Milwaukee City Council Meeting Summary - January 7, 2026
Milwaukee City Council Meeting Summary - January 7, 2026
The two thousand four hundred and fortieth meeting of the Milwaukee City Council was called to order on January 7, 2026, combining in-person attendance at City Hall with remote participation via Zoom. The agenda primarily focused on the adoption of new naming and memorial policies for city assets, following extensive community engagement and subcommittee review. Public comments addressed water bill processing fees and concerns regarding affordable housing density and property tax implications in the Linwood area. The council also reviewed routine consent items, discussed upcoming administrative initiatives, and made informal arrangements for future council gatherings.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the minutes for the November 2025 work and regular sessions.
- Adopted the 2026 City Council meeting schedule and designated newspapers of record for 2026.
- Removed Stefan Lashbrook and appointed Philip Stos to the Public Safety Advisory Committee to represent the Llewellyn Neighborhood District Association.
- Authorized contracts with PACE Inc. and Mario Design LLC for on-call surveying services.
- Approved an Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission application for a location at 1847 Park 1915 Southeast Scotland Street.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Chris Scott: Expressed confusion and concern regarding a new 3 percent processing fee added to water bill payments made via credit card. Scott argued that the fee acts as a penalty preventing digital payments for those unable to set up direct bank debits or write checks, creating a financial burden inconsistent with the city's digital transition. Scott sought clarification on the definition of "processing" and the necessity of the fee, which staff noted was to offset credit card transaction costs and would be addressed by the City Manager in the following week.
- Lisa McKelly Sprague: Expressed balanced concern regarding the push for affordable housing in the Linwood neighborhood, specifically around Lynnwood Elementary School. Sprague highlighted the density of 73 new units (45 in a townhouse project and 28 in clusters) proposed near the school and a lack of surrounding community services like parks or hubs. Sprague voiced apprehension about the financial risk to taxpayers regarding the Multiple Income Rental Loan (MIRL) program and rising property taxes, emphasizing the need to maintain neighborhood balance and existing community hopes.
Discussion Items
-
Naming and Memorial Policies: Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Gabriela Sandoyo Gutierrez and Parks Manager Adam War presented the adoption of updated policies for naming city assets and handling donations. The process involved a year-long development with four community members, the Equity Steering Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Board. Key outcomes of the engagement included:
- Honorary Street Naming: The community survey and subcommittee agreed to strike this category from the policy, citing that it was not currently needed.
- Fundraising Impact: The community indicated only moderate impacts to fundraising; therefore, policies did not allow for selling naming rights but maintained recognition for significant donations.
- Outstanding Individuals: The committee agreed to expand the category to include individuals with a global impact, not just national, and condensed the criteria to focus on local history and historically marginalized groups, removing specific bullet points regarding risking one's life or specific commitments to equity in the final text to reduce ambiguity.
- Subcommittee Structure: Council directed staff to add library board representatives to the naming subcommittee and increase the quorum requirement to at least three members to foster diverse discussion.
- Renaming Justifications: Language was added to clarify justification for removing names due to changes in function/ownership, outdated identity, or cultural/ethical concerns.
-
Tree Code and Development Conflicts: Council members discussed the tension between the city's 40 percent tree canopy goal and housing development needs. Specific attention was drawn to a large tree (approximately 30 feet tall) slated for removal to make way for market-rate housing on Stanley Street. A council member proposed that the tree code might need revision to place limits on the size of trees that can be cut down, or to introduce different cost structures that differentiate between market-rate and affordable housing developments to incentivize preserving large, mature trees.
-
TriMet Service Cuts: A council member raised concerns regarding proposed TriMet service cuts affecting Milwaukee. The council agreed to delay specific advocacy strategies until the February 14th workshop to understand the full scope of the proposed changes.
