Okay, we are on the air.

We only have one item on our agenda for this work session because we do have an executive session after the fact.

But for our work session, we have a council update on affordability.

And I guess we have some other people at the table, but Emma's kicking it off.

I'm kicking it off, and I was oh, I think we were just at a little camera issue.

So if anyone's tuning in and you just saw the empty dice, we are here.

Um, hello, council, um, and all watching us at home.

Uh for today's work session, we're gonna be giving a um update on our council goal around affordability.

It's our quarterly update.

The last time we were here talking about this topic was in September.

Um most of our goals have kind of one uh staff lead, but this one touches a lot of different uh parts of the city pie.

So I am joined by Assistant City Manager Joseph Brillo, uh, public works director Peter Passerelli and by instructor Michael Osborne, who are kind of co-leads of the elements of this goal.

I didn't realize when we started that our council liaison is a little late here, but we're gonna talk staff stuff first.

Okay, we'll get into um council uh discussion, hopefully, when Adam is here or council customer body is here.

So you've gotten probably pretty used to this um this rigmarole by now, but we're gonna start with looking back at staff accomplishments.

Um, because this is our third goal.

Um, we we kind of are going to look at two quarters.

It's it sort of spans the different quarters, and then we'll look ahead at what's coming up over the next quarter or so on the staff side.

Then we will turn it to Council Coastal Body to talk a little bit about the council accomplishments and plans.

This goal, um, we affordability encompasses a lot of things, and in our action plan, which was in your packet, you'll see that we really focus this goal on utility affordability and housing affordability is sort of two spheres that the city has the greatest direct influence on.

Um so as you do this presentation, we've organized updates into three buckets, general actions, things that just kind of help us understand affordability real large, housing actions, and utility actions.

Um the community survey off this when the year was over.

Uh we had to switch consultants.

Well, those will include a lot of the conversations that we've had around the community understanding of what resources are out there that provides when it comes to support for utility services, economic development, the type of resources we have.

All right on the utility side uh let's see Peter you want to talk through some of the updates that are up here yeah sure so uh last month I well actually two weeks ago for a few uh give an update on what what they've been what they've accomplished over the last year and what they have uh up in the future uh we are continuing to work on our utility rates study for for water and wastewater uh in November uh we had the rate consultant meet with our community utility advisory committee uh I think it was November third uh and walked them through a couple different uh scenarios on on water uh it one of the things I I think I've mentioned uh in past discussions is you know we're in this process of applying for this uh say drinking water revolving loan fund one of two sort of bins of funds available there uh and we're including these and it's rate revenue requirement scenarios to see what that does for the rates so we have a discussion with Quack uh we are continuing to uh work on right sizing our uh Jen and I have been meeting so we every Friday we can look at uh how we're programming these projects uh what are the funds that are available both from our utility funds our assistant development charges and the grants and other grant resources that we have and we're really trying hard to uh make the program realistic in terms of an execution uh sort of by the financial resources that we have and also the capacity of our staff to manage the projects and it's it's it's it's tough to do because we have all these projects that we've identified and there are needs and we're just prioritizing those and making sure that we're we're being real we're possible so as an example um we've got a couple projects mainstream uh that we had programmed earlier in six year CIP realistically being able to do all that work we spread it out over a couple years uh with all of the other work that we have to do uh to manage that so that has impacts on on that work um and it's an impacts to the rates generally in a in a in a good way right so uh try to spread that out so there's not large large pieces error uh we did meet early yeah also in November talk about the safe program with the council uh and the rate structure we need a recommendation uh to go more with uh uh program based uh safe program when I say program based sort of focused on our our spot program and uh safe streets enhancement program uh and we're going a whole lot on doing sort of large going out to do another large uh function we're not we're gonna come up with um and then you know we've been we've been working with our finance team uh over over the last year or so I know Mike did mention with Quack last night about some previous surface uh data that uh Amy uh is is looking at how we can uh how we can update update that data in our utility building system that uh that is more reflects more accurate uh what the service area is out there customer by customer and we've done that by utilizing um LIDAR data and uh using our GIS to update the information so like we have some licenses especially in the NMIA with a lot of unused parking lot and they probably haven't been paying what they should be paying well we don't uh I I think we we build based on the impervious service area where we've had a gap is when there's a change to impurse service area you know customers have come in and perhaps they've added more parking or removed parking or removed a building so those are the things that we we need to update that we've captured some changes there.

So those are the things that we we need to update uh that we've captured some changes there.

Historically, you feel like we've had a pretty good impervious service.

With the exception of those gaps, and I I would say it's there's a significant, it's a significant number.

Would you say, Peter, you know, when we first set it up and put the data in, it was it was accurate.

The problem is we don't have often the capacity or the SOP for how we're going to update the data when we are informed or not informed about a change in condition.

So this is where that change in condition.

I was told like the last time that we've got updated data was 2019.

And Nick is working, I guess, next year in spring of 2026 is when he's getting the latest package and council metro.

And then uh so once we get that, then we're gonna work with Amy and rolling out to take the new data and put it into the rate system.

So how co-prehensive is this?

Is this just the inventory areas, all commercial activities or the whole city?

Well, well, it it's reflective of the entire city.

That's like so that stays the same.

It's not really dependent on all the joint property impervious area.

Yeah, but there's more.

It wouldn't mean it makes sense to be residential.

No.

Yeah.

I will say that um, and this I think will come up a little more in the council section, but we've heard you that you're interested in looking at um incentives or potential rebates, you know, that could be related to things like tree planting gets you a stormwater discount, something like that.

But that's different than saying, you know, this lot has a bunch of impermeable surface one doesn't, but so be impossible for us to do that.

Well, and and commercial uh to remove impervious service area but not using it, right?

Well, that's what I would love to see us uh message out there is um especially along Johnson Creek.

There's a lot of parking lots that are coming right across Johnson Creek and that are not really used that much, and at least not the spot time spot time checking I've done over the last few years.

Um and so maybe if there's some incentive for them to de-pave.

I mean, that's the kind of projects people like to do.

People love to come out and hear out pavement.

So that's the thing we could even help them do.

