This is the June 18, 2026 regular meeting of the Fire and Police Commission.

Present are Commissioners Evans, Fung, Raimi, Spence, World Patterson, and myself, Commissioner Horwitz.

Commissioners Burgos, Spencer, and Schneider are excused.

Also present our FBC Executive Director Leon Todd and Deputy Director Jay Pusek.

Director, please proceed with the agenda.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And then just before I begin, just uh a clarification on the order of the agenda.

So we will do uh as usual public comment first, followed by the consent agenda, uh, but then after that, we will take up uh the promotional files that are before us, which are uh in the fire department items 15 through 18, and then in the police department items 20 and 21, and then we'll circle back and to new business and and finish the rest.

Uh so we'll uh sort of take the fun part of the agenda first, the promotions, and that way everyone doesn't have to wait.

All right, and with that being said, we'll move to item number one public comment.

Uh, do we have anyone here in person who's interested in speaking at public comment?

Okay, thank you very much.

Right.

So we have Marty Wall.

Good evening.

Good evening, all.

As you get older, you should remember to bring your reading glasses with you when you go out in public.

Uh thank you very much.

Marty Wall, citizen of Milwaukee, lifetime.

Been following this very closely.

I always come here and I talk about traffic uh 13 years in a row now, and it's not much better.

I just drove down Capitol.

It's uh it's a zoo out there.

Uh this chief inherited uh a bad situation when he took the job, and uh we remember that uh the previous chief said that we had a hundred thousand illegal cars operating on the city's streets.

I wonder where it is today.

Have we made any improvement?

I don't know.

It's uh a lot of deaths, eight hundred and eighty deaths over eight years in the county.

My gosh.

Insurance costs, property costs, everything.

I've I've said it before, doesn't change.

But I'm here today to uh to say the name Sharon Thornton Jr.

I hope you all know that name or remember that name.

Two years ago tomorrow, he was a young child uh 17 year old killed in Washington Park, and he was killed in the midst of we were told it was 51 officers.

Now it turns out that there were actually 77 officers.

I don't have the report, there is no report.

Uh we forget about young black men boys in this city.

Their name comes and their name goes.

Get in our car and we drive home to wherever and forget it, but I can't get that off my mind.

That's two years tomorrow on a holiday.

We all know the name of uh Jason Sparks out in Waukeshaw, died on a holiday, tragically.

This was tragic.

In the midst of 76 paid, extremely well trained officers to have something like this happen, and then it turns out after the fact that there was a lack of coordination between the sheriff's department, the police department, von Mays, the Comp Forest, Comforts.

How can that happen?

It was almost as if it was intentional, and then it's coming out now on the streets that the money that was supposed to go to that Washington Park Juneteenth holiday music fest was withdrawn because somebody dropped a dime and said do not give money to Vaughn Mays.

Now I'm really confused.

I've been watching very closely for 26 years, and von Mays doesn't seem to be the problem.

In fact, I saw Von Mays sit right here next to the chief of police, and the chief of police was asking him for advice.

The chief of police and his workforce is not in tune with the public.

They are not in the community anymore, all because of black versus Milwaukee.

It's unbelievable.

Officers are not employees, it's as simple as that.

Black versus Milwaukee was to allow employees to live outside the city, forestry, health department, sure.

But a police officer is different.

They have to be of the community, in the community.

They're not coaching.

They're not at uh softball.

They're not at church.

They're not in the community, they're not able to give uh uh health uh emergency service to somebody that goes down in a car accident or falls on the street.

We've heard the great stories where off-duty cops and firemen show up and they take care of business, they can't take care of business from out of town.

We are in a serious, serious trouble here, and I'm just I'm just saying we don't have any reports, we don't get any information.

Washington Park, the Molotov cocktail is still on the agenda.

We haven't heard about what happened with that.

That was a pretext which ICE has used in Minnesota.

It's the same pretext that we used here in Milwaukee in 2020.

We haven't heard anything about the St.

Mary's hospital incident.

Cost the city 300, 400,000, same incident as what happened in Minneapolis.

They were trying to take a concealed carry gun away from a guy that told them he was a concealed carry owner, and they tackled him, and then a sergeant took him into a police van into a paddy wagon and turned off the camera.

Do we all not remember uh Ernie Lacey?

Wasn't it Ernie Lacey back in 82?

That's when we instituted that that rule, and we've we've lost our way.

We've got to conclude.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate the time.

Uh and I'm very frustrated.

This is this is serious, and uh I don't know where the city can go without an involved police department.

I really don't, but and then for the and then for the police union president to call the people that came here, those beautiful citizens of Milwaukee that came here for five and a half hours, and that police union president representing 1700 cops called them agitators, the same thing that happened, and they called them before Martin Luther King got killed, before the three freedom writers got killed, they called them agitators.

So when the when the police union president calls citizens who come to this body and just talk, we're not agitators, we're just frustrated.

Thank you, thank you.

Brian Verdeen.

Oh, it wouldn't be a meeting without Brian Verdeen.

Good evening, sisters and brothers, good evening, everybody.

Good, good, sir, all right.

Um, yeah, I was compelled to be here because of my finger on the way out the door, so I start bleeding uh forgive me.

Um my main reason for being here was to uh come and thank Commissioner Fong, Commissioner Bree Spencer, and our executive director, Mr.

Todd, who I still don't think he has enough credit.

I know he's a hard worker, I just know this by virtue of uh a lot of times him having explained stuff to folks that uh break it down so we can really understand it.

So I really appreciate appreciate the remarks that you all gave at the uh health and safety committee meeting the other day.

Uh when was the commission that found it?

Say that again.

What year was the commission founded?

1885.

So I'm sure uh Commissioner Forwards you'll appreciate this because I mentioned this before, you know, the commission was founded uh to do uh to stray away from politics, right?

And uh, thank you.

Things have certainly gotten quite political, haven't they?

Uh and it makes me wonder what was going on in Milwaukee back in the day.

Uh when they'd realize um it'd be good for a research project.

What was going on in Milwaukee back then that people said uh we gotta we gotta do something else because things are getting too political.

And of course, it's all hard because back to Act 12, doesn't it?

And in fact, if uh former ultimate Bauman had his way, it wouldn't be just a matter of two-thirds of the common council now being able to determine uh police policy.

But in fact, it would be a majority of the common council.

So that's still I think uh on the back burner somewhere in the minds of people that uh that are trying to make sure the community has no control over the police.

Um I'm wondering if this is a national trend in fact.

You know, I thank God for the fire and police commission.

I think all of you need to uh if you believe in the fire and police commission, all of you need to make sure that you're still around.

So we have some kind of voice in the future, and in fact, it does um bring forward the idea more and more and more uh because of the lack of control that we've got to get back to the idea that we advocated back in the late 60s, early 70s of community control of the police.

They have such a model in Chicago that's worth looking at in terms of the citizens having much more say-so over even hiring and firing and the budget matters for that matter.

So it boils down to the chief of police, has too much power, and I think having you know cross paths with Mr.

Norman, Chief Norman in the past.

I I don't really know if he really wants that much power.

Uh, he seems to be community-minded, community oriented, a community-minded, community-oriented chief, wouldn't really want that much power, I don't think.

