Good morning.

I like to call this public works committee meeting to order.

I am Chair Warman Alderman and Melee and Todd.

We will soon be joined by Vice Chair Otterman Lamont Westmoreland.

We are currently joined by Otterman Robert Bauman to my right.

We are also joined by DPW infrastructure to his right.

Um to my left, we are joined by Miss Carmen Roman, staff assistant.

To her left, we will soon be joined by Otterman Alex Brower.

Um to the left, we are joined by Alderwoman Larisa Taylor.

Item number one, file number two six zero two eight nine.

Resolution relating to approving the levying of assessments and construction of accessible public improvement projects at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes.

Holly.

Good morning, Holly Rutin back with DPW.

I'll be advising on the special assessment process and project details.

For those projects approved this morning, a bill will be sent to each property owner sometime after completion of the work.

Within 45 days upon receipt of the bill, the full amount may be paid without interest.

If the bill is not paid within the 45-day grace period, a charge of 8.5% simple interest per year will be added.

If the assessment is at least 125 dollars, the assessment can be paid over a period of 10 years on the tax roll at the 8.5% interest.

For those projects approved with laid billing, a bill will not be sent before January 1st, 2028.

In relation to this public hearing, an official notice was sent to all impacted property owners, and we will go through it in the order that it is listed on the official notice.

Autumn and momentum this item I'm gonna request it just be deleted for this year and reconsidered next year.

So I should move.

Are the microphones turned on?

I'm not I'm not hearing you very well.

Any of you, we can make an effort to speak up.

They are on.

Holly, what would be the best way to handle the deletion motion-wise for you guys?

We can delete it from the program and I would bring it back next year, so if desired.

So motion wise, it would be to delete.

Okay, the motion by Otterman Bauman is to delete with the intention of bringing it back next year.

Yes.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Um hearing none, so ordered in the 8th and 11th Aldermanic districts, West Cleveland Avenue from South 43rd Street to South 68th Street.

Install traffic homing speed humps and pinned on traffic circles.

Anyone here to provide testimony is welcome to come up to the table.

Please state your name and address before you speak and provide your testimony.

Let's start from the left from our left.

If you go first, sir.

Your name and address, testimony.

Good morning.

My name is Gregory Green.

Last name is spelled R I H N.

And I live at 4718 West Cleveland Avenue.

Okay.

I'm here to speak against the proposed project.

I've given my objections to our my alderman in detail, but I wanted to be able to address the committee, and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

I have lived at 4718 since January of 1993.

Give me 33 years of experience on that street.

I like living there.

My wife and I have never been afraid of the traffic on that street.

It's a positive value for me that it's a snow route.

When I have to get to work in the morning, it's always nice to be able to know that that street was likely plowed and had a good job done on it.

My one of my particular objections is to the traffic circles because my observation has been that evidently it's really difficult for snowflow drivers to do a clean job of plowing around those circles.

So the winter driving is going to be degraded, in my opinion.

Very likely.

So I won't say that people don't speed on that street, but that's really about my only about my third concern.

The major annoyance of traffic there is the noise, which you know we know we're not gonna be able to do much about that.

Just you know, any time, but I don't think for reasons that I'll state, I don't think that's going to be very it's changing that to a traffic circle is not going to help.

We observed, my wife and I kept a close eye on that intersection when the city had a test layout out, and I put in a temporary traffic circle at that location.

What we observed is that people came up to it, slowed down a bit, took a look, and then just drove through, disregarding the existing four-way stop sign.

So that did not strike us as being an improvement.

Okay.

I object to I object to traffic humps in general.

The thing is, Cleveland Avenue is our main street.

For everyone that lives north of Cleveland, you've got to go on to Cleveland Avenue to get out anywhere to the rest of the city.

Much the same for people on the south side because there is no east-west street connecting 60th and 43rd directly between Lincoln and Oklahoma, other than Cleveland.

Now Lincoln and Oklahoma are different streets.

Commercial in the case of Oklahoma Avenue.

And Cleveland Avenue is kind of unique in that it's residential all the way through, except for one gas station and a pharmacy at 60th Street.

But I just do not think my observation on speeders is that they're more of an annoyance than a problem.

It typically happens in the middle of the afternoon when there's very low traffic level, or as we noted, in the middle of the night when there's nobody else around.

So I can understand people be concerned about it, but I do not think the problem is all that great, frankly.

You know, I do object to having to drive over speed humps and around the traffic circle several times a day, every day, just to do our basic, you know, shopping, working, and home maintenance.

I've done some research on these projects, and the major objection to the traffic humps is that it creates wear and tear, extra wear and tear on the user's vehicles, you know.

So that's me.

You know, it's some speeder who comes through from the neighborhood may get whacked once with the traffic circle, but I have to, or the uh the speed hump, but I have to deal with it every day.

You know, and emergency vehicles use Cleveland Avenue.

There's a firehouse at 56th in Oklahoma.

The fire trucks and ambulances frequently use Cleveland Avenue if they're responding to some place to the west and north.

Uh, same thing about ambulances on the way to uh St.

Luke's from other places in the city.

So that's not going to be a very good uh a negative effect on the emergency traffic.

The traffic circles are, and sorry, this is crotchet of mine, traffic circles are not designed to calm traffic.

In the Great Britain where I've driven extensively, what a traffic circle does is keeps traffic flowing in instead of having a stoplight or similar operation.

So if you're on the motorway, you don't slow down when you come into a traffic circle, or you're gonna find a truck up your backside.

They're there to flow things around.

And if you look at where properly designed traffic circles are, like uh South Sixth Street at the end of the bridge there, it's big enough to be a reasonable traffic circle, and people flow right through it because they've gotten used to it.

It doesn't really slow down the traffic there, to any extent.

Alright, thank you.

Thank you.

Next member, please state your name and address the record.

John Colbert, 4407 West Cleveland Avenue.

I am in favor of whatever we can do to slow traffic on Cleveland.

My question is: why is there a 25 mile an hour speed limit there to begin with?

I've lived there since 2010, and since 2010, speeding has been a problem.

Lady across the street from me has been there 50 years plus, and she's always been concerned about speeding in Cleveland.

I can tell you that from my observations, people are racing to get to 43rd Street Miller Parkway from at least 47th 46th Street, and they will speed.

There's also racing from 43rd Street Miller Park.

We to the stop sign at 48th Street, I believe.

I have seen the speeding in excess.

Considering the speed limit is 25, in excess of 45 miles an hour, consistently day to day, and sometimes in excess of 65 miles an hour, including motorcycles, construction vehicles, automobiles, emergency vehicles, school buses.

To my mind, this is an a tragedy waiting to happen.

There are children living up and down Cleveland Avenue in my location, and it hasn't happened yet, but I consistently see balls in the street, children running in the street, and I'm since 2010 concerned about nothing being done here.

I've only seen two traffic stops by the police for speeding in that amount of time since 2010.

I'm concerned about that.

But when the police have made those stops, people speed by them at more than 35 miles an hour.

What that will be, I don't know.

Thank you.

Next neighbor, please dig your name address for the record.

Um Patty Doherty, legislative aide for Alder Woman Samarepa.

Um, only a small portion of this project is in her district.

We just had four postcards go out.

We didn't get any back, but we've received numerous complaints about speeding and reckless driving on all areas of Cleveland in our district, and she believes that this project is gonna go a long way to address those and hopes they continue down Cleveland.

And my apologies to the committee.

Did the committee have any questions?

Of the residents that are waiting on that's five.

Okay, thank you.

Next time, please state your name address for the record.

Lauren Cardenas, 5110 West Cleveland Avenue.

Um, my family and I live on the corner of 51st in Cleveland, which is one of the main intersections of the street, as you may know that it is a 25-mile per hour street, including a school zone.

Um, we also own and operate commercial property within the CIP code, so we have invested into the community.

We've lived here for a year now, and we do love the neighborhood.

However, the biggest issue is the reckless driving.

Um 24-7, we see speeding vehicles driving into oncoming traffic lanes to pass others, uh, failure to stop racing and road rage.

Within the last month, I have per personally witnessed five significant road rage events.

The worst of which were two men who use their vehicles to circle each other, then park in the middle of the street, exit, and then a physical altercation followed.

I had to have my husband escort our children inside in fear it would get worse.

Um we have done our due diligence, contacting law enforcement and also investing in a fence for our yard.

Unfortunately, the reckless driving remains the same.

I can't imagine the possible inconvenience and minimal construction or fear of change being worth more than the lives and safeties of others.

Please think of my children, Cruz, Allison and Cecilia who like to play on our patio and greet the neighbors, who cherish riding their bike to visit dad at work nearby, who explore their new plays out in our yard, take walks to the neighborhood park, and sleep with in close proximity to the street.

I ask that you make the decision to move forward with the traffic calming and invest into the protection of your people.

Thank you.

Any questions from coming?

Are there any other neighbors president to testify on West Clean when I'm in the South 43rd to 68th Street?

Your district, Mr.

Ottawa, so most of it, yes.

And um, and thank you, Patty.

Uh I did uh catch two neighbors uh that were outside uh from the 8th Aldermanic district uh that uh of those four properties, two uh are in support of the project.

One neighbor just moved in a couple weeks ago and likely missed the postcard.

Uh but this project is fairly extensive.

It's go it goes all the way from 43rd Street to 68th Street or 66th Street.

Um, but this uh is a minor artery for the city of Milwaukee.

Part of it is 25 miles an hour.

West of 60th Street, it's 30, and we'll fix that because we do need to have uh consistent speed limits on on similar streets.

Uh but this has been uh an issue long before I took office.

I live in the neighborhood uh and I have since uh uh I I do live in the neighborhood.

I drive on Cleveland Avenue more than once a day, uh, and I frankly one of my worst stories about this is driving my Ford Explorer, get getting an email, pulling over about 40 feet before the stop sign on 47th Street just to finish finish that email.

And I realized as I was writing that all of the traffic was making a complete and full dead stop, which I had never seen before.

Then I realized I was driving a gray Ford Explorer parked on the side of the road, and I left it there for an entire weekend and watched from afar as every car, almost every car, uh saw that Ford Explorer set back from the street and made a full and complete stop.

That is unusual and had never happened at 47th in Cleveland before.

