Milwaukee Judiciary & Legislation Committee Meeting - June 15, 2026

The Judiciary & Legislation Committee of the Milwaukee Common Council met on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 9:10 AM in Room 301-B of City Hall. The meeting, chaired by Ald. Diandre Jackson, addressed 10 agenda items including claims for property damage, travel reimbursement appeals, a short-term rental legislative package amendment, and a litigation settlement. The committee voted on several claims and held others, with a closed session convened to discuss a settlement. The meeting adjourned at 11:34 AM.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 (251767): Resolution relating to the claim by Gendlin, Liver & Rymer, S.C. on behalf of Michael Rodgers. The claim was already in suit, and the committee voted 5-0 to recommend placing it on file.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Barbara Robinson (Item 2): Claimant Barbara Robinson appeared, arguing that roots from a city tree (20-30 feet away, though she estimated 12-15 feet) caused damage to her private retaining wall and that the city had prior notice due to sidewalk lifting. She disputed the city's timeline and causation arguments.
• Violet Kryshak (Item 3): Claimant Violet Kryshak, a city employee, appeared to appeal denial of travel reimbursements totaling $4,033. She argued that the city should reimburse her for a return flight from Salt Lake City to Milwaukee (theoretical cost of $318.48) even though she took a personal detour. She also disputed the untimeliness of some claims and the per diem calculation errors.
• Elham MF Al-Nather (Item 6): Claimant Elham MF Al-Nather and her father appeared. They argued that a manhole cover dislodged on August 4, 2025, struck and damaged their parked car. They claimed the city failed to secure it after a first repair, and that the cover came off multiple times that week.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 (251514) – Claim of Barbara Robinson: City Attorney Clint Muche explained that the claim involved damage to a private retaining wall from a city tree. Forestry Manager Jeff Klouslow testified that the city had only one service request in six years (on a different street) and no prior notice of the issue. The tree was 20-30 feet from the wall, and the root damage could not be confirmed. The committee discussed causation and lack of notice, and Ald. Bauman moved denial.
• Item 3 (252154) – Appeal of Violet Kryshak: Muche and Health Department Manager Aaron Szopinski detailed the claim. Three trip reimbursements were untimely (filed beyond 120 days), and one Salt Lake City conference trip involved a personal detour; the city only reimbursed actual costs. Kryshak argued policy allowed reimbursement up to the direct flight cost. An offer of $1,036.87 was made by the health department but not accepted; the committee ultimately voted 4-0-1 (Perez abstaining) to deny the full claim.
• Item 6 (251626) – Claim of Elham MF Al-Nather: Muche and DPW representative Jason Sanders reviewed the incident timeline: the manhole cover dislodged at 6 PM on August 4, MPD arrived by 6:52 PM, DPW responded that evening, and permanent repairs were made on August 8. Claimant argued the cover came off three times that week. The committee found no prior notice and voted 5-0 to deny.
• Item 10 (260105) – Settlement of Tiffany Lewis v. City: The committee convened into closed session under Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(g) to discuss litigation strategy with the City Attorney. Upon returning to open session, Ald. Bauman moved to recommend adoption of the settlement. That motion passed 4-0-1 (Perez excused).

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Recommended for placing on file (5-0).
• Item 2: Recommended for disallowance and indefinite postponement (denial) (5-0).
• Item 3: Recommended for disallowance and indefinite postponement (denial) (4-0-1, Perez abstained). Claimant may file suit after formal denial by full council on June 23.
• Item 4 (Cooper Horn): Held to call of chair (5-0) due to no claimant and lack of liability.
• Item 5 (Mayolo Arias): Held to call of chair (5-0) for non-appearance.
• Item 6: Recommended for disallowance (denial) (5-0). Claimant may file suit.
• Item 7 (Sovaja Knox): Held to call of chair (5-0).
• Item 8 (Lawrence Howard): Held to call of chair (5-0).
• Item 9 (Short-term rental legislative package): Held to call of chair (5-0).
• Item 10: Recommended for adoption (settlement approval) (4-0-1, Perez excused).