And so I think it's up to us to uh, you know, have our say so, and thank goodness for us being able to come here and have our say so, but it's it's now going to uh come before the common council.

And I guess the other reason I wanted to come here, I do have relationships with uh several of the council members over the years.

Some of them I knew their parents better than I knew them.

But um, if you do have relationships with the council members, I would urge you to get talk to them and let them know that this simple amendment to SOP 660 is not that much.

And in fact, if you listen to the remarks from the police at the last meeting, it's probably gonna amount to only maybe 11, 112 less chases uh than they currently have.

So it ultimately gets down to uh modifying uh you know the current policy.

Please, if you can get with the uh with your your council, your uh common council member, and talk to them about them.

Let them know it's not that earth-shaking, it's not the earth shattering of uh change that's gonna take place.

And it's just a matter of the community having say so.

I think the one thing that perhaps didn't come up of the health and safety committee meeting is if I recall, and you know that I've been to a lot of the meetings over the past months, but I think I only heard one person speak against uh uh the uh stopping the chases.

And in fact, that person was on virtual.

Everyone else that came and spoke.

The dozens of people who came and spoke, they were all saying, Yeah, we need to, you know, stop chasing for any darn reason at all.

So we're here to fight for the uh legitimacy of your body.

I'd hate to think that the common council disrespects the federal uh the fire and police commission.

You're a legitimate body appointed by the mayor.

It was passed unanimously.

So I would think that the common council would have enough respect and regard for this esteemed body to say, look, nine good citizens looked at this, they researched it, they had great community input, and they've decided that there needs a modification in this chase policy.

So again, I'd urge you to get with your uh get with your common council member if you can.

And then the other thing that's kind of disturbing me is how in the heck the city attorney's office can have the uh police association as their as their client versus the fire and police commission as their client.

And so all of this closed, oh, we gotta go behind closed doors, we gotta have these secret meetings, blah blah blah, it's not healthy, uh, because again, it takes away the kind of trust that we've been trying to fight for.

So lastly, and I'm gonna shut up.

A lot of time.

So if you could briefly conclude, uh moving that mic, okay.

Uh but the bottom line, and I think uh uh council council person more put it best when she asked uh the other ultimate, she said, Well, you uh you uh the one who advocated uh sprinklers for apartments, and that was to save lives.

Well, this uh amendment to the uh current policy is gonna save lives too.

So, how many lives are gonna have to be lost?

I hope none.

I hope we can keep moving forward.

Our youth are in trouble, obviously, 19 to 25 and on the trying to tell us something.

We don't have any response.

Our response is generally lock them up, chase them, lock them up, throw them down, arrest them.

There's got to be a better way.

So I would urge us all to stay involved, get involved, and fight for the fire police commission.

Because I think we need real bad, probably not more than ever.

And when we get rid of Act 12, you'll have your power back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Bridget, do we have anyone appearing virtually uh for public comment?

We do not have anyone appearing virtually, Dr.

Alright.

Uh, move on to the consent agenda then.

Uh I will now read the items on the consent agenda.

After I do, any commissioner may remove any of the items on the consent agenda to the regular agenda for discussion or appropriate action.

Items not removed may be adopted by general consent without debate.

Item two, FPC 212571.

Resolution relating to the June 4th, 2026 meeting minutes.

Item 3, FPC 212572.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations, a request for recruitment and examination and eligible list for the human resources supervisor position within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 4, FPC 212573.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations, a request for recruitment, an examination and eligible list for the building maintenance supervisor position within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 5, FPC 212574.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations, a request for recruitment, an examination and eligible list for the custodial worker one position within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 6, FPC 212575.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations, a request for recruitment and examination and eligible list for the HVAC maintenance technician one through three positions within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 7, FPC 212576.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations, a request for recruitment and examination and eligible list for the police district administrative assistant position within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 8, FPC 212577.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations.

A request for a reclassification for two police services specialist positions within the Milwaukee Police Department.

Item 9, FPC 212578.

Resolution relating to the request to refer to the Department of Employee Relations.

A request for a reclassification and market study for the crime and intelligence manager position within the Milwaukee Police Department.

And item 10, FPC 212579.

Resolution relating to the Carpenter 4 eligible list for the Milwaukee Fire Department.

This concludes the consent agenda.

Madam Chair, before you move forward, I just am looking to see if we have our staffing services manager or someone from the Department of Employee Relations with respect to item five, the request for a new recruitment for the custodial worker one position.

Give me just one moment if you would.

I apologize.

Sorry, of course my my phone is being pokey now.

I don't see any updates, so uh my recommendation would be to simply move forward.

Okay, and if it uh needs correction in the future, yes, we'll correct it in the future.

Um so back to my script.

Would any of the commissioners like to remove any of these items from the consent agenda to the regular agenda?

If there are no objections, the items on the consent agenda will be adopted by general consent.

Are there any objections?

Hearing no objections, these items are adopted.

Director, please proceed with the agenda.

All right, and before, as I mentioned earlier, before we take up uh new business, we will move to the promotions in the fire department, starting with item 15 FPC 21.

Before we get to that, is it possible to take 15 through 18 as a block?

Well, it still requires individual votes and it requires um commissioners to consent to taking it as a block.

I think if there is unanimous consent, I don't see a reason why you couldn't.

Yeah, um well, I don't anticipate anyone having a negative vote on this, but if there were a negative vote, then we wouldn't know to whom it applies.

That would be the one detriment to it.

Yes, but you could uh ask if there's any objections to hearing it as a block or a group, and if there's no objection, I think you could move forward, but uh it's certainly up to you.

Well, your call.

I I appreciate efficiency.

We'll do it as a block.

All right.

Okay.

So he you'll read all of them.

Okay.

All right.

Uh item 15, FPC 212585.

Resolution relating to the promotion of Deputy Fire Chief Darren T.

Peters Peter Burrs to the assistant fire chief position.

Item 16, FPC 212586.

Resolution relating to the promotion of battalion chief Andrew M.

Hargarden to the deputy fire chief position.

Item 17, FPC 212587.

Resolution relating to the promotion of fire captain Lorenzo A.

Williams to the battalion fire chief position.

And item 18, FPC 211 2588.

Resolution relating to the promotions of Nathan A.

King and John D.

Sarowski to the fire captain position.

Okay.

Any comments, questions, or discussion?

I will say that we met with the candidates uh not every but most of the candidates in closed session earlier, and uh they presented their credentials and we were satisfied with the information we received.

Um do I have a motion?

By the chair, before you before we move uh assistant chief bears at his hand, so just oh okay.

Okay, say thank you for noticing that.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I assist you Josh Paris from welcome to our department.

I'd like to take the uh chief's normal point of privilege to just uh share some of the exceptionally quality share of all some of the exceptionally qualified candidates that we have uh in front of you.

Granted, I love that we've taken them you know all in the block to lose along speedily, but it's like to brag a little bit on just kind of some people that are before.

So uh first you have uh this suit to be assistant chief Darren Peter Burrs, who has just done an exceptional job uh in the last two businesses that he's in.

Um, you know, was a pivotal member in the RNC and has been helping our construction and maintenance division for the past several years.

