Welcome to the public works committee.

I am Vice Chair Alderman Lama Westmoreland.

Joined to my right by Alderman Robert Bauman.

We are joined virtually by all Alder Woman Larissa Taylor and Alderman Alex Brower, Chairwoman, Alder Woman Malele Cox, will join us uh momentarily.

Um per Alder Woman Cox, uh, we would not be taking any public testimony for the MMSD appointments if anybody is here for that.

Uh item one, two six zero zero six nine resolution relating to the approving to approving the levying of assessments and construction of accessible public improvement projects at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes.

Good morning, Holly Rutten back with DPW.

I will be advising on the special assessment process and project details.

For those projects approved this morning, a bill will be sent to each property owner sometime after completion of the work.

Within 45 days upon receipt of the bill, the full amount may be paid without interest.

If the bill is not paid within the 45-day grace period, a charge of 8.5% simple interest per year will be added.

If the assessment is at least $125, the assessment can be paid over a period of ten years on the tax roll at that 8.5% interest.

For those projects approved with late billing, a bill will not be sent before January first, 2028.

If anyone is here to provide testimony, please feel free to come forward.

If you could just give us both your um both of your names and addresses.

just re help regulate traffic in front of St.

Francis of Assisi in front of the Howard Fuller School in front of the Black Holocaust Museum at the very north end of North Avenue.

So we uh we are very much the my my entire building there's ten of us Caitlin being one of them that are very much in favor of um this this action by the city I'll just echo what Gary had stated.

We had been talking about this for a couple of years now as a condo building that we believe that it needed to happen.

A lot of people have pets in the buildings they're going out walking their dogs and they're almost getting hit by a car because somebody takes Valor Phillips's throughput to avoid um MLK.

So they're going probably 60 miles an hour.

I continue I'm on the corner of the building that I watch a lot of traffic accidents happen.

And I believe that this will slow everybody down and it's just for the safety of the neighborhood.

Cool cool thank you.

Thanks for coming down guys appreciate it.

Motion by Alderman Bauman is approval uh any objections hearing non so order.

In the seventh Aldermanic district the alley between West Keith Avenue West Townsend Street North 46th Street North 47th Street.

Concrete alley pavement reconstruction replace some abutting walk or driveway approaches grading storm drainage facilities and permeable pavement as necessary.

Is there anyone here to testify to this item out of twenty one impacted properties the majority were in support and the alderman supports the project.

Most of Alderman Bauman is approval any objections hearing on the order in the 10th Aldermanic district the alley between West Appleton Avenue, West Chapman Place, West Nash Street, and West Potomac Avenue, concrete alley pavement reconstruction, replace some abutting walker and driveway approaches grading storm drainage facilities and permeable pavement as necessary all those who are here to provide testimony on this item please come forward out of 40 impacted properties the majority were in support and the alder woman does support the project is it how many property are in fact 40 40 and what was the count I was not provided the count the older woman said the majority were in support.

Okay, like a two to one vote.

Good morning, if everybody could just uh one at a time um give your name and address and testimony uh the address of the your house your house where you live yeah okay uh Gloria Ellen 4851 North 67th Street Milwaukee Wisconsin by 3218 but the property is at 7283 West Appleton Avenue.

Uh my name is Oscar Ellen uh my I says it's 4851 no six seven in the city of Milwaukee Wisconsin zip code five three two one eight yes Charles Ellum 4739 North 53rd Street Milwaukee Wisconsin City of Milwaukee zip uh zip 53218 and I'm here with uh Robert Stetson uh 7274 West Potomac Avenue Milwaukee Wisconsin five three two one six Teresa Borough 7234 West Potomac Avenue Terry Robey uh 722 Potomac Avenue.

Arthur will be 722 West on the capital.

Okay and uh we start with your testimony and then we'll work our way that way.

Okay well I'm protesting the pavement of the alley that's costing us eight thousand six hundred dollars to the microphone please I'm sorry.

Microphone pull the microphone closer thank you so much I'm protesting that amount of money I mean we are church um we don't even have our own parking lot paid because we can't afford it.

Pave our own parking lot in the pavement alley behind us.

That's too much money.

Uh it's too much money.

We have too many things we have to do and speak that we have like a roof repair, parking lot repair.

And then you want us to do an alley that we can't afford.

So no, we don't.

How many of you are connected with the church?

Oh three.

Oh, three of us.

Uh and m most of the that then uh w w who think about how and I was talking to him a few minutes ago that uh we don't necessarily have to use the attic because we got inches from the street.

But I I understand it's a cat twenty two regards whether we use that or not, we're gonna be charged with it.

And then uh we know that uh and membership has decreased since the COVID nineteen and we don't have a few members and most of it we've been paying the bill, was just a dollar level.

But uh it would be called it'd be a kind of strain or nothing.

And most of it we trying to do some things to make me walk a uh better place and I am the pastor, uh and most of it we kinda do do things.

I'm the police department, trying to make this world a little better place.

And that's what we're doing too.

But most of it we print it didn't uh that we won't have to pay take care of that, also.

I could because right now we we will put a strain on it.

Well we just bear the paying the beer now and with additional money there.

I'm saying we we're gonna uh we still have it right now.

But but I understand too, I see how that uh you put uh a ten year period to my understanding to pay it all.

Am I correct?

That is correct.

So the older woman would request late billing, so they'll not be sent before January first, 2028.

We don't send it bills out during property tax season, so it'll be later in twenty twenty eight and then at that point you'd have ten years as an option.

And maybe perhaps our membership might be an increase by these.

Hopefully.

Hopefully.

Yes.

The earliest day you build is twenty nineteen, twenty twenty-nine.

Uh sometime in twenty twenty eight.

That's what we're trying to do.

That is correct.

I guess we're gonna start with the allowed because we gotta let us say it's uh eight thousand six hundred dollars.

Is that per pr per house owner on that in that alley or what?

So it is based off of a uh uniform rate that we advised the council at the end of twenty twenty five what the rates would be for alley reconstruction.

So at the church for a twenty foot wide alley, the rate is fifty doll fifty two dollars per linear frontage foot.

So the residents and the church and everyone has a little bit different frontages along that alley, so their assessments do vary between the properties.

Okay.

Uh am I asking too much?

What's the uh total cost for that, all of that?

The total cost for the entire alley.

Yeah.

The total cost for the entire alley, which does include include some funding that we are receiving from MMSD um is four hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars.

That's what we are estimating at this time.

Wow.

Okay.

I uh I'm having uh financial problems also, but uh I know that the alley does need work and you've got a uh beautiful idea for design of the the takes care of uh rain water.

Uh but it's we also have a uh garbage pickup that uh doesn't pick that drops as almost as much garbage as it picks up and blows into all of the uh ho uh yards and then surely gonna fill up that uh that beautiful uh you know rain rainwater collecting driveway.

Uh also uh we don't have a uh garage back there, the only uh use we have is for uh garbage pickup.

So uh I'd I'd like to hear uh more about what you uh what you're do uh doing about plant uh planning for uh that uh that nice uh draining uh that's gonna accompany uh the uh the alleyway.

Uh what you're gonna do to keep that from clogging up.

So the center four feet of the alley is proposed to be permeable pavers, so they're gonna look like brick from the top side um to the average individual, and underneath there is a storage layer, but it's going to look and function just like brick, you'll be able to drive on it, walk on it, everything along those lines.

Our street maintenance groups do actually go out and vacuum out all of the debris or anything that could get caught in between those bricks.

Um I believe that they aim to do that once a year in order to remove any debris that would prevent that proper water infiltration.

Yeah.

Uh also uh one uh one of the uh badly damaged sections of the alley is right where the uh the garbage truck uh works to pick up the uh the bin from the uh from the apartment buildings.

Yes, so only the center four feet would be constructed out of brick, and then the garbage truck would actually straddle that when it's driving down the alley and be on concrete pavement.

In in theory, is that because the same garbage truck uh tore out our electric crew at one time?

Sorry to hear about that.

I don't think it's possible for a vehicle that big to be on the pavers, right?

Uh it can make turning movements over the pavers.

We just don't want long term for the garbage trucks to be driving on that pavement, so every single day or anything by any means.

The garbage collection is once a week, but the majority of the time it would be driving on the concrete.

Are you an objection to this project?

I I want to hear more before I uh decide uh you're giving me a couple of years to uh to uh slowly collect the money to pay off what you're asking for.

So that's I'm not asking for this.

The all this is uh this is a project that the alder person has uh asked for input on.

So uh at that point they collect input and then they make a decision and it comes to the committee and the committee makes a decision, but uh we're making a decision uh to recommend to the council.

Um we're not asking for this project to be done.

Mr.

Chair.

Yeah, go ahead.

Have you had a neighborhood meeting with the alder person to discuss any details of this?

I did email her and uh the response I got was that there was gonna be a meeting.

It was gonna be a meeting.

This meeting.

This meeting.

Uh, if we hold this recycle, can the work still be done as scheduled this construction season?

Yes.

If everybody's in agreement, I recommend we hold this one cycle so you can maybe confer with the local older person instead of having a neighborhood meeting here.

Anybody have a problem with hold putting it off on our I I've already had contact with the with the older person and I I'm in support.

I I'm just coming down to uh say that I've been uh talking with uh the previous ultimate and the now for the the current all of it, you know, just a recent, you know, for years and this alley is just horrible.

Okay, it's horrible.

And then I get this note say that this concrete was poured back in 1956.

You know, we run a couple of years, even as well.

I mean, I'm like uh you two are in support.

Yeah.

It obviously needs the work.

Yeah.

I'm just asking no.

Okay.

Let's hear from our final witness.

Well, I'm in favor.

I'm gonna and I've been there over 35 years and it's been a long time.

You know, fair enough.

I think some of the questions that I have was answered, but you're saying maybe that's more of a meeting for the other person.

Um, as far as the cost because of the apartment buildings that lines the street on Appleton.

And the two businesses on the in, and they're the ones that's bringing in the garbage trucks and the movers or whatever.

As far as the wear and take.

I'm inclined to move this forward if uh you meet with uh the older person uh between now and council, we can always send it back to committee.

What is what is the postcard survey say?

I was not provided the counts.

The older woman indicated that she wanted the project.

Alright, well, I'll move approval with the understanding we can be sent back to committee in two weeks at our council meeting if the local older person wants to do that.

Okay.

We have a motion for approval.

Do we have any objections?

Hearing none so ordered.

Thanks for coming down.

Thank you guys.

Reach out to the alder woman.

Yes.

Okay.

In the 11th Aldermanic District, South 53rd Street from West Oklahoma Avenue to West Montana Street, asphalt pavement resurfacing, replace sidewalk and driveway approaches where necessary.

Sotting six foot width tree border area and grading.

Is anyone here to provide testimony on that item?

Electricity.

Out of 56 impacted properties, eleven were in favor and two were opposed.

I believe Alder Member Dallas is on the bank board, but he had indicated support.

Councilmember Gellis, do you have anything at the end of the day?

Alder Woman Taylor moves for approval.

Do we have any objections?

Hearing none, so ordered.

In the 14th Aldermanic District, South 11th Street from West Morgan Avenue to West Holt Avenue, install traffic homing speed humps.

Is anyone here for this item?

Out of 31 impacted properties, six were in favor and two were opposed.

The Alder Woman supports the project.

No objections, so order.

Motion by Alder Woman Taylor to approve and the entire file.

Any objections?

Hearing none, so ordered.

Thank you.

Item number two, file number two six zero zero seven nine.

Resolution determining it necessary to make various accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city engineering costs estimated to be four hundred and twenty-five thousand for a total estimated cost of these projects being two million five hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Good morning.

This is for setting up engineering on future accessible projects.

Move approval.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is approval.

Any objections?

Hearing none so order.

Item three, file number two six zero zero seven seven.

Resolution determining it necessary to make various non-accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with city engineering costs estimated to be two hundred and forty thousand dollars for uh total estimated cost of these projects being three million five hundred thousand dollars.

Good morning.

This is for setting up engineering for future non-assessable projects.

Move approval.

Item uh number two six zero zero seven eight resolution appropri approving construction of non-accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city construction cost estimated to be one million seven hundred fifty eight thousand dollars for an estimated cost of these projects being one million eight hundred twenty thousand dollars.

Good morning.

This is for setting up construction on non-assessable projects.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is approval.

Hearing no objections, so order item five resolution authorizing the transfer of funds from the street improvement state and or federal aid program to the street reconstruct or resurface program regular city program at various locations for funding of local street improvements under the local roads improvements program for municipal street improvement greater than 20,000 with the city cost of what how do I say that number?

What is that?

Is that a bill?

Four million?

No, it's the city four million eight hundred and fifty two thousand one hundred and eighty five dollars and twenty cents.

What about that?

What about the last two?

Mine is fried.

Million five thousand eight hundred sixty-four dollars and eighty cents.

And then third one.

Total cost of five million eight hundred and fifty-four thousand and fifty.

Good at that.

In fifty dollars.

See you're good at that.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Every two years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a local roads improvement project or program that we are able to apply for funding.

This is actually the city's entitlement as part of that program.

Motion by just curious, this is uh so this is ultimately money that's appropriate in the state budget.

That's correct.

So this could be an item that could be uh subject to this surplus distribution that uh that they're arguing about.

We haven't been notified that they're planning on putting that towards a local road improvement program.

They just tell us what our entitlement is.

But in theory, this could be a subject of an additional state infusion of resources, potentially.

That is correct.

This would all go into our local paving program.

Motion by Alderman Bauman is adoption.

Uh any objections to that motion here and on.

So order item six file number two six zero zero eight zero resolution authorizing the transfer of funds from the street improvement state and or federal a program to the street reconstructor resurface program, regular city program for West Keith Avenue between North Eighth Street and North 18th Street in the 6th Aldermanic district to fund the municipal street improvement supplemental cost, local roads improvement program with city costs being $1,100,000 and the grand tourist cost being $900,000 for a total estimated cost of $2 million.

Good morning, Holly Rutten back with the EDW.

The DPW uh applied for this supplemental funding through the local roads improvement program this year or this bien for 26 and 27 is $25 million that they spread across the entire state.

It's actually a competitive application process, and only 30 projects statewide were selected for this funding.

So we're excited that we were awarded funding for the reconstruction on West Keep Avenue.

Alder Woman Taylor moves adoption.

Hearing no objections, so ordered.

Thank you, Holly.

Item seven, file number two six zero one two three.

Reappointment of Alderman Mark Chambers to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Stewart Storage District by the Mayor.

Alderman Mark Chambers.

He was just in the hall.

Really out in the hall?

He was attending this in on file.

Is that for March numbers?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So he doesn't have to show up.

You can look at these attendance right here.

And then we can decide.

Oh, he doesn't have to show up.