Um but when I'm out biking, I've seen a DP just two weeks ago.

I saw a DPW packer run through the stop sign without slowing down at all, going eastbound.

Don't worry, Holly, that's already that's already been taken care of.

But um driving eastbound towards 47th Street towards that stop sign, you're headed downhill, and the packer might have been pretty heavy that day.

Uh the driver just didn't really um want to make that critical break because they were going much faster than 25 miles an hour.

That happens on a consistent basis.

This is one of the most frequent complaints that I get in my district, follow closely behind Oklahoma Avenue.

Um, road rage is also a problem.

Uh last summer, driving eastbound around 66th street.

Uh, I watched a white car flash past me in oncoming traffic, chased by another car.

Uh, and DPW of uh MPD did find, did get the plate number.

Uh they did find the District 11 resident who was driving the car that was chasing the other one.

And uh MPD did issue a citation for reckless driving, uh, and that person did plead guilty.

Uh that kind of behavior doesn't belong in our city, and any time we have an opportunity to mitigate it, we have to.

And we all know reckless driving has three legs on that stool.

Enforcement is always effective, but police can't be everywhere all the time.

Education is always important.

Uh, teaching new drivers the rules of the road and the consequences for uh uh hurdling a thousand-pound missile through an intersection has consequences.

But the third leg of that stool is infrastructure, and that's exactly what this community-led uh traffic calming program that the city of Milwaukee has does.

This is a community-led project, and I want to thank John for uh helping uh collect signatures to get the city engineers um uh to uh formulate a plan, a very comprehensive plan.

Uh, we don't have traffic circles anywhere uh in the 11th Aldermanic district yet, but we do see how effective they are elsewhere nearby in West Allis, and that and that really was part of the impetus for asking uh to consider those.

We also a couple winters ago had a sunken sewer cover uh that uh DPW uh blocked off and barricaded uh mid-November, right before the snow fell, just late enough where we weren't able to uh repair that uh infrastructure before winter set in.

And so we had a um temporary traffic circle for about six months in the middle of Cleveland Avenue around 45th Street, 46th Street, and uh and I made conscious uh observations and have photos to document how well the traffic uh how about traffic flowed through that.

You could see uh tire tracks in the snow, and then uh what the snow plows were able to do to uh plow around that temporary traffic circle, which would be about the same size as the one that's proposed for 47th Street uh and further west as well.

So my aldermanic survey uh was sent out to a hundred and ninety-four uh residents that are affected by the assessment, and I received uh 42 objections, including landlords, homeowners.

I have received 34 objections.

Uh so with uh with uh older person uh Joe Castas and Maripa's support, I also do support this uh this project.

Um does anyone have questions for the other?

Um Arteman Bergales.

Uh you said how many objections, how many in support did you receive?

31.

31 homeowners.

And I did uh ask to attach this uh document to the file uh with a summary, or not a summary, but a list of all of the comments uh received in opposition and in support.

Comment is it officially a part of the file?

Yes, I attach that to the file.

Can I make a comment?

Um we're down with uh uh residential um input.

Um motion uh do have one other question.

Holly, and my apologies, there's been a lot of testimony.

Um this would be the roundabouts and what else?

Traffic circles and speed humps.

So there'll be a speed hump every block, every other block, what's the plan?

No, we are actually alternating between traffic circles, speed humps, there are existing stop signs, and there is an existing signal.

So we are going with the optimal spacing for traffic control um along the entire corridor.

So I have a flyer that we can attach to the file as well that outlines, you know, and shows the spacing and proposed improvements along Cleveland.

I mean, we've had this program for well since 2005, actually.

And initially, speed humps uh were questioned, but grudgingly accepted.

It was a very democratic process.

Local neighbors initiated the process typically by contacting their aldermanic office.

Uh lately, when we reduced the assessment to 33%, is that still the rate?

That is correct.

That is what is in the ordinance.

90% of the cost was accessible, now only 33% of the cost thanks to the uh Biden era American Rescue Plan funds.

Uh we've had a surge, a great surge in demand for speed humps across the entire city.

I have a street Clyborne Avenue, uh between 27th and I used to, that's now part of the 10th district, but at the time it was part of my district from 27th to 35th.

It was also a minor arterial, similar to Cleveland Avenue.

There was demand from the neighbors for speed humps because that was a speeding thoroughfare cut through to get from 27th to 35th.

And we put in speed humps all right, and they have dramatically reduced traffic speeds to the point where you can you have to crawl through there basically.

I mean, the posted limit is irrelevant, you can't go more than 25 miles an hour because if you do you will do damage to your vehicle, which is the whole point of speed humps.

So I I applaud the alderman's efforts to improve safety in this neighborhood.

I'm familiar with the neighborhood, it's a very nice neighborhood.

So I again move approval.

Before we take up the motion, how many how many properties will be impacted?

193 properties are part of the assessed impacted properties.

I don't remember guys, you said you sent to 164, so I'm some of the other we sent a there are four in the 8th district, but uh we just we did the mailing all together, so the total mailing for both districts is 194.

94.

1994 and then 30 34 opposed.

I thought you said 42.

Um, including landlords, 42.

Okay.

Is there a differentiation between ownership versus when we do the cards?

It's the alderman's discretion.

Okay.

Um the motion by Otterman Bauman is approval.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Um please mark me as an abstention.

Please mark me as an abstention.

Um I'm hearing uh one abstention.

The motion passes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Harley.

In the 10th Aldermanic district, North 55th Street at West Garfield Avenue, install traffic calming raised crosswalk.

And come forward to provide a testimony if you'd like.

So that's the primary intent.

Yes.

So I'm I'm for the project, but I just want to make sure that other things are taken into consideration throughout the planning.

I talked with uh Simon and Emily.

I think it hits highways division.

And they they were going to take these concerns to uh to traffic control.

And I guess uh Emily this morning says she has not had a response from them yet, but is uh still waiting for it.

Yep, that was just a week ago.

Simon and Emily are on my staff.

So we have a lot of requests right now for uh signal timing and stop signs and things like that.

So our traffic engineering unit will look at this though.

Okay.

Holly, can you make sure that a follow-up is done with this resident for his direct confinements for this particular project if it passes?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

Is there a motion?

Do we have a motion?

A move for approval.

The motion about autumn man was morally is uh for approval.

Is there uh any objection to that motion?

Hearing so order.

I'm sorry, was there did you say that there was automatic support for these?

Yes, so based on the results of the alarmic survey, there were seven properties in favor and only three opposed, and the older woman supports the project.

Okay, thank you.

I'm sorry, I didn't know.

Next time.

Continuing in the 10th Aldermanic district, West Veliz Street from North Allois Street to North 60th Street, install traffic calming, speed tables, and pinned on islands.

We have a couple of people in the audience who are welcome to come forward and provide testimony.

However, the older woman has requested that we hold this item.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Please thank your name and address for the record.

My name's Rebecca Bailey, and I live at 5702 uh West Fleet Street, um apartment number two.

Um I am uh a resident of Bleet Street and also a property owner.

We have uh two apartments in our building that my my sister-in-law and my husband and I live in, and then down below are two retail um places.

And um I um I support this project as um as I see the for the the assessment that's been placed on our property.

I think it's a really um valuable project um for calming traffic on Vleet Street, which um similar to some some of the testimony that others have given has times when it really gets heated.

And um this um this project um seems to address that in a pretty sensitive way.

Uh um, sensitive to how the street is used and and where the highest use is, um, Wickfield, uh the two intersections that are close to Holly and Vleet, and um it's feels like a very good net benefit.

Thank you.

Any questions for this uh?

Alright, thank you.

Hi there.

Uh Judson Riggins, I'm on 5617 Vleet Street.

Uh I'm opposed to the measure simply because I I guess I I don't share the feeling that it's it's warranted.

I've lived on I've owned the property for eight years now, and I the only time I ever hear engines revving up and going really fast and I look, it's a it's an emergency vehicle.

So that seems to be the highest speed that is ever going through there, and I have to take that to get to work every day and or leave to go anywhere.

And I guess I've just never noticed really high rates of speed or felt unsafe crossing the street, riding my bike down the street, and I guess that the uh between plowing in the bus lanes, I could see it just causing more issues.

Uh I guess my final point is when I bought the property like eight years ago, I was told uh you're gonna have to, you know, pay for a lead line replacement.

It's been eight years, and this is the first time I've actually gotten an assessment to you know pay for some changes and the lead lines not being addressed, and that's like a known public safety issue rather than this theoretical one.

So that's why we'll post.

Um for this neighbor.

All right, you had a test file.

My name is Jim Schlei.

I live with Rebecca Bailey and co-own um building on the corner of 57th, I believe.

And I'll just make the observation we had a community meeting earlier this week on Monday, and the sense of the meeting, which was poorly attended, um, six o'clock on a Monday evening, was that we didn't want to ask um you to give this a go-ahead or uh denial at this time because we haven't felt that we've done enough talking as a community, and we'd rather feel like the proposal will be stronger if we come back to you.

We talked about that with Holly.

So I'll just make that observation that we'd like to involve more people in the discussion, which I'm assuming is why the order woman has asked to hold it.

That is correct.

Um so thank you all for your testimony.

Um, Taylor would move to hold to the call of the chair.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing non-saw order.

Um in the 14th Aldermanic District, South Eleven Street from West Holt Avenue to West Ohio Avenue, install traffic calming speed humps.

Is anyone here to provide testimony on this item?

Out of 23 impacted properties, only one was opposed, and the Alder Woman supports the project.

We have a motion.

Move approval.

The motion by Alderman Westmoreland is approval.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing non-sole order at the final one.

Alright.

Uh Honor Balma will move approval for the entire file.

Hearing no objection, so order item number two, file number two, six zero two nine zero.

Resolution determining it necessary to make various accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city engineering costs estimated to be a hundred and five thousand dollars for a total estimated cost of these projects being uh one million seven hundred thousand dollars, and we have a substitute.

Has the substitute been provided?

It's attached to the file.

Have members had an opportunity to look at a substitute.

Um acceptance of the proposed substitute.

Are there any objections to that?

Hearing non-saw order.

Um Holly, did you want to speak to the substance?

We were setting up engineering on a project that we are actively designing right now that we had some payroll defaulting.

So this is setting up engineering for future accessible projects.