Um he's handled multiple exceptional, like eight-figure capital budget items, um done all that flawlessly, and also has been really the global ambassador for the Milwaukee Fire Department this past couple years.

Um as we recently got done hosting the uh Metropolitan Fire Chiefs.

Um, we had hundreds of chiefs literally all over the planet.

Um, and the continuous comment that we got was that people were thrilled to learn about the city through Chief University of staff.

Um and he really really has done a marvelous job, and he's represented the agency, you know, in ways that we just can't begin to explain.

Next to him is uh soon-to-be deputy chief um Andrew Hargarden, um, who was really the mastermind behind the MFD's um, you know, financial and operational performance for both the DNC and the RNC.

Has uh along with some of his team in his exceptional comments, has literally bought millions of grant dollars into the city home with the work, and I'm brought to say he actually is the highest educated member of the Milwaukee Fire Department, um, also holding a doctor doctorate, and as I understand it, um, he chose us over NASA.

Um, and did in fact at one time make the first cut to actually become an astronaut, but uh chose to stay here instead because he really really enjoys um the diverse ways he can get back to the city.

Um, his vacancy will then be filled by uh Lorenzo Loy, who's moving up to battalion chief, has been an exceptional member.

I've worked with him multiple times.

Um he's interested enough in following in my footsteps for a past few promotions in his career.

So helmed our community relations division, did an exceptional job, was lieutenant at our business fire station, did an exceptional job, went back there as a captain, really um, you know, exuded this level of leadership and really kept that community focused in one of the biggest stations that exist in the Midwest period, full stop bar none.

Um, and actually was an incident commander at uh last year's uh Mother's Day Fire as a captain.

Um and I will acknowledge when I responded, I was shocked and so proud to see the way that he was handling that event, which was something that the city had never seen before.

Um, and then we have two captains that'll be following up in those vacancies.

Uh Captain Zarowski and uh and Captain King, um, exceptional members of the Milwaukee Fire Department.

One of them um is just a phenomenal leader in our marine division.

Um, we'll be going back there as a captain, um, really working on you know all the shoreline and the conflict response that our dive team does.

And then uh um Nate King will also be promoting the captain as well.

We'll be taking the Renzo spot at engine 13.

Um, but it's a bit an exceptional uh member and mentor to our young firefighters and paramedics and really love having you know paramedics as fire captain step up uh to really ensure that we're able to provide quality leadership in that advanced life support space as we're developing these young members.

Um unfortunately Chief Libsky wasn't able to be here this year yet, have a commitment, but um I share his enthusiasm as we welcome some new members into our command staff and then some uh some new members into these very pivotal leadership roles where we're sure they will continue to uh represent the Milwaukee Fire Department and enhance uh the parts of the city that they will then protect.

So thank you for that point of privilege.

I really appreciate it.

And uh I'm happy to take any questions, but I think you guys are gonna, you know, do the thing, so I will let you all continue.

Well, it's it's not uh it's it's fine to say more good things, but they will just be more good things.

And uh, I think we can go forward.

Uh there's a motion.

There is not a motion, but I'll make the motion.

Second, okay.

Any further discussion?

If not, I will take a roll call vote in alphabetical order.

Commissioner Evans.

Commissioner Fong.

Aye.

Commissioner Ramey.

Commissioner Spence.

Uh.

Commissioner World Patterson.

Aye.

And the chair votes I.

Motion carries congratulations to all of our votes.

Okay.

Madam Chair.

Just uh I believe we're taking up 20 and 21 next.

Yes.

And I'd like to ask for the same privilege.

On 20 and 21.

Taken as a plot, unless there are any um anyone disagrees with that.

Is there any um um so we have consensus to do that?

All right, then we will.

Uh director.

Please proceed with uh 20 and 21 combined.

Alright, I will now read the promotions under the police department.

Item 20, FPC 212590.

Resolution relating to the promotions of Sergeants Robert Smith, K.

Yang Ku, and Julian Nunez to the police lieutenant position.

And oh, I'm sorry, yes.

I know I threw your curve.

Oh, yeah, you did 20 and 21, FPC 212591 resolution relating to the promotions of police officers Dustin McGuinness and uh Leo uh Cavasos and Detectives Jake Pushneg, Ryan Casey, and Cedric McFadden to the police sergeant position.

Okay, do we have any representatives of the department who wish to speak?

Yeah, right.

I I spy with my little eye.

I don't know if I can um overcome what Chief Parrish has already laid out.

Um I will say this we have several um detectives who are moving into supervisory roles.

You've heard the chief talk um at the promotion ceremonies about the sergeant being the most influential, the most important position on the department.

You won't get any disagreement from me on that.

Having been a sergeant for 12 years, you are the go-between uh for all things big and small, your coach, guidance counselor, um, supervisor, mentor, leader.

Um so it's nice to see we have detectives transitioning into their role, bringing with them their investigative experience over to the supervisory ranks.

Um, in addition to that, the three lieutenants uh I have you know you're getting old when you see people getting promoted into the leadership positions that you remember when they first came on the job and worked for you.

Um several of those people um uh have worked for me in the past.

Uh Sergeant Smith, um all the changes we've made the commission, the departments with our police aid program, in large part is due to the work that Sergeant Smith is doing at the academy.

The things he's done with them uh have been instrumental.

Um you've heard me say before that a retention rate for police aides is a hundred percent in large part because of what Sergeant Smith has done with our police aid program.

In addition to um uh Lieutenant uh Kay Koo, uh, she works um for me in the Internal Affairs Division.

Uh I'm so happy that she's getting promoted, but at the same time, so sad to be losing her.

She is uh she's been a really solid investigator for us, and Sergeant Nunia is being pronounced a lieutenant.

Again, he was the one I remembered um when he was this big, and I was um just a young sergeant myself when he came on the job.

So it's great to see these individuals now taking up these leadership positions.

So thank you.

Very good.

Thank you for that background information.

Thank you.

Um discussion.

I'll take a motion to approve items 20 and 21.

So move.

Second.

Okay.

If there's no further discussion, I'll take a roll call vote in alphabetical order.

Commissioner Evans.

Aye.

Commissioner Fong, aye.

Commissioner Ramey.

Commissioner Spence?

Aye.

Commissioner World Patterson.

Aye.

And the chair votes aye.

Motion carries, congratulations to all the members.

Thank you very, very much.

And um now you don't have to sit through the rest of us.

We'd love to have you state, but if you can't, it's understandable.

Yes.

Is that do we have the officer here for item number 24 as well?

I believe that might be her.

Oh, she's the year for reappointment.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

No.

All right.

Okay, we'll take you.

Item 24, FPC 212594, resolution relating to the reappointment request of a former police officer.

You can come forward.

Good evening.

Good evening.

So the information we have indicates that you uh left uh Milwaukee to work at West Dallas, is that right?

Yes, ma'am, that is.

Okay.

And now you want to come back to Milwaukee, police department.

Yes, that is correct.

And why is that?

I realize that after a year and a half in the city of West Dallas, I want to work for a police department that mirrors the community that is diverse.

And I also realize that I have values and morals that better align with the Milwaukee Police Department.

I believe that as a police officer, we should be aware of our implicit and explicit biases as well.

And we should protect and serve and also be fair and impartial.

Well, welcome back.

