0:00 My name is Frank Bach.
0:02 I serve as president of the Board of City Service Commissioners.
0:05 The first item on today's agenda is the call to order.
0:09 This May 5th meeting of the Board of City Service Commissioners is called to order.
0:17 The next item is the roll call.
0:20 Would the executive secretary please call the role?
0:35 All right, here we go.
0:36 Vice President Miller.
0:47 Commissioner Wicksborough.
0:57 The next item, please.
1:00 Item number three, file number two six zero zero one four.
1:05 Communication for the approval of the April 21st, 2026 meeting minutes.
1:10 Do commissioners have any comments or questions concerning the proposed minutes?
1:30 It's been moved and seconded.
1:33 To approve the proposed minutes of the April 21st meeting.
1:38 I'll pull the commissioners.
1:43 Commissioner Cleary.
1:46 Commissioner Wicksparl.
1:50 The minutes are approved as submitted.
1:54 Item number four, file number two fig zero zero one five.
1:58 Communication for the approval of the classification reports as submitted.
2:04 Good afternoon, Commissioners.
2:06 Sarah Sinsky of compensation services.
2:08 We have one report for you today.
2:10 This report is a market study for ball app positions within the Milwaukee Health Department and DPW Milwaukee Waterworks.
2:16 The analysis and recommendation process of this report includes a review of positions duties and responsibilities, impact and accountability relationship responsibilities, working additions, as well as minimum education and experience requirements.
2:30 In addition to the market study and examining the titles, there is the recommendation to retitle the virologist as a microbiologist and the virologist senior as a microbiologist senior.
2:40 Do you better reflect the duties and responsibilities being performed?
2:44 I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
3:20 Yes, hello, uh, commissioners.
3:21 Uh my name is Ian Gunther.
3:23 You may not know me.
3:24 I'm I'm the president of Ask Me Local 47, um, City of Milwaukee Workers Union that represents um many members in water quality.
3:34 And um if I may, uh I have a letter from uh our members and water quality staff who would like to um they would like to communicate something to this commission regarding this um this item if if that's uh okay for me to do.
3:52 Uh yes it is okay great.
3:55 So uh and these are not my words, this is the words of um uh a number of uh members that have submitted some um responses here.
4:05 Um a while ago, um I think last month we held a meeting with uh in which Jackie Carter was a part of, um in which we submitted a uh a petition from water quality staff, uh in which all uh staff on water quality um supported uh proposing some changes to how market study uh how the result of the market study um for water quality.
4:31 So I'll go ahead and read this uh letter here.
4:34 Um the honorable uh board of city Service commissioners, city of Milwaukee, uh dear city Service commissioners.
4:41 Today, for the uh Milwaukee Waterworks Market Study, Laboratories Market Study uh will potentially be approved.
4:51 And the water quality staff of Milwaukee Waterworks have requests about its implementation.
4:56 Um our section believes that a matrix placement within the new pay ranges is a crucial element necessary to complete this project process.
4:59 Recent matrix placements in the water quality and plant operations sections in 2023 and 2021 outlined that employees would receive a 1% credit for every year service with a maximum of 10%.
5:17 Pay progressions were used in 2016 when there was more of an emphasis on job performance and disciplinary actions.
5:25 The professional categorization of our section coupled with risk of salary inversion should elevate the need to adjust the matrix placement for this latest market study.
5:36 There are currently 22 employees in the section, and only three of them have over 20 years of experience.
5:43 There are 14 people that have under five years of experience, including six that were hired within the last year.
5:49 The value of our senior staff is critical at this time when the majority of our staff are new and benefit from experienced leadership.
5:56 There is currently a 20% turnover rate in water quality, which may persist if the newest hires see our leaders not getting adequately compensated for their knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience.
6:07 Historical knowledge of both water treatment plants and experience with evolving lake conditions continues to be under threat as staff keep seeking employment in similar positions held at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District or the private sector.
6:22 So the request here is for action on the matrix placement.
6:27 A 1% credit for each year of service with a maximum of 15 years, a 1% credit for maintaining Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources certificates with a maximum of 3%, a 1% credit for advanced degrees above and beyond the minimum education requirement with a maximum of 2%.
6:47 And then there's this concluding section here.
6:50 Water quality does not have any career ladder positions, and our knowledge skills and abilities are not regularly evaluated.
6:57 Our experienced people in every position continually make improvements to our lab but don't have a mechanism to move up within our pay ranges.
7:05 Water chemist senior Shannon De La Cruz is the sole analyst who performs the full suite of certified proficiencies and has maintained proficiency in three advanced instruments.