Um do we have a motion on that?

Reappointment.

I'll move for approval.

It was in the 77%.

Okay.

Yeah, go ahead.

You know, on all these appointments, I mean, as a practical matter, we're probably going to approve them at some point.

We're familiar with all these folks.

They they do a good job, they're conscientious workers.

But there are some issues that I think need to be addressed uh by all these candidates for the commission.

And that's some of the issues that have been raised by common ground.

There's been some whistleblowers out there who have gone on the record.

Uh these whistleblowers are persons who uh were in a position to know what they're talking about, and so far there's been no obvious, there's been no obvious evidence of bias or motivation to fabricate or 500% what they're talking about.

So I think we need to hear from all of these candidates regarding exactly what they're going to do to get to the bottom of these allegations because some of these allegations are pretty serious.

Uh they directly relate the issues that have affected our community in terms of some of the flooding that has taken place, terms of uh the release of raw sewage into our surface waterways, which is of course uh a major problem, and once again, I think uh I'd almost suggest we take all these appointments at what as one file and line everybody up and have everybody respond to uh the basic question of what if anything they as commissioners intend to do about these allegations and how are they going to direct uh the sewage commission to proceed?

So I so maybe maybe we should take these out of order because uh Ms.

That's is the chair of the commission, so I think she's in the strongest position to test to speak to these items.

So I would ask that item eleven be taken out of order.

Thank you, Alderman.

Hey, hang on, we do have a motion on the floor, Baldwin Ms.

Ayller, for the um confirmation of Mark Chambers.

Uh do we have any objections to that?

Hearing none, so ordered.

Um item 11, file number 260127.

Reappointment of Corizetz to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District by the mayor.

Good morning.

Good morning, Alderman.

Um, yes, I've I'm uh currently serving on the commission.

I became chair in January.

Um I will say that the commission's role really is to be oversight of the district and policy finance personnel operations, which includes the operator of its plants, um, until recently, we did not know of any um know of these allegations of of mismanagement.

Um I take responsibility for um I apologize for um maybe uh reacting a little emotionally to a friend coming forward with those allegations and rather to the commission.

But now that we have seen those details, uh we have initiated steps to um begin an independent uh third party performance audit.

Um that will be overseen by the commission, and that is um being that uh audit will be overseen by uh member of the commission.

Has that audit term been selected?

Uh, if not it has not alternative bowman, but I will say this.

Um just speaking from my seniorship on the commission, um, and the tactics um of one organization that um bring forth things, um, we will make a decision as a collective for um anybody we're not going to go with we would hear recommendations, we will you know take them under consideration, but we do not have to abide by any recommendations um from any organization, honestly, um, that go in as an independent body, obviously elected by or selected and confirmed by members of this committee and also the council.

Um, you know, I will say that you know, during my time I learned so much on the district.

Um, we have some challenging times on the district, especially with those historic floods.

I've been me being the most severely impacted throughout the city on both floods, that's true.

So speaking from direct knowledge uh of what's going on, um, I will say that the staff at the at the district has done a fantastic job at doing monthly audits.

We hear it at the commission every other week, every other two weeks, um, about monthly audits throughout both locations, Jones Island and uh South Shore.

Um, so when we heard the situation when we heard about the allegations and we heard these um whistleblowers that came forth, you know, we we we took it for what it is.

It's allegations.

We needed facts, we asked for facts and initially.

It wasn't being forthcoming, they wanted to do it their way, which is their own prerogative, and they're right.

Um, but now that we have it, now we could take the information that was provided to us finally, um, and uh move accordingly.

And I have great confidence in the staff um within the district that we will um identify whatever concerns that is come up from any allegations and if they are deemed baseless or they can't find it, we will report that out as well.

Well, I think it's very important, at least from my perspective, having served on the commission as well for one year until I was unceremoniously removed.

But in any event, uh I think it's important that there is an independent review, and even more important than that that it appears to be independent to the court of public opinion.

And what is gonna be the process for selecting the reviewer or auditor or auditing firm?

Is our RFP going out, request for qualification going out?

I mean, how what's the process to select an entity to do the review?

How much time is it gonna take?

And does this affect the time schedule for deciding the contract between Violia and the competitor competing firm?

So I'm sorry, so um, you know, the for the contract selecting uh we don't we're not we don't have anything to do with the contract selecting this uh additional ad hoc committee that is compar comprised of former present former chairs I believe of the district um that are looking at metrics from both uh competitors who are competing for the contract.

But you'll ultimately approve we will ultimately approve and we have a timeline that is scheduled for September.

That's what I think.

Um yeah, so it's scheduled for September.

Um honestly from what we're hearing that it could possibly be moved up, but we're we're kind of staying on track with the schedule for September.

We think it's fair, we think that's what we put out for the community, and we're gonna stick by what is going on with um to the process.

However, um, I think for any audit, it's gonna take time to your point.

You bring in the R you want to do an RFP.

We're at the end of May right now.

So we're at the end of May.

If we do RFP, RP gonna be at least 30 days, which gonna take you to June.

You know, you're gonna do contractual, you know, agreements, which will take you probably to about the middle of July, and then they can get to start going on there for August, and then what we're gonna hear the result and then make a decision.

I just think that's not I I personally don't think it's reasonable to have um those expectations.

That that's just me and I'm speaking for myself.

Um, but you know, but if the if the if the um if we can find some in an expedite matter and get the results done, I think we will make that choice to do that.

But sorry.

Go ahead.

President Perez, I just want to get in the queue.

Yeah.

Okay.

I I guess I just want to speak to um that I understand and I appreciate your insight being on the commission for a year.

I also served three years on the commission, so I'll I know the from a commissioner standpoint what that looks like.

Um it was under different administration, but I served three years.

I guess my point is is that I want to be clear that an audit being done um will not happen likely before you select one of the two vendors in place, and then for me, what uh because I think all the men bombed said it very eloquently about the issues at hand and really putting them to bed, whether they're true or not.

And for me, my decision um anything MMSC related is going to be uh how independent this audit is because in the end if MMSD is overseeing this audit to me, it is an independent, and it has to be completely removed from MMSD in order to put everyone's um kind of fears or questions or doubt to put them the rest, it has to be completely independent.

That'll weigh on my decision.

Thank you.

With anything related, and with all due respect to any of the candidates, including my colleagues, I just think I I for me I I want to know that this is gonna be a very independent audit, so that um no one has any influence on this at all.

Yeah, we um I did talk with the executive director at length about this yesterday.

Um there are to your question, there there are firms who do this who work in wastewater um uh it would be within the budget authority of the executive director to execute a contract.

Um I drafted some language for our June meeting to bring this to the commission.

The audit should be paid for by MMSD.

It will need to be paid but overseen by the commission, which is an independent body um appointed by seven members from from this common council and four from the ICC.

So that that is the independent oversight of um of the audit, and then those audit findings, just like all of MMSD records, um, are our public record.

I think timing is critical, and I think to that point, like our decision is in September, and I want to make sure as is part of this oversight body that our communities that we represent 29 municipalities have faith in this district, that we are I mean, we are globally recognized as a as a water reclamation and water stewardship district.

We have a incredible track record of performance, but the community trust is imperative, believing in that we are doing good work and not responsible for undue harm to the community or our waterways.

And so having an independent audit start in advance have I mean in an audit that it could just be part of best practice in in doing that.

The um regular audits are part of the new contract going forward.

So future um whoever wins this contract in September will be required to do three year uh regular independent performance audits.

So getting that practice in place now, making sure that that is um that there's community trust.

I think at a time where we have experienced such historic flooding, two in one year where residents are impacted, um, it's in a really profound way.

It's important that we are working together to ensure that there's trust in this district to maintain our water resources.

So we will come out the commission will oversee that audit and that will be uh public responsibility.

Just to be clear on your answer, you're saying that the audit is it the priority of the audit is moving forward to have an audit regularly.

So is there an audit that's going to figure out if there's been any harm done with anything that's been talked about in the media at all or the accusations or what the whistleblowers have to say?

Yeah, we will bring uh item to the commission in uh at the June meeting to to hire uh independent third party auditor, um, with the goal of having that audit be completed before the September decision.

Okay.

What's the magic if I made Mr.

Chair?

What's the magic of September?

I mean, is there a contract expiration date here?

Is uh why September?

Why not move it back so we have time to actually digest all this?

Uh it's it's been a two-year public procurement process, and this has always been the the um the timeline that was part of it.

It gives enough time.

The new contract that will go into place is significantly different than the current contract, so it gives a enough of a roadway for whoever wins the contract to prepare to take on um the maintenance of our facilities.

But why not October?

Why not November?

Um this is this is what we decided I at this point.

I think we feel confident that we can have yes, we could, absolutely, but I think at this point we we are feeling confident that we could have uh the the audit independent audit results and something enough that is uh Frankie, I don't know what's the rush and and this this hesitancy uh get the answers out there.

And if it turns out these allegations are are phony and and fabricated and motivated by people with grudges and disgruntled former employees, fine that then that's established beyond a reasonable doubt.

Again, it's not only important to get the audit right, but then it appears to be f independent.

I and right now I'm not having confidence.

Or about I would provide some contract if I may.

Um we hire our independent law firm out of Madison.

Some a company of MSD maybe interacted with once in the past 10, 15 years.

Never hired.

Never hired a law firm.

We voted on it.

We were very intentional on the law firm that we hired to handle uh allegation as far as that who handled communication with say a group.

And say a group said, nope, we don't want to hear from you because you were hired by MMSD.

We have to be reasonable when we have these discussions.

We have to be reasonable when we have these type of things.

Asking for a legislative reference bureau or the state to to do an independent audit, that's unreasonable right now when we have a timeline that's extremely unreasonable that's not saying that we're not committed to doing that so I think when we when we have these conversations we have to be realistic when we're doing this extremely realistic.

Right now we're just throwing fallacies now everything that you're saying everything that's going on we take everything seriously on that commission we're not sugar coating this we're not looking at it just passing by or anything of that nature but there have to be some they have to be some reasonable discussions and not just want to be one sided.

Right now it's looking real one sided and they don't like what they hear not in public it doesn't look one side at this point.

Public we all look bad we we're elected officials so I mean you know I mean I'm dealing with other stuff too less bad if possible but yeah no but but I I say this with all sincerity we take we take everything that has been brought to us with the level of seriousness as seriousness can get we have a responsibility to the public as you mentioned on the bowman to do what's right for our residents and I think we are doing that.

Okay can I can you guys serve for fixed terms for your terms is that right for your terms do you serve until your replacement has been announced so there'd be no consequence to holding these files I guess the answer is there would be no consequence so I I don't know that answer.

Yeah.

So I would uh move to reconsider item seven and then I will move at the appropriate time to hold item eight nine ten eleven okay the motion on the floor by Alderman Bauman is to hold item eleven are there any objections to that motion hearing on so order uh alderman Bauman has made a motion to reconsider item seven are there any objections to that hearing on so ordered we'll get hold uh alderman bowman has made a motion to hold item seven any objections hearing none so ordered item eight two six zero one two four reappointment of Alderwoman Malele Cox at a Milwaukee metropolitan sewerage district by the mayor alderman Bauman has made a motion to hold any objections hearing none so ordered item nine reappointment of representative Caitlin Hayward the second to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor motion by Alderman Bowman is to hold any objections hearing none so ordered oh alder woman Malayle Cox I was trying to talk earlier good morning.

We can't hear you alder woman cox we cannot hear you maybe try hanging up and call it back uh Aldermanis.

Well I mean I don't have anything to add on these items um but I also tried to speak earlier couldn't hear me maybe it's uh put on your on your traffic technical we saw you there but we didn't saw you thanks for trying though for efforts controller yeah okay um while we wait for alderman alderman Brouwer are you talking we can't hear you either hang on technical assistance is here.

Alderman Brow are you there?

Hang on one second.

Alderman Brouwer.

Are you able to hear me?

Yes, now we can.

Okay.

Yeah, sorry.

I had a technical issue on my end just for a few these past few moments, but I was I was trying to speak earlier on an item and I wasn't able to be heard.

So I don't know actually that dude and then their technical issue.

I'm not sure where we're on the agenda.

It was on our end.

Sorry, Alderman Brouwer.

Okay, yeah, okay.

Um I guess maybe Mr.

Chair, you could let me know where we are in the agenda.

And then I I did cut out myself as well.

So we we're in the middle of holding all the uh reappointments for the sewage district.

Uh but if you have a comment, go right ahead.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you so much.

And thanks for allowing me to speak, and I appreciate channel 25 fixing the issue that we had here.

Both Malale and I were trying to get on, but uh was Alderman Cars able to speak as well.

She has not.

Um I think she's trying to sign back one.

Okay, I believe she was trying to say something as well when the items were being held.

So okay, thank you thank you so much.

I'll just move on to my comments here.

Um first of all, I'll just I'll just say broadly that you know from what I'm hearing from the folks who are um looking to be reappointed.

I do appreciate you guys being diligent on this.

This is a huge issue.

There it's a it's a lot of allegations of mismanagement here.

So thank you for taking it seriously.

I do I do really appreciate that.

Thank you for taking it seriously.

Thank you for um you know working diligently here.

I guess like my comments would be that I mean kind of just this like that the timing issue of this is concerning, and I I would kind of echo some of what Alderman Bauman said would just be concerned with um, you know, if we're are we moving too fast on the you know reauthorization or excuse me the um getting a new operator in place um by September that doesn't allow us to properly evaluate our current operator, which we you know still isn't a consideration to my knowledge for um the chance to be an operator.

I specifically did have a question for some of the appointees, um, and maybe my office needs to do a follow-up to get some of these contacts, but in the process of this, in the process of replacing the operator, um, what is the status of the workers there on the ground?

I I'm on the understanding that they do have a unique contract.

Would this just kick in the successor agreement, or are we talking if we switch operators?

What are the implications for the workers that are employed by that operator?

Um and then I just would echo, and maybe this was already covered in the time when I was um had a technical issue, but you know, is there a ch you know, when you guys do this audit, are we going to be able to, you know, have a full proper review of things before we choose a new operator?

Because this could be disqualifying for the current operator as well.

If you get to get a chance to answer those questions, thank you.

Thank you, Alderman Brouwer.

Um, yes, the if your first question about the employees, there are multiple unions who are running the plants in the conveyance system currently, and those would um they those would transfer if it was a different operator selected in the procurement process.

Um obviously if uh if there are if there is a change in operator um management level staff would would change there would be some changes regardless because the new contract is is structured differently, but the majority of the employees, those union employees would stay with um in operations.

Uh and then yes, like if if um the results of any independent audit is would be public record.

Um and to Alderman Bauman's point, um at this point we are feeling uh optimistic about getting this started uh in June and having the summer.