Well, thank you.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Just uh very quickly.

Um perhaps you could do us a favor and uh and tell other department members in the future that the grass is not always necessarily greener other places.

Yeah.

Deal?

Yes, sir.

I certainly will.

Thank you.

All right.

So we've had a motion and a second, and uh is this a voice vote?

Yeah, yeah.

And I'll take a voice vote.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Motion carries welcome back.

Congratulations.

Appreciate it.

Call it there and do good for us.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

And now circling back to new business, starting with item 11, FPC 212581.

Resolution relating to the reclassification of vacant emergency communications operator five positions to the Echo Supervisor, Echo Records Analyst Senior, and Echo Operations Analysts Senior positions within the Department of Emergency Communications.

Good evening.

Yes, we have a number of recommendations for you tonight in the Department of Emergency Communication for the emergency communications supervisors.

The recommendation is to maintain the same level of position authority there, but to add a 5% incentive for a supervisor who would be assigned as a shift lead on every shift.

And I would note that the report does uh delineate quite nicely the responsibilities between a manager, what will be a lead supervisor assignment and supervisor.

Also uh creating two new titles, one of emergency communication records analyst senior, and an emergency communication operations analyst senior.

And the records analyst uh is intended to handle open records but all other department records as well.

And uh the operations analyst would work with scheduling and payroll functions on the floor.

My understanding that these uh responsibilities have been previously committed by committed um completed by uh supervisors, and so this will streamline and allow supervisors to work more on the floor, the emergency communication project manager is no change in pay, but we're recommending that the title design the uh pay range designation uh be uh professional as there are no direct reports.

Okay, and I'll go on.

I'll go on to the next one.

Um, this was actually presented this morning before finance and personnel.

It it has not passed yet, and we'll go to another meeting in about three weeks.

But wait, are you on another item?

Yes.

I I think we should deal with item 11.

Um, unfortunately, you'll have to slog through it with us.

Okay.

Okay.

Are there any questions uh or comments by commissioners on item 11?

It's uh very thorough and technical report.

Do I have a motion?

So madam chair.

Second.

Any further discussion?

I will take a voice vote on this item.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Motion carries.

Director, please proceed with the agenda.

Next item is item 12, FPC 212582.

Resolution relating to the job evaluation report for various human resources and business operations positions throughout the city of Milwaukee.

Go for it.

Okay.

I know I'm ready to go tonight for some reason.

The recommendations in this report do pertain to positions that are in the uh department of emergency communication, the police department, and the fire department.

The overview comment that I'd make for these is that none of these um are reclassifications, all of them are uh recommendations based on changes in the labor market.

So we have not assessed these for changes to duties and responsibilities or comparisons to other in-house.

And I would encourage the departments if in in looking at this report, if you see something that just doesn't seem right in terms of classification, I would invite uh a request for us to study that, and we would certainly do that.

Um just I I know this body doesn't necessarily approve the pay, but what I would say is overview for all of these positions, is that for the more entry-level professional positions, we do look at like 75% of the market in terms of our rates, and for the higher level, because we're trying to be very fiscally responsible, we look more at 50% or lower in the market.

Um I can answer any questions.

How are we?

How are we attracting the most qualified people if we're paying them 50% of the market?

It's actually quite an increase, believe it or not.

Oh, um, relative to where they are now, okay, as opposed to where they are now.

Yes.

Um, you know, and we have a lot of conversations with the budget office and the mayor's office, and uh, you know, if we had our druthers and we did not have um that pressure on us, uh 75 would be correct, I think for all of them.

Um, the rates have been able to go up as much as they have because of the change with the mayor's cap, and that was lifted a number of years ago, and these folks were previously looked at, but they had the mayor's cap, and so we're held down at that time.

Uh we were looking at 10 percent of the market, which is you know feeding right into what you're saying, madam chair.

Um, so we're hoping that this increases our ability to recruit and retain employees.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, just um, for my own edification.

This has gone through the city's human resources committee.

We we have uh it's the same report.

There's there's some that are grayed out, those are the uh three different departments that this body oversees, and the others that are not highlighted are general city on Tuesday.

We did take before the city service commission the recommendations and requests for approval of all general city employees, and then this the corollary tonight would be uh for the departments that this body oversees.

The report did go to finance this morning, but they have some additional questions, and so the final report I believe will be heard in about three weeks before finance.

So while we approve while we could approve these final approval.

Takes place at a later date, yes, yes, in order for it to move forward, um, it needs the approval of both the city service commission and the F with respect to the general city uh positions and then the FPC with respect to the public safety departments, but yes, it does require because it involves uh the salary ordinance, um approval of the full, I believe the finance and personnel committee and ultimately the full common council, and then it has to be signed off by the mayor.

Um but to get to that step, um FPC uh got it.

Yeah.

Needs to approve it.

Um lot of steps, but yeah, I understand.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, that was a really good summary.

Uh, do I have a motion for approval?

Madam Chair, I guess I just have a question for the director, which is have you know, have you had sufficient time to be comfortable with this?

I I am, but I I will say in full disclosure that uh this is not my area of expertise, so I in large part uh uh uh defer to the uh expertise of the department of uh employee relations.

Okay, and so then just procedurally, uh the next steps are that if we take assuming we take this up tonight and that this passes through, then the next time this comes up is in three weeks, you said?

Yes, before the finance and personnel committee.

Okay, and then would go to the full common council.

Okay, I'm correct.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh so we've had a motion.

We don't have a motion, okay.

And so I'll move approval.

Okay.

Anyone awake over there?

Okay.

Commissioner Evans, are you saying you seconded?

Second.

Okay, great.

Um this is a voice vote uh item.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

I any opposed, any abstentions?

Motion carries.

Director, please proceed with the agenda.

Item 13, FPC 212583, communication from the Milwaukee Police Department relating to MPD's 2026 asset forfeiture plan.

And we have uh assistant chief Craig Sarnow with us to uh give an overview.

And Chief, did you?

I uh did not bring a PowerPoint, but the PDF I submitted to you, you should be able to pull it up.

And I believe I mentioned to Bridget when I got here, she wants to pull it up.

She can do it as well.

All right, and I see she I believe she's doing it right now.

There we go.

Looks just like a PowerPoint to me.

PDF PowerPoint.

Thank you, executive director, madam chair, commissioners.

Good evening.

Um, happy to be here again to present to to you for what I believe is the fourth year in a row because I can't say that it was always done that way prior to me um coming up to the executive command staff level, but in accordance with uh SLP 765 evidence seizure, we are required every year to give the fire and police commission an annual presentation on our asset forfeiture plan, um, how much money we have and uh where that money is gonna go.

So uh normally I'm joined by uh our uh budget director Engine, but um uh as uh per orders from her assistant chief, which would be me.

I ordered to take some much-needed vacation, and so she is down in Florida with her daughter and her grandson.

So happy to be here.

Um so to be fair, uh this was presented to the finance and personnel committee already on April 15th.

Um that's just the normal course of business of how we do things uh presented to them for uh approval.

Uh here go the trans uh the um the the authorization to transfer the funds from the asset forfeiture account to the MPD account uh that was then adopted by the full council on um uh about a week later on uh April 21st.

