Milwaukee Common Council Approves Water Negotiation With Waukesha, But...

The water sale issue potentially involving Waukesha as the buyer and Milwaukee as a seller is now framed by home rule considerations:

The Milwaukee Common Council approved without discussion this morning - - validating by a 14-0 vote an earlier Public Works Committee action approved also without objection - - a negotiation with Waukesha to discuss selling water only within Waukesha's current water service territory and not serving the expanded territory that Waukesha included in its application for a Lake Michigan diversion.

Friday afternoon update: In reaction, Waukesha says it expects to conclude a water deal with Oak Creek or Racine in August.

Waukesha has said that is an unacceptable condition; the lead state DNR water staffer working on the state's yet-to-be-completed review of the application has said Milwaukee cannot make that stipulation.

Though Waukesha is still free to sit down with Milwaukee and have a discussion.

Essentially, Milwaukee has open the door; Waukesha is saying, not widely enough.

All eight Great Lakes states would have to approve Waukesha's application prior to implementation, and an application would need a sale agree with a selling community.

Waukesha has said Milwaukee is its preferred supplier, though Racine and Oak Creek are also options.

At this point, many uncertainties.

Response from Waukesha? The state? Fast-tracked negotiations with Oak Creek or Racine?