Are there any objections?

I mean, are there any questions at this time?

Hearing the order women tailor will move adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing non-saw order.

Item number three, file number two, six zero two nine one.

Resolution determining it necessary to make various non-accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city engineering costs estimated to be a hundred thousand dollars for a total estimated cost of these projects being a hundred thousand dollars.

Good morning.

This is setting up engineering for future non-assessable projects in DBW.

Any questions from committee?

Uh hearing that honor and bomb would move adoption.

Any objections to that motion?

Hearing not so order item number four.

File number two six zero two nine two resolution approving construction of non-accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city construction cost estimated to be one million three hundred ninety-two thousand for a total estimated cost of these projects being 1 million nine hundred seven thousand two hundred and forty thousand and seventeen cents.

Good morning.

Uh, I do have a proposed substitute on this file.

Uh Alder Mayor Westmoreland would move uh acceptance of the proposed substitute.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing non-so ordered.

This is setting up construction funding for various DPW projects.

Honorable mental move adoption are there of the proposed substitute.

Are there any objections hearing on so order item number five file number two five one five five six substance resolution assigning the honorary street name Jose Aloe.

Oh Olivier to South Ninth Street between West Minimal Street and West Washington Street in the 12th Automatic district anyone here just has to find this item yes.

Beth Ann Hireman West 1054 County Road TW Theresa Wisconsin go ahead I am Jose's sister in law and his loss for everyone who knew him was was tremendous Jose was so tuned into his community and his community being Milwaukee.

He served on the board of the United Community Center for 90 I'm sorry 40 years and for 20 of those years he was the chairman of the board of directors.

He also served on boards for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation the Milwaukee Art Museum the United Way of Greater Milwaukee Lutheran Social Services Freighter Health First Federal Bank of Wisconsin Latino Arts Milwaukee Urban League La Casa de Esperanza Legal Action of Wisconsin Hispanic Economic Enterprises and he served as a regent of the University System of Wisconsin.

He also served as a trustee for Carroll University and Mount Mary College.

He was a recipient of numerous awards I think the last time I counted it was 40 some including the future Milwaukee Community Service Award, the Metrop the Metropolitan Milwaukee Civic Alliance Special Services Award, the Posner Pro Bono Award, the Todd Weir Award from the Greater Milwaukee Chapter of the National Society of Fundraising Executives the Carroll University Distinguished Alumnus Award for Community Service and many many more Jose was um he was a lifelong learner you would walk into their home and every surface it seemed was covered with a book that had either a pencil or a pen in there marking his place he was dedicated to the Milwaukee community and provided critical resources for the Milwaukee residents that needed the most he was a marvelous family man and he took great interest in the education of his children and the children of Milwaukee County.

Thank you.

Did you have anything to add for DPW?

Yes my name is John Bryan with DPW infrastructure we've reviewed the application and concurred that it's meeting the specifications we have the proposal is for two signs on South 9th Street at West Wisconsin and uh West Minro adjacent to the west of the United Community Center in that area.

The steps that would need to be taken to have it be finalized with the council would be application, the fees for the construction or the fabrication and the installation of the signs.

Okay, thank you.

And this is in the 12th automatic district.

And it's my understanding that Artoman Perez is in support.

Do we have any questions from committee?

All right, do we have a motion?

Move approval.

The motion by Alderman Westmoreland is approval.

Are there any um or adoption?

Adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none, so ordered thank you.

Thank you.

Um, before we go on to our next item, we do have some visitors in the room.

I did want to acknowledge um those visitors.

They are the common council youth interns for the summer.

If you all could please stand up, be recognized.

So young people from all over the city who are studying uh city government and our interning this summer.

Um, thank you for spending some time with us this morning, and our hope is that your entire summer um helps to uh inspire you to be and remain uh civically engaged.

Thank you.

And thank you, Alder Woman Moore for bringing them.

Uh next up, we have item six, file number two six zero three four four appointment of Rebecca Gries to the board of harbor commissioners by the mayor.

Rebecca, forgive me.

What how do you say your last name?

Greece, like the country.

Okay, thank you.

Um tell us a little bit about yourself and why you're interested in being on the harbor commission.

Uh thank you, Chair and Alder Persons.

I appreciate being here today.

Uh Rebecca Grease with I work for the Milwaukee 7.

I'm your executive director for the regional economic development group that covers all of southeastern Wisconsin.

That's the seven counties in that area with a primary mission of corporate attraction.

So bringing diverse jobs and capital investment to our communities through that seven county region.

And I'm honored uh to have the mayor recommend me for this position for the Board of Harbor Commissioners.

Uh, I see this as a natural fit with what I do, um, bringing attention to the port.

It's one of our most major and influential infrastructures within the region, and I think it needs um even more attention than it gets today.

And I'm very excited to learn in that position from elected officials, the port staff, as well as my fellow commissioners, as well as bringing my strengths from a regional economic development uh piece of bringing making us more competitive across the country, as well as bringing my relationships with the stakeholders uh nationally and globally to the stage um in recognizing the port.

Thank you.

Any questions from committee?

Move confirmation.

The motion by Alderman Bauman is confirmation.

Um, are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing now, so order good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Item number seven, file number two five zero three one zero resolution directing a commissioner of public works to execute a document titled First Revision State Municipal Agreement for a state-let highway project with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the programming design real estate acquisition and construction of North 76th Street, uh from STH 175 to West Grant Tosa Drive to set up funds for design engineering at an estimated total cost of $2 million,000 with an estimated city share of $675,000 and a grantor share of two million twenty-five thousand dollars, and to set up funds for real estate acquisition at an estimated cost of two hundred thousand with an estimated city share of zero dollars and a grantor share of two hundred thousand.

Good morning, David Tappia, major projects manager.

So this uh file will set up additional design funds to take us from the scoping cert that uh the city and the state work through all the way through uh design.

Are there any questions from committee?

Uh Alderman West Morland would move adoption.

Um hearing no objections, so ordered item number eight, file number two, six zero three one one, resolution directing a commissioner of public works executed document title.

First revision state municipal agreement for a state-let highway project with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the Programming Design Real Estate Acquisition and Construction of South First Street from West Uh Laphone Boulevard to East National Avenue to set up funds for design engineering at an estimated total cost of $2,235,000 with an estimated city share of $558,750 and a grantor share of one million six hundred seventy-six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars and to let and to set up funds for the real estate acquisition of an estimated cost of two hundred and sixty five thousand dollars with an estimated city share of zero dollars and a grantor share of two hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars.

This file does the same thing as the previous project sets up additional design to get us through that process.

Any questions from committee?

Hearing that order one, title remove adoption, hearing no objection, so order item number nine, file number two, six zero three one two, resolution directing a commissioner of public works executed document title first revision state municipal agreement for a state-led highway project with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the Construction of Interstate Highway 43 North South Freeway, Howler Street to Capitol Drive, and to set up funds for real estate acquisition and construction at an estimated total cost decrease of four million four hundred and fifty thousand with an estimated city share decrease of one million six hundred and sixty-six thousand five hundred dollars and a grand tour share decrease of two million seven hundred and eighty-three thousand five hundred dollars.

So this is uh to now move us into construction for the department of transportation to move into construction and for us to fund our share.

Our portion has gone down actually since uh they finished the final estimate on the project.

Are all of these decreases just reflective of the final estimate?

Is that normal?

The sign.

Typically, and then this one it also includes the Department of Transportation taking ownership of the signals, so a lot of that cost then is borne by them.

Okay.

Are there any questions on committee?

All right, Automan Bowman will move adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion hearing now?

So order uh item number 10.

File number two, 60314.

Resolution directing a commissioner public works to execute a document titled seventh revision state municipal agreement for a state-let highway project with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the programming design and real estate acquisition of West National Avenue from 39th Street to First Street with a total estimated cost decrease for the project of 203,700 dollars with an estimated decrease of grantor share of $2,600,850 and an estimated increase of city share of $2,475,150.

So this file uh addresses the loss of the raise grant to that project.

Um are there any questions from committee?

What are they gonna do now if they lost the grant?

The project still moves forward.

So the department of transportation applied for a grant and was awarded $25 million, and they set aside 10% of that for us, the 2.5.

Uh, unfortunately, then that was taken back by the federal government, and so we'll just move forward with the the project.

Um the department still will fund their share, and we will fund ours.

Oh, okay.

Are there any um any more questions?

Auto woman tailor will move adoption.

You know, no objection, so ordered item number eleven, file number two, six zero three one three resolution directing a commissioner of public works to execute a document titled State Municipal Financial Agreement for a state highway project with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the adjustment and City and SEAL replacement of 18 sanitary sanitary manhole construction of bioswales and adjusting um city underground conduit manhole cover as non-participating utility items within the city of Milwaukee, city limit on project STH 241, South 27th Street, West Layton Avenue to West College Avenue as part of the Wisconsin DOT project and to set up funds for construction at an estimated total cost of 164,500 with a hundred percent city share.

Good morning.

Any questions from committee?

Hearing on Otterman Bauman would um move adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing non so ordered.

Thank you.

Item 12, file number 260315 resolution and forming a common council of the city's compliance maintenance and your report for the year 2025.

Yeah, good morning.

Tony Jossica, DPW environmental.

This file is the annual self-reporting to the DNR for our CMAR compliance maintenance annual report.

Um every year we do a self-evaluation of our sanitary sewer program looking at things like financials and um OM costs and OM activities from the prior year, and it spits out a grade for us at the end of the end of that.

Are there any questions on committee?

Hearing uh Ottoman Westmoreland would move adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing I saw order.

I number 13, file number 260319.

Sub two resolution authorizing the commissioner of um public works to execute an intergovernmental cooperation agreement between the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District for the purposes of delegating responsibilities for the design and construction of 43rd Street Ditch project for the Connecticut River in the Ace Automatic District.

Good morning, Madam Chair Alders, James Washington, Public Works Coordination Manager.

So this file before you is for us to enter into a intergovernmental cooperation agreement with the Metropolitan Sewerage District.

The purpose of this is there is a tributary of the KK River that runs between 43rd and 35th Street.

Um it currently has a concrete line channel, which uh increases um flows downhill causes flooding.