7:16 She is also the top resource of institutional knowledge in the water quality lab for junior staff and management and maintains iron removal and distribution Wisconsin NDR certifications.
7:29 Sorry, DNR certifications.
7:31 Water chemist senior Lindsay Gaziowski has obtained an additional Wisconsin DNR certification and coordinated with the Milwaukee Waterworks distribution section to expand fuel training their staff to ensure proper testing techniques and monitoring for the distribution system.
7:48 Water microbiologist senior Brian Minka has widened the scope of the test of testing to include cryptosporidium sampling and has seen a dramatic increase in training and onboarding duties.
8:01 The patchwork of market studies for different sections done at different times with varying results of compensation disproportionately impacts employees that advance their career with promotions in different sections.
8:13 The Linwood and Howard Water Treatment Plan employees historically regularly transfer within the sections housed in those two buildings and become valuable assets to the utility.
8:23 Water quality assurance specialist Jen Irby began as a chemical field operator, feed operator, and has moved back and forth between water quality and plants operations.
8:32 Her promotional opportunity to move from water quality to plants operations in 2015 was one month before that section received their market study raise, and when promoted back to water quality in 2022, was excluded from the over 10,000 dollar raise received by plant operations the following year.
8:50 Water treatment positions between water quality section and plant operations significantly overlap more than water quality and the Milwaukee Health Department and may be beneficial for the Department of Employee Relations to evaluate all of the sections housed within the two water treatment plants together to limit unavoidable friction of awarding different but very similar sections, thousands of dollars of different uh at different times.
9:13 This practice perpetuates our turnover problem, leads to a lot of frustration between the sections, and also limits the earning potential of employees that move to other water treatment positions.
9:25 We greatly appreciate your time and consideration of our concerns.
9:28 Sincerely, water quality section staff Milwaukee Waterworks.
9:32 Um and I can send this letter uh if you like.
9:29 I've I've all um already sent it to the uh K urban uh at Milwaukee.gov.
9:43 Um, I don't know if that's still the viable email address to send um uh letters to the uh city service commission.
9:51 Um thank you for your time.
9:59 Commissioners, I I think we have um we have an issue that's been brought to us.
10:06 We have not received by the way, Ms.
10:10 Gunther, we have not received any copies of any letter.
10:15 Uh I don't know when this letter was sent in.
10:20 Um if I may it was sent this morning, but I may have the incorrect email address um to send it to.
10:26 I don't know if there's a better one to send it to.
10:29 But I think according to the email that I have, we received this about 45 minutes before this meeting started, right?
10:37 That's uh that's a little difficult for the commission to take uh to take into consideration today.
10:52 It's a relatively complex uh pay uh administration problem, perhaps in some ways more than uh although I'm I'm going just on what you my understanding of what you said.
11:09 It would have been easier if I had the report or the letter in front of me.
11:14 Um this seems to concern just the water works side of the uh situation, and by May.
11:28 So I just want to be clear, the classification study is what is before you.
11:35 Gunther is talking about is a matrix placement, which is an administrative decision.
11:39 This is not governed by any CSC rule.
11:43 So that is something that would happen kind of behind the scenes based on decisions made uh by the department and in other leadership within the city.
11:51 So the and I also want to point out that um in conversations with with the department with Mr.
11:58 Gunther and and some of his uh partners, the timing of this is also critical because we are about to enter a transition.
12:06 So if this is not approved, this is going to probably have to wait until the fall.
12:10 So I just want to make that clear.
12:13 Um that we if we don't take action on this today, and we would be holding it for something that is not relevant, that is not a matter that would come before the CSD.
12:23 I just want to put that out there.
12:25 Uh I am concerned that uh we're getting into pay administration within the pay ranges as opposed to the placement of the pay ranges or the laying out of the pay range.
12:42 Uh I'm not comfortable with uh holding it up for that reason.
12:47 Uh I do I do think there sometimes are issues that can be raised, and we've had we've had these uh pay programs in other sections of the sit of the general city departments where people uh move from the traditional just five step or six step uh advancement to a more complex um uh performance oriented uh movement, but that um that's not something I'm I'm comfortable with deciding on uh the last minute without getting a uh a chance to uh to review it in detail and get a staff report in detail.
13:37 Um my own feeling is that we should re approve the reports that we have before us, but that's just my opinion.
13:48 And I do think that uh these are critical employees uh in water quality and the uh also the scientific people at the two plants, um, that we should ask DER perhaps not so much from a perspective of their classification uh perspective, but pay administration, they should maybe get back to us at our next meeting or the meeting after that, uh, with a um with a report on on these issues, and responding to some of the some of the points that Mr.