Um should there be reason to delay that option is always available to us, but at this point we're still feeling optimistic about being able to make an informed decision by September.

Um and again, if if there are reasons for delay, that option is open to us as the commission, but at um we're not moving to change that time frame at this point.

Mr.

Chair.

Yes, sir.

Okay, yeah, thank you.

Just uh just a follow up question.

Thank you that that's clear that's clarifying.

Um I guess maybe or maybe colleagues can inform me.

I I have seen as well the call for the legislative audit bureau to specifically conduct this audit.

I mean I'm just generally curious because I haven't got the chance to dive in as much as I want on this.

Is there a specific reason they're calling for the legislative audit bureau?

I mean there are standards that auditors you know use there's a trade association for auditors.

There are you know generally accepted standards that auditors use um you know for this so I would be I'm a little bit confused about why there's a call and maybe please enlighten me anybody why there's a call specifically for the legislative audit bureau when there are audit standards that cut across the you know the auditing industry broadly and if we do hire an independent firm they in theory would practice the same standards of audit that would be used by the legislative audit bureau.

So is anybody able to enlighten me about what they've been hearing here.

Well I I have third level hearsay to the effect that the legislative audit bureau uh doesn't have the resources right now to conduct an audit of this scale on the time frame being contemplated.

In other words they're short staffed do we know the reason that there the call is specifically for legislative audit bureau.

Is that just because that's a familiar entity to some other elected or A familiar B credible and C free of charge.

Okay that that makes sense to me I'm I'm wondering you know for MMSD I'll ask a question from MSD and then I'll make another comment for MSD um what is the budget what are we looking at as far as what we're you know looking to allocate um and I'll just you know broadly say that I you know to my knowledge there are a lot of independent firms that operate very reputably and professionally that um would follow you know auditing standards that are standard for you know the um the audit industry and so I guess you know from my knowledge of that of that situation I don't see a reason to specifically use the legislative audit bureau that we can hire an independent firm um that's reputable to um conduct this it doesn't necessarily have to be uh the legislative audit bureau um but maybe you could you could comment on that I'd be curious to remember this the FMSD appointees you know what the plan is as far as budgeting for this um and the and that sort of thing thank you yeah thank you Alderman Brauer um so two pieces one um there is a planned conditions assessment already planned for happening next year as part of standard practice for when a new contract goes in place we would uh assess the conditions of the plans so that starting with a new contract we know the condition of all of our facilities and that is clear to the operator um that we can move up and have that be completed a little earlier um I don't know that budget uh off the top of my head but I know that is already part of MMSD's budgeting for the for the next year um and as for the actual audit that would be a uh scoped as a task order um so with different pieces to look into I think the the we've identified some of those task orders already um what we've been receiving lately is just giving a little more definition to that and so that could be an hourly wage we don't or an hourly rate we don't uh have a a set budget yet but um that would be part of our uh approval process so sorry I can't I can't quite speak to a actual number right now but do you have any comments about why the there's a call for the legislative audit bureau to conduct this I do not I do not know the reason why okay um no that's that's fair and I and I appreciate that I mean I think perhaps we could actually the MSD would be benefited by going with a non-governmental audit firm to increase confidence in the public.

This is not just a, you know, the government in Madison looking at the government walkie that it's an actual independent firm that, you know, independently audits, you know, other corporations and operations for other private entities.

I think that could potentially increase confidence from the public is one of my um things, but I could be missing something here, but um thank you.

Those are those are my comments and I think there are there are firms who uh specifically audit wastewater and water treatment facilities.

And then again, that was part of our intention in previously looking for an attorney to do more of the um HR, to really look into HR practices.

Thank you.

Uh we're gonna go to item.

Item ten, uh two six zero one two six reappointment of Julia Taylor to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Swords issue by the mayor.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is to hold.

Any objections?

Hearing non soul order.

At the request of the chair, we will take a ten minute break.

Thank you.

I think that the end of the thing is that the building can do that.

Doing one more than that.

Um, I have uh, only the uh, I think that's what we're gonna do.

Um, um, um, um, the um, uh, um, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, um, uh, I'm gonna go to the Yes, um, we're gonna reconvene this public works uh meeting.

Uh Alderman Um bombing.

Yeah, madam Chair, I'd like to reconsider items seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven.

So we'll start with seven.

I move to reconsider item seven.

Uh the motion by Alderman Bauman is reconsideration for seven, eight, nine, and through eleven.

Um, are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing um, soul order.

Um item seven um is in front of us.

Um, do we have a motion?

I will confirmation.

The the motion by I mean bombing is uh confirmation, hearing an objection, so order.

Um, yes.

Um you did um reconsider all of them.

But she got it.

Okay.

Uh item 8.

Two six zero one through four reappointment of Alder Woman Milleley Cox.

Can I say A?

Cox.

To the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewards District by the mayor.

What's the confirmation?

Uh motion by Alder Woman Taylor is confirmation, any objections.

I'm saying.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, just want to remark that you know I I intend to support these because we need this board to continue to move forward and do its work, uh the important work here, but I do want to say that um you know, we need to hold MSD board and MSD and the operator to the highest of standards.

Um and make sure that the things the operations there are you know fully independently verified as being um in line with what we expect from any public operator.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chair?

Yes, yes, ma'am.

Um I'm obstacle, of course, because it's me.

Um, but I just want to publicly say I'm committed, uh, to making sure that that happens and that'll be demonstrated through my votes um on committee.

I believe the board is too, but I can speak uh for sure for myself.

Um, I definitely uh want to make sure that we are great stewards of the public trust and can continue the great work that I know M MMSD does.

Thank you.

Did someone make a motion?

Um Taylor.

Taylor.

Uh motion by Ottawa Taylor is confirmation with one abstention.

Uh here are no objections or are there any objections?

Hear none, so ordered.

Uh item number nine, file number two six zero one two five.

Uh, do we have the confirmation of so representative Kayla Night with the second?

Do we have um a motion?

Well I move for confirmation.

The motion by Audible Man Taylor's confirmation.

Are there any objections to the motion?

Um, hearing one objection, uh the motion uh passes.

Um item number 10, file number two six zero one two six reappointment of Julia Taylor to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District by the Mayor.

We have a motion.

I move for confirmation.

The motion by Auditor Women Taylor's confirmation.

Are there any objections to that motion?

I object.

Hearing one objection, the motion passes.

Item number 11, file number two six zero one two seven.

Reappointment of Corinth's to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Institute District by the Mayor.

Are there um can I get a motion?

I move for confirmation.

Are there any objections to their motion?

I object.

Hearing one, um, the motion passes.

Um item number twelve, file number two, six zero zero five one resolution authorizing an easement with Wisconsin Electric Power Company on City of Milwaukee property at 823 South 4th Street in the 12th Automatic District.

Um this you want to speak.

This is sponsored by Ottoman Perez.

Did you want to speak on it at all before we hold it?

Well, um, I'm a little confused because this did come up and uh I had a conversation with DCD and I just wanted um verification that the easement and the work by Wisconsin Electric Power would not disturb there's an underground tunnel that uh view elementary school uses every day to get across National Avenue and uh as far as I know I haven't heard back that uh it wouldn't be disturbed, so I I guess I could hold this until I get confirmation that the work they'll be doing doesn't because they use the tunnel twice a day to cross National Avenue.

We'll get hold caller chair.

Uh the much of my autumn bombing is to hold to the call of the chair.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none so ordered.

Item number 13, final 260147.

Communication relating to the permit process for parklets, sidewalk area dining facilities, and the active streets for business program.

This is sponsored by Ottawa Perez.

Yeah, thank you, uh Madam Chair.

I wanted to get a communication out ahead of time.

Um we've been working for some time to restructure the approval permitting process and approval for the parklets.

Um every block is different, every neighborhood is different, every commercial corridor is a little different.

And um at the moment um DPW through the Active Streets program from COVID has the ability to review and approve.

And um, after some long debate and discussion through the city attorney's office, DPW, um we believe that the best opportunity for this will be to the best process for this will be for it to be an extension of premise and go through licensing so that notice can go out to neighbors uh when they do, and then uh nearby stakeholders can chime in and uh then have a process to support um maybe object to and or have a conversation to figure out uh some of the issues and resolve those as needed.

And I have uh licensing here that could talk a little bit in DPW can talk a little bit about what that looks like.

Um I wish the legislation would have been ready by today, but it wasn't, and in lieu of uh the file not being filled and ready, we wanted to get uh conversation going so that uh as we move forward, people are one aware, and maybe they come up with questions, suggestions, or concerns that we can take into consideration as we fine-tune the legislation.

How many uh park lets and how many of these type of approvals have uh DPW given at this point?

Do we know?

I'm more than Madam Chair, James Washington, Public Works Coordination Manager.

I don't have the exact number, um, it's about 82, I believe, for the sidewalk cafes for this year.

And there's about um about 22 for the active streets and park lists combined.

Do you have a breakdown by districts?

I can provide that.

Yeah, if you could please tell the committee.

What was that total number again?

There's about I believe there's eighty-two sidewalk cafes for this year, and um there's about twenty-two parklets and active streets combined.

Okay, if or take.

Part of this came up as um the DPW approval process would provide these permits, and people put up the parklets, and um I had uh some feedback and some uh objections in communities about um limited uh parking in areas and commercial corridors that the parklets were taking part of and or uh they would be up year-round and then issues with um just maintenance of them for the big ones.

I apologize for the technical difficulties.

Uh Jim Cooney licensed division.

I uh there's a flow chart that's in the file that uh visualizes the license process that I think all these all US committee members are familiar with.

Um and hopefully we can get it up here on the big screen as well.

But um a potential solution for this uh is to leverage the sidewalk dining permit process that we already use.

Um move the parklets, which are the elevated structures on the street along with the active street for business installations, which are the tables and chairs on the roadway surface protected by jersey barriers or other um other uh protective measures into that section, and then when an application is received in the clerk's office, uh 90% of the time a new application comes in with a liquor license application.

So we're already sending notice out to neighbors within a two hundred and fifty foot radius of the proposed establishment.

Uh we would propose to um make that notice requirement standard just across all sidewalk dining and parklet applications.

Um the application contains a couple of things, a plan of operation, which will include things such as the hours of operation, uh plan to keep the area tidy, um, free of litter, uh quiet, you know, things like noise mitigation security.

Uh it also includes a uh drawing of the proposed layout, which we refer to DPW for their review.

I'm sure James can speak to what they do uh with that part of it.

Uh additionally we refer to DNS and health department to uh verify that there's occupancy for the adjoining business as well as health with any kind of food preparation.

Um those three referrals all happen on a parallel track after the notice goes out.

Uh we get the reports back from the departments within two weeks, which gives two weeks, at least two weeks worth of notice for neighbors to um provide any feedback, and then we would follow up with uh the local members to see if they've received any objections.

Um if not, we can issue the license.

If so, schedule it for licenses committee and deal with the objections there.

And then for renewals, if we get objections to the operation throughout the uh license period, we would refer them to the committee as we normally do.

And I apologize that the visual is not working.

It is in your iPads and it is in the file, but happy to answer any questions.

What's the hold-up of the legislation?

It sounds pretty clear.

So it is a complete revamping of all of these programs.

So the sidewalk uh banning cafe program has been in place since at least before 2010.

Um, and that is a complete and comprehensive um ordinance um in chapter 115.

Um, but the other two programs, so the parklets began in 2015.

Um it is kind of a very abbreviated um ordinance.

There's a lot of information that's not in there.

Um, as you're aware, the active streets for business program began um in 2020 during COVID, and that's not an ordinance at all.

That's in um it's just a resolution that we renew every year.

So there is quite a bit of um refining, especially considering that the sidewalk dining cafes are on the sidewalk.

The other two programs are in the street, so there's a lot more um consideration just considering um the hazards because now you're where cards are supposed to be.

Um so all those things are now um we're we're working on now.

Um so the delay was um by the time we got to November of last year.

Because this was a complete overhaul, we didn't want to rush this through and not give um businesses an opportunity, um, you know one for planning and for um financial planning too and also for uh just the renewed process.

We figured uh there wasn't an urgency at the time, so we said that you know this is late in the year, we'll uh hold this off for 2027 for the beginning of that year.

So I get um the shift from um the one the parts of them that are just approved by DPW to allow for neighborhood and other um issues that licensing would generally um take into consideration to be considered.

But I guess as I'm thinking about it, especially the in the street part.

Um do you envision uh Mr.

Coney the way that this could likely go and maybe the sponsor?

That the DPW considerations would also be part of the decision making as well.

I do, yeah.

And there's there's already an element of that within the sidewalk dining um permitting process.

Uh the thing that sticks out to my mind is ensuring that there's ADA compliance so that you know at least five feet of clearance.

Uh and I'm sure that there are other technical considerations probably with lighting, fire hydrants, uh, other fixtures that the you know are needed for the operation of the city.

Um those are drawing requirement currently requires that those are displayed on those.

Uh we forwarded a DPW and then I'll just say they do their thing um to ensure that that that drawing fits within the streetscape.

Madam Chair, it's it's mostly on the technical side, because right now they're the approval process.

Right.

So it we we do um expect them to participate, but it's very much on the technical side of all the things they need to do to make it safe and uh amenable to the street around, but the actual approval process will then be licensing.

Do you anticipate there being requirements as far as um like the materials you use or like uh whether or not there's a I'm thinking in the street stuff.

Um is there currently?

Yes, there is currently.

So again, we have uh guidelines for Act of Streets for Business programs so again it's not part of ordinance, so it's not codified, but we do have those guidelines.

Okay.

Since we got it working, was there more you want to go through, Mr.

Gone?

Uh I ran through the whole flow chart, but I'm happy to answer any questions about it.

Um I just have one that maybe we can get on the record.

So um this will just go out as a two hundred and fifty-foot notice from the applicant in a radius that people will now see that a parklet when people are saying this is a class B renewal or a new license with the parklets, it will say specifically parklets so people will know what that means.

It'll yes, so it's for new ones.

But it will say parklets, it'll define briefly what parklets are so that people understand you know what impact that could have on them and provide a method to provide.

And that it is in the public right away.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

Any questions from committee?

Yeah, brown.

Yeah, I guess overall for for the folks from licenses and public works.

Uh change like what's being proposed.

Do you believe this is gonna um help streamline everything for businesses and make it make it easier and and clearer for businesses and the public to um make these kind of things happen or share their opposition if they have it?

I can take that one.

I I think so.

Um, you know, this parklets, active streets, and uh sidewalk cafes are affiliated with restaurants and bars.

We're already handling restaurants and bars, and uh we're gonna leverage the same plan of operation that they're filling out for their restaurant or bar, it'll really condense paperwork and condense administrative burden for those applicants.

Do you have those?

