GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A Wisconsin Senator and Green Bay’s Mayor are both involved in a sub-committee about water.
The Senate-Commerce Sub-Committee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather is holding a hearing on Tuesday and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is the ranking member of the sub-committee.
According to her, the northeast region of Wisconsin is especially important in this discussion, considering the number of communities in close proximity to some sort of waterfront.
“These are waterfront communities that are jewels in Wisconsin,” explains Baldwin.
While the opportunities are great, Baldwin asserts that more can be done throughout the area to capitalize on prime locations.
“What I’m personally doing, through legislation, is fighting for commonsense tools for communities,” she explains. “As they work to revitalize their waterfronts [and] make them more economically attractive.”
But the discussion isn’t pigeon-holed to turning a vacant property into new housing or storefronts.
Rather, she says it’s an opportunity to address infrastructure that may have gone overlooked for too long.
Coming just days after another round of storms, which produced flash flooding in some areas, Baldwin believes the issue should be fresh on everyone’s mind.
“I think people have been forced to become aware of it, especially if they’ve been impacted by road closures and bridge failures and things like that,” she explains.
The state Senator also invited a local politician, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, to testify at the hearing in Washington.
For him, an infamous coal pile is at the top of his mind.
“Hopefully turning that site into a 21st century commercial port that could have tremendous economic benefits,” says Genrich.
Whether it be redevelopment, improvements to infrastructure, or anything else, he believes that Green Bay stands ready to capitalize on its proximity to freshwater.
“We’re very fortunate to be where we are situated,” he explains. “On the greatest freshwater in all the world, so there are huge opportunities that are associated with that as well.”
The full interview with both Senator Baldwin and Mayor Genrich can be found here.
