This week's FranklinNOW is covering the Milwaukee County Farm & Fish Hatchery at the House of Corrections and how it was saved, yet again, by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors during the budget debates.
For some reason, the NOW decided to include discussion that would promote the selling of the farm in favor of economic development in the City of Franklin. Mayor Taylor was quoted in the article saying that he wouldn't mind if the entire House of Correction complex "went away".
I don't believe anyone in Franklin wants the House of Correction in the community. In fact, having the facility in Franklin has generated lots of controversy, especially in the past when government entities were considering a sexual predator facility on the lands abutting the correctional facility.
Without any plans to move the House of Correction, I believe any talk of eliminating the farm & fish hatchery is premature. I'd personally like to know what new economic development would locate itself so close to a huge negative like that. It's either all or nothing, and as of right now any sale of the House of Correction and a move to a location in Milwaukee would require approval by Milwaukee County and perhaps even the City of Milwaukee.
Right now, our two county supervisors are in the minority on the County Board, and to top it off I believe they aren't exactly the most popular on the Board, either. As for the City of Milwaukee, while I agree with Mayor Taylor that the House of Correction should be consolidated in a larger facility downtown, I don't think the Milwaukee Common Council would approve such a project if they had a say in the decision-making. With that said, however, I think starting the discussion wouldn't hurt anything - and maybe something can be agreed upon to get the concept moving forward.
