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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Board of City Service Commissioners Meeting – March 10, 2026

Common Council — Tuesday, March 10, 2026

BodyMilwaukee, Wisconsin

SessionCommon Council

DateTuesday, March 10, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 58:00

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:01

My name is Frank Bach, and I'm serving as the current president of the Board of City Service Commissioners.

0:11

The first item on today's agenda is a call to order.

0:15

This March 10th meeting of the Board of City Service Commissioners is called to order.

0:21

The next item is a roll call.

0:23

Would the executive secretary please call the roll?

0:26

Commissioner Miller.

0:28

Present.

0:29

Commissioner Cleary.

0:31

Present.

0:33

Commissioner Smith.

0:35

Present.

0:36

Commissioner Wicksborough.

0:41

President Black is trying to sign in.

0:42

She's still trying to sign in.

0:44

Okay.

0:46

I'm present.

0:48

Currently, four present.

0:55

The next item, please.

0:58

Item number four is file number two five one nine two seven.

1:03

Communication for the approval of the classification reports as submitted.

1:09

Um it should be next.

1:14

Oh, I'm sorry, you're right.

1:16

You're right.

1:16

I skip item three, file number two five one nine two six.

1:20

Communication for the approval of the March 6, 2026 meeting minutes.

1:25

Commissioners, do you have any comments or questions regarding the proposed minutes?

1:30

Yes.

1:32

Commissioner Cleary.

1:34

Miller.

1:36

Miller.

1:37

Commissioner Miller, sorry.

1:38

Okay.

1:39

Okay.

1:39

For neither motion at the end, are the people who made the motion is second the motion included.

1:47

So for the first motion, it was Smith and Wick Sperrell who made the motion and seconded it.

1:56

And for the second part of the motion, it was Cleary and Miller.

2:01

So Cleary made the motion and Miller seconded it.

2:05

It's not included in the minutes that we were sent.

2:09

So President Bach, the script that is on the meeting minutes is from the city attorney's office.

2:15

Patrick McLean is what we have been using in the past.

2:19

Just an FYI to you.

2:25

I'm sorry.

2:30

Commissioner Miller, are you are you suggesting we don't include who made the motion and who seconded it when we're doing it?

2:38

Not in those meeting minutes, not in this uh meeting minutes script that was given to me by uh attorney Patrick McLean, and that is how the uh meeting minutes look at an appeal hearing.

2:49

Okay, well, I wasn't I thought that they would include that since it's an official motion and second.

2:56

So if it's not supposed to be, then that's fine.

3:02

I think it's just a style matter.

3:04

I think it could go either way uh myself, but that's uh I think today we'll uh we'll live with that as it was written up and uh okay perhaps staff staff can talk to our current attorney uh and see what she might have to say.

3:26

Having said that, is there a motion regarding I move that we accept the minutes from the March second and I credit Maryland for her powers of observation?

3:39

I agree.

3:41

Uh it's been moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the proposed March 6th meeting.

3:46

I'll pull the commissioners.

3:47

Commissioner Miller, yes, commissioner Smith, yes, Commissioner Cleary.

3:54

Yes.

3:57

And just checking whether she's on with us is Commissioner Wix Borrel.

4:03

Yes, she just joined the meeting, President Bob.

4:06

All right.

4:07

Oh, I apologize.

4:09

Sorry.

4:10

That's that's fine.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Pending Litigation█████████████████████████████████████████████75%

Procedural██████████16%

Personnel Matters████6%

Technology and Innovation██3%

Summary of Proceedings

Board of City Service Commissioners Meeting – March 10, 2026

The Board of City Service Commissioners met on March 10, 2026, at 7:45 PM (Central Time) to approve routine agenda items and conduct a pre-hearing review of exhibits for the discharge appeal of Omar Barbarena. The meeting was adjourned with the understanding that the appeal hearing would continue on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 9:30 AM.

Consent Calendar

Approval of March 6, 2026 Meeting Minutes – Approved unanimously (4-0). Commissioner Miller noted that the minutes did not include the names of members who made and seconded motions; the board accepted the minutes as prepared by the city attorney's office.
Approval of Classification Reports (File #251927) – Approved unanimously (4-0).
Extension of Probationary Period for Jameer Conley (File #251929) – Approved unanimously (4-0). The extension runs from March 31, 2026, through September 26, 2026, to allow evaluation of the employee’s performance after obtaining a CDL permit (license not yet obtained).
Re‑exemption of Operations Division Director Position (File #251936) – Approved unanimously (4-0). The position oversees snow/ice control, supervises 500 employees, and represents the commissioner before meetings.

