Friday, April 22, 2016

For the record: How controversial Waukesha diversion map was drawn

Given today's news about Great Lakes officials telling Waukesha it cannot pipe diverted water to several neighboring municipalities Waukesha included in a service territory map included in the diversion application,

I'm reposting a blog item below from 2012 that shed light on how and by whom that map was drawn. 


Separately, I'm including details and the map provided to Waukesha laying out the new water delivery area as drafted by the regional planning commission that were in a 2012 Daily Reporter story, here, that tied the deal's map to development:
Waukesha ties water deal to developments
...Waukesha, in its plan to tap Lake Michigan as a water source, estimated the water would serve an area that, if fully developed, would have a population of 97,400, an increase of 21,900 people from the total in the 2000 U.S. Census.  
“I would say the majority of it is in the residential area,” said Dan Duchniak, general manager of the Waukesha Water Utility. “There is some commercial and industrial growth, but most of the commercial and industrial growth would be more redevelopment or infill development.”
You might be surprised at how few people and with how little publicity the map got made:
Skimpy Record Supporting Controversial Waukesha Water Service Map 
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 
Milwaukee has asked the DNR to step in and referee Milwaukee's disagreement with Waukesha over how Waukesha's proposed new and broadened water service area's boundaries should be drawn as part of Waukesha's application for a Lake Michigan water diversion.  
Milwaukee is a potential water seller to Waukesha, but does not want to extend the sale beyond Waukesha to portions of four smaller communities - - The Towns of Genesee, Waukesha and Delafied, and the City of Pewaukee - - that Waukesha included in its application's water service area - - an area that was mapped by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission,(SEWRPC). 
I've already opined that the DNR has evaporating credibility to referee the dispute.  
What follows is more of the story about how the controversial map got drawn that has escaped much publicity.  
The dots I've connected tell a lot about how this map was created, and also about how major public policies can be born and set in motion almost invisibly by technocrats and obscure committees before their work hits the front pages, decision-making by elected officials and public budgets that impact everyone...

























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