So even an organization called PAL.

Exactly.

I just want to say before we move on from this slide.

We when we met with Councillor Cost Rodney to prep for this, he asked a great question.

He was like, How do you guys feel?

Do you feel like we're doing the stuff to them?

We're moving this goal forward, and I really appreciated something Peter said was I know like some of some of this may be a little less sexy than the Ect Dem goal or the Parks and Green Place Well, where there's these specific projects or grant program.

But I think what you've seen here is a philosophy shift, and I really appreciate all of these staff and their teams for you know, it's asking the question.

It's really not just making the CIP, but we've always made the CIP because you know it's better to be ambitious.

No, let's really think about the rate pair impact and really be realistic, or you know, with the SAVE program, let's really think about it in that box of affordability.

So I do it is having an impact.

We appreciate the um the direction we've given.

I I will say just to ask sort of a small metric at this at this point in time.

Uh and it's not it's not necessarily the final metric, but like when we look at our CIP and what we program six years, like 123 involved and where Jen and I are at now with two.

I'm sorry, what was the first number?

About 100%.

We have about a maybe two programs.

And that's all taking projects off to a later date, or is some of that like using the revolving loan fund and stuff?

It's uh institutional projects out.

Okay, uh, it's also really sort of making it in some cases we know projects from the next altogether because they ever think that uh were identified and previous system plan, maybe anywhere system plan, how Macy do that.

And it was nice.

Continuing on with utility stuff.

This is Mike, if you want to kind of talk about sort of the first three over really finance web initiatives.

Okay.

So remember Amy came in and talked to everybody on September 9th about educated on how our utility billing process works, uh, how the really what relief options we have with our low income program, how we're trying to do send the bias, but we do a great job of telling the story of people need resources that they're available.

Um tells them about our low income program and directs them also to resources outside of the city.

She's really excellent at doing that.

She sits outside my office and I hear the conversations that she has.

And she's a real asset to the city in that it takes a lot of patience and carrying to have those conversations that she doesn't care.

Uh we have we talked about earlier the updating uh vote amendments.

I think that's not for come back and talk to you.

That's about um changing terminology and it codes from uh making it the third Thursday of every month that we do shoutouts to give it a little bit more play in um notes come up, and also uh give more authority, I think, kind of to Emma to make calls on um how we shows.

Uh earlier this month, uh Judy, Amy, and I held the first utility billing assistance program, and we set up here about four to five people that came in and we just talked to them about how low-income assistance works, um, what options they had.

Um it was for me, it's really humbling because I mean two people came in there that really needed help, and Amy was able to talk to them and really direct them in ways to get resources.

Um we would like to do this again.

We were shooting for maybe one in the first quarter and then one in May, so that uh when the low-income renewals uh come in in June, uh as people are giving on that, and we're going through the renewal process that we're lined up to have an open house to talk to people through it.

We also thought that it'd be a good idea to have them come in.

Um resource to the city that can kind of be a liaison to Amy's more of somebody they call, I think somebody that can go out there and help people.

So uh all those three things we've kind of been working on the financial.

And then the class one on here it says develop, it's really developing.

Um we're as part of our working smarter together, priority at the city.

We continue to update SOPs so that you know we we are more efficient uh as we talk about the previous circuits, updating customer accounts.

Um I'm just really grateful to Mike and his team.

You know, we've got one utility billing person for the entire city.

Um that's something we may want to change next year, but it it's a lot of administrative burden that falls on one person when a lot of things change.

I know you guys probably it's like a meeting of broken record saying the administrative cost, the administrative cost, but yeah, I'm all for making our system more responsive or adaptive to our policy goals.

It just it all then takes kind of an operating procedure for how we're going to make sure that can stay up to date.

So I appreciate your team working on the efficiency of that.

Currently, just see it's uh she works between 45 and 50 weeks doing all this.

There's the actions of doing the billing, making the adjustments, but then there's the actions of customer service.

And from my end, she is a superstar, but I have to like walk her back sometimes and be like, hey, you know, our expectations are we can't do it all, so we're trying to do it in a 50 hour time period.

Okay.

Can I ask before you go on?

Something you said triggered a thought in my mind, which is a little bit off topic, but not entirely.

Um Katie has talked to us about the um funding we are working with the community energy project.

We have some funding to help people do retrofits.

And the mention of Glenn was like, oh, does Glenn know about those?

Um, because Glenn goes to people's houses, and we maybe know if there are people who are needing weatherization or you know, assistance in that way.

And so I think it would be good to connect Katie and Glenn to make sure he has some info on that.

At least just knows enough to trigger him, like tipping Katie off.

Yeah, there may be a potential breakpoint.

Okay.

So that's the wrap of kind of what we've done to date on utility or the last quarter on utility.

Joseph, you want to talk a little bit about what we've done on housing?

Yeah, well things.

Um we completed the affordable housing last quarter, and we launched the spare boat on the RP on yeah, so it is applicated.

So um, as you all have seen, we didn't do the notice of award development northwest to receive the highest scores across the board.

Uh so we can move forward with them.

At least we have the first the next action is coming before you all uh consent.

At least say police direct step to have exclusive negotiations agreement between the two parties.

Uh that will be next meeting, and then several months negotiating with Northwest on things we want.

The the project, and I'm happy to share this in the next uh packet that they're uh their application would be great.

Hopefully the best.

They're out of the three, we didn't receive three applicants, and they were by far, I can say by far because um really strong number two as well.

Um, but they were pitching 22 units ownership, which is amazing for that lot.

Um, and they have experience and a solid team across the board as far as uh the management of affordable units at the time, the uh meeting land trust model, and um they're an affordable housing developer.

So the types of things we would like.

So more to come on that.

I think it was really great that we got three, and I also want to give kudos to the staff and to you all for raising the profile of this.

We had 25 people come to our pre-bid required meeting, which I think kind of floored us.

We we were worried we wouldn't get maybe any bites on this.

It's a weird site, it's got some constraints, but that was awesome.

Well, Councilor Coaster Body did a lot of walkthroughs with some of the credit for that.

No, that's the easy part.

