A proposal to expand Strauss Meats in Franklin was approved by the Franklin Common Council The proposal was approved by the city in November of 2020, but a lawsuit filed by local group Franklin Community Advocates resulted in a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge ruling the entire issue must be re-examined.

According to the Milwaukee Business Journal a Franklin Plan Commission hearing scheduled on February 17 will start the process of reviewing the development again. The facility was proposed for a plot of land near Loomis Road and Monarch Drive.

A Franklin Common Council member informs that as of this morning the alderperson has received 71 emails asking to vote against Strauss. Not one of them was from Wisconsin.

This isn’t surprising. Opponents of the expansion have engaged in misinformation, mistruths, unsubstantiated “sky is falling” scare tactics, and unfounded dire predictions.

Approving the expansion should be a slam dunk. A no-brainer.  Great company. Great products. Job provider. No complaints for decades. That is until now.

Would a Common Council member succumb to e-mails from outside Franklin and/or outside the state? Are you kidding me? This is Franklin, folks, where common sense is uncommon. Three members on the council have already voted against Straus…twice (Kristen Wilhelm, Dan Mayer, John Nelson).

Opponents clearly will resort to any means to halt a worthwhile project. The obstruction is costing the city tax and legal dollars and damaging its reputation.