Perfect Timing: It's Severe Weather Awareness Week

Brookfield, Waukesha County and Wisconsin officials promote preparedness during a week with a winter storm and a "tornado warning."

The City of Brookfield, Waukesha County, and Wisconsin Emergency Management are promoting National Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 3-9. With a changing winter forecast of storms and advisories on Monday and Tuesday, along with an erroneous tornado warning, the need for everyone to stay connected and aware of changing weather could not have been illustrated better. During this week residents are asked to “Be a Force of Nature” and prepare for severe weather threats in our area, according to a release from the city.  Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a nationwide effort to increase awareness of severe …

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Is Smaller Better? Alderman Wants to Reduce Council Size

Alderman Scott Berg says he wants to cut size of the Common Council from 14 to nine to better serve the public.

Brookfield Alderman Scott Berg is asking city leaders to begin discussions on reducing the size of the city’s Common Council in an effort to provide better service to residents. Berg is proposing the council go from 14 aldermen to nine. The number of aldermanic districts would be increased from seven to nine, so residents would go from having two alderman to one in smaller districts. “I see it as a way of improving service,” Berg said. According research Berg did on common council sizes in the state, Brookfield has a higher number of aldermen than other communities its size. For example, Wausau is represented by 11 aldermen, while New Berlin has seven aldermen to represent them. Wauwatosa has 16 aldermen, but voters there passed an …

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Ponto Reconsidering Decision Not to Upgrade Tornado Sirens

After initially saying city shouldn't spend the $100,000 to upgrade sirens, Brookfield mayor now asking staff to find the money to do so.

Mayor's Memo

Mayor: Elmbrook School Closure Should Be Last Resort

Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto asks Elmbrook leaders to make closure decision based on "objective, logical criteria," and not "based on the number of schools in a municipality."

Largely due to declining enrollment and budget constraints imposed by the State government, the Elmbrook School District finds itself in a difficult fiscal position. I have watched closely as the School Board has debated ways of dealing with its fiscal issues. I firmly believe that the continuing excellence of the Elmbrook School System is vital to assuring Brookfield's position as a premier community. When people evaluate a community to decide whether to make it their home, the foremost consideration for most of them is the quality of education in the community. Because of this, I have emphasized that the City of Brookfield should work cooperatively with the School District in achieving efficiencies wherever possible. I am in regular …

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