It's just walking.

It's been years, right?

Yeah, so we did something to celebrate.

Yes.

Um, before I got here, this is some idea that was Karen V.

You know, shout out to many word over there, then we're never really on this, and we'll continue to do so.

Um, but fingers crossed we everything works out in negotiations, and we can start working towards a real meaningful project that see the private public private partnership is powerful.

So it should be a good story to know.

Quick observation too about Dev Northwest.

They recently did one just outside Milwaukee.

And they worked on that T lot, so it was a very kind of restrictive challenge.

So yeah, it's it's good to know because it clearly they have experience on difficult sites.

So I'm excited to see what uh what comes of it.

Yeah, but thank you all for uh your direction and this process and yeah, standing on big miles down.

Uh I wasn't here on October 21st, but there was a recession discussed some high-dennity housing capacity and scoping.

Uh I know that the planning staff we received a they received a grant um from DLCD to help continue to scope that.

So you'll see more conversations around identity housing capacity analysis soon, the next couple months, I imagine.

Um, and there was also work session 18th.

Uh, Mandy and myself just yeah, we can't scratch the service on land banking, and we're gonna bring it back to you in January to get more direction for the rushed and uh so come back in January.

Okay, so now we're gonna do a little look forward.

Uh what's on deck for the remainder of this quarter and the first quarter of the next calendar year.

Uh, I'll kind of click through some of these fast because they're continuations.

But we're gonna do that biannual survey as Joseph talked about, get that data collected prior to budget, which I think should be very helpful.

Um we are working on the budget, it's definitely budget season and incorporate all those directions that you've given us on CIP or priorities, utility rates, and relief strategies.

Uh Councillor Crusher Body will talk a bit about more about that in the um council sessions.

Uh continue that work on the stormwater impervious surface data, and then as Michael said, we'll hold a second until we can see when it's night.

I think gonna keep trying to grow that, keep promoting that, and make that a uh a great opportunity for customer service.

Joseph, there's some exciting housing stuff that we wanted to daylight.

Yeah, um president also is aware of this this kind of ask from Hillside and Mary's and around um the business organ infrastructure grant to application.

And even before you said that for each other thing is a willing partner and an application.

The housing authority is a part of it as well, but they can apply on their own.

Uh state this program doesn't allow housing employees because we can apply.

So it has to be a jurisdiction.

Um working with the finance department to kind of figure out the administrative burden, but um, based on what we have looked at as far as capacity and ability to at least apply with with development northwest, they would do basically the whole application.

We need the partner to help to actually submit it.

It's a grant, so it's a grant administration.

They would be reimbursed, so there's some administrative burden on for our part, but um be low for us comparatively, so something to degree and uh Mandy Bird has experience with business working grants, so pretty confident that we could support this, and uh just wanted to highlight it as a potential council president have anything else to just hearing a bit about what they'd be able to do with this for the next phase of Hillside.

There are over a hundred units of controlled data.

So this is the act of bringing together funds you all know for affordable housing is really tricky, but or staff can look in this.

I think that that would be really really helpful.

So I would love if we could give direction for this, it would be a big move forward.

Yeah, it's uh there's 10 million dollar bucket, so it's not a big bucket.

Uh the house would probably be about 3.5 for with the hope of getting like two mil to 1.5 mil for infrastructure.

And what we've talked about with development northwest team, sorry.

So it is that um this would help honestly infrastructure is costly, but this would also help them um build out the amenity additional amenities that they would that they would have to cut out basically value engineer out like solar race and um outdoor read space and some other pieces that are helping community needs.

So um seems like a low-hanging group and something just so I'll just say that there's been a lot of chatter in the mayor's among the mayors about this, so I do think there will be a lot of applications.

So get it in soon.

And I guess that was I mean, we do kind of need because you're gonna need a council vote on December 16th.

Yeah, we need to get authorization that they put us soon.

Does anyone have concerns about no, but the get it in soon?

Is it first come first surf?

Or is it just a competitive like everyone?

It's but it's kind of a rolling thing, right?

It's not like everybody by a certain deadline, or is it it's everybody by December 17th?

Oh, it is okay, okay.

Okay.

Well, I just do think it's worth saying since we talked about Merle at the last meeting, like when we shared, you know, that there's that that we had some operational concerns about that program.

I do really want to reiterate that from the staff and operations side, and we are we're always looking for creative ways to incentivize and support housing development.

Um, example of something that is a little more uh easy for us to wrap our minds around in the near term for how we could administrate compared to the revolving one project.

Yeah, in the future too.

But just kind of comparing there's a lot of tools in this toolbox.

And here's another tool that I think we could take advantage of.

Mayor, I do think this could be this could have been.

I don't know if it's gonna make sense with Sparrow projects with the timing.

December 17th, and we don't really have project, but certainly if uh you know it's not fully awarded, and they still have funds at a later date.

Well, it's president would probably know better, but it's my understanding that there's a commitment to more funding, that this is just the first tranche and actually more funding next year.

I don't know if it was next year or next finding, but it what is my understanding that this is gonna be uh ongoing program, but we'll see.

The legislature has said they're trying to pull back on programs that were just created.

So we'll see if this is one that gets back.

Fantastic.

Any other look ahead items?

I won't be here for some of these.

I'll be off, but um Joseph will lead you through our community development team um the work session in February if we want to forecast her discussion SPC and other fee waivers.

This um is both an HPS item, but is also a topic that I know council president and council counselor customer body asks that we talk about so it kind of slots in nicely in February.

Uh we've adopted you've adopted the Affordable Housing Code, so we'll be implementing that.

Um, continue all the work for Sparrow, and then um just wanna it's kind of a bridge between economic development and this goal, but just a reminder, we are working on um a review and an update of our business registration code.

Uh you may start hearing it is the season to renew your business license.

So some notices will go out this week.

Um that is the the old code or the current code.

So it's the kind of same old, same old program, but we are working and we're gonna do this business survey that's gonna help us inform changes to that code for next year.

Um and as part of that, one piece of direction you've given us is to look at the rental element of that.

Right now we register all of our landlords through our business license program.