So MMSD is leaving the project where they are removing the concrete line channel, uh, replace replacing it with a vegetated line channel in addition to other improvements.

Uh the reason that we're entering into this agreement is because uh most of this is um behind city owned property where there's the toll lot, uh the DPW sanitation south yard um and other uh DPW uh properties.

So part of this agreement that we're entering into is that we're working uh cooperatively with MMSD.

Um with that we are assisting them as far as with the design review, but this is an MMSD led project.

Um they are um taking on the the lead for the design uh through their consultant, in addition to letting the project and overseeing the construction.

Are there any questions from committee?

Um now that the dust is settled, since I have you in front of me, um, and you're probably done mourning.

Are you excited about the future of the Milwaukee books?

Excited maybe a strong term.

Okay.

Satisfied enough.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions from committee?

So this uh, go ahead, Ottawa, town.

You said that you're removing the concrete line channel, putting in a vegetation.

Is that what you can bring my microphone closer to?

Sorry.

Vegetation line channel is it so that's gonna prevent the flooding of this whole area.

Is that it slows down the flows when you it's it's a similar project if you're familiar with um Lincoln Creek.

Um, yes.

So that whole area that was all concrete line channel.

There was a lot of flooding over by uh Congress between 35th and 43rd.

Yeah, that was removed and uh replaced with the natural uh line channel.

Um, in addition, there's also um you know a retention, a storage base in here as well.

So these are all um uh projects basically is uh to improve or mitigate the flooding downstream.

Okay, so it's much like that Lincoln Creek, okay.

It's pretty similar to that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other questions from committee?

Hearing none, Arder Woman Tyler will move approval or adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none, so order item number 14, file number 260320.

Uh subsidy resolution approving and operating agreement with Badger Land Striders Running Club for staging of the 2026 Milwaukee Lake Front Marathon, Half Marathon, 5 Cray Ron, and 5K walk in the city of Milwaukee.

Good morning.

Oh, again, uh James Washington, Public Works Coordination Manager.

Uh, so this is an operating agreement that the Badger Land Striders is entering into with the City of Milwaukee for the 2026 Milwaukee Lake Front Marathon.

Um again, the purpose of this is this the nature of the event is a special event that does um um interfere with a lot of traffic throughout the city.

Um it has uh more track control.

The DPW has the uh ability um to secure, and also it uh requires a large number of MP, a large amount of MPD services.

So we entered this agreement to make sure that the city's protected, um, outline um responsibilities for badger land striders, um, so we have everything laid out in this agreement for the event.

Thank you.

Any questions from committee?

Did you want to add anything?

Nope.

Okay.

Alright.

Uhderman.

Um hearing our questions, Otterman Bauman would move uh adoption.

Are there any objections to that motion?

Hearing none, so ordered.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh number 15.

Uh item 15 number 26034.

Resolution renting approval of a driveway approach with a width greater than 30 feet for the premises at 517 West Leighton Avenue in the 13th automatic district.

Again, James Washington, the public works coordination manager.

Um, so per ordinance we have to come before the council.

If there is a driveway that's being expanded beyond 30 feet, this is a remodeling of a freight company that already has a driveway that's 40 feet wide, um, is going to be extended um another eight feet.

So we're um presenting this file before you today.

Any questions from committee?

Hearing none.

Artoman Westmoreland moves adoption.

Uh hearing no objection, so order.

Uh item 16 reappointment of Audiment Bauman to the Public Transportation Utilities and Waterways Review Board by the Common Council President.

Audiment Ballman, did you want to say anything?

Abstain.

Okay.

Um, and Tyler would move confirmation.

Um, hearing no objection with one abstention.

Um motion passes.

Uh item number 17.

File number 260366 appointment of Audeman Brower to the Public Transportation Utilities and Waterways Review Board by the Common Council um president.

Um, Alderman uh bombing would move confirmation.

Um hearing no objection, so ordered item number 18.

File number one nine one nine three zero communication from the department of public works relating to the status of current and future operations.

Good morning, madam chair, committee members, Joe Crushke Commissioner Public Works.

Um, when it comes to operations, there's a few things I just like to kind of note.

Um we're in our full summer operation, so we're going through a third round of street sweeping after our big clean, which usually happens in the April May um session.

Um, forestry is in full effect of doing stump removals, etc., which is standard for us.

Um I do want to we we have just finished our weekend box program, which we collected 375 tons.

Uh we had 288 boxes that were out in the public over 11 weekends uh that it has just completed.

Um I do want to put a plug in that we are gonna be studying a new cohort in our forestry department.

This is our youth uh Arborst apprentice that will start in 7-6.

And then and one thing I would like to add in is we have a bunch of job openings in operations right now.

Um, one is a parking enforcement officer.

We have 18 open positions right now.

Um we're looking to close that on 7 17.

Um, a parking service is supervisor, which closes tomorrow.

Um, public works dispatcher.

So this works in our fleet dispatch section off of Canal Street to help coordinate all of our fleet vehicles, which will close on the 10th.

Um, and then equipment operator, which is what we talk about all the time.

This is the folks that do our plows, this is the ones that do our sanitation routes, um, anything that we do with the CDL.

And so right now we have that position, which is continually open now, which is something we worked with the ER over the past couple years to continually have it open and not open and close it.

Um, but we currently have 46 positions open in that realm, which is much better than it's been in the past, and that doesn't include the extra help we get during winter, but it's a continuous recruitment that we have.

So I just want to kind of promote that and and hopefully people continue to apply to the city.

Um, I hear 18 open positions for parking enforcement.

That is correct.

Out of how many?

That's that's over a third.

No, we have 66 PEOs.

A little under a third are vacant.

Yes.

How does that impact enforcement?

I mean, you have to have idle vehicles sitting there.

Yes, we have vehicles.

So this is one of the hardest positions to fill.

And so we had 18 that came in a few months ago.

Uh we retained roughly about a third of those.

Um people come in, um, and we've been changing our training methodology.

So we start these folks in third shift right away, we get them interacted, which has helped the retention a lot more it has in the past, but it's not an easy position.

Um, and so it has always been a problem, there's always been a cycle.

And so what we had done in the past, and we talked about the 18 openings we have now.

We increased um the number of PEOs we have just so we can have that buffer.

So before we used to have less than 50.

So we've increased that number to basically cover the city, but it is always a problem.

How many vehicles do we have?

Enforcement vehicles.

Uh that's a great question.

I can find out for your.

We have one for every PEO, and we do have extras as well.

So 66?

No, it's less than that because you have first, second, third shift.

So I mean your primary shift that has the most PEOs is your third shift for night parking.

But I can get you the actual numbers.

How does that impact revenue and enforcement?

Well, obviously, every parking enforcement officer that we have, if you want to put a number towards them, they're usually their value towards uh revenue and parking citations is about 250,000 dollars.

We could afford to pay them more than that as an incentive for that.

Yeah, and this is one of the, yeah, so parking enforcement is we've went through um pay increases for them multiple times.

Um it's not something that we're opposed to looking at again, especially coming out of the transportation fund, which is an enterprise fund.

Um, but it's just a challenging um position by far.

It's not usually the public does not like a parking enforcement officer, and especially when you're looking at third shift when things do get a little more tensous at night.

Haven't we gone to electronic uh other words?

They don't have to physically leave tickets anymore or even get out of the vehicle.

Have we gone to that?

Yeah, that so you're talking about citation by mail.

Yes.

And so we usually only use that right now for food trucks.

It was something there was a delay in the process going through.

Um we use it when we need to when there's high tense areas, but it doesn't we don't use it all the time.

Wouldn't that alleviate some of the uh confrontation issues and safety issues?

That is true.

Yep.

And why don't we use it more?

I'm curious.

Um I can have Peter come back and we probably have a separate file to discuss that.

Just some of the complications with that, the delay.

There's been a lot of uh complaints just of sending citations out a week later from when they get them, who they're going to, where the addresses are.

But I think we should have a separate discussion on that.

Okay.

Do you have ever do any like survey of the staff, the um parking enforcement staff to see what things would make it more enjoyable for them to make all.

Enjoyable is uh, I think what we have done in having the new parking enforcement manager, which is Peter, um he's been really getting more into staff engagement and making them part of a team, um, and same with uh the staff underneath them.

So we had some turnover over the past couple of years.

Um so overall it's getting to that management uh staff trust level.

Um, but no matter what, when we're talking about the folks out in the field, it's just not a fun job.

It's very similar to the conversations we have with electricians, you know, municipal electricians versus private world where they're working out in, you know, extreme weather.

Um, it's the same thing with parking enforcement because it's just, you know, you're looking at as the enemy and a constant basis every day you go to work, and so that some people it's hard to it's not palatable for some.

And we do have others and and senior parking enforcement officers that love their job and they're passionate about it and they're there for a reason.

Um and have been tutoring a lot of the new folks that do come in.

Do you all do exit interviews with Fox and Lee?

Yes.

Is there any common threat?

No, I think most of the people in the most of the people we lose is in the first few months.

And so they'll come in, they get trained, and once they start actually doing the job, they'll leave, they go, it's not what I expected or it's too much.

Madam Chair.

Is there a certain profile of a person who does well in that position?

Um, no, you know, I can find out the ads.

I I can find out if there is something.

I don't know off the top of my head.

I say that because when you do mass recruitment, you're gonna get some of everybody who may not be well suited for the position, but if you can identify the characteristics, history or background of folks who excel in a position, you can target your recruitment effort, the people who are likely remaining to stay in a position.

Yeah, we do have a lot of folks that are looking to get into full, you know, protective services that want to be a cop in the long term, so that's this is a stepping stone for them sometimes, which is a good thing because it gives them exposure because we're not really police, but it's that type of police to you know enforcement aspects.

So we do have a lot of folks that could use this as a stepping stone.

Uh but I can find out.

I don't want to tailor.

Um along the same lines, what what do we do to try to ensure the safety of those, especially those on third shift?

I mean what what um procedure is in place that they can follow if they feel like their safety is at risk.

Yeah, so when we talk about third shift enforcement, uh we have LPR so it's license uh plate reading equipment so they don't have to get out of the vehicle.

If there is a situation where they have an interaction, a negative interaction with the public, they basically will leave the site.

Um and if they have to come back they will.

Um there's constant calls with supervisors.

