OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Finance & Personnel Committee Meeting - July 29, 2026: ERP Project, Air Quality Policies, and Personnel Actions

City Plan Commission — Wednesday, July 29, 2026
BodyMilwaukee, Wisconsin
SessionCity Plan Commission
DateWednesday, July 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:48:45

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

I am Alderman Peter Bergelis filling in for Chair Marina Dmitrievich who's joining us on the board.

0:05

We'll be joined by Alderwoman Cogs shortly.

0:09

We'll be joined by Alderman Spiker shortly.

0:14

To my far left, we have we're joined by Alderwoman Charlotte Moore, of course, our staff assistant Chris Lee, and legislative liaison Kathleen Bregnos.

0:25

Comptroller Christensen is here, and we'll be joined by budget director Nick Kovac shortly.

0:33

Starting with our agenda item number one, file 260241 communication from the Comptroller's Office relating to a workday pre-implementation review report.

0:41

Welcome Comptroller.

0:43

Good morning, uh committee members.

0:45

Uh thank you for uh hearing this file today.

0:48

Uh, first of all, I'd like to thank uh John Ronte and the Baker Tilly team for conducting this uh review.

0:55

I'd also like to thank all of the city staff as well as uh consultants that participated in the review.

1:02

It was uh very comprehensive and required a lot of I have a 10 a.m.

1:08

with the meeting Jason.

1:11

Yeah, what?

1:16

Thank you, Jason.

1:17

Please mute yourself from DNS.

1:20

Oh my I mean this is a riveting report, Comptroller Christianson.

1:24

Please continue.

1:25

Yes, it is very important.

1:27

So I thank you.

1:27

I appreciate that.

1:29

Um so it was initiated by the controller's office.

1:34

This was not done as part of the the workday project or sponsored by the executive committee itself, but this is a product of the controller's office.

1:42

Now that being said, I am a member of the workday project executive committee as well as the leader of an office that has primary responsibility for two of the the key work streams that are involved in the workday project.

1:55

So that being said, I wanted to be very arm's length with the uh pre-implementation review.

2:01

So the review is conducted by Baker Tilly, a third party who has had no involvement with this project up until they were um engaged or uh involved with this engagement.

2:12

So a truly independent third party neutral perspective and the sit from the city's perspective, the audit was ran by audit manager Adriana Molina and Deputy Controller Charlie Radel was also serving as a facilitator to help arrange meetings and obtain information.

2:30

The purpose of this review is primarily to be forward looking.

2:35

So looking at our go live date as set out, what are our prospects for achieving that go live date successfully?

2:45

And what is our essentially our readiness to go live and what recommendations does Baker Tilley have for ensuring that we are able to successfully go live.

2:57

So essentially what conditions need to be present and recommendations for getting us to those conditions for success.

3:06

So uh before we get started, there's gonna be a lot of little jargon and acronyms, and I'm just gonna give you a very quick background on some of these.

3:14

So ISG is our uh project management consultant.

3:19

So think of them as our owners rep.

3:22

Accenture is the implementation consultant.

3:24

So Accenture along with Workday was um procured uh essentially as a package.

3:31

Workday is the product that will the platform on which our financial human resources and payroll systems will operate after GoLive.

3:40

And Accenture is the consultant that is assisting us with subject matter expertise in implementing this.

3:48

The executive committee uh of which I am a member, along with budget director Kovac, uh DER Director Carter, um, procurement director Kelsey, and um David Hankey, uh CIO.

4:00

That is the essentially the highest level of project governance uh involved in decision making about the project.

4:07

And finally, Baker Tilley, who you're about to hear from.

4:10

Uh, they conducted this third-party pre-implementation review, and they had no involvement in the project, no stake in the project up until this engagement.

4:20

So, with that, I'd like to introduce John Runtte.

4:38

Good morning.

4:39

Good morning.

4:39

Good to be with you all.

4:41

I'm John Runtte.

4:42

I'm a principal in our digital practice.

4:44

I lead a team called Strategy and Transformation.

4:48

That team focuses on reviews like this.

4:50

I've done a significant number of pre-implementation readiness reviews and/or quality assurance reviews for other clients in similar circumstances.

