Milwaukee Public Works Committee Meeting – April 9, 2026
Milwaukee Public Works Committee Meeting – April 9, 2026
The Public Works Committee, chaired by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, met on April 9, 2026, at 9:00 AM in City Hall. The committee considered 16 agenda items, including a street renaming, appointments, infrastructure projects, lead service line replacement updates, and traffic signal improvements. All items were approved.
Discussion Items
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Item 5 – Renaming South Cesar Chavez Drive to South 16th Street (File 252060): Alderman Perez and Alderwoman Zamarripa sponsored the ordinance to revert the street name. Alderwoman Zamarripa requested and was granted removal as a co-sponsor, citing support for a future community‑led culturally appropriate name. The committee voted to adopt the ordinance.
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Item 1 – Nonassessable Public Improvements (File 252010): A substitute was accepted to add funding for a design project. The total estimated cost is $17,800,000, with $1,515,000 in city engineering costs. The resolution was adopted.
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Item 2 – Construction of Nonassessable Improvements (File 252011): A substitute was accepted. Total estimated cost $1,648,000, with $1,228,000 in city construction costs. Adopted.
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Items 3 & 4 – Appointments to the Citizen Advisory Committee on Naming of Public Buildings, Facilities, and Streets: Linda Elmer (3rd district) and Esperanza Gutierrez (12th district) were both confirmed. Alderwoman Zamarripa noted Gutierrez’s role in the future renaming process.
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Item 6 – Average Cost of Replacing Private Lead Service Line (File 251984): The cost for 2026 was set at $3,454, down from $3,999 in 2025. Property owners who do not qualify for the city program pay this amount (or actual cost, whichever is lower) and can repay over 15 years on property taxes. Adopted.
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Item 7 – Semi‑Annual Lead Service Line Replacement Report (File 251985): Superintendent Patrick Pauley and Water Quality Manager Michelle Notarajan presented. Key statistics: approximately 65,000 lead laterals remain in the city; the goal is full replacement by 2037 (as required by the EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements). In 2025, 3,329 replacements were completed (short of the 3,500 target due to weather and base program challenges). The 2026 private‑side cost is $3,454. The city received $50.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 2025, including $19.3 million in principal forgiveness. Testing after replacement shows average lead levels below 3 parts per billion; 12 properties had results above 10 ppb, but all were resolved by flushing. The committee discussed the trenchless method (leaving old lead lines in the ground) and the risks of trenching. The report was placed on file.
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Item 8 – Lincoln Memorial Drive Project Easement (File 252000): Authorized Wisconsin DOT to convert city‑owned property for roadway right‑of‑way. Adopted.
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Item 9 – Bike Share Expansion (File 252004): A substitute corrected the language to reflect a fund transfer, not a cost increase. The project adds 165 new docking stations and 300 e‑bikes using a CMAQ grant. Total estimated cost increase $2,074,695. Adopted.
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Item 10 – Appleton Avenue Easements (File 252015): Granted permanent and temporary easements to Wisconsin DOT for sidewalk construction. Compensation for the easements was approximately $800. Adopted.
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Items 11 & 12 – Prospect Avenue and Farwell Avenue Reconstruction Agreements (Files 252020 and 252025): First revisions to State/Municipal Agreements to include construction funding. The committee discussed potential streetcar integration, traffic calming, and business communication during construction. Both adopted.
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Item 13 – Traffic Signal Improvements at 62 Intersections (File 252007): Authorized a State/Municipal Agreement for $2,150,400 total, with an 80% federal grant ($1,720,320) and a 20% city share ($430,080). Adopted.
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Item 14 – Revised Agreement for Traffic Control Improvements (File 252023): Corrected a project ID error; no cost increase. Adopted.
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Items 15 & 16 – Placed on File: File 251854 (low‑emission vehicle purchase) and File 251381 (support services for city events) were both placed on file as no longer needed.
Key Outcomes
- All 16 agenda items were approved, with most adopted unanimously.
- South Cesar Chavez Drive was renamed to South 16th Street; Alderwoman Zamarripa removed as co‑sponsor.
- The average cost for replacing the private portion of a lead service line was set at $3,454 for 2026.
- The committee received the semi‑annual lead service line replacement report and placed it on file; the city aims to replace all lead laterals by 2037.
- Funding was authorized for the bike share expansion (165 docks, 300 e‑bikes) and for traffic signal improvements at 62 intersections.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. I like to call this public works committee meeting to order. I am Chairwoman Order Woman me Lele A. Cox. We are joined to my right by Vice Chair Alderman Lamont Westmoreland. We are joined to his right by Alderman uh Robert Baldman. We are joined to the left by staff assistant Carmen Roman. We are also joined to the left by Alderman Alex Brouwer, and we are joined to his left by uh Alder Woman Larisa Tyler. Um item number, we're gonna take um an item out of order. Um we're gonna do item number five first, file number two five two zero six zero. Uh substitute ordinance renaming South Caesar Shabazz Drive from West Mitchell Street to West Pierce Street, uh South Sixteenth Street. The sponsors of this um ordinance are Alderman Perez and Alderwoman Zamarepa. Um Mr. President, would you like to start off? Yes, I would. I I appreciate it. Um as uh the news has stated uh when the news came out about Cesar Chavez. Um immediately heard from community members and the bid on the street about uh changing the name as soon as possible. Um there was a consensus around uh returning the street name back to Cesar Chavez, which we can do with twelve votes on the on the council, which I'm hoping will happen by um council day and uh feel confident about that. But back to 16th Street. Back to 16th Street, and then the community would go through a process through the street naming committee about a community engagement and a process to change the name if if and when they wanted to to another appropriate uh reflection of the community. And uh with that said, I just wanted to have this be part of the what I consider the healing and acknowledging um that the street name should go, should those names should be taken down from the street, and the bid is in the process of also changing their name and uh moving that forward, so we appreciate um all the work that everyone's done uh to get prepared for that. Thank you. Um repaying the thank you, madam chair. Um I was at some of the meetings that the president mentioned um that the bid hosted, and I appreciate them assembling stakeholders in the community, and um there is some healing that has to happen. Um, like like some folks that have some trepidation about removing the name that was advocated so hard for to really represent the community. This is a supermajority um Latino population that Chavez Drive Um runs through. Um, I will be removing asking to have my name removed today. Um again, I I support the community renaming the street to something culturally appropriate. Um changing it back to 16th Street. I know it gives um a lot of folks uh um some heartburn. Um so I know it's a unique request um because this file does have to happen, but I I don't see that I need to be a co-sponsor. I'd like to have my name removed. Um, Carmen, is there anything we would have to do for that? Administrator I didn't make that motion. Okay. Umderman Bauman would make the motion to remove Audder Woman's and Maripa as a uh co-sponsor of the legislation. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing non-so ordered. Thank you. Is there any uh questions? Um committee. All right. Um Alderman um Westmoreland would move for passage. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing non so ordered. All right, uh back to the beginning of the agenda, file number, item number one, file number two five two zero one zero resolution determining it necessary to make various non-accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city engineering costs estimated to be uh one million five hundred and fifteen thousand for a total estimated cost of these projects being seventeen million eight hundred thousand. Uh, we do have a proposed substitute. Yes, Audible Man Bauman. Is this file have embedded within it both today and at other times?
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