So those those people at night deal with a lot of different situations from vulgar language to things getting thrown at them to uh weapons pulled, um which is a lot less lately, but um we always tell them to remove themselves.

Giving a citation in a particular area over their safety is not the priority.

So we want them to leave, they will report it to a supervisor.

Um and you know, we have cameras um now on every single vehicle so we can track so it just like the same series stuff we do with plows that is now on our parking enforcement vehicles and and basically almost getting to every one of our vehicles to protect our folks.

Okay.

And each one of our parking enforcement officers directly to each one of the district offices for MPD as well.

So those cameras, okay, so you they have direct access to the PD office you just said.

Yeah, but there's a relationship that has been built just just in case there is an incident they have a direct line to them.

Okay.

And then for the cameras, um uh and so I think it's the CEMSAR system.

Right, okay.

So you could see exactly what's happening right at the moment that it's happening.

Okay, and so somebody's monitoring those during that third shift time.

Yeah, and there's also a button in there so that they can activate so and record in situations, so but it's been very beneficial.

And for us it's not only the front view and camera, but it's also a GPS location of where the vehicle actually is at that certain time as well.

Okay, so you know where they are at all times.

Is there anything on the vehicle indicating that um s so that the public knows that you know when you walk in the building it says you're on camera?

You this is areas being recorded or this area is being monitored by a camera.

Just I don't know.

I'm just thinking that that might say to the person, hey, you know what, I'm being watched.

I can see this camera.

It's watching, you know.

I know we don't have it now.

It's less likely that they would engage the person.

It it could, yes, as well.

It could.

Yeah, but I mean I don't think.

I can see what industry standard is.

It's not a bad idea, but I I there we'd have to look into the security of that, you know.

Just you know, our my goal is to make sure that our folks are safe just trying to do their job.

Right.

Yeah.

So, I'm sure.

Are you done hold on one second?

Are are you done on the side?

Yes, I'm done.

Go ahead.

I'm not sure our recollection exactly what they have the power to enforce and why I ask is because it may come up tomorrow.

Do they have the power to enforce scooter rules?

No.

Those are considered moving violations.

State law restriction or is that an ordinance?

Um, that is a great question.

Um, I would have to look into that.

I don't have the answer.

I don't want to give the the wrong answer to you.

Um I think that's something we can probably get before tomorrow on public safety.

Okay.

Um question has nothing to do with school resort uh parking.

Um I think last cycle we had or we in a recent cycle we had uh the pothouse um being addressed.

And at the time, I think we were taught it was a two-week um turn around, um, for them being addressed.

I just um and I know measures are being taken to uh attempt to expedite that.

Just wanted to know as we stand today, what is the time around time from uh time we're notified about it to um when we're finding that we're able to fill those potholes.

Yeah, good morning, chairwoman, uh members of the committee, uh Kevin Mews, City Engineer, Department of Public Works.

Um thanks for the questions.

So, generally speaking, with potholes, uh, and committee members may remember this uh because of how many reported hazards and requests for service we got this spring, which was substantially more than we've ever received in the past, at least on record.

Um we ended up adjusting from a first in first come first serve uh policy or approach, service approach, to uh prioritizing no major hazards, meaning that in the description or in the photo, we could see that it was a deep or significant pothole and or uh uh busier streets, so major arterials, minor arterials, those sorts of things.

Um, so we spent most of May working through those busier streets and did complete that effort.

Um so any requests that come in for a busier street now will be addressed in a relatively short order.

What we're working through now is our backlog of residential streets.

Um, so sorry for the long-winded answer, but the problem is there's not a clear answer to your question.

The average for what we've closed out in June has been a 25-day uh lag and service request, but that's because we are both clearing out residential streets from maybe March or April, some very old requests, and new recent requests um coming in on busier streets.

Um so we're still prioritizing the busiest streets.

Again, we've addressed the backlog there, so that should be a relatively short turnaround time when it comes to residential streets to be efficient.

We are still um uh grouping rather than chasing around, chasing around in a in a loop of, you know, okay, this one was oldest.

We're doing all the ones that came in this week, you know, uh uh six weeks ago or whatever at the same time.

Instead, we're identifying an old one and then identifying everything nearby so that the crew is going to one spot and working in roughly in one area for most of the day, um, which allows us to address more potholes at once, but does mean that the service responsiveness that the public is seeing is irregular right now because of that.

Um, it's been successful in helping us address our backlog.

We've gotten 19, so as of yesterday, so first half of the year, June 30th, we've gotten 19,270 requests for pothole patching.

Um our previous annual record was 16,804.

So in the first six months of the year, we've gotten more than we've ever gotten in an entire 12 months before.

Um, our previous record in the first six months of the year was 11,800.

Um, so again, substantially more uh than we've ever received before.

We've also resolved substantially more service requests than we ever had before because of how we changed our operations and also the investment in equipment we've made over the past few years, um, including the um uh hot asphalt box that that got some press that was uh purchased partially with a contribution from the brewers.

So um we've requ resolved 10,800 service requests uh so far in the first six months of the year.

Our our average over the past five years was resolving around 6,000 requests in the first uh six months of the year.

So we are being more productive, but the level of requests for potholes just is uh exceptionally high.

Um we're we were seeing about a hundred come in each week um uh recently, or sorry, a hundred requests per day coming in.

We've been able to resolve about 200 per day recently with our overtime operations and the the more efficient approach we're taking to deliver service.

Um uh there was a pothole related press event with the mayor um last week.

Um and uh we did see a slight uptick again in requests after that event, which is a typical thing that happens.

Yeah.

So that's that's kind of where we are right now.

Apologize, I don't have just a simple this is how many days for a service request right now, just with how we've changed how we're delivering the service.

Do you all keep track of if it feels like you're being requested to do the same to fill the same piles over and over again?

We do.

So, and I'll answer that.

There's kind of two different ways that comes in.

So one we're being requested, you know, people, maybe different residents or the same resident, are putting in additional service requests for something that hasn't been filled, right?

We know that's happening, not happening right now because of the delay in delivering service.

So we know that um uh, or I shouldn't say we know we're estimating that maybe as much as half of the requests we're getting right now on residential streets are potholes that are already in the system.

Um so there's that one, which allows us to close out more requests when we address it, but you know, is obviously a challenge and a frustration for the public.

Um there's also another way to look at so I'm answering your question on both sides, which is there's also the repeat locations where we have service the location and then we're going back to address that location again.

We that doesn't typically happen once we switch to hot mix, which is what we are in right now, the hot asphalt, which roughly happens mid-April is when we get that.

Um we don't usually go have to go back to the same pothole during that calendar year.

It usually lasts through the rest of the season.

Um if you know, if we get lucky depending on the conditions of the pavement and all sorts of other things, um a hot mix patch we hope is gonna last like three years or so.

Um, so but generally we we almost never have to go back to that same spot during the same calendar year.

If it was filled with cold patch earlier in the year, we may have to come back and address the same pothole again.

But then there are roads.

Um Lisbon is under construction, but this is a perfect candidate pre-uh pre-construction where Lisbon the roadway itself was in such poor condition that we perpetually had to go back and address the same places over and over again, both sometimes within the same year and also every year, you know, we were going back to the same locations, and that was just due to the pavement of the road itself had degraded so far that there's just isn't anything very good for a pothole patch to bond to um in the road.

So hopefully I answered your question there.

It does, um, but anecdotally, um, because um of where I live and because of the routes that I take on a regular basis, it appears to me to be constantly some of the same areas that we're filling.

I don't know if it's in the same calendar year, but repeatedly it seems to be the same.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, one although we've been one that comes to mind uh uh roughly in an area that I I think we both spent some time in, which is uh on 2nd Street north of Pleasant.

Um that is an example of a street where the pavement condition and the type of payment, because it's tarmacanum, um, is such that it is difficult for the pothole patch to bond.

And so I hope we're not going to the same pothole in a summer, but yeah, every winter that is being lifted out and we're replacing it again.

Does any of that have to do with the quality of our hobby?

Um it certainly if, you know, I know there was a discussion during the last committee meeting, I believe it was, um, maybe maybe two ago.

Um, you know, certainly if we're if someone's not following proper procedures, which we work with our staff on and not cleaning it out and those types of things, that can increase the chances that it doesn't bond well.

Um, it has, I wouldn't say we've noticed inconsistency in the quality of material necessarily.

It's more the condition of the road itself and whether the patch can bond well to the road.

I probably have a little history here because of the street maintenance manager years ago.

Um, so we do have there was a vendor we use in the pro.

I won't mention their name, but there was a vendor we used previously that the mix didn't adapt well to our roadways.

There was too much sand in it.

And so we have so we do a quality control check like what is the best bonding, and so one vendor we don't use anywhere because of that because we figured it it didn't hold as much.

Um the vendors we do have now, we have two of them.

It seems to be working very well where it doesn't come out.

Um there were issues previously um years ago, but we kind of resolved those.

Um I know at the last meeting you let us know things that were being done to and even today, things that were being done to kind of um expedite things more, but even at twenty-five days, um, and even at 200 a day, I know I and I'm sure my colleagues do too, get constantly called, stop in the street, telephone, email about um the potholes.

So, and even if you know how to answer here today, um, and prior to budget, I will hope that we have a real answer for um what needs to happen.

Um, even if it's a wish and a dream, um, in order for us to get some more manageable um because I don't I don't know about everybody else, but 25 days to me.

Yeah, um, I know you're working on it, I'm not taking away from you working on it, but that's insane.

And that's if I think it's insane, I can't explain that to my um constituents.

And because we know it and we're dealing with it.

I think that we need to when it used to be three days or whatever, that's reasonable.

I can sell that to a constituent and I think they can understand.

But when it starts being because I thought two weeks was a lot when you said it last time.

Now you just said 25 days.

I think this is getting insane.

So, do we need to invest in more of those machines?

Do we need to better train our staff?

Do we need more staff?

Like, what do we need to do to get it to a manageable number?

Because it's funny because Ottawa Bowman brought it up last time, and I thought he was doing too much until afterwards, and I had to tell him now I get it.

Talking about liability and all of those issues.

The longer we know and didn't fix it, is the greater chance for us to have liability for folks' cars getting messed up and all of that kind of thing.