Discussion Items

Staff Recommendations on Probationary Periods for Reclassified Positions – No action required; the item concerned new and temporary seasonal positions at the Election Commission.
Review of Unstipulated Exhibits for Omar Barbarena Discharge Appeal (File #251937) – The board reviewed 15 proposed exhibits from the Department of Public Works (DPW) and one from the appellant. ITMD Information Services Manager Roberto Sarita testified that the data in Exhibit DU14 (Browsing Activity Summary) came from Mr. Barbarena’s assigned computer. Mary Reed, temporary interim director of the Department of Compliance and Engagement, stated she prepared the sample week summary and the entirety of DU14 from raw data (Exhibit DU3). Mr. Barbarena objected to several exhibits, arguing that the data lacked specific time stamps and that the computer may have been open but not actively used. The board ruled as follows:
- DU14 (summary of browsing activity) admitted as D16.
- DU1 (YouTube screenshots) admitted as D17.
- DU2 and DU3 (raw data/history files) not admitted as exhibits, but parties may refer to them as source information.
- DU6 (Facebook images) admitted as D18.
- DU7 (YouTube browsing) admitted as D19.
- DU9 (44-page YouTube browsing) admitted as D20.
- DU10 (job search screenshots) admitted as D21.
- AU1 (initial discharge notice, submitted by appellant) admitted as A2, with the department to explain differences between it and the final notice (D10).
- Emails (DU4, DU5, DU8, DU11, DU12, DU13, DU15) were deferred to the Friday hearing.

Key Outcomes

Votes – All consent calendar items and the exhibit rulings were approved by a 4-0 vote (Commissioners Miller, Smith, Cleary, and Wicksborough; President Bach recused himself from the appeal hearing).
Admitted Exhibits – D16 (browsing summary), D17 (YouTube screenshots), D18 (Facebook images), D19 (YouTube browsing), D20 (44-page YouTube browsing), D21 (job search screenshots), and A2 (initial discharge notice).
Next Steps – The appeal hearing will resume on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 9:30 AM to hear testimony, address the deferred email exhibits, and receive opening/closing statements.

Meeting Transcript

My name is Frank Bach, and I'm serving as the current president of the Board of City Service Commissioners. The first item on today's agenda is a call to order. This March 10th meeting of the Board of City Service Commissioners is called to order. The next item is a roll call. Would the executive secretary please call the roll? Commissioner Miller. Present. Commissioner Cleary. Present. Commissioner Smith. Present. Commissioner Wicksborough. President Black is trying to sign in. She's still trying to sign in. Okay. I'm present. Currently, four present. The next item, please. Item number four is file number two five one nine two seven. Communication for the approval of the classification reports as submitted. Um it should be next. Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. You're right. I skip item three, file number two five one nine two six. Communication for the approval of the March 6, 2026 meeting minutes. Commissioners, do you have any comments or questions regarding the proposed minutes? Yes. Commissioner Cleary. Miller. Miller. Commissioner Miller, sorry. Okay. Okay. For neither motion at the end, are the people who made the motion is second the motion included. So for the first motion, it was Smith and Wick Sperrell who made the motion and seconded it. And for the second part of the motion, it was Cleary and Miller. So Cleary made the motion and Miller seconded it. It's not included in the minutes that we were sent. So President Bach, the script that is on the meeting minutes is from the city attorney's office. Patrick McLean is what we have been using in the past. Just an FYI to you. I'm sorry. Commissioner Miller, are you are you suggesting we don't include who made the motion and who seconded it when we're doing it? Not in those meeting minutes, not in this uh meeting minutes script that was given to me by uh attorney Patrick McLean, and that is how the uh meeting minutes look at an appeal hearing. Okay, well, I wasn't I thought that they would include that since it's an official motion and second. So if it's not supposed to be, then that's fine. I think it's just a style matter. I think it could go either way uh myself, but that's uh I think today we'll uh we'll live with that as it was written up and uh okay perhaps staff staff can talk to our current attorney uh and see what she might have to say. Having said that, is there a motion regarding I move that we accept the minutes from the March second and I credit Maryland for her powers of observation? I agree.

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