Yes, well so from the DBW perspective, this does give an opportunity for um other entities to you know comment on the uh on the Park Lure active street for active active streets for business activation.

Um we would still have our DPW purpose that we would need because again, if you're occupying the street, that is something that's a little bit more um, you know, there's more liability there than occupying the sidewalk.

Um yeah, that's pretty much it, yeah.

Thank you guys.

Thank you all.

Any other questions from the uh if there are no other questions we could uh place on file unless the sponsor wanted to do something different?

Is placement on the right with you, Honorable Perez?

Pardon me?

It's placing on file on the uh the motion by Auderman Brower is to place on file.

Are there any objections to their motion?

Hearing that so order item number 14, pond number two five zero zero eight six substitute resolution assigning the honorary street name John J Williams to North 14th Street from West Capital Drive.

I'm sorry, I think we may have some continued technical difficulties here.

Um, thank you.

Yeah.

Um to West Isle of Street in the first automatic district.

Um, um it's all the time.

Oh, that's something I got to do to restart.

Well, we don't need that for this file, do we?

Yes, yeah.

PowerPoint.

We should use um right now we need a PowerPoint, you need to go to it right now.

No is it go to anything?

Go to no one's in there.

It may be in a minute, though.

Okay, well, we can do it.

I decided to do an update before we're getting to the knowledge cloud.

Computers, they're great, aren't they?

Um, we have to do I do wanna get that.

While that's restarting, I know this is the first automatic district.

Um I know Art of Man Pratt will probably join us virtually.

So Arteman Bama would move to hold so that's done.

And then restarting.

Um objections to that motion.

Hearing not so ordered.

We'll call you back up in just a minute.

Okay.

Um item number 15, file number 252170.

Communication from the Department of Public Works relating to its performance and securing funding for infrastructure projects in the previous biennial budget and prospects for such funding in the future.

This is sponsored by Audre Member Gailey.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh this is in response to finding and identifying and understanding how much we're investing in our local roads.

Uh the state has a uh large sum of money, five hundred and forty-six million dollars in the last budget that they distribute for road projects.

The city of Milwaukee gets contributed contributes about 10% of that total to the fund by paying vehicle registration fees, fuel tax, EV fees.

But Milwaukee gets about 5% of that total back in revenue state aids for local roads.

So uh so I asked the city engineer to put together a report on how uh on what kind of funding the city does realize.

What other funding sources are available?

Are we maximizing our um uh opportunity to get those competitive dollars from the state?

Uh if we're putting in 10% of the fund and getting five percent back, that's a problem on the surface, but I want to look, see the numbers.

And we have a report from the department.

Uh that I guess will uh the PowerPoints in the file.

Um, but I uh ask City Engineer Kevin Mills to talk us through.

Sure, absolutely.

So uh as the Alderman just noted.

Uh, we do have a link in the file.

Um, it's also a PowerPoint presentation that we can share, but I primarily this essentially is the form of the report just because as I was putting together a written report, um, it turned into a series of bulleted lists, and that to me just lends itself to more of a PowerPoint presentation.

So that was the approach I took.

Um I'm happy to you know go through it, and you can look at the AIDS if it's helpful to you, but it is a lot of text, so it's actually a very bad PowerPoint.

Um so as the alderman said, uh he requested a review of um uh where we are on uh obtaining funds back from the state.

Um, most of this is actually uh a federal summary that I wanted to provide, primarily because that is our big opportunity that we take advantage of as a city.

Um there are few opportunities to directly access state funds.

Um it's just not how our transportation funding uh framework in Wisconsin is set up.

Um, so first uh page uh first two pages really of the presentation after the title slide are going through um uh just briefly summarizing the memo also requested from Alderman Bergellis last year on where we are on our roads uh in Milwaukee and the funding situation.

Um the big takeaways are that generally speaking, our arterials and our minor and major arterials, which are the busiest streets in the city, continue to improve uh in average condition over time uh as we do these major reconstruction resurfacing projects across the city, many of which are under construction right now and have been for several years now.

Uh, the main reason that that we've been able to do that is that there are a fair number of federal grant opportunities that we've availed ourselves of at the department and as a city to uh to improve those things.

Um, however, the collectors and local roads uh continue to either hold steady or in the case of local roads decline, um, and that is because essentially local roads are not eligible for federal money, and the state resources dedicated to local roads are very, very slim.

Um so that's that's basically the headline from that that memo.

I'm sorry, sorry to interrupt.

When you say slim for local road funding, yeah, um we got like a million dollars for every other year.

Oh, one million dollars every other year.

And how much does the state state contribute to their local road program?

Um so statewide, the local road program.

Uh there's two different buckets, um, well, three technically speaking, but um uh the the there's an entitlement program, that's where we get our million dollars every two years.

Um every two years the state puts about that's where the the state gives seventy-two million dollars to each county equally, each county gets a million dollars.

Um it's so it's making it fair so that each county gets one million dollars no matter their population, no matter their roads, no matter their need.

It doesn't exactly uh work like that, but it does work out very similar to that.

So um there's 38.6 million that goes into this entitlement program.

We get a million of that 38.6 of the 38.6, 10.7, so 11 of the 39 goes to municipalities.

So all cities and villages across the state are in that pool of 11 million.

That is distributed by population and by lane mileage.

Um so that is a reasonable formula.

I think where you could probably pick an argument with that formula, though, is the very small subsection of the 38.6 that goes to municipalities, and then also um, well, whether that 38.6 is a reasonable number given who owns most of the roads uh in the state, which is not not the state.

Um so that's the entitlement program.

There's another 140 million in the current state budget that goes to discretionary and supplemental, which is competitively awarded.

Um we do we did win um actually our very first um competitive uh local road project this year, um, another 900,000 um uh for a collector uh to get reconstructed on Keith Avenue between Tetonia and Eighth.

Um, and so uh that's our our first success on that.

This supplemental program is relatively new.

Um I will say that to your point, Alderman.

About this, generally speaking, they they say right in the guidelines for awarding those that they seek geographic diversity, and that generally speaking, they prefer to award um uh you know no more than one project in this competitive program to any single municipality, which puts us at a significant disadvantage and doesn't reflect, of course, our ownership of relative share of roads compared to other locations across the state.

Or population, yep.

Yep.

So uh so that's so there's 140 million that goes into this competitive program in the local road improvement program, 33 of that, 134 of that 139 million uh is available to cities and villages.

So again, the formula is is oriented towards towns and counties rather than cities and villages, and this is pretty consistent with most state programs in general.

So just to interrupt again, I'm sorry.

Who makes that formula?

Is it the governor?

Is it it's it's in it's in the state budget, it's a legislative and statutes, yeah.

So the state legislature could correct this, of course, yeah.

We'll put it in that for November.

Sure.

Thank you.

Um the remainder of uh what is included in this, um, you know, I don't need to go through all of this uh because I recognize we've got a long agenda today, but the remainder of what's in here is discussing the other funding programs that impact our city streets from other entities other than um you know local government, obviously.

Um I did want to highlight uh uh page six, the state highway rehabilitation program.

The reason I wanted to highlight that is that is the program that WISTOT uses to invest in state trunk highways and connecting highways um in the city, and that is a um a rare uh ray of light uh and brightness in this entire situation, which is that um the current administration at the State Department of Transportation has invested pretty heavily and is planning to invest even more heavily in connecting highways within the city.

Um, this is a significant sea change from what we saw more than 10 years ago.

Um, and so there are many, many projects um under construction like National Avenue, um, uh, but also um many future projects that are in the pipeline of design right now uh to to end results being a resurfacing or reconstruct, but again, this is going to be the arterials, so it's not going to uh reach the local roads um across the city.

Um that is something that the State Department of Transportation controls, and they are choosing to invest um in the roads in Milwaukee as part of that program.

And this will be my last interruption, so thank you, Kevin.

The there are a number of significant projects going on.

Um, you mentioned you just mentioned National Avenue.

Um 27th Street is also shut down because of the I-94 East West Project.

The 16th Street Bridge had some emergency repairs.

Um the um the East West Project also has shut down 60th Street North South.

Uh so we're left with 35th Street and 6th Street, uh, one lane on 6th Street, one lane on 1st Street, two and a half or three lanes on uh Brewers Boulevard or Miller Parkway.

Um, but we just heard that 35th Street is also going to get shut down for the National Avenue project.

What level of coordination does Wisst at WISTAT have amongst itself to coordinate closing down more than half of the access in the middle of our city?

Yeah.

Residents already are waiting or are spending 15 or 20 minutes to get from Lincoln to National Avenue.

Um it personally affects me quite a bit.

It affects a lot of my constituents and constituents for almost half of the alders sitting here at the table.

Closing 35th Street right now without anything else being open is going to be have a devastating effect starting next week, Tuesday.

What kind of coordination are we able to give Wisstot or what do we do?

Um has the department looked at um undoing some of the traffic colony on 6th Street to expand lanes or further west to try to get something else in 68th Street or 64th Street.

There's there's so little access and so much congestion.

Yeah.

Granted, I I recognize we have to do these infrastructure improvements.

We have to invest in our community, and we're grateful for the dollars, but we're not grateful for the lack of coordination amongst these other independent projects.

Yeah, I uh I can certainly appreciate that, Alderman.

Uh so uh couple points.

Let me clarify just on the National Avenue project piece of it just to make sure the correct information is is out, and I don't think you misspoke, but just to be specific.

Um, so what is starting on Tuesday uh is the southeast corner of 35th and national is being reconstructed as part of the National Avenue project.

That means that folks traveling northbound on 35th south of National will not be able to travel through the intersection to get to the viaduct.

So the viaduct remains open in both directions and will remain open in both directions, but people heading north on 35th will not be able to cross national to get to the viaduct.

So to get to the viaduct, you will need to be traveling west on National and make that right turn.

Um so that is uh that's specifically what's occurring and starting on Tuesday.

Um we did announce that uh last night and this morning, depending on which form of uh information you receive.

Um if it's desired, we could also send out a uh you know a specific media release highlighting this.

Um it's obviously part, hopefully it's obvious that it's part of the construction staging for the National Avenue project.

Um to the larger question on coordination, that is a significant uh challenge.

Um the uh uh we did have discussions specifically around the National Avenue project, I-94, because those are two parallel corridors.

Um we also had uh conversations around the impacts to the viaducts.

The city obviously had the 16th Street rehabilitation happening over the Monami River.

Nobody can plan for emergency work, but that complicated that project further as far as the traffic control impacts.

Um the state is reconstructing 27th Street over the freeway as part of their project.

Um, and then as you alluded to Alderman, there's further impacts on the west leg of I-94 as well on the western edge west of the stadium.

Um so that is a lot going on at once.

Um we had several conversations within WISDOT with MDPW about that.

Um the challenge that we faced within DPW is the succession of things that needed to move in place, so we we nor the state wanted to delay the National Avenue project any further.

The road is in it has it has been overdue for a while, and it is it was nearing not passable.

Um, so we determined that project had to move forward.

16th Street emergency closures and emergency closure, that wasn't part of our planning, of course, but the uh rehab over the Monami River structurally needed to happen when it had to happen.

It also had the funding opportunity within the programs later in this memo is something called the local bridge improvement assistance.

That's funding part of the 16th Street rehab.

Um, and then we discussed this with the DOT, and and they did determine that the I-94 project couldn't be delayed further either.

Um, and so that is the end result of of that is where we are today uh during this time period as we're reconstructing that quadrant of 35th and why is that why is that northbound lane why why does that entire northbound section segment have to be shut down?

Like can it can we move it over to the other side and have one lane in each direction?

We did look at that.

There is not quite enough room to remain uh to uh safely allow the various movements to occur in in the intersection.

It is a very tight intersection.

There are buildings up to the corners, particularly on the south side of the intersection.

Um but we've taken out medians before and paved over curve extensions.

Yep.

Uh it, I mean, I will go back and work with the team to verify that, but uh we did look at that very carefully.

The original plan, which although I'm in Zambaripo was aware of, is uh was actually to close the entire south half of the intersection at once, and we were able to work with the contractor to come up with this alternative which allowed us to do quadrants and will allow us to keep at least one direction open to access straight to the viaduct on 35th.

And you're not taking the median out, or you are taking the median out.

I'll have to verify that and get back to you.

So um I travel to the South Side daily.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, a child that attends school on the Southside.

Um, cloud just um 16th and uh 27th are our major.

Um what it feels like just on what I see on a daily basis is for those folks who are on the lower end or the eastern E, it pushes you to 6th Street, or potentially water street to try and go.

Um what I notice is at various times that I had that aren't normal.

Um it's highly backed up.

Uh so when my colleague Arnold Gellas mentioned about relieving some of the traffic calming measures, um, makes me think.

Is there a reason that we haven't done that for 6th Street given the likelihood of more folks using it during non-peak times?

Um, and what's stopping us from doing that?

Yeah, uh thank you, because he uh members did ask that, and I forgot to I failed to follow up.

So um, so 6th Street has two separate types of traffic calming improvements.

So there's the stretch between um canal and the roundabout, essentially, canal in Virginia, which we implemented more recently recently.

There was also a slightly older stretch between Virginia and National, and actually it extends further south there.

So the stretch south of Virginia um uh did reduce it to um one lane in each direction, um, primarily uh a speeding concern and an ability to allow parking on street parking in that area, which is a burgeoning business district.

So um that was the primary focus of that effort.

I'll be honest, we didn't consider removing that, um, partially because it's poured concrete on top of the roadway, so we would have to do some slightly more intensive work to remove it, and partially because it has been such an improvement uh in quality of life for that area.

We've heard it's you know, as many elders know our traffic calming projects can be controversial sometimes.

We've heard no negative feedback on that stretch, right?

Um we did talk about you know the the part with the jersey barriers with the concrete barriers that could be moved back um between canal and and the roundabout.

Um I think our primary concern, and I guess we're open to reevaluating that if there's a lot of feedback.

Our primary concern on that was that without the additional capacity south of Virginia, you're not doing much to improve the situation.

And we were actually a little worried that with six being shrunk south of Virginia, you would actually shove a lot of traffic onto Virginia and onto fifth, which again are then more neighborhood and business streets that bear the brunt of too much traffic getting through at once.

We'd rather it be spaced out.

Um, and then as no doubt you've noticed, I certainly noticed it as well when I use these streets, the delay from that narrowing um happens, you know, into downtown and over the viaduct, right?

North of canal and into downtown, which if we're going to have a lot of congestion, those are places we would rather have that level of congestion than on neighborhood and and smaller business streets.

So that's that's kind of the balancing act.

Um the other thing I will note, and obviously President Prez just stood up, but um the reason we did that project was we were seeing a lot of drag racing southbound over the viaduct on six or over the bridges on Sixth Street.

There were cars leaving the road.