So I want less of my constituents' cars getting messed up, I want less complaints coming to me about it, and I want us to be able to have better streets quicker.

Yep.

Um, so whatever, and like I said, I know it's hard economic times and I know whatever, but the wish and a dream, maybe maybe it's tier the wish and a dream if we could do everything we could, and then the realistic, here's some things we could actually start doing something so that we don't sit here months from now still talking about 25 or more days.

Yeah, sure.

If I mean the the problem here is just the pure status of our local road program.

I mean, the the the way to fix it is to have new roads, and that and that that's the solution.

Um chasing um potholes is so if you had a wish in a dream, it'd be like can we get more funding for local roads to get replaced.

That that's that's that's the dream.

Um we all know as we sit here we don't get a lot of funding support on our local roads, so that that's the biggest thing.

Um, you know, what we have done, I just I just want the public to know it's not just street maintenance that has been there.

We have pivoted the operation.

We have our operations folks that are doing sanitation work and and other things in DPW have been coming over and rolling over after their shifts to us uh support street maintenance.

So they're working 10 to 11 hour days during the week and they're working on weekends.

And I will say that I have been extremely surprised because we did a voluntary overtime, and there's a lot of folks that are over there trying to help uh and and get the backlog.

Because right now I would tell you it'd be in a worse situation if we didn't have those folks volunteering and moving over.

And so that you know, we get up to 12, 13 crews that are out there constantly on a normal basis, we don't have that many street maintenance.

Um so you know, we're trying to navigate this.

I will say that Mother Nature was not kind to us in April.

Um I think it really kind of took uh havoc on a lot of our roads.

We had stuff that we never had potholes on before that were there was deep paving that occurred, which put us in a really large hole in April and May, which we're still getting out of now.

Um, you know, as we move forward, um it's it's identifying areas that we can replace, you know.

The the great example is like we did Liz in Lisbon, we we probably hundreds and hundreds in a year on that particular roadway.

Now it's getting replaced, which is the positive.

Um, I do think there's a great investment in our tier roadways, but it's the local roadways.

This is where a lot of the calls are coming from, and this is what neighbors see outside of their house and citizens see when they look out.

Um so I mean we're gonna constantly look at ways we can enhance this, but really it comes down to the pipe dream is is to replace the roads so we don't have to spend so much on maintenance.

Manager, when you get it to you.

Oh, I'm just along that way.

Cause I w I was um, you know, you I was gonna ask, like, how many times do you go and replace I mean uh fill potholes on the street before it becomes so bumpy that you just say, you know what let's just repave this one because it's just too much now.

Um you know you drive over a couple of roads like that.

Yeah we're we're well past that point on many roads yeah yeah I mean generally speaking we're beyond the design life of substantial portals really 90s we're we're well beyond the design life of substantial portions of our local road network.

Okay.

Yeah and that just has to do with the city's fiscal the capital resources that the city has available to it.

We just don't have the resources I would say we haven't for a while.

There was also um I'm trying to quickly summarize the memo that we put together last year on this but the um there was also a time period roughly through the 90s and very early 2000s uh where the city was basically not investing in local roads and so there's that piece of it too um that's a a thing you can do as a short term measure right if you've got other capital priorities that you know that the the mayor and the council at the time were were prioritizing um I'm not second guessing that decision but the challenge is that's the type of thing that comes home to roost 20 to 25 years later because you get behind on your replacement cycle on your roads and so we are now on a reasonable replacement cycle for our roads but nothing no resources are available within the city's resources to catch up on that time period of that 15 to 20 years when we weren't spending what we needed to to keep our local roads in good shape.

Okay can I get one more question in guys just real quick because um so we call in those um potholes right and then um like I have 91st street and it was real bad and I I called them all in most of them got failed but it seemed like every time I'm like where did this one come from now you know I mean so is it something that's happening later and for instance I do have one that I really should call call you guys about because it's it's huge and it's um so it's like the the man manhole and then it's like sunken in all around it.

So I mean it's really huge and I see people trying to avoid it um but I I just feel bad because it's like you guys were just over there and you're just doing like let us know.

No let us know let us know.

Okay.

Um yeah so it's not that we just missed it it probably just wasn't as sunken beforehand.

Is that what happened yeah I mean I I would say to anyone on the council if you do notice something where it's clear we've you know you ride you drive that street or ride that street or whatever regularly and you know hey they were out here filled these potholes they missed one let us know you know that's a thing we can work with the crew on because that may be something that you know our crew just missed.

Um but as like 91st street is a perfect example with the truck traffic that 91st Street gets new ones are appearing all the time um and so uh that's just the cycle of its life that 91st street is in lots of business parks lots of trucks the way the concrete is is is the age of it basically it's going to continue to fall especially on the edges fail uh on the edges of the concrete panels so thank you ma'am sure on my mama along the lines of replacing roads and this will come up tomorrow as well in a connection with the scooters could you have data on the amount of protected bike lanes we have built to date because I I we're starting to get some indication from residents that they blame us for all these scooter problems because people don't want to use scooters in mixed traffic which I to some extent and they want us to build out an entire city worth of protected bike lanes which of course is a big number it is and even if it's just confined to the high density areas, my district almond brower old Mooncox, Perez.

You're talking tens, if not scores of millions of dollars, to do that.

Oh and you know, we just need to know where we're at.

Because I get that argument.

And as I hear this discussion about pothole, and that seems to be the principal concern of the vast majority of people, and the whole argument that, well, we have to have a less auto-concentric, auto-centric culture and urban landscape.

I'm saying, yeah, good luck with that.

And potholes still appear to be the main concern and not protected bike lanes, and not microtransit infrastructure, so I mean, please have something ready for us tomorrow till we can at least lay out those facts.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely all the time.

We may have a city that's not yet ready for microtransit.

And we're trying to put square holes and round round pegs and square holes.

Yeah.

Yeah, we can be ready for that discussion tomorrow.

Absolutely.

Um, you know, very high level uh I I guess I would just note a few things.

So, one, those smaller vehicles, whether they're bikes or scooters, or obviously the wear and tear on the road is much less than a car.

So if somebody is choosing that, that's good for us from a longevity of the road perspective.

The other thing, which you know, aldermen, of course, but for the members of any the benefit of anyone listening, um, many of the funding sources we are using to implement that bikeway network are not funding sources that the federal or state government allows us to use on regular paving projects, so that's that's another element of it.

But we'll be ready for the discussion.

Very good, thank you, manager.

I don't know what's going on.

Uh, back to the potholes.

Um, wait for everybody.

So we talk about turnaround time, and okay, I'll ask this question.

How are crews dispatched?

And how often, like I'm assuming everybody gets like a route for the day, right?

How often is that adjusted?

Is it adjusted in real time?

Is it daily?

Um, they are the way the system works right now, and I'll try to Tom Wanger and our street services manager would be able to answer this more accurately than I can.

But um, the way the system works right now is they are given a daily route based on the service requests and our supervisors and managers' determination of the most efficient way to address uh the service requests we received.

So there's not a standard route they're working every day, they're given that route each morning and dispatched.

Um so if a service request comes in during the day, um, I'm trying to remember we we switched systems recently, which to a more dynamic system, which is great.

I don't remember if it's quite dynamic enough for us to be able to if it comes in in a cella to you know and it's on in the neighborhood, can we adjust the route half hour later?

I don't think we're quite at that level, but you know, everything that happened up until seven in the morning when those routes are created, that's it considered as part of uh determining how to dispatch for the day.

Yeah, I will jump in there too.

Um early on, I mean, this is a transition, I'll give a lot of credit to street maintenance because before it was you would have a crew that would come in and they would just get a paper copy of locations, and that's it.

Now things our crews have tablets now, so there's more live data that comes through, and they've also figured out creative ways and think of as Amazon, how to route efficiently when they're trying to attack potholes, so while you have seen the numbers increase in the efficiency, so we won't just based on the numbers the potholes we have.

What we've been looking at is how efficient is a crew and how many are they attacking in a single day, and those numbers have increased significantly because of using technology to route them like an Amazon driver or have live data instead of just using a piece of paper that sometimes would get all gnarled up or dirty or messier or when they're hot.

So there has been vast improvements over the past couple years of just how to route our folks.

Okay, and you know, I think about the specific.

We talk about turnaround time.

I mean, turnaround time is a turnaround time.

I just like to know what so I can communicate it to my constituents, but you know, sometimes I see instances of uh things happening where I'm like, well, that's inefficient.

You know, we could cut back on our response time if we were better in this area.

And one specific example I can think of is you know, there were there was a request that came in um to my office approximately maybe three weeks ago, um, and was on Keefe Avenue, off of uh 92nd Street.

And constituent reached out and they said, Hey, I've reported this multiple times, it's been a few months.

What's the status?

So we reached out.

Um, and shout out to Tom.

Tom is great, by the way, great communicator, and he gets stuff done.

But I reached out, and they said, Hey, we'll we'll make it happen, you know.

You know, so they made uh Keefe happen, and then the constituent reached out and they said, Hey, they forgot half of the rope, you know.

What happened?

And in communication with Tommy said the crew ran out of material fair.

So at that time, um, I when she said that I drove to see, like, okay, is she telling the truth or she exaggerating?

Because that happens too.

So I drove the stretch.

Um, in fact, half of it was done, and then I made a as I'm heading down.

Keith, I made a left turn on to 91st, and I'm like, wow, this is pretty bad too.

And I reached out to the department, I said, add this to the list.

Sure, no problem.

So I go back, uh, when they said they were done to make sure 91st Street was added to the list.

Keefe was complete, 91st Street wasn't, so I'm like, hey, what's what's up?

And the answer that I got, not from Tom, but from someone else, was that we are doing this in sections, so we make sure we don't miss anything.

But my argument is that 91st Street is five steps away from where you just were, so now you're returning to this location for a third time.

Um that's the inefficient piece.

So that's where I was asking.

Like, you know, hey, if the crew is returning for the second time they ran out of material, 91st street has came in, it's right there.

Yeah.

How are those adjustments you know made?

Yeah, yeah, thanks.

That's a helpful example for us to look into.

Um, I think uh yes, ideally that's exactly what we're doing.

Uh not what you experienced, but what you expected is what what we should be doing.

Um, so I'd have to check it does happen where the crew runs out of asphalt.