14:33 Gunther made on behalf of the water quality people, so uh I don't know if we need a motion for for that part of it, but I uh I do think um I do think we should deal with the report, and I don't know that the report itself is uh has been um success successfully uh objected to by uh Mr.
15:11 Gunther, it's it's more the pay administration of it uh and and the timing of some of it as it affects individual pay administration as it affects individuals, and I don't think we're the commission is uh usually does not get involved in in that kind of uh uh detail review of the administration of the pay ranges to current employees.
15:39 Uh I don't know how the other commissioners feel.
15:41 I'd like to hear from yeah, uh Mr.
15:45 Yes, I think the letter made some very good points.
15:49 Uh yes, and it provides very good information for water works management, but I don't think it uh it changes my my vote to approve the report as it stands, but but I think the pay matrix all those issues could be uh evaluated and considered by management and water.
16:12 So I'm gonna move approval of the report.
16:14 I I'm with you, uh Commissioner Smith.
16:17 I that's I'm not saying that there aren't there might not be some legitimate concerns being raised, but uh doing it at the last minute and from my perspective at least uh and not getting it in writing ahead of time.
16:33 Uh I don't see a reason to hold up the reports themselves.
16:38 I think the reports uh from a compensation system perspective, I think they're they're fine.
16:48 There may be some issues with how it's administered, but that could be something that uh the waterworks could speak to to the employees, or they could also speak to DER about that.
17:04 And so I'd I'd be more comfortable with putting it back in the lap of management, management being both the waterworks and DER, and not here as part of our deliberations.
17:21 But but generally, I just thought it was a very good letter.
17:24 I'd like to say the uh appreciated the uh importance of the experience of the people that have been there a long time and uh the younger workers are are benefiting by them.
17:36 Anyway, there were some very good points made.
17:38 But uh the bottom line is I'm gonna move approval of the report.
17:45 I will second, and uh I agree that uh these issues should be referred back to DER and the department.
17:59 It has been moved and seconded to approve the classification reports as the report as submitted.
18:09 I'll pull the commissioners.
18:11 Commissioner Smith, yes, commissioner Cleary, yes, Commissioner Wick Sporel, yes.
18:20 Uh the classification report is uh approved.
18:25 The next item, item five, which is file number 260016, concerns recommendations regarding probationary periods for reclassified positions.
18:38 However, the reports in this meeting cycle involve market study.
18:46 So there are no staff recommendations concerning new or extended probationary period.
18:52 No commission action is required.
18:56 Item number six, file number 26017.
19:01 Communication from the Department of Public Works Administration to extend the temporary appointment of Amber Graham.
19:07 Program assistant one for seven months from May 10, 2026 through December 19, 2026.
19:13 This is the first extension request.
19:19 Prior to the meeting, Commissioners, we received a letter from Jarell Krushke, Commissioner of Public Works, explaining that the contract administration office lost a temporary outside employee.
19:34 Graham, who has worked in the office for the past couple of years has been a significant help, and she is needed for contract compliance concerns with the many outside contractors used by the city.
19:47 And of course, that work increases during this time of year to include not only the year-round activities but also a variety of seasonal contract work.
20:00 They also provided the temporary appointment paperwork and job descriptions.
20:04 Do commissioners have any comments or questions?
20:17 It's been moved and seconded to approve the request to extend this temporary appointment.
20:21 I'll poll the commissioners.
20:23 Commissioner Smith?
20:25 Commissioner Cleary.
20:32 I'm sorry, I couldn't hear Commissioner Cleary's response.
20:37 I think our signal's bad.
20:46 Your vote, Commissioner Cleary.
20:52 Okay, Commissioner Wick Sporl.
20:57 The request is approved.
21:00 Item number seven, communication from the Department of Public Works to extend the temporary appointment for LaShonda Everett, Fleet Operations Manager for six months from May 24, 2026 through November 24th, 2026.
21:13 This is the first extension request.
21:17 Prior to the meeting, we received a letter from Gerell Krischke, Commissioner of Public Works, explaining that Ms.
21:23 Everett is needed to provide emergency responses for fleet operations, and the department is working to fill this critical vacancy.
21:34 They also provided the temporary appointment paper on job description.
21:38 Do commissioners have any comments or questions?
21:44 I move for approval.
21:51 It's been moved and seconded to approve the request to extend this temporary appointment.
21:55 I'll pull the commissioners.
21:57 Commissioner Smith?
21:59 Commissioner Cleary.
22:02 Commissioner Wick Sparrow.
22:05 The request is approved.