So um if you have interest in either data collection or regulation or anything related to landlords and rentals, that is really our mechanism right now for gathering the that roster.

So we'll be looking at that as part of that VR code update as well.

And we'll hold a follow-up discussion with you guys on that and on renter protections.

Hot dogs.

Okay, that is it from the staff side.

So uh counselor Kay, you are on deck to talk a little bit about your accomplishments over the last collective accomplishments over the last quarter, and then we'll go ahead.

Uh yeah, just to point some of this stuff out.

Um, we we work on so many things that it's you know, we can sometimes forget about all the good that we've done when it comes to affordability or you know, we're we're busy people and there's so is our constituents, so this is a good reminder of a lot of the good work that we've done uh in a relatively uh short amount of time that's that's gonna be continuing.

So um obviously we provided direction on our on our future of our safe program um going with that middle option.

Um we are also looking at potentially other options.

Uh I met with uh Representative Gamba uh a few days ago and and also talked to him about potentially working together on figure out what another option would look like.

Um continue to advocate for affordability principles defined within the budget committee.

Um those were the three items that you see there, the the strategies that uh we discussed with the budget committee uh that we really wanted to focus on.

Um the review of it and potentially set maximum reserves for our water funds, realistic capital budget planning, um, you know, not not pulling an ODOT or the legislator.

Uh expand incentives and disincentives based on consumption behavior that could relieve costs.

That's the uh uh the relief program, which we already have most of the infrastructure in place for that because we do provide a five dollar discount if you come under a certain unit of measure, um, and hopefully we'll be able to potentially expand that.

Um but I would like to definitely focus on getting it out there with with letting people know education-wise that these things exist because I think there's a there's a gap there that I think we we're aware of.

Um I also think there's a gap there in between who can qualify and who can't, and it's it might be a pretty small margin.

Just on that note, so for transparency of kind of timeline looking ahead.

So February, your budget committee meeting, really about CIP final draft, we'll look at the CIP.

We need then in March is when Peter um well, this this esteemed crew, and actually it's kind of nice because it will be the next time this goal is up, we'll actually bring those rate designs to you.

So the things that counselor coaster body was talking about of like tiered um tiered rates that can both disincentivize high water use and further incentivize low water use.

Like that's when you it'll be in touch.

Yes.

Thank you.

Uh city manager, appreciate that.

Uh yes.

Can I so are those rates being brought to the quack beforehand or like what's the community process for that?

Because there are concerns that I would have.

If you're uh multi-generational household, are you using more water?

I'd have faith in like quack to hammer out some of those details.

It won't be like March we pass it next meeting, or I guess what's the possibility.

You want to talk a little bit about that.

I mean, all of we'll we'll utilize additional meetings from the group.

I think that would be like we agree every budget cycle uh to walk them through the relative requirements and then we're generally more talking about talking about some of the water and waste water because most of those other ones are sort of flat.

Uh so we'll we'll we'll have our consulting come and uh work workshop with them some of the rate designs options that we can utilize and they'll work those through and and and provide that uh hopefully by March we'll be able to have some initial uh discussions with with council and what those look like and then uh April and May to June uh as just sort of in parallel to our budget adoption will be also coming to council with the fee schedule.

So those rates, well, there's there's more opportunity for discussion as we're as we're processing the fee schedule updating for the fee for each five.

So quack meets monthly to look at that.

Um you guys will start really seeing rate design stuff in March, and then you won't vote to the fee schedule until that first June meeting where we also adopt the budget.

Okay.

I appreciate that though, because that that is something to consider.

Um yeah.

Um question before we go to the housing actions.

Uh like uh uh city manager Sager mentioned we adopted the affordable housing code incentives, um, which I'm very appreciative of that.

Uh we also celebrated some uh pretty pretty big openings in Milwaukee that I think all of us in one way or another has had a role uh in this.

I know Councillor Massey and myself, the Hillside Park.

We recognize that one from our planning commission days.

Um but yeah, uh short stacked Milwaukee.

Those are those are houses, home ownership opportunities that are starting at 250.

I actually did tour that site, walk through some of those houses, um, walked to through one of their their modeled uh the mass timber built ones.

Um those are they're really nice places, really nice spaces, and and honestly, someone starting a new family or just getting just getting their life started.

Uh that's that's that's a steal right there.

Um can't really find 250 for those type of houses anywhere.

Um and then also Hillside Park, obviously that was a massive not only improvement, but increase in in affordable units that the city now adds uh to our to our inventory.

Um so that's huge, and and more to come on Hillside.

Uh it's not done, we're not done with that.

Uh that's a beautiful project.

And obviously, we all I think took some time to look at it and saw the community gardens.

And you know, that's gonna be a real community there.

So that's that's that's a special project.

And then the stabilization center, which are we're already two council members, Councillor Savan Jordan and Councillor Massey spent a lot of time uh working with the county on a good neighbor agreement and really hammering out and representing the city and what not only what we care about and in supporting something like that, but also uh what our residents expect um the county to uphold on their end of the bargain uh as we continue to work on ours.

So um, I really appreciate that.

Thank you guys for being playing a big role in that and for really getting that off the ground.

I mean, the governor came out for that.

That's a big deal.

You know, fancy.

Um so very much appreciative of that because that's a that's a huge need.

Um not sure who to direct it to it's somewhat related.

Is it we're you know are we giving you any feedback about how the state station centers doing?

Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure who we'll do about that.

Definitely we um so we they the right now the meetings are continuing bi weekly between city staff and county staff on that, so we get updates through that.

Um we although our law enforcement team is talking to them a lot.

We you know they fell off the calendar, but we kind of had some quarterly, we call them household services updates.

I think that'd be a great thing to pencil back into the forecaster for 2026, Joseph.

That um so we can bring those updates then.

We're also probably due for Glenn's annual uh update on behavioral health services.

Well, we never did get our update on the project on the loggy heart project.

Yeah, and what's going on at Black Mist Service?

Yeah, yeah.

This this presentation ends with that and then we have poll button.

Got us all correct.

You're totally fine.

I mean, uh you did you guys have to work on, I think.