So what I'm sharing with you again is going to be uh once again an overview of the program, because I know that it's been a year since we talked about this, so you may some of you may have forgotten what the rules are and kind of how things uh go.

So I'm gonna highlight uh the program, highlight some of our themes, the categories for expenditures and 26, and then answer any questions any of you may have.

So uh with that uh this program is designed to um enhance uh our budget.

You know, there's uh our budget is uh takes a lot of scrutiny and rightfully so.

Um we have one of the largest budgets in the city.

Um the 2026 budget was 312 million dollars, but what people sometimes don't realize with that number is that ninety-one percent of it um is um consists of salary and fringe benefits.

So that's about two hundred and eighty-one million dollars of that um of that 300 plus million dollar budget we have.

So whatever is left over falls into the various categories of of um operating, um, etc.

So this program is designed to uh enhance our uh operating budget.

The proceeds could be from uh currency, jewelry vehicles, and even crypto legal activity is typically um narcotics trafficking, trip uh typically driven by that, but could also be related to human trafficking, firearms violations, and money laundering, all asset forfeiture funds distributed must be in strict compliance with state law.

Uh the equitable sharing guidelines are modified in 2024, and that eliminated donations to community organizations, buyer flash money, and or um anything related to construction or improvement of MPD facilities that also includes the list of um uh we can't use it for food and beverages, we can't use this money for entertainment.

Uh we can't use it for expenditures that create the appearance of uh extravagance.

And you're not gonna see any of that reflected in here.

Uh next slide, please.

Uh sharing is based on net proceeds.

So when you see gross receipts, then you'll see a bunch, so gross receipts is the plus, and then you'll see a bunch of minuses after that.

So just think of it like your checking account.

There's what you have in there, and then there's the deductions.

In this case, the deductions involve qualified third-party interests, payment to victims, federal case-related property management disposition and administrative expense, awards paid to federal informants, and payments to experts.

Uh all that's to say that in the end is um what you have left to transfer over.

Uh our participation enables the department to expand program opportunities that otherwise we could not afford uh if we um didn't have access to uh equitable sharing.

Uh next slide, please.

Can I ask who do we share with?

Uh we share, so if you go back one slide, Bridget, you'll see on the on the very bottom of that.

Uh base the uh just scroll up just a little bit more.

There.

Oh, no.

You're on the sharing of uh, yep, but at the bottom of that one there.

Sharing partners.

So anybody that has kind of a connection to the criminal case we're investigating.

So it could be, let's say, West Dallas, it could be any number of different law enforcement agencies, but um it's based on who has the most active role in that investigation.

I don't necessarily understand how the math works and how they determine who gets it.

Um and you'll kind of see that broken down uh in one of the future slides on um actually I think it's the next slide.

So you can go to the next slide, right here.

Asset, yep, that's it.

Yep, asset forfeiture revenue.

So this is from 2019 to 2025.

And the word that I just use uh madam chair for this, it's unpredictable.

You just don't know what you can really count on year in and year out, which is why you see uh this kind of bar graph being kind of like this roller coaster of revenue, um, with um, you know, a lower point being 2021, where we had um 220,000, 116.

Then you'll see a very high watermark the following year at two point, you know, almost 2.5 million.

Um a lot goes into that, like I said.

Um, who has a role or a hand in the case, and at what time point in time does that case officially close uh and those deductions are made out, and then the money becomes available to us.

So the sharing uh is determined based on the individual forfeitures, not on the totality of the amounts that come in for the year.

Is that right?

That's correct, but also um who um who gets a percentage of that depends on who's involved in that case.

Okay.

Assistant chief Sarno, just to clarify, are the numbers per year that is the payment that is received once everything is sort of closed out and determined?

Yes.

Okay.

And do you it I imagine it varies, but how long is the determination process usually?

It's hard to say, you know, some of those um criminal investigations can go on for a long period of time before they are officially closed out, uh, and then the um the uh the uh the the receipts are received.

So presumably what you receive in 2025 could have been from something in 2021 or from something in 2022.

Which is why you see, and again, the word I use was unpredictable.

You know, 2021, you go from 220,000 all the way to 2022 of almost 2.5 million.

So uh but for this year um for 2025 and what we're gonna what we requested to help me transfer over, um, was uh almost 1.3 million dollars.

So you can go to the next slide, please, unless somebody else has any questions.

I have a quick question.

Yes, how how are the victims of the crimes notified that there are funds?

That's cool.

Yes, I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you, Commissioner Well Patterson, but this is all uh DOJ driven, so that's all handled on their end.

Okay, thank you.

And then the um one point two nine million from twenty twenty-five.

That's not the gross that that MPD individually gets, or is it?

It is okay.

Yes.

Okay, okay, another question.

Yes, um, who does the the um selling?

Is it all in the hands of the federal dealers?

Yes, we don't have any all we are made aware of is what we have available to us based on our involvement in the cases and what those case what those cases were, our involvement in it, and then what the uh dollar amount is.

Okay, and does the does our department seize property that is subject to forfeiture, or is that only uh what the feds can do?

Well, yes, yes, we're involved in the seizure of it, but the feds are the ones that ultimately decide, you know, what's um relevant to the case, and then they're the ones that ultimately have to go down the path of you know um selling it and and doing all that to get us this, you know, to get us this dollar amount.

That's why they get a property, they get a case-related um, they get their costs back.

Correct.

Yes, that was included in the deductions, yes, yes.

They are made whole as well.

So, all right, thank you.

Uh you can go to the next um uh this reflects um you go on just a little bit more um what we spent uh over the last uh couple of years on um various things.

Um again, our expenditures, you know, is for this is uh just like the previous slide I said can be unpredictable, we have to base that on what we actually have available to us, but this uh I'm not attaching any particular details of this.

This is just meant to show you uh that um our spending can be um a little uh is based on the money we receive, so that can be a little unpredictable as well.

Just a quick question on that.

Do funds need to be expended in the year in which they're received.

No, and you'll see that on the next slide.

Okay.

So when it was all said and done, um we had as part of um 2026, um we brought in almost 1.3 uh million dollars.

That was already added to our balance commissioner spence that's already in there, so that's why you'll see it being one point uh almost 1.9 million dollars in the trust fund balance because we always have money in there.

We we leave money in the balance, we never actually request to transfer it all over.

I'm not saying that we wouldn't, uh, if there wasn't a need, but uh I go back to 2022 when we had some issues with the uh firearms that we had, and we had to transition out quickly.

Um, there was a cost associated with that.

Some of that cost was offset by um trading in the firearms that we had, um, which reduced that uh amount we had to pay for our new firearms, but we're able to um kind of pivot and adjust and utilize asset forfeiture funds to ultimately get that taken care of in short order.

So uh we kind of call this, I think I even called it kind of a rainy day fund.

Uh, the rainy day fund, uh at least that's where it stands right now, is um almost $800,000 that um could be used for something uh an exigence or circumstance, or if we decided to um go back down the road of looking to fund one of the um six different categories, something else in one of the six categories, which I'll highlight for you, we could conceivably go back to finance and personnel and request an additional transfer at some point in time.

But the transfer we requested on April 15th amounted to one point uh uh one million one hundred and thirty six dollars and five hundred and uh sixty-five, uh yeah, almost one point two million dollars.