22:07 Item number eight, file number 260019, communication from the Department of Administration to extend the probationary period for Carl Chop, administrative services manager, for three months from April 29, 2026 through July 28, 2026.
22:25 Commissioners, prior to the meeting, we received a letter from Stephen Mahan, the administration deputy director.
22:32 Explains there's been a change, a change in department leadership during the course of uh Mr.
22:41 Chop's probationary period, and but this extension will give the new leadership a chance to evaluate him.
22:48 They also provided the probationary service report and a job description, and I believe they indicated the employee is aware of this uh request to extend.
22:59 Do Commissioners have any comments or questions?
23:10 It's been moved and seconded to approve the request to extend the probation period.
23:13 I'll pull the commissioners.
23:15 Commissioner Smith.
23:17 Commissioner Cleary.
23:20 Commissioner Wick Sparrow.
23:23 The request is approved.
23:26 Item number nine, file number 26021.
23:30 Communication from the Department of City Development to re-exempt the residential property disposition manager position, pay range one KX.
23:39 Prior to the meeting, we received a letter from Sam Lighting, Deputy Commissioner, explaining this position manages city owned foreclosed real estate.
23:51 The request is based on the responsibility for policy development regarding foreclosed property.
23:58 Representing the department before the council and with real estate brokerage firms.
24:04 A memo from Kristen Hennessey Urban Human Resources Manager did support the request.
24:10 And there was a job description.
24:12 Commissioners, do you have any comments or questions?
24:17 I move for approval.
24:20 It's been moved and seconded to approve the request or re-exempt the position.
24:24 I'll pull the commissioners.
24:26 Commissioner Smith.
24:28 Commissioner Cleary.
24:31 Commissioner Wick Sparrow.
24:34 The request is approved.
24:42 Well, that concludes all of the regular item of businesses for our commission.
24:51 Before I ask for a motion to adjourn, I'd like to check with you, my fellow commissioners, and our executive secretary regarding any announcements anyone might have.
25:05 Do any of my fellow commissioners have comments or information to share?
25:09 I would make a comment, Mr.
25:12 President, that I I submitted a letter to the mayor's office, and um the main thing I was trying to do is avoid uh quorum problems for the commission because I've been experienced that along with the rest of you a number of times where it's very hard to find someone willing to work with us.
25:33 No, it's very hard.
25:35 It's very sometimes it's very hard to go through the selection process to find someone for the commission who has the right background.
25:42 And I had suggested to Oscar Tovar in the mayor's office that I think a legal background or human resources background uh would be a plus for whoever uh they search for.
25:53 But the main thing is I didn't want to give the customary two-week or four-week notice.
25:58 Um, so you're stuck with me for who knows how long.
26:02 And um, Oscar Tovar did say if people have any suggestions of someone who would be a good commissioner, please let them know.
26:10 That's why I asked uh uh Chuck uh Schumacher uh how long before he retires, but so that means you'll be on the commission for 10 years based on that.
26:25 So anyway, I um I enjoyed the experience of working with the commission, but I I I started with the Department of Relations in '69 and with the commission in 2009, and and now I have other things to do, like with my grandchildren and going to medical appointments, uh, and so on, and teaching pickleball.
26:47 Okay, so but uh, but but you know, it's a very good experience, and I and he did like the analytical aspect of having a report, and instead of watching streaming on Netflix or something, you go through this multi-page real life situation about a bridge or whatever.
27:04 So um, you know, there's some drama involved.
27:07 So I just I just wanted to let you know that uh I I'm still a commissioner for the foreseeable future.
27:15 Well, well, thank you for that.
27:17 That's uh and I appreciate uh you'll be around for a while.
27:22 I hope that the mayor's office is unsuccessful in finding someone so that we can keep you uh thank you do it i don't know that'd be hard hard to follow do any other commissioners have a comment or information to share all right um i'll also ask our uh miss carter our executive secretary and director of employee relations if she has any comments uh my only comment is uh commissioner smith thank you we appreciate your service and um as i said to you via email i've not known you long but i've known you long enough to know that uh your presence will be missed when when that time comes um and so um i i appreciate your graciousness in allowing us to find your replacement before you uh step off so thank you for that thank you if there's uh no other comments um i would entertain a motion to adjourn i move that we adjourn i second the motion that we adjourn this may 5th uh 2026 meeting i wish it was on the fourth so i could say maybe the fourth but i just said it anyway circle to my own is fine working with you yes i'll pull the commissioners commissioner smith yes commissioner cleary yes commissioner wick spoiler yes we are adjourned thank you ladies and gentlemen take care of you