So appreciate you.

I appreciate that there's a lot of staff time that has gone into all of these projects coming to fruition, but you know, it's really a big lift for the stabilization center, and I think a really big um trust fall on behalf of two law enforcement jurisdictions.

Yeah.

So I just I would just want to go on the record, really appreciate it.

Thank you for that, actually.

Um yeah, and then uh we held a work session on tenant screening fee limits.

Um I know that one was kind of left a little bit up in the air because we're still trying to do some research and gather some more information on on on how exactly that would work.

But these are things that that you know, we all and the public should be aware of that that we're we're taking these things seriously.

Um we're we're we're really trying to show that as a city, as limited as we are, we're really taking it to the limit on what we can do um to really impact the cost of living here.

Uh and then we also provided direction on uh the HCR zone analysis, uh land banking strategy, which we're gonna continue that.

Um, and then the mural uh and and just to speak on the mural, because I I do know that that um there's a lot of support in the community for the mural.

I know there's there's I I think there's a a letter that the community members are signing on to for that.

And I I just want to let the community know that that nobody we haven't made a decision on the mural.

Uh I think we all take the affordability very seriously as we've just listed out all the actions here.

Um all we've done is set the mural discussion for a future date because that last council meeting was the first meeting we've ever had in discussing the mural.

Um so I I feel like the council deserves a little bit more time.

Staff deserves a little bit more time as well to find out the the kinks of that.

Um and that was uh a discussion I had with with Rep Gamba as well, talking talking about the mural and even inviting him to come and speak on behalf of that and allowing us to question some of the some of the uh uh the themes that we had when we saw that.

Um so I just want to re reiterate to the public that we're we're not turning it down.

We're just we're we're trying to get more information, and I think everybody knows that the way our city functions, we don't just make rash decisions on things.

This council and this staff, this team puts a lot of time and effort into making sure that anything that we do is at the benefit of the people we represent.

So I just want to reiterate that because at no time does this city ever sit there and think that affordability or affordable housing is not important.

We've proven that uh over and over, even prior to this council.

The prior council to us proved that uh former mayor gamba proved that uh former counselor uh uh Falcon approved that.

Actually, currently city councilor and forced growth.

Um so yeah, so I just I just really want people to understand that that nobody is stonewalling the mural, but there there are some questions and there are some things that we just want to do our due diligence on.

I'm just really proud and supportive of the of how the community is reacting to it, and that it's it's more of there's a lot of support behind something like that as opposed to opposition.

So I I you know I love this community for that, but to just know you you your council is not in opposition.

We just we just want to do our due diligence.

When there's some things changing on the state level, uh there's some new rulemaking and there may be some opportunities to nudge the county as well.

So by March, when we said we would come back to it, hopefully some things may look different.

Can I clarify there?

I know staff instead of adding two FTE in the budget process.

If we added two FTE community of all the department administer a programming, yes.

It's March late.

I know the departments are putting together.

Is March too late to add hold through FTE on there or no?

I mean, it's you won't, you know, bar budget hearings begin in late April.

Um it's it's challenging because those two, and that was a very finger in the wind, too, with the limited information that I had, um, are not reflected in the organizational assessment we've already done to identify other capacity gaps.

Yeah.

So um, no, it's and frankly, I mean, we we met the adjustments too.

It's you don't have to, you know, when we get direction and we need to reprioritize or ask for more resources, we have mechanisms to do that.

So um, but yes, I think I think it'd be tight.

It it stress this guy out.

But we can uh we we look forward to the March conversation and the direction that comes out of that.

And it's another reason why I would like to invite Rep Gamba here because when I spoke to him when him and I met, um he was under the impression that the the intent was to make it as easy as possible for cities.

So he would like to see like what the lift is and see if maybe there's some revisions that potentially need to be made.

Um so I I think it would be great to obviously get him in before then um just whenever he's got time.

I don't know if uh that'll be but I think there's some good questions there um to be asked.

If that's a conversation that we want to have with him.

Is that a conversation that's better had then in January?

So you could do uh an amendment to I know there's a housing omnibus bill.

Um that could say in January.

I haven't talked to him about a specific date, but I just figured January would probably be our aiming point.

Uh well I think it would be good.

He just looked at the YouTube session that we had.

I think he did I think he did.

Okay when we talked when we talked, we have lots of new issues.

Yeah.

He had some questions on the FTE and because you know it was intended to make it as easy as possible for cities.

So it would be great to just get more clarification.

He even said, you know, maybe there's some revisions that need to be made.

Yeah.

Um then uh general actions on the next or actually now we're kind of looking forward.

So this is preview and discussion of the next quarter.

Um yeah, are there topics coming up in anyone's assigned committee related to affordability we should all know?

Um well, it's not in assigned committee per se, but one conversation I've had recently, and it kind of ties to this affordability and kind of ties to the climate, is uh you know, we talked with Katie about a home energy floor equivalent for apartments, that's a potential thing to explore.

I don't know how you know I don't think that was necessarily prioritized at the top of Katie's work plan, but we did talk about it.

Um I learned conversation recently that it sounds, and I'm trying to pin this down with PGE.

PGE, by the way, is coming to our night to our December 16th meeting.

I know.

So save up your questions for PGE.

Um but I learned that PGE may have data on walking family bill averages.

So it wouldn't be a whole home energy store, but it would be an amazing amount of information for tenants to be able to get access.

It's true.

That the you know apartment in in this newer building, you know, the bills are only this high, and then this older building that has no insulation or whatever, they're this high.

So um trying to pin down what's available and how accessible it is.

And um, if I don't get an answer, I will be asking AGE that that is um, but anyway, so that's my answer to your question there.

Anyone any other so the uh catalog uh team is coming?

We have the date yet?

Next month or next meeting, December 16th.

That got uh roll um out further out because it will be in a way.

So there's obviously a big component there on my agenda kind of thing.

Um changes, and I'm not gonna travel the older bundler, but hopefully the uh shed some light because obviously you're concerned about the overall market strategy, yeah, which affects the whole project, not just the right.

Well, one thing that I think might be an intersection with what you're looking for is the business survey that's going out.

