The Milwaukee Post

18 • Milwaukee County Post • September 26, 2014 Post Staff MILWAUKEE — On Tuesday, the Common Council adopted a resolution directing various city departments to evaluate and report on the economic impact to the city of the proposed acquisition of Integrys Energy Group by Wisconsin Energy Corp. (We Energies), so the city can determine whether to oppose the acquisition. Authored by Alderman Robert J. Bauman, chair of the Council's Public Works Committee, the resolution adopted Tuesday directs the Department of Administration- Budget and Management Division and the Office of Environmental Sustainability, in con- junction with the city attorney's office and the Department of Public Works, to evaluate and report on the economic impact of the proposed Integrys acquisition. On June 23, Milwaukee-based We Energies announced that it has agreed to buy Integrys Energy Group, the Chicago-based parent com- pany of Green Bay-based utility Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. If approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, as well as anti-trust regulators and the sharehold- ers of We Energies and Integrys, the transac- tion could be approved by summer 2015. Bauman, whose district includes the down- town headquarters of We Energies, said the utility has been mum about whether it will move its headquarters if the acquisition is approved. "Very simply it is in the best interest of the City of Milwaukee that the impact of the proposed acquisition be evaluated, including its effects on the city, energy customers, utility rates and possible job and employment impacts," he said. If approved, the combined company will create the eighth largest natural gas distribu- tion company in America, with customers in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota and nearly 71,000 miles of electric distribution lines and more than 44,000 miles of gas trans- mission and distribution lines. On another We Energies matter taken up Tuesday, the council adopted a resolution directing the Department of Administration — Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek introduction and passage of state legisla- tion relating to energy procurement regula- tions to allow the city to expand retail choice for utility customers and expand competition within the energy industry by offering cus- tomers the opportunity to purchase energy from their current utility or an alternative supplier. The resolution — also authored by Bauman — also seeks state approval to allow the city to use its group power in negotiating lower utili- ty rates for residential and eligible small-busi- ness ratepayers. The measure would also seek state approval allowing the city to use reverse auctions for the procurement of energy. Bauman said the resolution is in step with the city's first sustainability plan, ReFresh Milwaukee: City of Milwaukee Sustainability Plan 2013-2023 (which has targets to reduce city energy use 20 percent by 2020 and increase reliance on renewable energy to 25 percent by 2025) and Council file No. 131576 (adopted in April 2014) directing the Office of Environmental Sustainability and the Department of Public Works to create an ener- gy independence plan that will, among other things, reduce reliance on We Energies for the supply of electricity, natural gas and heat to operate city facilities. "It is pretty simple — this resolution asks the state to afford the city the means to seek alternative cost-effective ways of meeting its energy demands," Bauman said. On Tuesday, the council also adopted a reso- lution putting the council on record in opposi- tion to a requested We Energies rate increase that could boost electric rates for homeowners and other residential customers of We Energies by nearly 5 percent in January 2015. Authored by Alderman Tony Zielinski, chair of the council's Licenses Committee, the measure notes that if granted by the Public Service Commission, the We Energies rate increase and changes would mean that all new and all existing renewable energy systems could be impacted, including residential, busi- ness, and non-profit or government installa- tions. We Energies acquisition The increase would also impact all distrib- uted generation in We Energies territory including solar, wind and biogas/bio-digesters. Solar and wind system owners would be charged roughly $4/kW/month. Bio-digester owners would see a new surcharge of $8.60/kW/month. The rate case resolution was co-sponsored by Bauman, Alderman Michael J. Murphy, Alderman Nik Kovac and Alderman Terry L. Witkowski. Full-time staffing at parking structures Under an ordinance approved by the Council on Tuesday, Milwaukee's four city- owned parking structures will now be required to keep at least one attendant on premises at all times while they are in operation. The ordi- nance was authored by Bauman and co-spon- sored by Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. and Alderman Willie C. Wade. The city owns the parking structures, but contracts out their management, and the legis- lation specifies that management firms would be required to pay parking