The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee Post • June 21, 2013 Milwaukee County sets its sights on reconstructing McKinley Marina Project would improve marina's environment By KIRSTEN KLAHN Special to The Post MILWAUKEE – McKinley Marina's ship has come in. The 11-acre marina, near downtown on Milwaukee's lakefront, is owned and operated by Milwaukee County . The marina suffers from water pollution problems, and county officials have determined reconstruction is the best solution. "The project area consists of paved surfaces including public boat ramps, boat washes, dry dock storage, boat maintenance areas, and vehicle parking lots that currently drain directly to Lake Michigan without treatment," according to project plans presented at a June 6 public meeting. The county held the open house meeting to share ideas on how to best reconstruct the lakefront, which is in the design phase of the project. The problem is that water drains directly to Lake Michigan without treatment, said Jim Keegan, interim director for the Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation & Culture. The county is hoping the reconstruction will rid the marina of runoff from boat Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County Parks, Recreation & Culture An aerial view shows the McKinley Marina, which is owned and operated by Milwaukee County. County officials want to reconstruct the marina because it suffers from water pollution. wash where antifouling paints that protect boat hulls from zebra mussels and algae and antifreeze release toxins into the environment. The project will also include maintenance areas that produce paint solvents and dust from sanding, as well as the large parking area that can contain oils, greases, phosphorous, trash, and bacteria from pet and wildlife feces. So far, feedback has been good, said Jeff Baudry, marketing manager for Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation & Culture. "The meeting had conversations with people about the renderings," he said. "Most remarks were very positive." Some of the ideas included superficial changes, such as improved signals on North Lincoln Memorial Drive, additional turn lanes and an optional overflow parking lot. Some of the other proposed changes would help the county address more serious pollution problems. Those include two different wall repair modifications; a dune plant community to reduce sand migration; proposed beach house with restrooms, a deli and rentals; improved pier access and amenities; a potential canopy structure; and waterfront terrace. Keegan said Milwaukee County Parks officials have estimated the cost at $4 million for renovating the area with green architecture to capture more water and pollutants. Funding has not been completed, but he said the county hopes to tap money from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a task force of 11 federal agencies dedicated to environmental concerns on the lakes. Presentation plans stressed the importance of green practices. "Sustainable design shall be incorporated into the project," according to the plans, "and to the best extent possible, Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design standards as specified by the U.S. Green Building Council." County's Behavior Health Division looking to tweak emergency detention process By DAVE FIDLIN Special to The Post MILWAUKEE – With the intent of stemming the number of psychiatric emergency detentions each year, officials in the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division are proposing policy changes that could provide more options for patients. Hector Colon, director of the county's BHD, discussed the issue last week at the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council of Milwaukee County's monthly meeting. The ICC is comprised of mayors and village presidents across the county . Colon and County Executive Chris Abele are seeking a favorable nod from the ICC on their proposal, which would likely result in fewer patients being admitted into the county's Mental Health Complex. "A well-documented and widely publicized phenomenon that occurs in Milwaukee County is a disproportionately high number of psychiatric emergency detentions," Colon wrote in a report. At the same time, Colon and other county officials assert comparing Milwaukee County with other Wisconsin counties is not an apples-to-apples comparison because of population and different governance of Chapter 51, the state law applying to emergency detentions. Colon and Abele said the BHD is in the midst of looking at a number of proposals aimed at reducing the number of involuntary hospitalizations. "This is about better outcomes and saving money," Abele said. As a starting point, officials have been reviewing and analyzing data from recent years that is relevant to the Mobile Crisis Team, a consortium of professionals tasked with responding to behavioral health issues in the community . Through their data search, the BHD staff have also been reviewing what steps were taken in the emergency detention process. In the end, Colon and other BHD officials discussed a few proposed tweaks in operating procedures with the ICC. In the current iteration, the BHD staff are required to implement a plan known as the treatment director supplement within 24 hours of a person being detained. In addition to removing the treatment director supplement from the equation in many instances, officials are aiming to more clearly delineate who has authority to detain a person. That power currently rests with local police departments. "Milwaukee County is proposing that whenever a treatment director or designee initiates an emergency detention, the treatment director supplement will not be necessary," Colon said. "We are not advo- cating the removal of detaining authority from law enforcement, only to add this component to the language." The ICC did not take any action on the proposal presented by Abele and Colon. But a resolution showing a pledge of support will likely be acted on at a future meeting – perhaps as soon as July . Several ICC members spoke in favor of the proposed changes, and no one spoke out against it. "Why would someone be against this?," Shorewood Village President Guy Johnson said. Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor, who chairs the ICC, recommended all members share the information with their respective common councils and village boards. Franklin Police Chief Rick Oliva said he will be meeting with other chiefs across the county later this month to discuss the proposed changes.

• Cover