Um some of the questions really kind of get into um cycles that businesses are experiencing and the things that are challenges for them.

Um I'm I'm looking back through the nice through some of the questions.

Um that is that dam is that yeah, it's part of the academic goal.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nice.

So as the as the renewal for business license is going or business registration is going out, we're also asking a few questions about the their experience doing business in Milwaukee and areas that they would like some more support from the city.

That'd be great.

So um one of the questions is what are the biggest challenges you're currently facing?

And um, you know, that ranges from employee retention to supply chain issues to increasing rents, economic uncertainty.

It really gives an opportunity for businesses to give that qualitative you know narrative of what's happening, and then um we ask about seasonal highs and lows.

Uh we ask about utility costs as a financial burden for the business.

Um if they are already connected or aware of energy trust resources, and if those are helpful to them.

Um and then you know, kind of general, you know, questions about is there any way that the city can can better support businesses?

But we have so many businesses that are not only small, they're local.

They have a small number of employees who are also Milwaukee residents.

And um there's a surprising number of um women-owned businesses and minority owned businesses and Milwaukee.

It's just it's really something for us to be proud of.

But what comes with that is this you know, like impending economic uncertainty.

And I don't know how that's going to impact our businesses here.

So hopefully we'll get some good information from this survey.

Hopefully, there's some response.

There's incentive for them to um to fill it out because we're it's can I share this?

The okay.

So, as part of the uh when they've completed the survey, we're raffling off five business license discounts.

Oh, so that's huge.

Yeah, that's a big deal.

So hopefully that will help us get some response.

Um then I think that you know, again, it the all the goals intersect because it has to do with housing security, it has to do with affordability, it has to do with how we're able to build out our amenities, you know, all of those things.

That's cool.

Anyway, so I just wanted to add that.

Yeah, and so that you're thinking about that as you're looking for more information too.

Yeah, that's gonna be that's gonna be big.

You can get a lot of good information on that, actually.

I hope so.

Yeah, I think so.

So yeah.

Um the only thing that I would have to daylight for folks, um, TriMet is in the process of doing their service cuts.

They came and talked to Core a little bit about this.

Their initial lines that they're proposing to cut don't necessarily touch Milwaukee.

Um, but they have a few priorities for thinking about future cuts based on the community survey and a lot of these are stayed done by computer just now.

I can't see flip hanger.

Yeah, then uh but the priorities in general uh for this are reducing service when lines are really close together, shortening the max green line to be more an end-to-end connector as opposed to going through all the stops and stop and support of other agencies, which is separate from the um support for county controlled services.

That was on kind of like a middle tier of things to consider cutting.

Um these like three things came pretty consistently across Washington, Multama, and Blackburns County and across pretty much all the demographics they've had.

So I think that that is helpful.

The challenge, and I think why is transit is a really important lifeline for people who can't afford to have a car.

The average car payment in America, I'll pound the table with this is about $750 right now.

And so when you think about that huge cost that people have to take on uh being able to have some other alternative, I think that seems really really challenging and thinking about what we can do as a local government to be able to support TriMet to be able to support the growth around transit stops that allows for these stops to be self-sufficient in the first place, um, and other things that we can do, obviously at the state level.

I think all of that helps because they're facing some really serious tough decisions.

Who are county um reps to JPEC?

It's and uh JoeBak.

Okay.

And do you feel like they're advocating?

I mean, usually Savus does a pretty good job of um like banging that drum for um transit investments, yeah.

But there's just such a breakdown of frequency of lines and availability of lines.

It worries me the conversation about changing the green line to end to end.

Yeah, I mean, I I haven't seen any data, I'm sure that they exist, but yeah, you know, like that that cuts off.

That's a big I folks, yeah.

There's either either um, you know, there's depth within that context within that recommendation, like maybe most of the lines would be express lines, and that would get people up to employment centers faster, and I could see that change, you know, but doing away with the individual stops seems short-sighted.

I think so I don't know all of the details there.

I think part of that is the overlap with the BRT system will have with the green line service, but that's kind of new speaking out of it.

I need not necessarily knowing the details that they have.

I think in terms of our JPAC representation.

So one of the lines that's being reduced in service in this cut right now is the 43 line of serves.

Um Lake Osfigo and Weslin.

I know that those folks are really upset at that.

So I think Joe Buck comes in or Mayor Buck comes into these conversations a little bit frustrated by that.

I know uh Commissioner Savas cares a lot about funding to the disparate transit agencies that we serve.

So I think that everyone inevitably comes into these regional conversations with their local chip on their shoulder.

Um but I think that they're doing a good job to pound the room about this.

It's hard because TriMet is facing these cuts because of a decline in ridership and um just challenges like over 25% of people in Portland work remote.

A totally different shift than pre-pandemic.

Yeah.

And there also have been challenges to see action at the state level to be able to support Trump in these channels times.

And so it's hard to point fingers at the agency that has to do cuts because of all the things that are happening.

And I think that it's just a really good time.

But but yet the equity within those cuts is challenging too, because if you're looking at the intersectionality of populations that can work remotely and populations that use the green line to get up to an employment, you know, like node.

I don't know that there's a whole lot of overlap, but again, I don't I don't have the data.

Um the um Portland uh I don't know what they're called now, the business alliance.

Um they used to do uh regional state of the, you know, I guess region, state of the region report.

Um and one point they pulled out um East Multnomah County specific data.

Uh it would be interesting to see if we could maybe lobby them a little bit to see about doing some data for Placements County.

Um because the data that they pulled for, I mean, really, like if you were to divide, I'm sorry, way tangent, but if you were to provide that or county to the north uh along 82nd Avenue, yeah, the inequity on the west side compared to the inequity on the east side is just so striking.

You could compare the two of them and and see you know very disparate um rankings if you ranked them as like individual county service work around that.

Um but I don't we haven't really seen Clackmas County level data around you know work um commuter rates and things, have we?

I don't know.

