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.
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:
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.
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?