That's supported fifty-five uh different projects in roughly six main categories.

Uh those categories, uh if you want to go to the next slide.

Excuse me.

Do you mind sharing who's the we again?

I miss that.

When you say, and we can we can adjust who's the we who's at the table?

Oh, I think you mean the command staff, right?

Yes, if there's something that we want to um, you know, look to prioritize and fund Commissioner Warwell Patterson.

We, the Milwaukee Police Department, we the executive command staff um could look to um uh move forth uh uh with finance and personnel to request the transfer of additional funds.

You're not limited to train to one transfer a year, but we have historically only done one transfer a year.

Thank you.

Do you get more funds every year?

We do get funds every year, but like I said uh on that earlier slide, it's unpredictable about what that amount could be.

So again, uh it's nice to have something in the remaining balance should you have another year that it may be a little bit lower, that may be you know two hundred and ten thousand dollars or something like that.

Sorry, do the funds come in at the same time every year?

Yes, okay.

And we typically go through the exercise of asking for the transfer around the same time each year every spring.

We begin to do the work that you'll see reflected in the next couple of slides, uh, much earlier than that.

We begin that usually in November or December of the year before, starting to gather um, you know, whether it's uh the uh internal requests from the different divisions, the community requests, and you'll see all that reflected uh in the in the next couple of slides.

And maybe this is covered in the next couple of slides, but is there a fund balance that you try to hold to?

Or is it just based on what that need looks like and some level of prudence to ensure that you've got something there?

Yeah, great question.

Um so in 2022, our fund balance was kind of right around where it was now in that 700,000 to 800,000 range, and I'm glad we had what we had in there at the time because um, if we didn't, um it would have been a little bit more difficult to try to do that uh firearms transition than I said.

So to answer your question, we have uh at least in my time, Commissioner, it's always been kind of left around that amount of money.

Okay, so uh as I said, um we have six different categories that were funding, uh, travel training, and I'll get into a little bit more details in the next couple of slides.

Travel training, community engagement, technology, general equipment and supplies, uh community-driven equipment and supplies, and then uh contracts.

Go to the next slide, Bridget.

Uh beginning with community engagement, um, we have approximately 19% or 215,000 dollars was allocated for what would amounted to be 14 different projects.

Uh, we do have some general funding in there, and then $180,000 uh 114 in equipment and supplies, things like um, scrap my uh community document here.

We have $180,000, $114 that were based off of um community recommendations or community requests.

These requests that I speak of came from uh the district captains through their crime and safety meetings.

The school crossing guard signs is something that the executive director and I are intimately familiar with only because this said come to us through Alder Woman Moore.

And looking into it a little bit more, digging into it a little bit deeper.

The school crossing guards are in compliance with state law, meaning that they uh they do have reflective gloves on in that type of uh wearing those types of outer garments, but they did not have signs.

Um so in speaking with the executive director and alder woman more, um, we did decide to go down the road of um getting uh 65 signs because it's not a piece of equipment that was required as part of the job, but it does make sense to have these available for those that want to use it.

Um so I did bring one.

I know Commissioner Funk spotted it when I got in.

These and I'll just give it to you, Commissioner Funk.

You can pass it down so you can feel the weight of it.

The uh concern we had was is that you know, for some of our cross, some of our crossing guards, this won't be a problem.

Some of our crossing guards are a little little older, and they may have some um uh they may have a little bit more difficulty holding that up for you know the period of their shift and whatnot, uh in addition to the winds and everything else that they experience when they're out there.

So uh it will be an optional piece of equipment uh that'll be available.

Um like I said, we're gonna start out with an order of 65, and it can always be built out from there.

Uh some of the additional uh community requests that we got seem to be centered on um uh a lot on traffic safety, as we heard in public comment, um, that is still a big concern uh for a lot of people in our community.

So uh requests that involved speed boards, uh, updating our speed boards, new speed boards, uh smart home uh security cameras, firearm cable locks, uh those are things that uh can be given out to um different uh uh different uh members of our community upon request.

Uh district four requested some uh legal uh some cameras to deal with some uh uh ongoing illegal dumping, specifically up near their uh Haven Woods area.

Uh a lot of these things came from feedback from um community partners such as the West Side Partners, Target Team Meetings, Mitchell Street bids, third ward associations, uh the Brady Street bid.

Uh all that's to say is these discussions happen because last year uh when the budget director and I um ultimately left finance and personnel, our marching orders were please ensure you're having the discussions with your community so they have some input on what this money is actually being used for.

I can say that to all of you commissioners, we did that to the tune of uh 180,000 uh in funding that um goes to all these different types of things to include um some new um uh laser units for um speed detection and whatnot for the specialized patrol division.

Uh some people might say, well, community engagement.

If that's in your vision mission statement, why is the amount only two hundred and fifteen thousand dollars?

Um keep in mind that our operating budget this year, we increased every district work location's budget in their operating budget by ten thousand dollars so they can fund their own community um initiatives and things like that.

It is who best knows who knows better how to you know meet the needs of their um their uh communities better than the district captains.

So uh that is why it is uh the way it is.

So we gave each district uh got additional ten thousand dollars, and then the um the uh our community engagement matter has a twenty thousand dollar budget uh you know, in the operating as well to handle any of those um things that come her way or any special requests that may come up through uh the the various districts to her.

Assistant chief Sarno, are the smart home security cameras also related to traffic concerns, or is that part of the community connect program in general?

No, um those were um uh those were uh that was a request by Captain Mahia of district number two, and um the logic was uh was wound up being five smart home security cameras to utilize for um vulnerable populations or problematic businesses.

So that's uh was the request, and that was ultimately uh these were all again seen by the chief who approved it.

So, okay, thank you.

And then I just had a question too about um a lot of uh in my in my day job, a lot of my community partners um have also been talking a lot about illegal dumping.

Um, are those cameras static or are they to be moved around?

And do you know how many you were able to buy?

Uh those are um those are able to be moved around because we know that you know we may fix the problem or you know, um solve the problem in one area, but it it could come up again elsewhere.

Those are mobile, just like the trailer cams uh that we're going to be getting our mobile as well.

Um the we so we had four or have four, but only two of them actually work.

The technology is so old and outdated, they're meant to be mobile, they're meant to be put out in um, you know, kind of just you know, um different areas like that.

Uh, but we needed to um definitely get them upgraded.

So okay, thank you.

Okay, uh next slide.

General equipment and supplies accounts for 33 percent um of our uh of what um the asset forfeiture um disbursements are going to that equates to about 375,333.

Uh recruit Chrome uh recruit or Chromebook laptops for recruits.

This is something uh we were in a school not too long ago, and it amazed me to see grade school kids using tablets using computers.

I don't know why we didn't move to more of an adult learning learning style sooner for recruits, but um uh better late than never.

So we are moving towards that rather than printing out binders after binders for them.

There'll still always be a need for paper.

Don't get me wrong, but um, we are moving more towards an adult style learning for our recruits, and that's what that um purchase represents.

Uh just upgrading some of the um dated um office uh chairs and furniture we have.

Um, I don't think a lot of people realize just how old our district stations are.

We have a footprint in 14 different buildings, and most of our district stations were built in the uh 40s, 50s, and 60s.