Um that's a yeah.

If I had anybody to get to it, we know it is done.

Yeah, good, good.

Um, but yeah, that would be good to understand um what the route looked like for that day and whether or not that was you know at an endpoint, so they couldn't continue on the 91st, or if we just missed something.

So, we'll take a look.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Any other uh Autumn and Rowler.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um, this the memo you were talking about on that talked about some of the street maintenance history.

Um would it be possible to add that to the file?

Sure, yep.

Okay, this is uh just to clarify this was uh memo requested by Alderman Vergelis, actually.

Uh so maybe it went to F and P.

I'd have to check.

Um, but but basically the history of funding for roads.

So it isn't so much street maintenance but asset management.

So yeah, okay.

Great, yeah, that'd be that'd be good.

And I mean I, you know, if they, you know, if uh Norquist failed in that respect, we should call them out on that.

But um the um let's see here.

Uh I have some more broader questions about what we're doing.

I mean, I will say that I I do appreciate that we should be hitting things in a um scientific method where we, you know, we look at what's all around there and get to it.

I I also have a concern about the delay.

Um, but I you know that I'm really glad to hear this this high number that we've been doing so far this year.

That's good.

Um I feel like we just need we just need more crews, we need more people.

We need more people out there, we need more um Steve Shirt revenue coming in, according to the Wisconsin policy forum for folks that are listening.

According to the Wisconsin policy forum, uh, since the year 2000, we've had um uh 198 million dollars that's adjusted for inflation, 198 million dollar reduction in aid from the state of Wisconsin.

Um imagine how our budget could have been this year if we had an additional 198 million dollars to utilize and deploy here because what we definitely need is these streets to be redone.

I mean, that is that is what we should be doing.

We should be redoing all these streets.

I have so many streets in my district um that need to be that need to be completely not just resurfaced, but completely.

We have we have limestone cut curves, and we had all that stuff needs to be you know redone, and we just don't, you know, we just don't have the I mean that's that is an enormous expense to redo those things.

That is an absolutely enormous expense, it's not and so I for constituents who are listening, like I hear you, and I you know feel this, and I and I think this is a huge problem that we have so many potholes all over the city, but you know, it's just the streets need to be completely replaced.

Um, and that's gonna involve that is an order that is a gigantic order of magnitude larger of an expense than than filling a pothole.

It and so we are stuck financially, in my opinion, between a rock and a hard place um here in Milwaukee in the city of Milwaukee, but as far as things that are within our control, you know.

Right now, um, um I would I'm curious about you know, we we have vacancies, we were talking about vacancies when I when I walked in and I didn't hear all of that because there was a there was a leg in channel twenty five, but um the uh as far as the positions and the vacancies that we hold, I'm curious broadly, like what positions that we have available that have absolutely zero requirements that somebody or you know, I mean obviously these are physical jobs, but besides like some, you know, being able to lift and that sort of thing.

What kind of positions do we have that are available for anyone without any sort of credentials whatsoever?

Um, so that we can start directing people, you know, to those who may want an entry-level position in the city of Milwaukee.

I do want to encourage my constituents to apply to work uh for the city of Milwaukee, and I guess like broadly, you know, what are some of the you know requirements that we have?

I mean, are we um is there a chance that some of these positions have such high requirements that maybe aren't necessary that like we could reexamine that so we could get an entry-level person in that we can train on the systems and what we're doing so we can get a human in there, especially when we have these positions budgeted.

I mean, if they're budgeted and it's already July, we're you know, we're halfway through the year.

If there was a position budgeted, I mean, that savings.

I'm not saying we need to we can't retroactively change it, but like you know what I mean.

Like, we if we budget the positions, we've we've got to fill them.

We have to fill them.

I really want to, you know, I want to do whatever I can to support DPW in filling every single position that we have vacant.

So can you just just talk a little bit more about that?

Yeah, that's thanks, Oliver, for bringing that up.

We every position we have out there, we re-evaluate the job description just for that reason.

And we have depending on what position it is, and there's other ones we can't we get into technical experts, like we're getting to you, get into VSTs, engineering, you know, you're your your trades folks that have minimum requirements, those you can't really move.

But we have looked at you know, what is it required to get our our labor force, and this is we get door labors, which basically is something you're talking about where you don't have need a lot of credentials.

We help you get your CDL.

This is been fantastic in our CDL program of getting those folks up to speed uh that supplement basically all of our field folks that comes into street maintenance that come to sewer maintenance, they'll come into water distribution, and so those positions are always um open.

You know, things we have right now is like self-help yards uh positions that are open, which we have too.

We have uh you know, equipment operators is a little different because we will train people, and so what happens is how we fill equipment operators is we always want people that have CDLs to come in, that gets them right into that position.

But how we usually fill those is we we hire folks that are laborers, we get them their CDL, they work there, and then basically we'll apply for that next step up and go kind of motion.

So it's almost like a pipeline because it people that have CDLs just don't walk in the door on a regular basis.

Uh on an annual basis, we've been training nearly this year it's a little down more because we haven't had as many vacancies, but we average nearly a hundred CDL trainings a year.

And is that at the city's expense?

Or is the worker expected to do some of that?

We fully train them.

Okay, yes.

And what's that entry level position?

And is it currently posted?

So the equipment.

City labor, okay, yeah, labor potholes.

Yeah.

City labor, I don't know if I have the information or if that's okay.

Yeah, so city labor, we do have um that's that position you're talking about that really has fairly minimal requirements, right?

And comes with a lot of on-the-job training as the commissioner was just saying, including CDL training, if you don't have it yet, um, which is an eventual requirement of that position, but we'll we'll work with you to to fulfill that requirement.

So um uh that's really that entry-level job.

Um, a lot of the vacancies within infrastructure um that within my division are now at the point of um there are succeeding positions that you know once you re meet requirements around a certain level of experience, certain level of skill you move up in uh the you know the chain.

Uh and uh those succeeding positions tend to be where the vacancies are.

We've been we had such a high vacancy rate a few years ago that it took us a while to bring on the city laborers, and then they need to have the experience necessary to move into an infrastructure repair worker as one example, or if you're an electrical services and electrical services laborer one, those types of moves are now happening, which is opening up more vacancies in city labors, so we are reposting that position regularly.

Um, city labor is I believe a continuous recruitment, okay.

Uh and so that position is out there, I believe.

Right now with zero requirements for that.

I will follow up and verify that for you.

Um, but if it's not, yeah, okay.

If it's not, it's coming, because I we just had a conversation with my staff about when we were next gonna be looking at that list.

So I I really appreciate it.

I just have a few further comments and questions about this too.

Um thank you, madam chair.

Um, because that's like I mean, that that is that is so critical to me that we that we have these positions.

So thank you.

Thank you for posting that.

I mean, I'd like I know we probably need to bring DER to this conversation too, because one of the things I do hear from existing workers um and people who are aspiring to work for the city is just the timelines that it's taking for us to bring people on board with the city, and that's you know, like if if I I know someone who um you know applied and applied in May of a year uh to work for the city um in DPW, and they and they were brought on.

This is not anybody's fault, I don't think we have a robust hiring system, but they were brought on and they didn't start until October.

And in that time period, people find other jobs, and then we I mean, then we're back to square one where we're accepting an application.

I would just appreciate you guys' thoughts on this or what you've known, or if anything is in the pipeline for us to um streamline that so we can get people on the ground.

Um I mean I hate I hate the term temp agency, but I'm not sure if DPW has used any of them.

I'm not sure I would support that necessarily, but you know, maybe there's just options from that regarding retaining recruitment and hiring and not initial onboarding.

Um, but yeah, do what are we doing there?

Yeah, so we do use temporary um services all the time.

Like right now we have twenty-six um folks that are in our laborers from WCS at this moment, and so a lot of the times what we'll get we'll get temporary laborers, we want to get them into full employment with the city, so it's a transition piece.

Okay.

So there's a pipeline for them, they're made aware of it.

Right.

And the temp agency, because when I was when I was in the school district, and just start to interrupt you, I just want to comment, you know, for the public here that the you know, when I was in the school district, that was a huge issue that we had in the union was people we call the permit temps.

I mean, I don't want any of that to be gone, but if we need to use a temp agency to recruit, I don't necessarily have an ideological problem with that if we are moving them you know forward in the in becoming city employees.

I was aware of somebody in a different department, not DBW, who was uh with the temp agency for almost four years before they were brought on to the city staff fully, and I I don't support someone like that, but I just also you know, so it it please need to be level.

So you know, some of the things we do.

So I have actually a monthly meeting with DER, and so we've established that to basically go through some of these challenges.

Um, some some of the vacancies we have are just some positions are so hard to fill.

We've been up here talking about electricians, we have machine repair person that sits in our water utility that's very hard to get in the uh vehicle service technicians, those those trades positions.

That's a different challenge than just our regular workforce.

So Jackie and I meet on a monthly basis now to basically start targeting things as you're speaking about.

I will say over the past few years, I mean, and this is thanks to council and and the mayor itself.

Is the market studies have helped stabilize our workforce.

Um four years ago, we were at a 25 and a half percent vacancy rate in the department, and so it was dire straight.

I mean, in water utility, we were on the bring it a bus because we we didn't have enough people.

We're down to twelve percent right now.

That number's still way high, but it we we have come a long way.

So uh in that point we had 500 some odd vacancies, we're down to 264 as of today, um, which sounds like a lot, and they're all over the place.

Um, you know, we talk about like equipment operators, this is one of the big ones because that's 43 of those folks.

Um, but they're spread over, you know, PEOs is another 18.

So those are positions are probably the most.

We are making strides in the right direction.

We knew when we were going up there's an uphill battle and it was going to take time.

You can't just hire 570 people today and they all fill in.

Um and so like challenges that Kevin had mentioned before is you know, we have a lot of we filled the bottom end, we're trying to get those folks experienced to move up to that second level, so then we can refill at that bottom level.

And so we are making those moves.

I get an update every single month because I've been tracking this for now four years um uh of where our employees are, what is our workforce look like, and then how can we make it better?

Uh we continue to build relationships with our public schools um to bring build pipelines for you know VSTs and etc.

Which we've got a couple come through here.

As I mentioned when I first started the the youth arborist apprenticeship program, which has been fantastic.

