County panel defers vote on Estabrook dam

The Milwaukee County Board's finance committee on Thursday delayed indefinitely a vote on a resolution to demolish the 1930s-era dam on the Milwaukee River at Estabrook Park.

The committee's action prevents the full County Board from acting on the resolution at its Sept. 22 meeting. The county Parks Department's resolution refers to the uncertain costs of all dam upgrades in requesting authorization to remove the dam instead of repair it.

The panel's 5-2 vote Thursday pushes off board discussion of the increasing costs of dam repairs and upgrades, now estimated at $4.1 million, to the 2017 budget process in October at the earliest. Supervisors Sheldon Wasserman and Jason Haas voted against the delay. Committee chairwoman Peggy West and Supervisors Michael Mayo Sr., Willie Johnson Jr., Supreme Moore Omokunde and Sequanna Taylor voted to postpone the vote indefinitely.

Costs of operating and maintaining the dam are estimated at $207,000 a year, or an additional $4.1 million over the 20 years that repairs will last before major renovation is needed, officials said.

The estimated one-time cost of removing the dam is nearly $1.8 million.