There's no reason why you should be sitting on furniture and utilizing desks and chairs that were also from the same time period.

So we've uh identified two districts.

We're gonna this is the plan is to upgrade um two districts per year.

So we're starting with districts one and district five.

Uh this year, latent print fuming chamber is exactly how it sounds.

Uh that is a piece of technology to just um uh enhance um already the great work that's being done at our forensics division, and then um we're subject to inspection by the state DOC regarding our temporary holding facilities, and there was a number of um toilets and sink fixtures that are significantly outdated that need to be fixed.

Again, we can't use this for construction costs, but we can use this to buy the materials we need to ultimately fix the problem.

Interesting.

So that these items wouldn't be considered part of your capital program.

Okay, we we probably could commissioner uh Spence, but the fact of the matter is I don't know.

Um a lot of this uh particularly with the last um item I just brought up, there's some urgency to that, so I don't know what the timeline would be if we were to put it in capital when that would actually get approved.

Interesting, yeah.

Uh next slide, please.

Uh technology uh accounts for 22 percent or roughly 245,395 of our asset forfeiture plan, data redaction streamlining.

And what I mean by that is so our open record section receives approximately two thousand requests every month.

Think about that, two thousand.

Now, with some of the um, you know, uh requests for documents and and whatnot, those don't take as much time, which takes time, or all the video requests we receive because there are certain things that have to be redacted as a result.

Um, and you know, this we and as a result of all the video requests that we receive for body Morn Camera and everything else, uh, we have a significant backlog in what that process looks like.

There is technology, there is software out there that can help make us more efficient and streamline things, and uh the platform that I believe um we purchased as a result of this is CaseGuard, which will greatly assist our folks in open records and getting some of those uh records requests completed in um in uh in reducing the amount of time those requests have to wait.

So that is where that's the genesis of that um technology, and then we obviously have a lot of different platforms that capture a lot of different data.

Um we can definitely there's always room to be more efficient at what we do in a clouds-based records management integration system, is uh that was identified by the IT division, um, is ultimately uh was ultimately put on the list of things to buy through asset forfeiture that's um gonna enhance everything that we need to do regarding the um kind of the uh synthesizing all the data we have.

Is this cost for are these fixed costs or are these a subscription service?

No, these are fixed costs.

Thank you.

Next slide, please.

Uh we do fund uh a lot of our um extra training and travel through the asset forfeiture account.

We've done this uh ever since I've been up there.

17% or 192,000 dollars is available to cover uh a lot of different department-wide training, specific training um for our uh folks that um work in our area assessment team or the drones, canine cent training, additional training for crash reconstruction, uh crime analysis, uh human trafficking, uh, as well as all the other training that we send leadership to at IECP, uh SMIP, and any number of other uh programs that we uh uh we want to um fund to develop our people.

What's SMIP again?

Oh my god, you put me on the spot.

Strategic.

That's okay.

Oh, got me.

You got me.

That one doesn't sound familiar to me.

Uh and then just to clarify, is all the travel to domestic travel.

Yes, okay, thank you.

Yes.

Next slide, please.

Uh lastly, and this has been kind of um ever since I've been involved with uh asset forfeiture.

The contract for Milwaukee Urban Stables uh or our lease for MKE uh Urban Stables is uh 108,000 per year.

We're on a 30-year lease, and that is funded through um asset forfeiture.

It already uh it always has been, and I don't ever see a time it won't be unless for whatever reason the funding for whatever year it was, but there will never be a time where we don't fund or we don't pay our facility lease.

Uh but we have historically paid for Milwaukee Urban Stables through asset forfeiture.

Are there built-in increases to the rate over the 30 years?

No, the rate is locked.

Nice.

After which we will have the opportunity to purchase uh MKE urban stables.

I didn't make the 30-year lease, it's not me.

I don't ever heard of a 30-year lease, but yeah, it's what we have.

So, what the government real estate, yeah.

Okay.

Uh I believe that concludes my uh presentation on where the money's going.

Uh, like I said, we do have remaining balance uh of almost $800,000 in there.

Uh, to your question, Commissioner Spence.

That's kind of where the department likes to keep it at, but that's not to say that at some point Chief Norman um wants to go in a different direction or expand, let's say, for example, the drone program or something like that.

Um, we could um again, go back to finance personnel or request an additional transfer of money if if the need arises.

But uh this is an addition to what we um you know what we get from um you know the Milwaukee Police Foundation, the number of grants we have.

This is just again meant to enhance uh our operating budget.

And I'm very pleased this is the first.

I think this is the most robust um plan I've ever seen uh with respect to community input.

So we'll look to keep on building on that um year in and year out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Further questions, um it's kind of a mystery to me how all this money gets accumulated, but that's not our problem.

Um is it um and they regularly add so there'll be a 2027 plan and a 2028 plan.

Yeah, we kind of um uh we'll know as we get closer to the end of the year what um we'll be looking at for next year.

So when you know cases through the year get closed out, um we'll begin to kind of see what that picture looks like when we get closer to the end of the year.

Would you say that um Milwaukee receives the largest share?

I don't know what uh I just know what Milwaukee gets.

I don't know who else is involved with these cases, so I can't say, but I mean you've seen some of those dollar amounts are pretty high, so I would it would be hard pressed to imagine some other agency getting more, but it could happen.

Sorry, actually I do have one more question.

Um, this is uh is this unlike grant funding in the sense that it could not be scraped back once it's given to the department.

Um could you clear?

So, like, uh I think in in the recent in the last couple of years there have been instances where grant funding was sort of scraped back by the federal government.

Yes.

Sure.

Yeah, I I don't have any um I'm not aware of them doing that with this.

Um again, it's through the DOJ.

Um, I guess the DOJ could change that, could change the rules if they wanted to, but I have no reason to believe that they would when it comes to equitable sharing.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, all right, great.

Thank you so much.

Can I keep the stop sign?

Yeah, I think I keep it in.

For public comments, yeah.

I really wanted to win my ping pong games.

That's a good thing.

Okay, thank you, Chief.

Thank you, Chief.

Well, uh director, please proceed with the agenda.

All right.

Next item is item 14, FPC 212584 communication from the executive director relating to fire and police commission staffing and operations.

Uh I have submitted my monthly report, it is in the file.

Um, and was forwarded to all the commissioners.

I will just uh uh note a few highlights uh under staffing.

So we do have five vacancies, uh, or at least it's five vacancies are listed.

I'm happy to report we have filled number two, uh the HRIS auditor position.

We have uh an accepted offer, and I believe the new person will start July 6th.

That's correct.

All right, and then with respect to program assistant one and uh the bilingual investigator positions number one and three.

Uh I believe we're very close to filling those as well.

We've done interviews and are in the process of uh either making offers or doing background and reference checks, and uh we hope to have accepted offers um perhaps next week.

Um, I did want to note with respect to the bilingual investigator position, although that has been uh vacant.

Um, and so we don't have that that resource of an investigator who is uh fluent in both uh English and Spanish.

Uh we are able to utilize uh several resources uh uh in the interim.

Uh the clerk's office has a translation service that they provide where they can uh translate uh written documents, and then in addition to that, there is uh the language line for um uh for verbal uh language uh translation.