-
Council Logistics: The council agreed to reinstate the "Pizza Once a Month" tradition for internal meetings to foster camaraderie, opting for delivered pizza to simplify logistics. A site visit to the Clackamas Service Center was also coordinated for the following week, with carpooling arrangements discussed.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval: The resolution adopting the new Policies and Procedures for Naming Assets and Facilities was passed unanimously.
- Subcommittee Formation: Staff is directed to establish a naming subcommittee of no more than six people, including library board representatives.
- Next Steps: The Acting City Manager and Finance Director are tasked with addressing Chris Scott's inquiry regarding water bill processing fees at the next meeting. The Council President agreed to review the specific costs of the tree removal under the new vs. existing code to inform future legislative discussions.
- Administrative Action: The 2026 meeting schedule and newspaper of record designations are officially adopted.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, you guys, we're going on air. I call the two thousand four hundred and fortieth meeting of the Milwaukee City Council to order. This meeting is being held in person at City Hall and by video conference. The public may participate in this meeting by coming to City Hall or joining the Zoom webinar. If you are interested in speaking, please let staff know by filling out a yellow comment card on the table over there for those at City Hall or emailing OCR at Milwaukee Oregon.gov for those on Zoom.gov. So translation services are available in multiple languages. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation undervisible with liberty and tests for all the city of Milwaukee respectfully acknowledges that our community is located on the ancestral homeland of the Clackham's people. In 1855, the surviving members of the Clackham signed the Willamette Valley Treaty, also known as the Kalapuya, etc. Treaty with the federal government in good faith. We offer our respect and gratitude to the indigenous people of this land. Moving on to announcements. Since they're kind of in date order there, I have a couple of other ones that are actually earlier than any of those. So this Saturday, January 10th, there are two things that I know of. First, it is um second Saturday of the month. And so there's a work party in Minthorn Springs where the Milwaukee Parks Foundation and the uh wetlands conservancy are on the second Saturday every month from 9 30 to noon. Come join us uh in helping create better habitat at that wetland in the middle of Milwaukee and park near Planet Fitness and walk across 37th Avenue. The other thing this Saturday is the North Classics Watershed Council is collecting Christmas trees to turn Christmas trees into fish habitat, and they do that at the uh you can drop your tree off at North Clackwest Park at the big picnic shelter uh between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. And then in two weeks on the 24th, there will be another work party to put those trees into the river down by El Rock Island. Um so now to the things on the slide. Join the conversation with local leaders that explores the urgent issues of housing and homelessness in our community on Wednesday, January 21st from 6 to 7.15 p.m. at Letting Library. The panel will examine local services and solutions for those most in need and engage in meaningful dialogue about how we can work together to ensure housing stability and compassionate support for all. And thanks to Councillor Koshrabadi. I think he's part of that group. Um the Letting Library will hold their third annual puzzle swap on Sunday, January 25th from 12 to 1 p.m. Check the city web calendar for instructions on how to participate. And nominations are now open for the 2025 volunteer of the year. Nominees can be anyone who resides in Milwaukee or is a member of a nonprofit organization or business that serves the Milwaukee community. If you know someone who has gone above and beyond in 2025, please nominate them for the award by February 11th. And that nomination form can be found on the city's homepage. Um, for more information about each of these events, please visit the city's homepage at Milwaukee Oregon.gov or call 503 786-7555. And then I have uh Haiku to read and the authors here today. Uh Jennifer Murphy, home in Milwaukee. We raise children, each other with kindness, strength, care. Very nice. Uh okay. We have uh oh, we do have two heading comments. Okay. So we're two net part because we don't have any special proclamations or anything today. This is part of the agenda during which council will hear community comments on city business that are not on the agenda. Before we begin, is there any follow-up from the December 16th comments, Mr. Brillio? Thanks, Mayor. Uh, there are no comments from the December 16th meeting. You did receive two general correspondences in your packet from um Mr. Holmquist about EV charges and uh Mr. Burning Stout about planning and housing zoning. Okay. Do you want to talk about those?
openpublica.com