Uh our forestry staff is is fully staffed because of something like that.

Uh, we're looking at ways to do that in other realms as well, um partnering with you know our technical colleges and our universities, etc., to basically get the folks that live here to transition into city work.

So there's a lot of things going on, you know, we could probably have a discussion on the side of all the things we're doing.

So we're making strides um in the right direction, and it just takes time.

Um, but the relationships we do have with DER is is way better than it has been in the past, and we're having those real discussions, and we're they're bringing she's uh Jackie's bringing her folks, I'm bringing my leadership team to try to spit by like how can we help them, how can they help us?

So those are going on.

Great.

And um, just out of curiosity, what are the requirements for somebody to work as a parking enforcement officer?

Uh I don't know if there's much.

Okay.

Honestly, because what we do through a willingness to deal with what we can deal with.

No, I think yeah, I think one of the requirements is you have to be over 18 years old and you have to be you have to have a driver's license.

We provide the full training.

Um because they are, you know, uh it I think it's six weeks of echo training we go through.

Um and it it's really robust, and but yeah, it's it's really minimal.

And that position actually starts at um fifty-one thousand dollars a year.

Okay.

Um those are all the questions I had so far, man.

Sure, thank you.

Any other questions for committee?

But what's the range of the parking enforcement officers?

Oh, I wish I had that.

I have the starting salary.

I do not see that.

It was significantly lower a few years ago.

I mean, my way of example.

I mean, I I see advertisements on TV for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which is the We Energy's Union, our friends over there, advertising groundmen, whatever that is, as opposed to ground person, but groundmen starting at 3250 an hour.

That's sixty-four thousand dollars a year more or less.

Yeah.

And that's entry level.

With the advertisement, we'll do all the training and then you know our our apprentice program and presumably make more.

Yeah.

So I'm just wondering, you know, that that's pretty 3250 an hour, that's pretty good money for probably a high school degree of that and a driver's license, because that's what they say.

Clean driving record, willing to work hard, we're going to work in bad leather.

I get those requirements.

Yeah, honestly, that's something I would love to explore too.

I'm not opposed to the party means, especially being the transportation fund, which is not in a tax lift.

And maybe pay them a guess joking, pay them a commission.

I do think um I'm a my mother of a high schooler.

Um, and I also know that today is the day that uh student loan uh rules change.

Um I also know and see and and we've heard in this room just yesterday, um debates over, you know, data centers and AI and all of that.

The reality of the culmination of all of those things though, um, is that there will be more folks seeking jobs um that aren't taken over um by AI and other technology, number one, uh, which many of the jobs within your department are those.

Um and there will be unfortunately more people who cannot afford um to go get the extra degrees and things um necessary to do work that is not public works um related.

So I think by choice or by force, um, there will be especially more uh young folks that um kind of return to having interest um in the positions that you all have.

It's just an interesting time.

So finding ways to um more strongly go after um young folks or stronger partnerships with the schools as people are graduating and that kind of thing, um I think now is a moment um where that actually might be extremely um beneficial to you.

Yeah, if I may chair over, I do think we as a city do have to promote our self-support, it's not just based on the wage that you're making.

There's a lot of other benefits that the city provides that I don't think we talk about enough.

Um, you know, pensions that our city folks get long term when they're looking through their entire career.

Um the tuition reimbursement that we offer, you know, to basically get them if you don't want to go to school now.

Maybe you do later in your life, and the city supports that to continue your secondary education, um, the great health benefits that we do have.

There's there's a lot more things than just the wage that happens here.

Um and also you know, the pride it is to actually work and support the community you live in.

Uh I mean I've talked about it many times uh in budget, but I'm proud that we have at least 78% of our folks that still live in the city.

We've not never had that mass exodus that has occurred, and so our folks live in here.

So I think there's a lot more to talk about than just a pure dollar, it's the other benefits that attract folks um to city work as well.

Yeah.

Um, time.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um, I just had a a quick question.

Um, well, since you mentioned all that other thing about the pension and all the education and all that, I think um we probably do need to do some more um outreach with that through the EI because that I don't know if our um young people are really aware of what that all those things are.

Yeah, you know, so um and the benefit of having them.

So that's been a a lot of conversation.

Um and I think a lot of that comes through um financial literacy classes and yeah, um, so we probably need to to do a little bit more with that.

Um but my question was regarding the list, is there a list that you go off of because I I think some people think that there's a a list like they apply for jobs and then your name is placed on the list and when openings come up and you go to that list to fill those vacancies.

So do we have that list and it depends on the position.

So city labor is a good example of that yes there is so we will will open the city labor position for applications as Tiffany said it's it's planned to open again at the end of July it's open for the period I can't recall offhand how long that is it's usually a few weeks um uh it's open for that period we collect all the names the candidates are tested and rated and then departments whoever have that position divisions within DPW in the case of city labor can then work off that list to ask people you know invite people in and determine if they're still interested in the position um so that's the type of job where a list makes a lot of sense we just don't have enough people on that list to we will that's why we will open we'll open it regularly to rejuvenate the list right um uh because I mean as I think uh Oliver Bauer was just talking about right um somebody might apply in May we contact them in October and say hey you know are you still interested in the city labor position with the city of Milwaukee and they'll say no I found another position right so that and that's okay that's just how the labor market works right and so um that is the type of a position where a list is very helpful to us as a department.

There are other positions where um uh a list may exist from like a technical perspective like that list exists but generally we are hiring the candidates that we believe are qualified for the positions off of the list at that point and in the initial recruitment so all right thank you.

Any other questions on our small back to potholes.

Okay.

Well this is more so a process in um materials question does this heat make the the mix adhere better?

Does it keep it hotter longer?

Hot or longer yes it affects it affect uh anything the process I mean then so yes the the temperature of the asphalt matters um and so that's actually one of the things uh if you remember the conversation we had uh a couple times ago about the hot asphalt box one of the benefits of that is that it helps us maintain that hot temperature of the hot mix throughout the day and that helps it adhere better um as it's applied um so as an example with that piece of equipment we can adjust that temperature based on the conditions so we may not need the box to be heating as much because the the air is so warm so it it can help what about it also obviously causes issues with our crew's ability to be as productive because they are overheating and we want to make sure they're staying safe.

So the the materials that we are transporting that does not have the hot box does that material stay warmer hotter longer it does with the with these temperatures it doesn't affect as much as you think I mean I mean they're usually covered they're still insulated in there but I mean the warmer temperatures do help the product but it doesn't help it adhere.

I mean it's when the end product is put in it's going to be the same for sure yeah all right cool.

And the asphalt's kept at what 300 275 300 degrees so it's still much hotter than the air no matter what do the crews stay from overheating yeah so that's the biggest thing we we talk about as a department every year where we get to these type of you know we we tell our folks to take more breaks extended lunches um fortunately we have air conditioning a lot of our vehicles I mean that is the priority for to make sure that no one does overheat and we're walking out there extra water we provide um we actually have electrolytes that we're doing our safety crews and supervisors and managers are constantly monitoring folks to you know when they're out there especially all day long I mean that's this is where the production's gonna go down these couple of days they're still they're doing their job um but it is we might have a daily and hourly basis because it is dangerous right now.

Reminding them not to drink soda that is that is a big one, yes.

This is why we continually promote water and electrolytes, and this is why we provide some of those packets that get put into water bottles because it is very important to stay hydrated.

Okay.

I'm sure.

Yeah uh a resident.

I'm from a sandwich this morning.

It just posted about the recycling person who had to.

We had an incident yesterday.

Yes.

Correct.

That overheated.

Okay, though.

Uh it went ended up going to the hospital overheated based on um the conditions yesterday.

Um is in good condition right now.

I don't have an update like as of this morning, but um, was doing much better and had a lot of IVs and fluids, cramped up and kind of was sitting there.

So and luckily the public did come out and assist and help.

It was which is good, yes.

Do we do anything?

Um, hot day for employees that we know are out there.

Yeah, I mean, like we said, we provide we don't we tell them to make more breaks.

We do start shifts earlier.

Um, so like our sanitation workers are gonna start an hour earlier to get off earlier.

Um if it gets too extreme, some crews will shut off and and we'll have them work six hour days.

It depends on how it each crew is a little different and expect exactly what they're doing.

But that's the conversation, and each group does things a little bit different.

But we had a conversation just on Monday of like what's coming up for the heat.

What is everyone doing?

And so we talk to each and single group of how we make sure employees are safe out there.

If they have to come into one of the the buildings that we have just cool down, that is fine as well.

Okay, thank you.

Otterman um Brouwer.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um, and actually uh Alderman Bauman, thank you so much for putting this uh file on here today.

I really I really do appreciate it.

I appreciate you guys being willing to give you know more of these updates because it's something our constituents are you know really concerned about.

And I just want to also echo just the appreciation that I have for all the city work.

I mean, right now we're sitting in air conditioning and the city workers are out there uh sweating away, filling potholes, picking up garbage.

I just I really appreciate all the all the work that they're doing.

I just want to um, you know, a concluding thought I had regarding this that I wanted to share is that we have such a huge task in front of us to win more funding from the state legislature when the new legislature convenes um in January of 2027.

Uh, we have an opportunity.

I mean, pretty much, and I'm knock on wood, but you know, you could run as a you could uh a sardine sandwich, you know, you could run a sardine sandwich as a Democrat, and they're probably gonna win this fall.

Um, and so we are uh, you know, we're poised to have a friendlier legislature in Madison, and I I am I'm committed anyway to you know meeting with members of the legislature, fighting for more explaining here than the Milwaukee.

There's a lot of unique circumstances that this isn't just some, you know, like like you know, the right wing trope of some you know grossly mismanaged behemoth urban center that they're trying to portray every single city as across this country.

This is this is a city where we have a lot of dedicated workforce.

We need more resource to make the quality of life better um for everybody here in the city of Milwaukee.

Um, and that's how that's how we're gonna do it.

So I'm fully committed to that uh to that fight and winning more funding in the budget that introduced by whoever wins the governor's mansion um in the fall, and it'll be fought in next spring's budget fight at the state capital.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions from committee?

Alright, with that, uh I don't know, um, I have to hold to the chair.

Uh no objections, so order with that.

We are done with the business today, so we are adjourned.