They were running into businesses, they were it was impacting the ability of those businesses to have things like parklets and those types of things that we talked about, where because people didn't feel comfortable because they're afraid a car would crash through.

So that was that was a very defined safety project that we did, and I guess we would be concerned that although it would relieve the congestion issues you mentioned during the day, it would lead to a return of those nighttime activities that were were pretty pretty substantially challenging.

So that was that's so and I guess I just want to reiterate where I started on that, which is I don't think this is like obviously one way or another.

So if we do get a lot of feedback, um, then on that the preferences to focus on dealing with this congestion, we can evaluate that again.

So thank you.

That's a rational process.

What is the schedule for 16th Street?

For uh so the the bridge itself is still unscheduled to reopen um ended up end of October, early November.

That's been the original schedule for storm.

Uh that would be the full bridge.

Okay.

Um the steel repairs, the latest announced is end of July.

So, okay, very good.

Yeah.

But I think to although there's the reroute, of course, that you know well, Alderman that uses Ember Lane.

I think if we're really talking about adding capacity, we're really talking about reopening the entire viaduct.

Yeah.

So I don't want to say more.

Oh, thank you so much.

Um I was just gonna ask that same question regarding national.

It was over the area and it took 30 minutes to get from 6th street all the way down to 43rd street before you can get on the next street.

So yeah, you know how long that's gonna take, and then when they will start the other side.

Sure.

Uh when it'll switch sides.

Um I will check on my check with my team and see if we've got an update on that.

I don't want to give inaccurate information to you.

Um the westbound configuration we have right now is is the current stage as we rebuild the south half of the street.

Um the whole project itself is expected to run through around Thanksgiving through the end of construction season, yeah.

And that'll be from 27th to 39th.

Um so that should be open to traffic unless things go wrong, that should be fully open to traffic again uh, you know, by the end of this year.

Um, but then we are doing um first to eleventh next year on National Avenue.

So we're switching to the far east end of the project next year.

Thank you.

Any other questions on committee?

Um, I don't remember.

Yeah, thank you.

Um so uh so the total investment from the city for roads, big big umbrella, right?

Is somewhere around 60 million dollars a year.

Um is that going to incrementally that huge that number is that going to incrementally improve our the average condition of roadways in our community, or is sixty million dollars?

We're uh we're your report from May of last year requires uh seven hundred and ninety-two million dollars to fix all of the roads in the city.

Um and sixty million dollars puts us on a what twelve, thirteen year time frame for yeah, thank you.

So the 60 million estimate is to tread water, so that is the average condition of the road stays the same.

So we are treading water on the average condition with our current investment.

So we're not improving anything from on that, no, and the biggest challenge is local roads because that's continuing to decline without additional resources.

So the the resources that we are able to access from the state and from the Fed, except for that $500,000 from the states uh from the legislature each year, that's all local tax levy.

Yes, yeah, and well, and and tax income and financing in some parts of town.

Okay, and the wheel tax, right.

Uh, with the with the recent change, but we're still millions of dollars short.

Correct.

Um what's the plan?

Yeah, as we discussed last year.

I mean, I think the the most obvious plan is to go to the state and seek more resources.

Um, I think there's arguments to be made that the state is prioritizing certain types of facilities, um, and those certain types of facilities they're prioritizing may not, I would say they don't reflect what I hear um as the city engineer regarding the public's preferences for priorities, and so the legislature could choose to make different investment uh uh investment priorities if they wanted to.

So we have we have to roll the dice on the outcome of the elections in November if our roads are going to improve subs by any measurable.

I I think that is generally true.

Um, we actually discussed this I think perhaps last committee meeting with uh on the embowman um as well, that uh the administration would like to invest more in roads, but any additional local levy we put into roads is something else within our capital budget that doesn't get funded, which as all members of the committee know is a balancing act of different priorities, right?

So the overall resources available to the city to invest more in capital are limited, which means yes, the state is the obvious unit of government to help us.

Alright.

So then the the 40 ish million that um we're getting in state and federal aids, is that projected to continue?

Like are are we applying for new projects for twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty-nine?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yes, yes, actually, um that is expected to continue.

Uh it it did actually that number got a bump up under the IIJA or the bipartisan infrastructure law, depending on which acronym you use, um, which was passed under the Biden administration.

Um so we've taken advantage of that bump up to do more projects.

That's part of why the public is seeing more construction happening right now, um, because there is more investment going on.

Um, but uh that that bill actually runs out September 30th of this year.

Um so the end of the federal fiscal year for 2026 is September 30th.

Um actually just yesterday or the day before, the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee released um their proposed replacement reauthorization legislation for transportation law, which is a thing that is typically done every five or six years.

It does um seemingly relatively maintain that investment pace, um, but the details are still to be decided.

The House has to negotiate among its members, the committee has to negotiate, and then also um the Senate of course needs to contribute to their conversation as well.

So it's uh it's looking like that investment rate will stay apace, um, but maybe not increase uh with the the next transportation reauthorization.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Matt.

I don't remember how just a minor point, but I think you know, it's not a question of the state helping us.

I mean, we're not looking for charity, we're looking for a reasonable return for the taxes and fees that the Milwaukee community sends to the state.

Terms of user fees, gas tax and sales tax and income tax, and we're just looking for a return of the resources and revenues we send to the state of Wisconsin.

And number two, our road infrastructure, all of our infrastructure carries state traffic.

It's not just our citizens driving around, but it's people from the entire region that drives around and uses that infrastructure.

And so I I wish we would get away from this notion of please help us, uh, but we want we want our money back.

We want a fair return on the money that we send to the state of Wisconsin that funds their road projects up in these likely populated counties that have no resources to spend on anything.

Well, I think I just a point of context in terms of the mindset we all please state help us.

No, it's not a matter of help, it's a matter of a return on our investment and investing in the roads that carry state traffic.

Yeah.

Um uh uh uh agreed um and and acknowledged, and I apologize if I used a poor word choice there.

Uh I get it, but we've all been saying that.

We've been saying that for 30 years, 40 years, 50 years.

Help federal government, please help us.

State government, please help us.

We're the poor wayward little child over here.

No, we're we're the economic engine of the state of Wisconsin.

Yeah.

And this is uh I do want to note this is also a national conversation.

Um across the country, local governments own about 75% of the lane miles of the streets.

Um and uh even if you look at the federal aid system, which is an industry term for basically those arterials I've been talking about, uh local governments receive only about sixteen percent of the federal funding uh for the federal aid, even though we own 43% of the federal aid mileage.

So it's a it's a national and a state conversation that that's worthy to have as far as uh who's getting those resources.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um I just want to reflect, you know, earlier we're talking about you were talking about some priorities that the state, you know, Wisconsin has regarding its road spending, and you know, maybe maybe reading between the lines a little bit, but we have a situation where we're spending from what I'm seeing, you know, billions of dollars on interstates.

And this, and I don't even know how much this is costing, or I don't even I don't even know if I want to know how much it costs, because they'll pay me to hear how much the interstate widening and redo um is costing that we could have used successfully here in the city of Milwaukee for local roads or our school system or anything else that's going to improve the quality of life here, you know, for Milwaukee's rather than just another highway, which seems to be the state's priority.

I'm I don't appreciate that, especially from a so-called progressive governor.

Um, so I think you know, just all so about what Alderman Bauman said.

Like, in addition to just changing the mindset that we have, I mean, we have to have the we have to organize Milwaukee to demand what's what's ours and to demand um that we get the resources to have every single person in this city you know be fully self-actualized.

I mean, we do not have um we need to Milwaukee needs to exercise its political muscle more.

The residents of Milwaukee need to demand because it's not just roads that are suffering at the hands of misallocations and and misum guided priorities, um, or frankly racist priorities out of Madison.

Um, what it needs to happen is that Milwaukee needs to stand up and demand that it's not just our roads that get funded from the state government, it's not just that we get relief from ever increasing property taxes, it's that our schools be fully funded too.

So we don't have to just keep going to referendum after referendum, and we have teachers that can, I mean, there's a fight at the school board right now whether to have the teachers get a pay raise starting on July 1st of 1% or 2.5%.

It should be it should be a pay increase for teachers of 25%, and now that money is just misallocated resources, you know, from the state of Wisconsin.

So I really I really appreciate this being recognized in some way by the executive branch as well.

And everybody in this room should be aware, and everybody following this on TV too should be aware that you know we are really um have a huge amount of misplaced priorities.

We have tax breaks for the rich, we have more and more interstate highways, and now at the federal level too, we're looking you know, we've spent almost 40 billion dollars in our engagement with Iran.

Um, all that money could have been used, you know, here locally um and across the country and local roads.

Um so I appreciate that that this is that this should be recognized, and um, but more specifically, I have a rather random specific question because I've been asked by a few different constituents um, you know, about our different funding sources.

I'm glad Alderman Burgelas was able to outline some of them for local roads with the levy, the wheel tax, and could you just clarify if you're aware where um revenues or net revenues if any from parking citations were those where those go.

I think there is a I would just be I've been asked if you know how much are we just writing more parking tickets to fix the roads?

I mean, obviously that's not a equitable solution, but where I do I'm aware that parking services does is like self-funding, it pays for itself with the revenue generated, but where does where does net revenue go from uh from parking?

Uh I would have to defer uh because that isn't under my side of DPW, so parking service is part of our operations division.

Um so I will say I think very generally um net revenue was a question for a little while uh with especially during and and immediately after the start of COVID.

Um uh and there's been uh in order to keep parking services operating, there was a need to allocate resources actually to the parking fund.

Um so my understanding is that right now that the parking fund any net revenue is going to pay back um where the money was borrowed from that as part of that.

But I really the budget office or the operations checking out.

My recollection serves the any net revenue created by parking enforcement would go into the transportation fund correct, yes, and that and that net income it during the budget cycle is then plugged back into the general account to reduce the tax levy.

Yep, yeah, that's all correct.

It's not your it doesn't go as particular place, it's not in a lockbox, if you want to use that term of of the old days.

It's not it's not dedicated to a specific source, it's just general revenue that's used to reduce property taxes.

Yeah, that's all correct.

I just don't I don't have the current numbers of what's going on here.

I appreciate you covering that.

I think if you just make this been a big number, upwards of fifteen, eighteen million dollars, some year.

At one point, yeah.

Once upon a time, we were writing nineteen million dollars in parking tickets.

I think we're down to about twelve or fourteen now.

I would I'm not the one with the the numbers in my head.

So yeah, budgetable.

But I think that you know the point I'm trying to make with that with that question, and just uh thank you for that clarification.

Because I have gotten questions from constituents about that.

You know, where does where does that money go?

I mean, we sounds like you know there's questions on net and it goes in the general fund after the after that point.

Um but the thing that you know, I think the point that I want to make here is that like you know, our options are limited here at the city of Walkie for revenue generation.

We have to have support from the city of Wisconsin and it is, you know, the m a state income tax is uh incremented income tax, incremented progressive income tax is the most equitable way to extract you know to to have the state get the resources it needs, and then we can collect it at the state level so then you know when we get more revenue from the state, it's not just a matter of the state letting us lifting the property tax levy, which is something we should be able to do if we want to, but it's not just a matter of them lifting the property tax levy or letting us levy a local income tax, which maybe that's a future thing we could be asking the legislature for as well, um, in order to offset property taxes, but it's a matter of you know, all the state coming together pooling its money and then it being equally um based on population and need distributed throughout the state of Wisconsin, you know, so that the people so that they're therefore the people in Menominee Falls who use our roads who come to the east side who come to Bradford Beach who come to Brady Street, the people in Monomine Falls and New Berlin and even you know Madison or or Watertown who are coming over here to the east side or Bayview or coming to a brewer's game or paying their fair share for the local roads that they're using because uh I appreciated what the older one said that they are using our local roads too.

If they're visiting a friend at UWM, they're coming into the third district and they're driving on Kramer Street and continuing, you know, the the wear and tear on that road.

And um, so it does make sense that at a statewide level we're planning this and income uh generating that income there.

Thank you.

Um before our honor member guys, um committee member Tyler.

Thank you so much.

Um, so I just wanted to look at this highway improvement safety improvement uh program that you have on slide eight, and it says targeted um at locations with deadly life-changing injury crashes.

And then when I look at some of the roads that are listed down here, um Brown Deal Road isn't included.

And that is one uh when I first got here it was six um accidents there, and I believe it was I know one fatality for sure.

Um so I guess I'm just looking at how does that play into determining where the funds will be spent for improvement.

Yes, yeah, thank you, Alder Woman.

Very good question.

So um Brown Deer Road in particular is a state trunk highway.

Um so we have actually you and I had this conversation a couple years ago, I believe.

When you first became Alder Woman, we have uh historically and after that conversation, we did advocate to the state around um safety improvements.

Um I would have to check to see if they've got anything in in the pipeline on that particular stretch.

But this wouldn't be because it's state trunk highway, it's not an application the city would submit, and this list reflects the city uh cities and middles that DPW is has submitted to this program.

Yeah.

Well, when you do check, could you please let me know?

I was uh coming that way today, and there was another in the exact same space.

Yeah, another um accident.

I don't believe it was deadly this time, but I don't want to get to that point.

Yeah before we ask a question.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And uh kind of to wrap this up, uh Alder Person Joe Casters and Maripa has just announced uh and sent out a media advisory uh for a press event on the corner of 35th and National Avenue for today at 3 30 PM.

I hope you can join.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions?

Um hearing nine.

Hearing none, Arteman, um Westmoreland would move to place on file.

Hear no objections.

So order uh Arturman West um Alderman Brower would move reconsideration of item 14.

File number two five zero zero A6.

Um, isn't it?

The subsidy resolution assigned the honorary street name, John J.

Williams to North 14th Street from West Capitol Drive to West Owl Street and the first artermatic um district.

Oh, privately.

Um I know we were waiting for the update for our woman prior to join us, but in the interim, she did stop through.

Um I know she spoke with you, Miss Williams.

Yes, I think she spoke to some members as well to let us know her support, I believe, of this street name because she had a neighborhood walk to get to.

So if you want to go ahead and tell us a little bit about John J.

Williams and why he's so deserving of the street name.

I will thank you very much.

My name is Joanne Williams.

I am John J.

Williams' son.

I live at 9524 North 60th Street in Brown Ear.

53223.

John J.

Williams was the longest resident in Milwaukee on 4130 North 14th Street.

His family moved to Milwaukee in 1923.

His father, Reverend Samuel Williams, became pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.

He attended Lincoln High School, now Lincoln Center for the Arts, then worked as a Pullman porter in the kitchen on the trains that came into Milwaukee.

He graduated from Milwaukee Teachers College, now UWM, to be a high school teacher, but he could not get hired to teach in Milwaukee because MPS did not hire black teachers then, so he found a position in Oklahoma to teach high school.