That is uh you do need to conduct that by phone, which is not, I think it's adequate, although not ideal.

In person is always preferred.

Uh but the clerk's office also does now offer uh in person uh interpretation services for in-person spoken language translation.

Uh so our investigator has been able to uh, or non-bilingual investigator has been able to avail himself of those resources.

Uh and I'm hopeful that we'll get this position filled soon as well.

Just on that point, is uh is this an abnormally high vacancy rate for you?

Um it is within the last year or two, this is a little high.

Um we had a very good stretch in uh in 2025 where we had very few resignations.

Uh these um uh the HRIS auditor program or auditor position is a new position that was created.

Uh we had a retirement um for the research and policy analyst, uh and we've had some other uh individuals uh because they're good employees, I think, get uh opportunities for promotion.

So it is a little high, but uh I'm hopeful that we'll get that uh down relatively quickly now.

Yeah, I can add to that that um part part of what contributes to this is um two of the positions the HRIS auditor and the program assistant one.

Um the uh hiring for those on some level was put on hold for a little bit while we sorted out exactly what the work duties are gonna be for the staff when the work day transition occurs.

We were very unclear, and we were getting different messages about um what kind of additional duties that the staff was gonna have to take on, and so we were a little concerned about whether there was going to be extra positions with that, and if not, would we have to adjust the duties of the current positions and therefore potentially recruit different kinds of folks to do the extra work?

And so once we got that sorted out, we could start you know uh working on filling those positions, but that's part of the reason.

And I know that there is an employee survey going up soon, and I'm just wondering if that will tell us anything, inform us anything relative to whether or not we're we're doing a good job of retention, so yep, that's part of it definitely.

All right, and then uh uh the fourth and fifth positions research and policy analyst.

Uh, we're still waiting, and then the recruiter position, we're still waiting to get eligible lists.

Uh the recruiter, I'm sorry, the research and policy analyst position.

Uh the posting has closed and the and uh DER is uh with us uh working through uh evaluating and and ranking all the candidates.

I think we have over 30 for that position, and I'm hopeful that uh we'll get a good number for the recruiter as well.

Uh beyond that, uh I did just want to turn briefly to staffing services on page five.

Uh just to note uh our second MKE badge bound for class 2 uh 26 for MPD, uh which is gonna start in early August.

Um the class start date is in August.

Uh our uh MKE badge bound for that class will be on July 1st, so that's coming up.

Uh and then in August, it'll be a busy uh month for us while you'll have recess.

We'll be starting uh a firefighter class, fire cadet class, police officer, police lateral, and police aid all in August.

So good stuff.

Yeah, the police officer and firefighter will start in early August, police aid and fire cadet in mid-August, and then a little bit later in later late August, police laterals.

So good stuff.

And I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Any further comments, questions?

None at this point, okay.

All right.

Thank you very much, Director.

And please proceed with the agenda.

All right.

So we will move under the fire department.

The next item that we need to take up is item 19.

Uh we've done items 15 through 18 previously.

So item 19 is FPC 212589.

Resolution relating to the extensions of the probationary periods uh for the firefighter position seven extensions.

Okay, do any of the commissioners have any questions?

The uh the letters on file uh describe the amount of time and uh that was now being caught up by extending the probations there's no further comment or question, I'll take a motion.

Madam Chair, move approval of the resolution.

Second, second.

Okay, great.

I'll take a voice vote on this item.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye, any opposed, any abstentions?

Motion carries director.

Please proceed.

All right.

Moving on to the items under the police department.

We've done uh items 20 and 21 already, and so item 22, FPC 212592 resolution relating to the appointments to the police officer transfer or lateral position, six appointments.

Any questions or comments, commissioners?

I I do have one question, is probably because I don't remember this being explained to me.

These are lateral transfers, yes.

Can you explain how that works?

It's just uh Yep, it uh they are officers who have prior experience with up from other law enforcement agencies, um, so they have to have um I think completed uh.

Do you remember is it uh probation or is it one year post probation?

They have to um have completed probation, completed probation, okay with another law enforcement agency, which is usually about a year of employment.

Uh so they're they're experienced officers, so it could range anywhere from a year experience to multiple years, all right.

So they're transferring in laterally, it's just a strict.

I mean, they get to so the advantage to them is the testing is a little bit different and more focused on experienced officers as opposed to the all the entry level testing.

Um, and then they also get to bring their years of experience in terms of salary or whatever.

Um that's been negotiated with the union.

Yes, it's essentially uh it it correlates to their years of experience.

They did fall on that year pay scale.

Sounds okay.

And then their academy training is um more focused on the special Milwaukee um curriculum that gets taught at the end of the academy because they're either coming in certified as a Wisconsin police officer or they're taking the reciprocity and passing the reciprocity exam if they're from out of state.

Okay, I I just didn't recall it be calling it be called a lateral transfer.

That the term was just lateral hire.

I think in our rules, yeah.

It's rules it's referred to.

Yeah, it's referred to as a transfer officer for some reason, but unofficially we call it a lateral officer.

And I just wanted to clarify um in my script.

I had said that there was one.

No, there are it's six appointments.

I believe that was adjusted on the uh agenda it had set seven, but I think one was removed, right?

Yeah.

Right, so it's six.

Okay, why do we have these numbers one three four?

Well, I believe that was a rank on the eligible list.

Okay, all right.

That was it.

Original position.

Okay.

Any other questions?

I will take a voice vote on this matter.

Oh, after I get a motion.

So move approval.

Thank you.

And I'll second.

Okay.

I'll take a voice vote on this matter.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, any abstentions?

Motion carries director.

Please proceed with the agenda.

Next item is item 23, FPC 212593, resolution relating to the appointments to the police officer position, 43 appointments.

Okay, and these are uh eligible list appointments.

Yes, they're off the eligible list, uh, entry level uh police officer recruits.

Okay.

And they will they'll go into the August class.

Madam Chair, move approval.

Thank you.

Second.

Second, good.

Thank you.

And I will take a voice vote on this.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Motion carries.

Director, please proceed.

Alright, we also previously addressed item 24, so we will take up item 25, FPC 21, 2595.

Resolution relating to the voluntary demotion of a building maintenance supervisor.

Um this is something that the employee has requested.

That's correct.

And uh it's irrelevant to us what the reason was.

Is it is it a do we need to know what the reason was?

I believe it it usually relates to their preference, obviously, and it's it's voluntary.

I don't know that it is particularly relevant, but it is what the employee wants.

Sometimes that is just isn't a good fit.

Um be it because of the supervisory nature or the other just um uh aspects of the job and they want to go back to their prior job.

Yeah, or maybe they were making more in their prior job with overtime that they're and they're getting paid as a it could be higher level that happens.

Okay, any other questions or comments?

More money, more problems, right?

Madam Chair, no move approval.

I can okay, great.

And I could I can take a voice vote on this.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

I didn't hear you.

What did I?

Sorry I get a little goofy this time.

Uh I indeed.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Motion carries.

Director, please proceed.

And that concludes the agenda, madam chair.

Great.

Who's gonna make our favorite motion?

Move to adjourn.

Second, there you go.

All in favor by consensus.

Yes.

And we are we stand adjourned.