Milwaukee Business Moving To New Berlin Industrial Park; One Question

I note on Tom Daykin's blog today that a Milwaukee firm in the rain gutter business is moving to the New Berlin Industrial Park.

I know the park is in the portion of New Berlin that is outside the Great Lakes basin, and to which Milwaukee agreed in 2008 to divert Lake Michigan water.

I also remember that the water sale agreement between Milwaukee and New Berlin had a no-raiding clause.

There may be movement between Milwaukee and New Berlin business sites all the time, without any government role, or water being a consideration.

My question is: Does anyone in City Hall keep track of these things, and ask any questions as deals are on the table, or even when moves are announced or completed, to make sure the spirit or letter of the water deal is being upheld?

Is there any regular reporting by one agency to another, like by the Department of Development to the Common Council?

New Berlin's industrial park - - the state's largest at one time, and perhaps still is - - had a big infusion of Milwaukee businesses when it opened, City Hall records showed.

So many - - 42 - - that a consultant hired by the Waukesha Water Utility a few years ago suggested that to woo Milwaukee water, New Berlin agree to share development benefits with Milwaukee in a revenue shift called tax-base sharing.

Under tax-base sharing, a community that provides something of value - - like water - - gets something back - - like a share of the property taxes generated by water-aided development.

Racine County communities already have something along those lines involving sewerage treatment cost-sharing, and the scheme was designed by none other than Bill Mielke, dean of the region's land use consultants.

I wrote about Mielke's concept in March: It's been hanging out there as a possible regional coopearation model forever.

Read about in the words of Mielke's firm, here.

But the Waukesha water consultant's idea went nowhere; the Waukesha Water Utility slapped her down, threatened to disregard her bill (eventually a reduced payment for the work was made), and disowned her report.

And New Berlin State Senator Mary Lazich, (R-New Berlin) labeled it "a huge tax increase" and "extortion,"so tax-base sharing has few friends in across Diversion County even if Bill Mielke says its a workable idea.

More history, here.