He and my mother returned to Milwaukee in 1942 because her family was all still here.

They had been in Wisconsin before the Civil War.

In the 1940s, he ran his own newspaper, the Milwaukee Globe.

John Williams worked at the Tannenbaum Tannery and started the first women's softball team to build camaradi camaraderie between black and white workers.

He was the first black cab driver in Milwaukee, working for the Yellow Cab Company, then brought in black women to become drivers.

He worked in the post office here in Milwaukee as a mailman downtown on the east side.

He was promoted to supervisor and employment officer and worked there for more than 40 years.

He was recognized by the Postal Service for his helping implement the zip code in Wisconsin in 1963.

Then in 1967, he retired for the first time.

He worked for the state higher educational aids board, helping students find scholarships, and then he retired again.

He joined the Milwaukee Urban League becoming the manpower director.

He helped dozens of people find and keep jobs in and Milwaukee, in and around Milwaukee.

He believed in the power and dignity of work.

In 1959, my father helped the Milwaukee Urban League find its new executive director.

He recommended Wesley Scott.

Scott served as executive director until 1981.

In my father's obituary in 2001, Mr.

Scott said John's whole life was something that was unusual.

He was one of the soldiers, not the general, because he didn't get the credit.

He said it's a general who gets written up, but it's the soldier who wins the war.

John helped a lot of people.

While working with the Milwaukee Urban League and helping students find colleges and scholarships, he connected with Grambling State University in Brambling, Louisiana, sending Milwaukee students there for their education.

He also connected with the University of Wisconsin Plattville, encouraging other students to stay in Wisconsin and come back to Milwaukee after graduation.

Then Plattville made him an offer he couldn't refuse, so he retired again and went to the campus to get his master's degree at 70 years old.

After getting that degree in guidance and counseling, he was hired by the university to stay on campus and work with students struggling with their transitions to college life far away from home.

I sometimes run into some of those students who thanked me for my father's guidance and wisdom.

When my mother, Vita E.

Williams, passed in 1976, 78, he retired again and came back to Milwaukee.

He still volunteered for committees and causes and spent some time back at the Urban League advising students.

My father came back to Milwaukee because he knew he had more to offer.

I hope his involvement and dedication to the city will be recognized by a street name.

All right.

Are there any questions?

Um from committee from Ms.

Wyoming.

Alright, did you want to give us a look?

I'll just introduced myself.

My name is John Lee O'Brien.

I'm a survey geospatial manager with DPW infrastructure.

And previously, Central Drafting and Records had been presenting part of these IRA street names, and that's been rolled into infrastructure.

So the review of this is it's in accordance with the ordinance.

The specifics that we're unable to see because the updates running.

Um there's going to be three street signs on North 14th Street.

One at West Capitol, one at West Free Brands, and then one at West Olive.

Um the sign is going to be 16 letters.

So the font will be such that it fits the standard size that's required for that.

So from here, I guess there's a fee that's paid previous to council action on the substitute resolution.

Um, and uh I guess everything else is in good order.

Any uh, go ahead.

I don't know.

I just got comment at the appropriate time.

Okay.

Okay, cool.

Um as a as a member of Calvary Baptist Church now, currently, um, you know, my family has grew family as grown up in Calvary.

Um, we are fantastic things about Reverend Williams and um, you know, and just you, Ms.

Williams, for your contribution to our community as well for your your tireless work and dedication in the media front.

Um, you know, it is my honor that I will be supporting this motion when it comes to the council.

I don't have a vote on this committee, but I'm pretty sure, you know, there's a good chance you're gonna get through.

And uh just want to say thank you for you know, highlighting the life uh of Mr.

Williams, and um, you know, we really appreciate you and your family's contribution to the city of Milwaukee.

It's not have not been forgotten.

Um, and it will never be forgotten, obviously, with this honorary street.

So just thank you for what you're doing and really appreciate you for everything.

Thank you.

Um Calvary has a special place in my heart as well.

My mom and my family grew up going to Calvary as well.

Um any questions from committee?

With that, um, Arder Woman Taylor would move um to uh to adopt.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none, so ordered.

Thank you again, Miss Williams.

I look forward.

Let us know when there's a ceremony or something for the signs.

Yeah, I will.

All right, take care.

Thank you.

Item number 16, file number two five to 600 three three, uh, substitute resolution relating to the exploration and development of external partnerships for street maintenance.

This is sponsored by Arnold and Chambers.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and good morning again.

Um, you know, this file came about.

Um honestly I've been thinking about this for quite a while, but it kind of highlighted with the Paho legislation that we had previously.

Um we had over we had a record number of of Paho uh cause and you know, spirals in general.

Um we just want to figure out ways to how we can help expedite.

I know that the DPW have his challenges as far as hiring, have made significant leaps, but I think we need to take a little bit more strategically, think more out of the box um when um, you know, figuring out what we can do.

Um I have a file coming out in finance as well about potentially speeding up the process for like our electrical services and our street maintenance, um, so we can more so we can work more promptly um to address the concerns of the residents.

So um this legislation, quite honestly just figuring out ways whether that is engaging with organizations far as community service, teaching them far as a trade.

I know that the county have um you know, had like you know uh I'm not advocating that we let our prisoners or anything like that, but like low-level, you know, inmates come out and clean trash.

Maybe we can have them come out and fill a pothole.

Maybe we can have them come and you know, fill, you know, complete uh a speed bump uh or anything, just trying to think of creative ways where we can uh help them help us help everyone else.

So um this is the the file that my hope is that you know, Department of Public Works and also the uh Department of Compliance and Engagement and Workforce Development with Jason Thompson over there um can develop some strategies um about you know finding some creative ways of getting this done.

Thank you.

Um Madam Chair members of the committee, Kevin Munes, City Engineer, Department of Public Works, just noting that we appreciate the file and uh we'll work to deliver the information and make sure we're kind of leaving no stone unturned and attempting to get creative here.

Thank you.

Any questions for committee?

Uh uh Otterman Brown.

Yeah, thank you so much, and and thank you.

Thank you, Alderman Chambers for introducing this.

I intend to support this because I think we should be exploring every single option.

I'd just like to confirm.

I had a quick conf question to confirm and then I had uh further comments, but um for DPW or the chair, um, this doesn't this doesn't seem to have the surface, but maybe I'm missing something.

This doesn't lock us into any sort of you know, any contract or any other partnership will come for before this body and potentially find some personnel before it goes forward.

That's correct.

No, no, yeah.

So again, this is just this is just the start of just trying to find ways.

I know that probably in the past we looked at some of the things that just probably just restart it.

I know the county has, you know, to use inmates in the county jail to clean up the the highways uh and trash and stuff.

So it's starting that in the file that I have in finance is more geared towards um speeding up the hiring process for not for this, but for you know, DPW because I think we're short about 35 electricians and electrical services, and I'm pretty sure we have uh quite a number of vacancies within street maintenance that you know it shouldn't take four months to hire someone when we need uh the help now.

So I'm just um Alderman Chambers, just for clarity, um this file is to direct DPW to look at all of those options.

It will be your intention upon um this passage of this, um, that when they are done with their findings, you would do a communication file for it to come back and further for them to share.

Okay.

Would it make sense for us to hold this and then okay, cool.

You pass this first and do put in a communication.

Yep.

Um, any other questions from committee?

Yeah, comment, madam chair.

Yeah.

No, and I think so, you know, this is this so this is good.

I think we should be exploring everything.

I thank you for the clarification too.

I I think that's good that any uh any opportunities that we do want to enter into can be evaluated based on the merits or or not of that, and with you know, other community organizations weighing in, I'm sure the union will have some stuff to weigh in on this about too.

Um I mean, honestly, you know, and not I mean, so thank you for this, you know, Alderman Chambers, but really the, you know, the external partnership that we really need is is for the state to do more.

I mean, that's that's the that's the main external partnership that needs to be fulfilled in this relationship.

And when we come when it comes to street maintenance and the issues that we're having, I know that's not entirely related to what you're doing.

We have to think creatively and outside the box at the local level to deal with the pressure that we're facing um from the state of Wisconsin.

Thanks.

And Madam Chair, if I may, uh you are right.

Uh 100%.

And I know your comments in the previous file um essentially it's the same thing, and then I'm in full agreement with that.

Um I think in a way that we're where I'm where I'm leaning towards or where I'm thinking in addition to this, in addition, um, is that you know, we have these young individuals who are recklessly driving, we have um individuals who doing these street takeover stuff.

They have to pay their debt to society, you know, whether that is citation, um or incarceration, so on and so forth.

But nine times out of ten, they come from uh indigent family where they may have struggles to pay that.

Maybe we can find maybe create, you know, maybe this will be uh a pathway to develop a program where you know, and I'm just spitballing here, is to, you know, if you got caught, you know, doing reckless driving or anything of that nature, your community services, you're going to help create and and construct a speed bump.

That way you pay your debt to society, but also you're learning a trade to where once you done do what you need to do, come and apply for a job at the city and get good benefits in a career.

Um, you know, they can turn the negatives into a positive.

So my hope is that we do be real intentional with this file and be intentional with this um this opportunity to see what's going on and continue to lobby the state for more money towards um infrastructure because we desperately need it.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Uh Ottoman chairman for your leadership on this.

I would ask to be added as a co-sponsor.

Um, if there are no further questions, Alderman Westmoreland would move adoption.

Hearing Madam Chair.

Just before you do that too, can I also be added as a co-sponsor in that?

Okay.

Please let the record reflect.

The motion for adoption passes.

Um, thank you.

Okay.

Uh, next item 16, file two, six.

Uh um, okay, item 17 rather.

Uh, file number two, six zero zero seven zero.

Resolution relating to the acceptance and execution of funding of a green solutions grant from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Studies District for the installation of promenade pavers in the westerly parking lane of South 18th Street between West Lincoln Avenue and West Beecher Street as part of the City Street Reconstruction Project in the 12th Automatic District.

Good morning, Solomon Beckler from DPW.

This part just uh allows us to accept grants funding from MST.

So to add permeable pavers on South 18th Street, when it's paved.

Are there any questions from committee?

Hearing now, Automan Brown remove adoption, hearing objection, so ordered.

Thank you.

Item number 18, file number two, 60073.

Resolution authorizing city entry into green school yards redevelopment program funding agreement and conservation easement with MMSD and MPS for MPS properties at various locations in the city of Milwaukee.

Good morning, Jordan Shuttle from the city attorney's office before you is a funding agreements, a three-way funding agreement between MPS, MMSD, and the city for green infrastructure at MPS Schools, uh, as part of the MPS Green Schools program.

Uh this agreement would provide MPS with funding to develop and uh with the construction of green infrastructure.

The city's role in this is that because we own the property, MMSD would receive a conservation easement for the funding to MPS.

The city would then grant that conservation easement to MMSD.

Are there any questions from committee?

Hearing now, Arder Woman Taylor would move adoption, hearing no objection, so order item number 19, file number two 60074, resolution authorizing city entry into a development and credit purchase agreement with Milwaukee Board of School Directors City of Milwaukee and CIS MMSD LLC for the purchase of green infrastructure gallon credits in Lincoln and Majorski play fields in the 12th automatic district.

This is a pretty unique uh uh development and credit purchase agreements.

Again, it's a three-way agreement between MMS uh with CIS MMSD.

Uh the city and MPS just at a very high level.

Uh CIS or Corvias Infrastructure Solutions and MMSD entered into a fresh coast protection partnership a few years ago.

The purpose of that partnership is to expand green infrastructure to address flooding concerns across the city of Milwaukee, uh, similar to the last file.

Uh there is funding between MMSD and MPS for green infrastructure.

Uh the city uh would then provide a conservation easement at these two uh play fields.

Any questions from committee?

Hearing now.

Good morning, I guess.

This file authorizes us to access funding from MSD to uh uh installed infrastructure as we are in the MPS sites.

Um are there any questions from committee?

Um hearing on Audeman Brower moves adoption, hearing objections, so order.

Um file 20 or item 21, file number two six zero zero nine four resolution authorizing the commissioner of public works to execute a reimbursement agreement between the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District for the removal of obstruction and relaying of storm sewer pipes along the Monominee River located in the city of Milwaukee.

This is sponsored by Alder Woman Moore.

Do you want to hold it?

Uh go ahead.

Hey, uh yeah, good morning, Robert Slain, Department of Public Works, Environmental Engineering Section.

This resolution is to authorize us to have MMFD's contractor that's currently on site, do a storm sewer repair for us and then invoice the city later.

Um any questions from committee?

Hearing that Ottawa Woman title will move adoption.

Oh go ahead.

Yeah, thinking and not on this item.

I just wanted to comment.

I didn't get a chance to open up the file here on my computer.

Let us start us going a little slow, but I do want to say for a previous item uh for item number 20 that I just want to highlight the Cass Street School is one of the schools uh that's be re is receiving this green um funding solutions and they're doing a great job with reflow to redo their entire play field.

Um, residents of the east side are really excited for this.

Thank you.

Um so we have I think Ottawa and Tyler had moved adoption and hear no objections, so order for item 21.

Thank you.

Item number 22, uh file 260108 communication from the Department of Public Work Seminary, the 2025 residential recycling annual report.

Good morning, madam chair, member of the committee.

I'm Laura Stevens, the resource recovery program manner with DPW sanitation, and I'm here today submitting the 2025 residential recycling annual report.

The report and a presentation with some more pictures of events we've had this year are all in the file.

And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

Any questions from committee?

Uh hearing uh none.

Our membrane will move to place on file.

Item number twenty three, file number two six zero zero thirty-five thirty-five.

Um resolution relating to the collection of leaves uh ranked by residents to the curb.

This is sponsored by Artman Spiker.

And Westmoreland.

I just sent them a text to see if it's coming out.

Uh he's on his way, so did you want to start?

You just skip it, wait for him.

Okay, Ottoman West Morland will move to hold to the call of the chair at a law.

Audiment spiker, some time to get up here, hearing no objections.

So order item number 26, uh file number one nine one nine three zero.

Um, we're gonna um Audiman Baum will move to hold to the call of the chair.

Um, hearing no objections.

Uh so order file number two five two one three nine.

Other man West Moreland will move to place on file.

Hearing no objections, so order welcome Ottoman Spiker will uh Alderman Westmoreland um wants reconsideration for item twenty-three.

Um file number two six zero zero three five substitute resolution related to the collection of leaves ranked by residents uh to the curb.

Sponsor by Ottoman Spiker and Ottoman Westmoreland hearing no objections, so order so we have it before us.

I know you all have a substitute.

Do we need to make a motion for the subsequent mess more Westmoreland will move that we accept um proposed substitute?

Uh I guess the discussion might be useful before we accept the substitute, the substitute strips out one of the resolved clauses.

So I wanted to see the will of the committee, I guess, before we all right.

