious "Yes" voter and are trying to sell a bill of goods. They cut the cost and that's supposed to change our minds? All it does is show how poor the original concepts were, and how out of touch with the taxpayers they are. They are still trying to bamboozle the taxpayers and doing unnecessary things. We want to know what the NEEDS are and what it will cost to fix them. Until then I'll vote "NO" on every referendum. The fact that they didn't do maintenance and now tell us the schools are falling down only says the board is in need of overhaul and the ouster of most of them. I'd be ashamed if I were one of them who's pushing these terrible referendums!

re: School referendum

Larry Knetzger — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:18:01 GMT

Hi Jack, you apparently have not toured the schools and see the waste of tax payers money once again. It is nice of you to show your ideology on spending the tax payers money prior to election. It's a real shame that our community aldermen take the position of spend, spend, spend, stick it to the tax payer. It just never changes even though the vast majority of our citizens said no to your yes. Tax, Tax, Tax. It's unfortunate that no one is opposing you in the election that would offer a no to all your impending yes'.

Try reading Kyle's blog if you don't have time to do the tour once again. Black Box , just stupid, replace all the lockers instead of doing a partial replacement and do a reserve of those replaced for parts for all the rest. There are lots of other areas that are being painted replace color that need not be done, just spending money. Brick and Mortar do not make the student.

re: Stimulus package?

Kyle Prast — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:42:56 GMT

Thank you fellow blogger, now I don't have to mention it!

I got my notice on Friday and thought much the same--what a waste. Your "sting operation" theory makes me feel just a little better about the mailing.

re: Enough snow?

intewedm — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:09:06 GMT

I wonder if their newscasters drone on and on about every little snow storm? It's enough to drive one nuts how they carry on here! Let's face it...snow is a natural event in winter in the northern hemisphere, and it's not worthy of hours worth of commentary when real news is ignored.