So I know some of the data they again speaking kind of uninformed here, but a lot of the work that they've been doing around are relevant to Clarkmas County is looking at changes in traffic patterns, and they're seeing a lot more people commute uh suburb to suburb as opposed to the like spoken wheel model of the past for people traveling to the cities and everything is happening less frequently, and so a lot of suburban communities are both areas with lower ridership, but also areas that are asking for more services to be provided so they can have that kind of outer rim connection.

I think that makes sense.

Yeah, that is part of what um Mayor Buck and Commissioner Savis have been talking a lot at that table about.

Um that's the conversation I hear a lot at the mayor's table as well, like the mayor of Sherwood.

It's like I don't need buses going to Portland, I need buses going to Hillsborough, you know.

Um and um there's not a fair amount of dissatisfaction, I would say, among the mayors with the responsive responsiveness of TriMet, and and then TriMet is not proven to be very nimble.

Like TriMed hasn't gone to anything other than big buses, you know, and some many transit systems run some smaller buses.

Um there's definitely some frustration, but I have invited TriMan to come talk to us in when after they announced the J they're gonna announce some more cuts, some more proposed cuts in January, and I have invited them to come talk to us.

So we should be having them probably in that beauty.

That's good.

Yeah, it's interesting talking about transportation.

We just had a CAB meeting where the county's transportation um staff gave us a present.

I mean, they they talk more about like how it works and the different buckets of funding.

And they're they're not quite sure just how the cuts are going to impact some of those buckets just yet, but they know it's gonna impact it, they're just not sure how so.

Well, there's such a county focus on the sunrise corridor right now.

I hope that that also pairs with an economic, you know, enhanced like uh area for jobs.

Yeah, well, you would definitely have um so yeah, and then CAB, we're we're we're ironing out our special uh not our statistics, excuse me, our uh our needs assessment uh for the county.

Um we're currently working on that, so that'll probably be that'll tell that'll be a lot of good data for us as well to find out what the trend is from the last uh needs assessment we did.

you know enhanced like uh area for for jobs yeah oh you would have i see that um so yeah and then cab we're we're we're ironing out our special uh not our strategic excuse me our uh our needs assessment uh for the county um we're currently working on that so that'll probably be that'll tell that'll be a lot of good data for us as well um to find out what the trend is from the last uh needs assessment we did on to the next bullet counselor I just want to that was really cool I really liked that and we this is the first time we've kind of phrased the question that way I'd recommend this be a question in every goal update so you're on tap next Joseph or ECDAV in January I would do are there any topics coming up in your committees related to economic development because that was just a really I mean I know we do council reports but we're already tired by that point this was really great like rapid fire topical things that touch the goals and I think it's a really good practice to keep going with counselor okay with that let's do it let's start with and then are we still interested in touring the Glackness Service Center I and this is the one where it's an MME at Pulpa this is a fully I was meant to reach out I'm so sorry.

I know but I need to Jewish legal needs yeah but uh so you want Joseph to read he can do it like can you Joseph I was too busy working on the vending machine well then you're then you're fine that's what I'm saying I have to say like you're fine keep working on a vending machine Joseph yes I'm still interested yeah yeah um Counselor Scavenger has the email address for Celeste who I think is the right person to contact so she was the she she is I think still the program manager that's working on it and I know that they had some leadership change there but she's the director or acting direct at the service center they had leadership change okay well yes oh yeah oh yeah are there specific questions we want to ask PTE leadership on December 16th uh topics we've already shared affordability and future rate adjustments undergrounding resiliency electrification and by that we mean um they wanted to have a pre-meeting with the mayor and I so we did that and we kind of told them these are four topics you better be prepared to talk about but I think this is you know if there's more or questions you want to start prepping to grill them with think about yeah well maybe it's under under the first bullet on affordability right adjustments but I would really like to to tone in on how the rates are going to be divided between the data centers and the rest of the of the ratepayers I don't understand it.

Yeah I think it's behind curtain um skeptical things about our curtain that does relate to the letter I put in for our uh council reports later today because there is a there's a PC um I don't know they don't call it a rate case because it's not specifically about rates but there's a PC docket number on that right now um and I've had a couple of conversations with some advocates um yeah it's a it could be a very deep dive but um you know I think it's important I think that's an important spell to keep ringing centers um yeah well there's a concentration of data centers here they're here for a reason because electricity is actually cheaper here than it was places because I don't like so it's it's not unique here but there is a concentration of data centers because relatively speaking power is cheaper I think the lady just talking about the implementation of the power act and what that will be as the pricing the other conversation just transmission and the bottlenecks that we're gonna have there as we move power east to west.

Just curious for PG to talk a little bit about challenges that they're having there and what they need for um pricing for consumers here emails okay or thinking up there any questions within those categories all right and then housing actions continued uh looking ahead of 2026 um what information do we want to receive from staff regarding affordable housing development uh just so we can see this is the affordable housing work already underway and it's quite a bit um so I mean you know everybody should be proud of a lot of this of all that work that's going on uh work discussed but not yet program I mean I'm not gonna read every bullet point there I think this is you know also our attempt to sometimes we know we send the forecaster forecaster is big and it's hard and it's scary but like you know there's there's so like I I think when we think about 2026 um we spent a lot of time this

Uh work discussed, but not yet programmed.

Oh, I mean, I'm not gonna read every bullet point there.

I think this is you know, also our attempt to sometimes we know we find the forecaster forecasters big and it's hard and it's scary, but like, you know, there's there's so like I I think when we think about 2026.

Um we spent a lot of time this year on this goal getting the utility stuff kind of uh discussed, refined, and that's you know, I'm I'm excited that's gonna get put into the rate structure into the P schedule, and then I think it's kind of off to the races.

So I think the 2026 focus will have a bigger spotlight on housing.

We know this is uh important to you.

This is the stuff that's already on the forecaster in the blue box, and then actually Merle is as well.

We just we put it in March to the kind of revisit.

But I I know this is a topic of deep interest to many on council, and I think it'd be helpful to get some direction on other topics or um focuses or concepts that you'd like us to be programming in so we can eat that time now, eat the time up now on the forecast.

I mean, that wouldn't include landing strategy, right?

Because we're already working on that because we haven't programmed it yet.

That's not underway.

