CITY RELENTS ON 1-94 COMMENT EXTENSION

Move Seen as Setback to Sane Highway Movement
E-Mail? What E-Mail?

Special to the readers of milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne

[Updated Saturday, December 29th, 2007 --

Comment Period Extended

The comment period has been extended according to posts by Gretchen Schuldt of Citizens Allied for Sane Highways and by Tom Held of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. -- Ed.]

[Updated Friday, December 28th, 2007 --

Bauman to Feds: Extend Comment Period

Ald. Bob Bauman made a formal request this morning to the Federal Highway Administration to extend the comment period for the I-94 project. "Multiple public hearings on the transportation plan have been scheduled amid holiday events and snowstorms," according to a press release issued by the downtown alderman, who added, "There is a growing impression that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation wants to stifle the discussion and debate by scheduling a comment period during a time when many citizens are distracted by holiday and family commitments."
Bauman made the request to David Scott [e-mail david.scott@fhwa.dot.gov ] of the highway administration. Scott told Milwaukeeworld this week that he "had not seen any request other than the city's for an extension." Well, now he has Bauman's, Gretchen Schuldt's and -- yours?
Also, before you get to the story, I have put in requests for the e-mail Busalacchi said he received from Polenske and Mantes. Doesn't it seem odd to receive a joint e-mail? I must see this thing before I believe it actually exists. --Ed.]

The government was going to extend the comment period for the $1.9 billion expansion of I-94, but thanks to a mysterious e-mail from the same city officials who asked for the extension, a December 31st deadline is still in place. If this is an example of the Barrett administration taking charge on an important issue, thanks for nothing!
The apparent backsliding came from the offices of Jeffrey Mantes, Public Works Commissioner and Jeffrey Polenske, P.E. City Engineer for the city of Milwaukee -- if you believe Transportation Secretary Frank J. Busalacchi. On December 10th they wrote to Busalacchi asking to extend the public comment period for the I-94 North South corridor study, saying, "since the next cycle of the City of Milwaukee Common council isn't until January of 2008 ... we are asking for an extension to submit a formal City of Milwaukee commnet/position after the next meeting of the Common Council on January 15, 2008. ... We respectfully request that the comment period ... be extended to January 25, 2008."
As of December 19th, Busalacchi had not responded. [Milwaukeeworld checked.--Ed.]
However, milwaukeeworld has obtained a letter Busalacchi sent the pair on Friday, December 21st, 2007. In it he says, "My understanding is that prior to the December 10th (sic) council meeting Jeff Polenske discussed the extension with our Southeast Region Director, Dewayne Johnson. Mr Johnson indicated our intent to grant the exception pending final concurrence by FHWA." [The council meeting was actually on December 11th, 2007. -- Ed.]
So, just as the extension seemed in reach, Busalacchi snapped it away in the next paragraph: "We understand that your request for extra time to comment on the project Draft E(nvironmental) I(mpact) S(tatement) is no longer needed given the Council's action on December 10th and your subsequent e-mail indicating that the city will be providing an official position within the 6-week comment period."
This is quite interesting, since the Barrett administration, in the person of the two Jeffs, used the Common Council as its excuse to request more time for comment. Yet the Jeffs' e-mail saying "never mind, we've already made a comment. or we'll get one to you real soon," did not seem to indicate any such concern for legislative niceties. Nor, apparently, was it widely shared within the council. (If you're an alderman, this is probably the first you've heard of it.) Let's have a public comment period on the tricky shenanigans bureaucrats use to try to fool us!

Original milwaukeeworld post with comment links.
Busalacchi letter
Journal Sentinel Coverage [Link will be activated once there is some.--Ed.]