Brookfield District 1 alderman

Bill Carnell (i)

Age: 65

Job: retired as operations supervisor with the city of Brookfield

Education: bachelor's degree, Marquette University

Contact: (262) 781-1058, williamcarnell@att.net

Should the city take an active role (e.g., buying or assembling parcels, etc.) in the redevelopment of the 124th Street and Capitol Drive area?

No. Financial analysis done for the city by R.A. Smith showed this type of city involvement would be a waste of time and money. Market-driven forces will eventually give an economic uplift to the area. The city's function at this time is to use code enforcement to prevent decline.

Do you agree with the city's plan to pay part of the cost of installing sidewalks along Capitol Drive between 124th Street and Brookfield Road?

I supported this proposal for three reasons: Sidewalks will benefit residents adjacent to Capitol Drive in my district, the 80 percent paid by the state makes the cost reasonable and it increases pedestrian safety. I initiated a snow removal cost analysis to determine where snow removal is economically reasonable.

What other important issues will District 1 face in the next four years?

Taxes and their impact. My district has a large number of retired seniors and young starter families. My priority for the council is to keep city taxes in check so they can maintain their homes and a good standard of living.

What is the biggest issue (or issues) facing the city in the next four years?

Taxes/services. The council must continue to keep taxes as low as possible (the rate went up one-tenth of 1 percent for 2010). The council can start by not using taxes to build or maintain a high-speed rail station. It should use resources to maintain a high level of services.

Richard Brunner

Age: 70

Job: retired; former assistant bursar, UW-Milwaukee

Education: bachelor's in public administration, UW-Milwaukee

Contact: (262) 782-4099, rbrunner9@wi.rr.com

Should the city take an active role (e.g., buying or assembling parcels, etc.) in the redevelopment of the 124th Street and Capitol Drive area?

I would not support this. Redevelopment Authority policy has been to not spend taxpayer money to purchase and assemble parcels and turn them over to developers. This would require condemnation of property by eminent domain for private use. The city has never spent taxpayer money on developer projects.

Do you agree with the city's plan to pay part of the cost of installing sidewalks along Capitol Drive between 124th Street and Brookfield Road?

No. I've discussed this with city officials. The cost of acquiring right of way would likely be prohibitive. The sidewalks would run through business property such as auto dealer parking lots. Sidewalks on the south side of Capitol Drive would require relocating graves and fences in Wisconsin Memorial Park.

What other important issues will District 1 face in the next four years?

District 1 is in good shape overall. The sewer and stormwater projects completed during my previous tenure leaves us with good infrastructure. There are still a number of sewer backups to be dealt with. The primary issues will be redevelopment of 124th and Lisbon, and the Capitol Drive/Lilly Road neighborhood.

What is the biggest issue (or issues) facing the city in the next four years?

A new water supply, likely Lake Michigan, is needed. This will require a main from inside Wauwatosa and pumping wastewater from the west side back to the lake. As to the budget, redevelopment will add revenue, technology can trim expenses and selective cuts will be needed.

Editor's Note: The city’s plans do not currently include constructing sidewalks in front of Wisconsin Memorial Park.