Yeah, you're you're right.

On the forecaster, it's on the forecast.

It's probably it's a missing bullet under that HPS.

So it would go under that box.

Thanks.

I guess I have two things that I think about here.

One is more a general approach as we look at shifting to do a lot of different housing pieces and implement our HPS.

I think it's really important that we provide the consistent direction that staff as they're thinking through all these things, talking about how do we build more units, especially really incentivizing units that are aligned with our other goals, the units that align with economic development goals, how do these units bring more deeply affordable units into our um how do we align with transit and build around a system that we want to do?

Just applying all those lenses, um build more, build better.

I think we'd be a really good focus for this next year.

Second thing that I would say is um we're talking a little bit in the HPS about STC waivers.

I think a really important conversation there is around SDC waivers for ADUs.

Um we can get included more when we talk about that there, but an ADU is different than really a new development, a new middle housing development or even multi-family development.

Um and the SDCs are a real barrier to people, individuals being able to build an ADU for their family to come age in place or fill in the blank.

So I think that that will be important.

The other loose end, we talked when Ilya came to talk in front of us a little bit about the housing models that he's working on and different housing options.

There is a really great article and sightline that talks about what this looks like on the ground in Portland.

But the homes on wheels that he was mentioning have been a really important piece in the ADU landscape in Portland.

Um, because the construction costs are just so much lower.

And so making sure that we're not just legalizing ADUs, but also AEUs that are ADUs up for some wheels on the ground.

Yeah, conversation.

Yeah.

It poses a complication to have an ADU with wheels because it's not classified as a residential unit at that point.

It's classified as a mobile vehicle unit.

And then the code applies differently.

The infrastructure to attach it to the grid applies differently.

So in that conversation, what I would be interested in knowing is how we balance out the increased cost to make that a permanent housing unit.

Yeah.

Um, and if that neutralizes this the cost savings in the creation of that unit.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, that does.

I think can't speak to that.

I'll send the Signal Institute article that breaks down some of the costs.

Okay.

Um, but I think that that is I mean, my impression from what Ilya came and spoke with us is the types of housing units that he's hoping to build in Milwaukee aren't legal uses right now.

Um, and so it is that they're saying reading through the code to understand what barriers could be identified.

And I mean, maybe it's something that we have on a small enough scale where we're able to mitigate that that risk and we can do some type of exemption for that particular type of housing.

But I don't know enough about the restrictions for you know, or the or even the liability of connecting something with wheels to the grid versus you know, leaving it designated as something with wheels.

So if we wanted to explore that, I think understanding the mechanisms that we had at play here and the um and and the creative license that we might have on our small scale to like to use that and and like bring that up to scale.

So I think that'd be helpful.

That would I feel like that would be a good conversation.

Yeah, we're I think you could do it almost in a way that you do manufactured homes.

I mean, if you remove the wheels and put on a quote unquote permanent foundation, right?

Like then you're then you're kind of just like dropping it off and setting it on a foundation.

So that's kind of what I'm I'm looking at, like you know, you have you have some cost savings because of the way that it's created, but then you have cost increase which actually make it a permanent structure, and at what point things meet, and is that still cost effective?

And if it is, then should we model something on our local scale that's small enough to be able to build some of that you know, or utilize some of that housing?

Yeah, um, but I mean I'm I'm just like what I've heard so far is an argument for one side or an argument for the other.

I haven't heard anybody actually bring it together and test it out.

Yeah, that's a good point.

Well, and I think we know that um there's there's more and more different types of manufactured housing, not the traditional you know, mobile home, but lots of um what do you call them?

Um mobile well a pop uh you know modular modular, thank you.

Modular homes, lots of places in the Northwest building modular.

And so is that a sort of a mid-range option that can make an ADU more affordable for people.

Conex boxes too.

Yeah.

Um, because off of the 205, there's a company that builds ADUs out of those connex boxes.

Those by Oregon City.

Yeah.

And I wonder if, you know, I don't even know if those are allowed here the way that they're built, but it'd be interesting to see if maybe that's a simpler change.

Um also the for the affordable housing board I would put that's not programmed yet, is the because we're still looking at it, is the down payment assistance.

Would that go in that box?

Or is that already going?

Oh, city minister.

We just said it a lot fancier than that's in our EPS looking at that.

I know, right?

We need another acronym.

Yeah.

Um we have Milwaukee heart, we can have Milwaukee house.

We can just call that Carl.

Carl.

Carl.

Sounds like a horrible program.

It's kind of moral.

Heavier.

Yeah, that Carl and Moral.

Am I at their brother Larry?

They're on a Boeing thing.

Oh man.

Uh yeah, I don't think I don't if there's anything else goes on.

I think we can when I took away from that, we'll we'll make sure everything you see up there is on the forecaster.

Uh, we'll make sure we talk ADUs at the SDC waiver conversation.

That's on February.

I think we could put something else in there about like we're visiting this unique housing models and code.

Well, cost benefit analysis of various things and code it you know, you know what that means.

Uh and just uh uh what we it's sort of affordability, sort of not, but we we do have a lot of follow-up things from the middle housing reducts, one of them happening tonight, tree code.

Um, but we'll come back and talk fee lock.

We talked about really needing a whole like study session on fee lock.

So we'll get that slotted in.

Fill off your forecast before you button.

It's scary for the um I did have one just kind of um minor comment on the matrix itself, which is one of the first uh slots at the top talks about the goal for how many housing units we have, you know, the state set goal that uh the governor's team set.

Um and it's got numbers for what we have to build by 2043.

I really feel like um we shouldn't have an interim target.

We should figure out you know, one third of that or 25% of that or whatever it is, and we should because I think putting a number out there by 2023 is really hard for us to or for just anybody who's reading it to um so I think I would pick 2030 or you know, whatever you think things put um smaller bytes.

Yeah, and on that note that's a that's since it's December, it's our last um goal work session of the year.

Okay that's it I have to read the little script here after the work session council will meet in executive session pursuant to ORS 19260 subsection two D to conduct conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor negotiations and subsection E to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real property transactions.

And so with that our work session is adjourned.