Um Spiker and Westmoreland are the sponsors.

So we let's start with you, Ottoman Spiker.

Okay, thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh so this is a resolution that revisits an issue that came up with last committee where um uh many members were surprised to learn that the uh city DPW is planning to change how we've collected leaves for the last uh multiple decades and requiring residents to beg them and bring them to the terrace area.

Um, I just personally received dozens and dozens of complaints.

Um great concern from residents, um, especially the seniors and those with limited mobility who used to, you know, uh leaf blow their their leaves to the curb um saying I can't leave blow it into a bag unless I'm a real good aim and uh carry that out to the curb.

Uh so I know uh about a week ago, uh DPW uh kind of backtracked and said we'll we'll do both.

Yeah, you want to bag them, because I can.

But we're gonna collect at the curb.

So um what the resolution does is it directs DPW uh to uh allow for uh curbside leaf collection, um the normal raking into the street and directs uh them to collect that should residents do so.

Um and the second clause is is probably more important, which is tell us next time um before we institute a major change.

One of the things that caused great concern with constituents is they weren't brought into this discussion.

It was just decided kind of on their behalf.

And um that's disturbing, but it's especially disturbing that the elected representatives of the constituents who get this feedback and will get any um blowback, um we're not brought in and discussed so I I know it was said that we didn't need council approval, but you know, not needing it and not asking for it are are two different matters.

Um so I think this could have been avoided.

I think we're in a better situation now, but just wanna ensure that that's the case in the future.

And I know there was discussion about this being on a trial basis maybe for a couple years, which I think the couple years pushes it past the twenty-eight election for some reason.

Um so I did wanna seek clarity on whether this was pushing things back permanently, uh foreseeable future or if this was just uh um one time thing.

Um it does seem from an operational standpoint we're gonna have the worst of both worlds if we allow raking and bagging because DPW will have to come back and and collect those bags.

So um I guess I wouldn't mind if they wanted to pilot it in an area with a willing alder.

Um, but doing it citywide could could lead to some inefficiencies there.

So anyway, that's all I've had to say.

Alderman Westmoreland has been a strident, forceful advocate for his constituents there, so I won't won't speak for him, but that was my involvement with it.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ottawa Westmoreland.

I don't have anything yet.

Any questions from committee?

Uh with the department.

Oh, Ottawa Brown.

Well, I'll hear from the department first.

I have some comments.

Yeah, so just checking.

Good morning.

Uh Commissioner Public Works, Joe Kroshki.

Um, so um as part of this file, I mean I have no issue speaking with Alders on any operational changes, especially major ones.

Um, there was a reach out to a few, but not to all.

Um, so that is that's not an issue, but I do want to be very clear.

Um as a commissioner of public works, I'm here to make sure that we're providing public safety and uh health concerns and efficiency through the entire city.

And I don't want operational changes to be just basically a vote on everything that we do.

So just, you know, it's I I understand that change is hard and we're continually changing the climate change, but uh I I would like to have a discussion before as we kind of move forward.

I do want to state though that um part of the Milwaukee code of ordinances 79-11 um would have to be changed for me to eliminate um leaves that were pushed into the curb length.

So I would have had to come back with a different file that would have been approved by council to fully eliminate um and move to full bagging operations.

And then tied into bagging and pushed.

Any debris that we can keep out of the public right away is a plus.

And I know it may be impactful when we look at fall, but then when we see what the the active storms that consistently happen on a yearly basis, but we've seen in spring this year, and to try to keep as much debris out.

Um I've had requests that come across the city that want bagging.

Um so it's it's it's half and half.

So, you know, we're trying to cater to both.

Um we'll do this operation like we've done from the flooding debris in August, just like we've done with Christmas trees on yearly basis.

Um for our operation, it's it's not as invasive as you think.

Um, but after this fall, we'll figure out how many people are gonna participate in the bagging operation.

We can report to council of how effective and this was, um, the difference between streets that have basically regular push out to what it looks like in bags, but I think in fall we can continually come back to this council or committee and discuss that.

Thank you.

Um Artoman, what's one?

Good morning for like seven more minutes.

Um I know you mentioned that you reached out to a few alders.

Um I guess you don't have to mention them by name, but was there anybody on this committee that you reached out to one.

Okay.

Um I guess my follow up question is why not all yeah and and so I will take responsibility for that I just put my toe in the water to test um and obviously the the amount of discussion that happened the back side it was the decision by myself to change an operation not by any influence of any council member um to really just try to mitigate the the flooding that has occurred many times.

So in the future I mean even outside of leaves training things I can have discussions on the back side.

At least you're gonna be aware so when you do get those calls that come in um to communicate with your constituency.

Okay.

Um yeah I mean for me personally that's all I asked for is communication prior.

When I heard that at the last committee meeting I wasn't sure I heard it correctly so I didn't want to react but once those I mean even before committee was over there's a flurry of calls that you know came came in so um I mean even if it's a thought or a discussion um I ask is that we're brought in earlier on to kind of get in front of it um before it's you know mentioned publicly alright thank you.

Uh uh Ottawa Brown Yeah thank you so much.

Um when we first started uh seeing the issue of you know I I came in a little bit more than a year ago when we first started seeing the issue of leaves and getting in the streets especially on the east side you know I had conversations with neighborhood organizations when I was it was part of my um uh the questions I would ask when I would go to neighbors association meetings and other groups of people is what what sh what should we do?

Um and almost universally in the conversations that I have had with constituents and others the cover the the idea has been that that raking the leaves into the streets clutters the street and inherently presents an issue of clogging our city's sewer drains and I mean when we say we don't if we state as a community that we don't want litter in the streets and then we collectively refuse into the street that is a inherently a contradiction and so we should not be putting anything the to the wood clutter the street or could get washed or blown to cover um a um a catch basin or a a drain in any way we shouldn't be putting that stuff in the street.

But like even in area in any area where there's a lot of parking I mean there are areas besides the third district in downtown that have a lot of parking you know you will get people that will potentially park on these leaf piles too which will inhibit the work and I I wish people wouldn't do that.

I mean the people that do it on the east side shouldn't do that.

But but it but it happens I mean there's they're they are not receiving a citation for that when that occurs um so it you know when that occurs that um adds insult to injury and if and if our crews are out there when that happens that inhibits them from actually collecting the leaves are out there because the road is for you know vehicles and transit to get through not for storage of things while we're waiting for um them to be collected.

So I just and I've I've you know I didn't grow up here in Milwaukee.

Um I have ever since I moved here I've thought this was a strange practice um it's not practiced in other areas um I do feel for individuals who have motability issues and we have you know we have um lots of senior citizens you know and and age uh and um older adults over on the on the east side and what I have been saying to community organizations when I'm in front of them and neighbor associations is what we need to do is do a better job of building community in this city where if we do have people who have mobility issues then a neighborhood and a neighbor could help a neighbor in this you know or uh or this could be a great uh you know situation for a young person to make a few dollars to help you know put all their leaves in put all their neighbors leaves in a bag I don't I don't think we should um I I and I did receive some negative comments about this as well when it was when it was announced but really in the end the overwhelming um thing and the thing that makes the most sense is for us to put refuse into a container rather than raking it into the street.

Um there is a question of whether this is refuse as well.

Um like there is no ordinance and I guess I guess the commissioner could confirm this but there is there is no ordinance or law or statute that compels people to rake their leaves.

Is that is that correct?

I do have further comments too with that yes so I mean residents are not required to rake leaves.

I mean obviously the biggest thing for anybody to to relieve pressure on the city itself is if people would mulch them in their yards are going through composting because then but it's not a requirement by any means.

Yeah okay thank you so much for clarifying yeah so I think what we're really running into is this kind of um uh Allen town like you know post-war keep up with the Jones's white picket fence must have a clean chem lawn that's mowed to a T kind of attitude in the in this city that it had that you you cannot have a single leaf on the ground at all and it must be raked and put in somewhere um so that you know so I would encourage any residents who who can't bag a leaf um who or who was upset about this to look for you know even further outside the box for other alternatives we don't you know you could people could leave the leaves on the ground that's literally what nature intends when they fall from the trees onto the ground or you could mulch them or you could use a mower to mulch them and so there's a whole bunch of uh different options you know that people have here and so I I just I don't want to see leaves in the streets that contributes to the flooding issues that we're facing that I mean there's a host of issues as well there we do also have the um you know disposable plastics that people are throwing out of their cars that drain into um that come into these catch basins as well and people you know we should be able the state statute should be lifted for us to be able to ban takeaway containers like that um right so there's there's a whole host of issues that are clogging this stuff in addition to some infrastructure upgrades that we need but overall like I I was you know really glad to hear this at public works that that that we were moving towards this I was disappointed that we've rolled it that the administration has rolled it back um and uh I'm also I was also glad to hear in response to some of the flooding things it was announced as well this is unrelated but somewhat related that we are going to be doing uh sweeping in all parts of the city as as well even the series with exception streets people on the east side want temporary no parking so that those streets can be swept uh and and an overwhelming majority is ready to to you know fully comply with all that stuff um and be ready to move their car for one day a month for a street super to come through but to on the question of the leaves I think we should people should be looking to alternatives um to actually raking them and um and if and we should be bagging them so they could be you know collected and not and refuse cannot be in the in the streets so I um you know I can appreciate the spirit though of one piece of this resolution which is that they it should be maybe the rollout wasn't the greatest but like I don't I'm not gonna use an ad hominem argument like that to uh stop a good idea from occurring um and I'm not sure I totally agree with some of the you know uh where is this here because I do actually believe that we should be bagging the leaves um so I I don't think I can support this resolution at this time thank you.

And is it the um sponsors wish to put this up before us now yeah I think that's the I mean and as we all know the only effective part of the resolution is the result clause so the resolved clause I think is something that could get wide support which is just basically tell the council next time before and I would think this one just applied the resolution just deals with the change to leaf collection policy and it was not presented at last public safety that we had to come back.

That was not how it was pitched it was we don't need your approval.

So now we're learning something new and that's fine.

But in general with major policy changes that are going to affect all our constituents check with people closest to the ground with those constituents who have daily conversations with them.

I think that's just common sense so yes I would be happy with sub A Madam Chair.

So the motion by Ottoman West Morley is to have substitute A B before are there any objections to that motion so order.

No chair Ottoman bomb I would assume we'll continue pick raking leaves or cleaning leaves off the street indefinitely because a substantial percentage of leaves fall on the street.

Yeah.

That're not gonna require homeowners to rake the street and rake the leaves onto their property for bagging, right?

That is correct.

So break yeah leave pickup will continue anyway.

Yes.

So we'll be doing it double work, basically, picking up that because and as I said at the last meeting, I think there are neighborhoods in this city, maybe not in the third district where everybody's very orderly and responsible.

But there are other nations, there are other districts in the city where I think there will be massive noncompliance with bagging.

Yeah, and this is why we have both options available 'cause over above them you're correct.

So the terrorist trees and the the city has 198,000 trees and that's our urban category that we maintain.

So if you figure when you look at it in front of your house, half those leaves are going to fall on the roadway, so we're gonna have to basically clean those up and that's our responsibilities in the right of way.

Some will fall on people's property and then things will happen where the wind's going to blow and and fall storms will blow everywhere.

And so part part of trying to move to a banking operation is to try to contain those so they don't have that.

And so I I know even folks have been frustrated 'cause they re break leaves three or four times, depending on false storms.

Um so, you know, here we're just trying to provide options that I think after we go through this next fall season is come back to this committee and see how many folks wanted to participate because we've heard both sides.

And so but the mechanical never go away unless there is an actual orage change in chapter seventy nine.

So we have to be able to make sure the public roadway is clear.

And it's all tied to our stormwater management plan as well.

Um I'm gonna support this up uh and in fact I would like to ask the sponsors to be added as a co-sponsor.

Um part of the reason a part of me feels like we shouldn't even need um this resolution uh because what it outlines is what we should be doing anyway.

Cause quite honestly this ain't even about leaves it's about communication.

Um and because it is here at this committee um last month that the concept of um getting uh citizens to bag was introduced um as if it was a a shift in in our service delivery model, one that was not known to the majority of council members.

And so for me it's not whether the bagging is the best thing or whether raking it out to the street is the best thing.

It's about how we are communicated with by departments and how we're able to communicate with uh the residents who we serve because I literally have had residents come to me on the street after last month's meeting like I don't like the way they're trying to make us bag and da da da da um but I think it was less about the validity of bagging and more about how it came across.

Um and I think part of that uh could have been different if it had first been shared um with um authors before it came out um at committee and so I believe that this resolution will do as the sponsors intended to which will kinda require that level of communication um between the departments and council members which will um inevitably require us to talk to our constituents um for them to be aware and have buy-in um and I don't believe it eliminates the ability to do the bag and I I know the pilot programs that you all um are going to try and I look forward to hearing the results um of those um pilot projects and ultimately us deciding on the best options um for service delivery for those that we serve my hope too through the pilot project is that those questions about elders or or handicapped or um whether you find people or all the stuff that came up at the last meeting that you are able to further think about those things as you deal with um the pilot program so that if it becomes an issue of an ordinance change or or a shift as a city that you have the data and facts and experience um to support um a kind of seamless rollout of it citywide.

Um so I I value the pilot process um to be able to do that, and I understand my colleagues um desire to do this resolution to ensure that for the future.

The other thing, too, and I'll say this publicly because this whole thing came out publicly.

I also have residents tell me that they called when they heard about this, and they were told by whoever they talked to on the phone that the council members had nothing to do with it.

That DPW can do what they want to do, and that that's how it's gonna happen.

Literally, I have more than one resident tell me that, um, which is another reason why I'm glad to be a co-sponsor, is because this ensures that we do have something to do with it, um, and that we do have knowledge of it for the future.

Um, so yeah, um, but are there any more questions from committee?

Um, Artman West Morgan, you want to make a motion?

Yes, uh, as a resolution, it's adoption.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The motion by Ottoman Westmoreland is adoption.

Um hearing one objection.

That's correct, yeah, object.

Hearing one objection, the motion passes.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Um item number 24, file number 260132, an ordinance relating to state requirements for recycling and other purposes on demand spectrum.

Thank you, madam chair.

Uh as it describes in the file, there's been some changes at state administratively, and so we're trying to make our ordinances or rules comport with that.

As usual, uh LRB has done the heavy lifting there, so I'd be happy to get over to Max from the LRB.

If it pleases the chair.

Thank you, Alderman.

Um, Madam Chair, members of the committee, Max Traheat, Legislative Reference Bureau.

Um, I appreciate the comments uh from Alderman Spiker, but uh, this is absolutely a partnership with uh the Department of Public Works who can uh speak to a little bit where this came from and uh the substance of the changes that are being made to the code.

Good afternoon.