attendants a living wage of $10.10 per hour in accordance with the city's Service Contract Wage Requirements ordinance. Bauman said maintaining a 24- hour-a-day human presence in the parking ramps will increase customer satisfaction, bol- ster public safety and provide good-paying, full-time job opportunities. Council approves scrutiny of We Energies acquisition WAUKESHA — Three people from Milwaukee have been charged after a Sept. 13 car chase involving a stolen vehi- cle reached speeds of over 100 mph. Daron May, 24, was charged with a count of operating an auto without the owner's consent and obstructing police. Siera Guard, 19, and Lyrices Austin, 18, were charged with obstructing police as well. The complaint in the case said a silver Honda with temporary Illinois plates was seen driving erratically on Interstate 94 at about 8:05 p.m. Sept. 13. The car exited on Redford Boulevard, turned off its headlights and led a Sheriff's Department deputy on a chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph head- ing into Waukesha on North Street. Deputies found the car again near Sunset Drive and Highway X, where the car headed south — at times driving in the oncoming traffic lane and nearly striking three vehicles, the complaint said. The car continued to Mukwonago, where it went down a hill and into a field and the occu- pants fled after the 10-mile chase, the com- plaint said. Guard and Austin were arrested at the scene and told officers May was driving, as well as a fourth suspect, a woman named Tia, the complaint said. The car had been reported stolen from Fox Point, the complaint said. Man allegedly used stolen credit cards WAUKESHA — A Milwaukee man has been charged after he allegedly used stolen credit cards to buy hundreds of dol- lars of cigarettes at area gas stations recently. James Gray, 62, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court with four counts of unauthorized use of someone's identity. He faces up to six years in prison on each count if convicted. A woman reported she was at an Elm Grove racquet club on Sept. 7, and learned there of possible fraudulent charges on her credit card, which she also noticed was missing from her purse. The com- plaint indicates two of her cards were used at four area gas stations in western Milwaukee County to buy $900 worth of cigarettes and another $150 in purchases at another store. Gray became a suspect based on sur- veillance video. Officers found him at his job at a veterans assistance facility in Milwaukee, where Gray wore clothing similar to that seen in the surveillance video. Officers located a cane similar to one Gray was seen using in the video as well. Several people identified Gray as the man in surveillance photos, the complaint said. A neighbor of his said she had bought cigarettes from Gray in the past but did not currently have any from him, the complaint said. Gray denied the man in surveillance photos was him, the complaint said. Operation Drive Sober initiative helps arrest 13 drivers MILWAUKEE – At the start of last year, Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. ordered an aggressive weekend driving under the influence initiative to rid the Milwaukee County freeway system of drunken driv- ers. This weekend's initiative from 4 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday resulted in the arrest of eight drunken drivers, with two repeat offenders. The average PBT result was .15. Craig Holt, age 54, of Milwaukee, was arrested for OWI-5th , which is a felony. If convicted, Holt faces up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Angel Picasso- Hann, age 43, of Milwaukee, was arrested for OWI 3rd. First-time offenders were Bonnie Kitterman, age 63, of Lake Villa; Monte Thompson, age 40, of Milwaukee; James Juchemich, age 32, of Milwaukee; Terri Crenshaw, age 24, of Milwaukee; Alejandro, Ayala-Gonzalez, of Milwaukee; Sarah Graf, age 40, of Milwaukee; Edward Koehl, age 30, of Milwaukee; Napoleon Tayone, age 32, of Wauwatosa; Tyrone Sabb, age 38, of Waukesha; Arthur Flowers, age 35; of Menomonee Falls; and Michael Dodson, age 35, of Milwaukee. Two drunken drivers crash into each other MILWAUKEE — Sunday morning at about 1:20 a.m. a deputy notified dispatch of a crash at I-94 westbound at North 25th Street. The three vehicles were across lanes of traffic, requiring a freeway clo- sure for 35 minutes. A white Range Rover, operated by Michael D. Dodson, age 34, of Milwaukee, struck a white Mercedes, operated by Arthur L. Flowers III, age 35, of Menomonee Falls, and then also struck a Chevrolet pickup. The 27-year-old driver of the pickup suffered a broken shoulder, and her passenger suffered a laceration above his eye that required stitches. Dodson tested .11 on a PBT. He was arrested for operating while intoxicated- 1st, OWI-Causing Injury, and faces up to two years' imprisonment. He refused to say where he had been drinking. Flowers tested .15 on a PBT and said he was drinking at a downtown restaurant. He faces the same charges as Dodson. — Post Staff Three charged after chase with stolen car

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