5:00

And I also do some expert witness testimony work for failed projects of initiatives like this.

5:05

So very comfortable space in terms of the evaluation of a of a project of this size and scale.

5:15

The Elderman asked whether or not there was a presentation to accompany the 46-page report.

5:21

And I really like the details in the report, which is why we did not create a higher level presentation.

5:27

I will tell you that the assessment framework that we'll go through in part today is a really good summary.

5:33

So that's like two and a half pages essentially of the findings and the recommendations.

5:38

So we'll start there.

5:42

From a background perspective, there's some really important dates to think about here.

5:47

This assessment and the interviews were conducted May 25th through June 9th.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████25%
Technology and Innovation████████████████16%
Public Health████████████████16%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Budget Equity Analysis██████6%
Public Education Funding██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Procurement and Contracts████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Finance & Personnel Committee Meeting - July 29, 2026

The Finance & Personnel Committee of the Milwaukee Common Council met on July 29, 2026, from 9:05 AM to 11:53 AM to consider 24 agenda items. Key discussions included the high-risk status of the Workday ERP implementation, policies for employee protection during air quality incidents, approval of a $4.8 million contingent borrowing for the ERP extension, and several personnel and contract actions.

Discussion Items

  • Workday ERP Pre-Implementation Review (Item 1): Comptroller Bill Christianson presented a review by Baker Tilly, which rated the project at 'extreme risk' due to missed milestones, constrained staff, and incomplete end-to-end testing. Critical processes like garnishments and pension adjustments have not been demonstrated. A go/no-go decision is set for November 23, 2026; if delayed further, costs would increase by approximately $1 million per month. The committee recommended placing the communication on file.
  • Contingent Borrowing for ERP Extension (Item 2): A substitute resolution authorizing up to $4.8 million in contingent borrowing to extend the ERP project to a December 2026 go-live date was discussed. An initial substitute (Substitute A) requiring the Comptroller to seek alternative funding sources was withdrawn after concerns about feasibility and legality. The original resolution was adopted 5-0.
  • Audit of Municipal Court Cash Controls (Item 3): The Comptroller's Office presented an audit finding two areas for improvement: outdated written policies and semi-weekly deposits (instead of daily as required by ordinance). The court cited reliance on police department transportation. The committee placed the communication on file.
  • Historical Accounting of MRF Insurance Payout (Item 4): A report on the $20.9 million insurance payout from the Materials Recycling Facility fire (May 2023) was reviewed. The city's net of $11.7 million is being held for a future municipal services building. The item was referred to the Public Works Committee.
  • Air Quality Incident Policies (Item 5): Sponsored by Ald. Brower, the discussion centered on union concerns (AFSCME Locals 33, 47, 426) about inconsistent policies during the June 2026 Canadian wildfire smoke event. Departments described sending field workers home, using N95 masks, and allowing remote work. DER committed to meet-and-confer with unions. The communication was placed on file.
  • Prescription Drug Benefits Contract (Item 6): DER Director Molly King presented the selection of UnitedHealthcare (carve-in model) through an RFP, achieving $822,000 in savings with no benefit cuts. Formulary changes affect less than 1% of members (e.g., levothyroxine capsule exclusion, tablet still covered). The resolution was adopted 5-0.
  • 2027 Health and Dental Premium Rates (Item 7): Rates will increase 6% for active employees, 8.2% for early retirees, and 20% for Medicare Part D (pharmacy). Dental increases are 4-5%. No plan design changes. Voluntary benefits remain flat. The resolution was adopted 5-0.
  • Deputy Positions in DCWS and DCE (Item 12): An ordinance creating deputy director positions in the Departments of Community Wellness and Safety (DCWS) and Compliance and Engagement (DCE) was adopted. DCE’s deputy role consolidates three positions into two, resulting in net savings. DCWS’s deputy is a reclassification of an operations manager; Ald. Spiker objected due to lack of justification for the pay increase, but the item passed 4-1.
  • Classification Studies for City Service Commission (Item 15): Included reclassification of the DCWS deputy; Ald. Spiker noted opposition. The item was placed on file with his objection noted.
  • Public Health Nurses Incentive (Item 17): A 7% incentive rate for nurses in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Section was approved to aid recruitment and retention.
  • Grants and Contracts: Several grants were accepted, including HIV Partner Services ($1/2 FTE), Milwaukee Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Group ($3 members), and Homeland Security STAC Analysts ($4 staff for 7.5 months). Sole source contract waivers for the Health Department and Fire Department were placed on file, with Ald. Moore abstaining on the 414 Life contract.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes: All 24 agenda items were either adopted, placed on file, or referred as follows:
    • Items 1, 3, 5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18: Placed on file (unanimous).
    • Items 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 20, 21, 22: Adopted (unanimous).
    • Item 4: Referred to Public Works Committee (unanimous).
    • Item 10: Vacancy requests approved (unanimous).
    • Items 12, 23, 24: Adopted with Ald. Spiker objecting to DCWS deputy provisions (4-1).
    • Item 15: Placed on file with Ald. Spiker objecting to DCWS deputy classification (4-1).
  • Next Steps: The Workday go/no-go decision is set for November 23, 2026. Air quality policies will be reviewed further with union input. The MRF funds will be considered for a new municipal services building in future budgets.