Laura Stevens resource recovery program manager with DPW sanitation.

Uh this file contains an update to chapter 79 subchapter 2 or the recycling ordinance of the city's solid waste regulation to reflect revisions to the state administrative requirements.

In 2025, the Wisconsin DNR revised the administrative code that oversees responsible units, effective recycling programs, and other aspects of Wisconsin's recycling law.

The code revisions reflect operational changes within the recycling industry and the DNR.

The City of Milwaukee must update sections of chapter 79 and sub chapter 2 to reflect these code revisions.

Sections 7933 and 7935 are being updated to reflect these changes.

The revisions provide more detail on how to provide adequate recycling at multifamily complexes, apartments, and businesses.

Additional updates include revisions to clarify descent definitions and minor formatting changes.

Are there any questions from committee?

Yeah, madam chair.

What are we doing different from multifamily building?

So this uh files specifically for updates that are coming from the uh DNR code revision.

Um, and really all they've defined now is what adequate means.

So really we've already kind of been like um recommending the one for one.

So if a landlord asks like how much should I be requiring, you know, it's you have a six-yard waste dumpster, like we recommend, you know, the same for recycling as well.

Um, so that now is just further defined in our own ordinance as the state requires.

So the definition of adequate is now more thorough.

That's it, because there's massive violations of this requirement.

That's it for the yeah, it's from this.

It didn't have us update the enforcement of the uh recycling ordinance, the state requirement is specifically in areas of the definition of adequate.

All right, fine.

And I don't think we enforce this either.

Sorry?

We do not enforce this against multi-unit building.

We do have to get a specific complaint, and that's not the way it should be enforced.

It should be enforced by general.

You could go down Well Street and check out 12 properties in 10 minutes.

And issue orders right and left.

It currently for a complaint.

Sorry.

Go ahead.

It currently is complaint-based.

Exactly.

And why is that?

We are working now with the Department of Neighborhood Services.

They are also integrating this enforcement into their own program.

They currently already enforce a majority of the solid waste regulations.

Um, so recycling is going to be part of that program.

We're actively working with them right now to see how these programs can align, especially as DPW supports in education and reaching out, helping reach out with education for landlords.

But you're missing a huge segment of the recycling market.

Multi-unit building.

So you just threw our hands up.

Look, too hard to force.

It's a basic failure of DPW in this area.

You got homeowners that are meticulous about recycling.

Well, next door to multi-unit building where everything's just a big jumble.

And we do hope now with the partnership with DNS and enforcement going through a program that already is long-term, like with the solid waste regulation, that there will be more opportunity and more bandwidth to be able to do the enforcement just because DPW doesn't necessarily have its whole compliance enforcement team as with DNS does and the program and all the policy and the um even the tools and resources.

This is requiring an ordinance change.

No, not this.

What you're talking about with DNS um taking over the recycling piece to make it a part of their regular inspection bucket.

Does it need to be an ordinance change?

No, it requires sanitation services manager.

Uh it doesn't necessarily require an ordinance change.

Um it will so backing up the idea here is that um and this was pre-this change from the state, there was you know, council um interest in in how do we um make enforcement of the properties that DBW does not serve for garbage recycling.

So the businesses and multifamily, how how do we uh get this recycling piece um into a more holistic property management uh enforcement?

And so that's where the direction was kind of leaning towards working with DNS who is working with all the code violations, whether it's electrical safety, you know, so on with these with buildings, um and and specifically as as they're the ones that would enforce like the the properties have adequate capacity for solid waste, so the recycling piece was this strange nugget that was in DPW just because we administer the main recycling requirements for the city related to our programs and so on.

Um so the opportunity here is that we're d developing and in partnership DNS is again like how did how do as a city organization uh better structure this so that it's part and parcel of that regular uh enforcement, holistic enforcement uh on these properties, and you don't think it requires an ordinance change, just I'm not gonna do it administratively?

Uh it doesn't on it on its own.

I think that as DNS gets into um how they will uh administer this piece or is it they they may have their own ordinance changes that they may want to reflect in order to align it with what they're doing, but um uh face value it doesn't require anything.

Out of embowment, I would love to look at this more with you, because I think it probably will require ordinance change.

Because even if y'all agree to do this, the current leadership at EPW and DNS, the next leadership might not want to do it that way.

And if we really want to create a system of accountability with this, it's gotta be done in ways that regardless of who's leading what department, this is the way that we do it.

Um, and that may require some kind of ordinance change or whatever.

I would love to explore that more because I actually agree with Ottoman Bauman.

Um I can't even remember a Monster unit that even has a recycling thing.

Um, so if we can figure out the DNS thing, what you're saying makes perfect sense to me, but how do we make it in perpetuity that way or until we figure out a better way, um that way.

Um, so I'm just I know that that does not necessarily impact what we have before us today.

Um, but I'm just being transparent with you all about what I'm thinking and and Ottoman bombing.

I mean that I I would love to work with you on that.

Um just so and uh Mr.

Myers can correct me, but DPW, their um sanitation inspectors and stuff, they don't appear in Muni court, right?

That's why you leverage DNS because they have an apparatus in place for their inspectors.

So when I get um a sanitation complaint that's really bad, we won't just send the inspector for education, but we'll send DNS out for enforcement to do drive that correct.

Yeah, I I think that right because i i in chapter seventy-nine, the solid waste uh where all this is basically there's um enforcement is is given to m multiple and so d department public works, DNS, and some matters health department, um, and police department for that matter, with littering and so on.

So, um it it has the ability for multiple um entities to enforce relevant chapters.

Now, as a as an organization city, like how do we administratively do that?

Well, DPW, our like our sanitation, all the spikers are we don't we don't write municipal citations.

Um administratively those are done by DNS or MPD when it comes to these violations.

Um I think that answered the question.

Yeah.

Any other questions?

A couple of years ago, there was a discussion I think during budget about having a combined DPW DNS inspection regime, but that was scuttled.

Am I remembering that right too?

There was discussion, yeah.

Okay.

And okay, and thank you.

Both um both folks in DPW for as Max pointed out.

Um doing the the work here to get this um legislation tight, so thank you.

Any other questions from committee?

Yeah, I'm sure.

Yes.

Yeah, no, I I can really appreciate what Alderman Ballman said about, you know, the issue of this being um the recycling requirements and recycling um dumpsters being available at multi-unit buildings being complaint based, then this is part of the larger issue that we're facing here in the city where we um are basically playing whack-a-mole with the complaints that are out there and what we need is systematic approaches to these things and so proactive enforcement is a really good idea for this, and I th I mean that could come when we are able to acquire more funding from the state and have more staffing.

Um that that seems to be one of the bottlenecks that I've noticed amongst them and it's across our departments.

When I've done write-alongs, you know, the this it's the staffing issues that force us to, you know, be on a complaint based model.

Um, and that and you know, that's just that's not the way that things that things should be.

I uh I appreciate I appreciate this.

I'm I think this is worth, you know, supporting so that we can start to get this in line and um and yes, if there's an ordinance change that's required, um I'd be interested in, you know, working on that as well, and so we can get this so we can get this going and get this over uh to DNS so we can have some teeth behind uh this enforcement of these multi-unit uh property owners.

All right, any other questions uh from committee?

Um hearing uh none alderman Brower would move uh passage.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing nine.

So order item number twenty-five, file number two, six zero one three three resolution granting approval of three driveway approaches with a width greater than thirty feet for the premises at two zero zero five West Oklahoma Avenue in the 13th Automatic District, uh sponsored by Ottoman Spiker.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh another one where the department has done the uh primary work here.

Uh this is for Carmen's new high school at the corner of twentieth and Oklahoma.

Um we'll have uh I think there's three drives maybe in total.

Two with uh minor variances from the thirty foot total allowed and then one that I think is 42 or something that's a more major deviation.

So with that happy to kick it over to D DPW.

Uh Don Schmidt with Department of Public Works Planning and Development Section.

Yes, we are talking about three driveways uh two of which are relatively minor as as the alderman has said um the one that is wider it's actually kind of uh uh it's wider because of a requirement from uh that Department of Public Works requested for bo the board of uh zoning appeals review uh we are requesting that the driveway approach that's the southern driveway on South 20th Street be a write in right out uh we're trying to minimize the number of left turns into and out of the play uh the playground oh sorry it's been a long day um uh the parking lot um so it's about you know trying to mitigate potential traffic um conflicts any questions from committee all right order man bombing would move adoption hearing no objections so we'll order thank you item number 27 we're on to the 930 a.m agenda um file number two five one eight six three motion relating to the recommendations of the public works committee relating to licenses first up we have Andrew R.

Rousey public passenger vehicle driver's license application okay we have a coup from yesterday here we see this it's usually the last one I was wondering I was wondering if you're spectator or uh if you could uh Mr.

Rousey please raise your right hand to be sworn in.

Do you solarly affirm under the penalties and sanctions of the perjury of the state of Wisconsin that the testimony you're about to give is the truth and only the truth yes yes Fabiola has at your office oh no that person are you in acceptance of notice of today's meeting with the possibility that your application may be denied yes please state your name and address for the record my name is Andrew Rousey my address is 4358 North 61st Street Milwaukee Wisconsin is it Officer Felix ma'am okay officer Felix is there a police report yes ma'am on 1516 the applicant was cited for operating while intoxicated on 42216 he was convicted and his driver's license was a revoked for nine months on 2519 the applicant was charged in Milwaukee County with drive or operate vehicle without consent felony charge drive operate while consent passenger was amended misdemeanor guilty four days house correction on 7124 applicant was charged in Ozaki County with possession of with intent THC second subsequent offense felony and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Charge one possession THC second sub and possession of a drug peripheral that one is uh scheduled for further proceedings on 618 26 would you like to speak to the police report to the items on the police report um the most recent item that was uh on the published report was just uh I mean it is ongoing, but it it was a situation where I knew nothing about the uh stuff that was in the car.

But um it's been like almost a year and a half.

I've been going through this and trying to get through it.

I already have my PP VOs.

I was really trying to reestate when I found out all that this was happening, so I don't know.

A question for licensing.

This looks like uh a new, not a renewal.

Is there a reason why?

It is a new application.

Um the mention of having the license, he had applied for provisional right away when he submitted the new application, which they are allowed to do.

Um, but then with the items on the police report that was cancelled.

Just the provisional pending a decision on the application.

So for the for the public passenger licenses, we gave provisionals for new applicants?

Yes.

Interesting.

Um any questions from committee?

Um, I guess for the city attorney, so the the most recent one is is unadjudicated, and this is a new license.

So when it does get adjudicated, if he were to get the license, if we approved it and council approved it, the adjudication would be on his record for next time he comes.

Uh I mean again, uh assuming that it's a like a a guilty charge or a guilt uh guilty determination, um, I think that would show up.

I think uh the charge may not show up again if it's uh not guilty or a subsequent determination of um or finding by the court.

The problem with the guilty for this committee, I guess, is that you know you're kind of considering it twice or kind of you know readjudicating.

However, because of the material nature to the license, the kind of nexus between um the charge and then also again, whatever subsequent finding there is if guilty.

Um it is, you know, again, uh it is fit for determination by this committee um because of its um because of that nexus.

So you can continue to kind of reassess that um if it is.

Could we make a decision leaving open item 13?

In theory you could, um, but what it does is provide the kind of you know um an opportunity that may feel like it's a full ratification when in reality you're kind of waiting on next year and um, you know, whatever charge there might be.

Um so again that might um, you know, it's it's up to the the committee ultimately.

Any other questions or comments from committee or motions?

Um from the committee.

Well, I mean, think we should just we should just since we consider you know these these situations from the police report and the applicant's character when we consider these things.

I mean, I guess I'll just ask the applicant like there's you know, there's some looks like there was a drug driving as well in the past, and you know, and this um in this issue with the the possession of THC.

I mean, that's you know, given those things and whether you're we're guilty or not, um, you know, should we expect it?

Should our constituents when we give you this license expect uh fully professional and um upstanding characters versus your behavior when you're holding this license and operating this vehicle?

Absolutely.

Um is really no way to um operate these vehicles or work with um MCTS without having to pass these uh backgrounds or uh drug tests or whatever um complete sobriety has been pretty easy for me the last four or five years.

Thank you.

Home of approval.

Uh before we do that, um apologies.

Are there any neighbors present to testify?

Let the record reflect that there are no neighbors present to testify.

Um are there any other questions that committee may have?

Okay, we are in committee.

Um Otterman Brower uh has made the motion for approval.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none.

So ordered.

Good luck.

Okay, thank you.

Next up, public passenger vehicle driver's license applicant.

Could you please?

Good morning.

Could you please raise your right hand?

Do you celebrate affirm under the penalties and sanctions of the birdie of the state of Wisconsin that the testimony you're about to give is the truth and only the truth?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Are you in receipt of notice of today's meeting with the possibility that our your application may be denied?

Yes, ma'am.

Please state your name and address for the record.

My name is Sheldon Ray Rousey, and I reside at 4358 North 61st Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 5326.

Officer Felix, is there a police report?

Yes, ma'am.

Keeping a drug house, first degree recklessly endangering safety, and second degree reckless endangering safety felonies.

Charge one possession with intent cocaine.

Part of your crime, amended, guilty, maintained drug trafficking place, second subsequence, amended, dismissed but read in.

Guilty, eight years state prison.

On 324-17, the applicant was charged in Gamy County with resisting obstructing an officer guilty, 90 days local jail.

The applicant is on parole for item number one.

Email notification to the Wisconsin Department of Correction on 2116 requesting they provide information to the license division regarding the parole status and the end date of that status.

Madam Chair.

Yes, our office did receive the letter.

Would you like to speak to the police record?

Um, sure.

Um things in my past that I made mistakes, as you can see, um is party to a crime.

It's just like doing the crime itself, so I take full responsibility of my past actions, but um I'm moving forward with my life.

Um since I've been out, no police contact um or anything, just moving forward with my life.

How long have you been out?

Um I've been out since 2023, May of 23.

May 12th, 2023.

What was the second degree recklessly endangering safety about?

Well, the officer that came to my car didn't have on any police identifiers.

I didn't know that it was the police where she was the police, and I had my children in a car and I pulled off.

Is that accurate, sir?

I'm sorry, I didn't see the reports ma'am.

Oh, okay.

Oh any other questions from committee.

Anything else you want to say before we go into committee?

Oh, wait, are there any neighbors present to testify?

Please let the record reflect that there are no neighbors present to testify.

Is there any last thing you want to say that's before we go into committee?

I'd just like to thank the committee for giving me the chance to speak.

Alright, we are in committee.

Do we have a motion?

Approve approval.

The motion by Otterman Brouwer is approval.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none, so ordered.

Good luck.

Thank you very much.

No further business.

Um, so with that, we are not a little bit right, but we are done.