Sewerage commission nominee White was fired from MMSD's top job

June 16 -- One of Mayor Tom Barrett's nominees to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District commission sued the district in 1992 after being fired from its top job.

One commission member publicly critical of Wallace White's performance as MMSD executive director was was Dennis Grzezinski, who was then and is now commission chairman.

Grzezinski, named a defendant in White's 1992 suit, could not be reached Wednesday for comment about White's new appointment.

White was fired as MMSD executive director in 1991 under a contract clause that allowed him to be dismissed without cause. He sued in federal court, alleging that he was improperly fired and that district officials defamed him by telling local media his termination was due to poor performance.

Court documents filed by White alleged district officials said he was responsible for improper handling of hiring practices, and that he repeatedly transferred funds between departments to hide deficits without seeking commission approval, as required under district policy.

He also alleged that commissioners said White provided false data to the commission and that he had lost the confidence of four members of the commission before the decision to terminate him.

White's lawsuit was dismissed in 1993, apparently after an out-of-court settlement was reached. The details could not be learned Wednesday.

MMSD commissioners reject county storm water price tag

June 15 -- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Commissioners on Monday rejected the proposed $1.5 million price tag for 91 acres of County Grounds land earmarked for stormwater detention basins.

The commission vote was 7-2. Dennis Grzezinski, chairman of MMSD's commission, and Commissioner Bill Christofferson supported the proposal, a district spokesman said.

The rejection throws into doubt a key piece of the district's flood control strategy, even as the flooding and sewer overflows are of increasing public concern.

Some commission opponents of the deal suggested the county was trying to balance its battered budget on MMSD's back.

MMSD staff and the county negotiated a $16,500 per-acre sales price for the land.

Last year, however, the county sold County Grounds land to the State Department of Natural Resources for about $3,700 an acre.

MMSD commissioners on Monday asked staff to seek the same per-acre deal the DNR got, which would allow the district to save about $1.1 million.

The county's current asking price is about $5,500 more than the assessment for non-developed lands at the County Grounds.