Meeting Transcript

I am Alderman Peter Bergelis filling in for Chair Marina Dmitrievich who's joining us on the board. We'll be joined by Alderwoman Cogs shortly. We'll be joined by Alderman Spiker shortly. To my far left, we have we're joined by Alderwoman Charlotte Moore, of course, our staff assistant Chris Lee, and legislative liaison Kathleen Bregnos. Comptroller Christensen is here, and we'll be joined by budget director Nick Kovac shortly. Starting with our agenda item number one, file 260241 communication from the Comptroller's Office relating to a workday pre-implementation review report. Welcome Comptroller. Good morning, uh committee members. Uh thank you for uh hearing this file today. Uh, first of all, I'd like to thank uh John Ronte and the Baker Tilly team for conducting this uh review. I'd also like to thank all of the city staff as well as uh consultants that participated in the review. It was uh very comprehensive and required a lot of I have a 10 a.m. with the meeting Jason. Yeah, what? Thank you, Jason. Please mute yourself from DNS. Oh my I mean this is a riveting report, Comptroller Christianson. Please continue. Yes, it is very important. So I thank you. I appreciate that. Um so it was initiated by the controller's office. This was not done as part of the the workday project or sponsored by the executive committee itself, but this is a product of the controller's office. Now that being said, I am a member of the workday project executive committee as well as the leader of an office that has primary responsibility for two of the the key work streams that are involved in the workday project. So that being said, I wanted to be very arm's length with the uh pre-implementation review. So the review is conducted by Baker Tilly, a third party who has had no involvement with this project up until they were um engaged or uh involved with this engagement. So a truly independent third party neutral perspective and the sit from the city's perspective, the audit was ran by audit manager Adriana Molina and Deputy Controller Charlie Radel was also serving as a facilitator to help arrange meetings and obtain information. The purpose of this review is primarily to be forward looking. So looking at our go live date as set out, what are our prospects for achieving that go live date successfully? And what is our essentially our readiness to go live and what recommendations does Baker Tilley have for ensuring that we are able to successfully go live. So essentially what conditions need to be present and recommendations for getting us to those conditions for success. So uh before we get started, there's gonna be a lot of little jargon and acronyms, and I'm just gonna give you a very quick background on some of these. So ISG is our uh project management consultant. So think of them as our owners rep. Accenture is the implementation consultant. So Accenture along with Workday was um procured uh essentially as a package. Workday is the product that will the platform on which our financial human resources and payroll systems will operate after GoLive. And Accenture is the consultant that is assisting us with subject matter expertise in implementing this. The executive committee uh of which I am a member, along with budget director Kovac, uh DER Director Carter, um, procurement director Kelsey, and um David Hankey, uh CIO. That is the essentially the highest level of project governance uh involved in decision making about the project. And finally, Baker Tilley, who you're about to hear from. Uh, they conducted this third-party pre-implementation review, and they had no involvement in the project, no stake in the project up until this engagement. So, with that, I'd like to introduce John Runtte. Good morning. Good morning. Good to be with you all. I'm John Runtte. I'm a principal in our digital practice. I lead a team called Strategy and Transformation. That team focuses on reviews like this.

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