OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Waukesha City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026

Public Meetings — Tuesday, June 16, 2026
BodyWaukesha, Wisconsin
SessionPublic Meetings
DateTuesday, June 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 30:22

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

All right, it is six o'clock, so we will call the Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 Common Council meeting to order.

0:10

We will start with roll call.

0:12

Dale Matthews is excused.

0:16

Christine?

0:17

Here.

0:18

Everett?

0:19

Wigderson?

0:20

Piper.

0:21

Ban Trieste?

0:23

Wells.

0:24

Manion.

0:25

Moltson.

0:26

Here.

0:26

Wuteska?

0:27

Anderson.

0:28

Here.

0:28

Helgested?

0:29

Here.

0:30

Matthews is absent.

0:31

Micklitz?

0:32

Lemke?

0:33

Here.

0:34

Camacho.

0:35

I'm here.

0:36

Excellent.

0:37

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:42

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:47

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:50

One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:59

All right, we'll get started with public comment.

1:01

I have one, nothing else in the box.

1:03

Excellent.

1:04

I have Joseph Miller.

1:07

And you can come up to the mic.

1:08

You've got three minutes.

1:10

And please state your name and address.

1:11

Thank you.

1:12

Hello, Joseph Miller, 205 West St.

1:14

Paul Avenue.

1:15

I'm here in response to the recent Friedman article about Wakshaw's proposed e-bike and e-scooter regulation.

1:21

I understand the concern about fast riding on sidewalks and the need to protect protect pedestrians.

1:28

At the same time, I hope the city approaches this as a give and take rather than simply taking mobility options away from kids and families.

1:35

If sidewalks are not the place for powered bikes and scooters, then riders, especially students and children, need a safe plat practical place to ride.

1:44

Many streets without bike lanes, traffic calming, or connected routes are not safe for children on e-bikes due to fast moving traffic.

1:51

Just as fast sidewalk riding is not safe for pedestrians.

1:57

If the only practical option left is to be driven everywhere, then we are pushing more trips into cars, which is inherently less safe for everyone else using our streets, all the pedestrians and cyclists.

2:08

To me, this points to a larger traffic safety issue in Walkshaw.

2:12

The city should not solve a sidewalk safety problem by ignoring the unsafe streets conditions that cause many riders to choose the sidewalk in the first place.

2:21

A potential approach would be to make incremental safety improvements to our streets, making the next small step by creating safe, productive streets that work for people outside of cars, especially around schools, parks, neighborhoods, and downtown destinations.

2:38

I do support regulations that address genuine unsafe behavior.

2:42

But I also encourage the city to pair them with low-cost improvements, such as Mike Bark mutt marked bike lanes, traffic calming near schools and parks, clear signage, safe crossings, and connected routes to recreation areas.

2:55

These do not need to be large expensive projects.

2:57

They can be small practical investments that make the city safer and more financially resilient over time.

3:03

E-bikes can give you young people a sense healthy sense of freedom and independence, helping get them to school, jobs, parks, and friends without requiring every trip to be driven by a parent.

3:14

That is good for families, good for traffic, and good for building a strong, more resilient walkshaw.

3:19

Thank you for considering a balanced approach that protects pedestrians while also giving riders a safe, legitimate place to be.

3:25

Thank you.

3:26

Thank you.

3:27

Is there anyone else for public comment today?

3:31

All right.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████25%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Transportation Safety██████████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability███████████11%
Arts And Culture████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Addressing Protocols███████7%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Waukesha City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026

The Waukesha Common Council met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included a public comment, a gallery art presentation, approval of minutes, consent agenda, a claim disallowance, several commission reports, a fund reallocation vote, a referral of a sidewalk vehicle ordinance back to committee, two bid awards, referrals, and a proclamation.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of June 2, 2026: Approved 14-0.
  • All items on the Consent Agenda were passed unanimously without removal. These included licenses, a radio grant, the Urban Search and Rescue Agreement, pedestrian crossing improvements on Hoover Avenue, and a contract change order for Bidwell/Prospect utility and street improvements.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Joseph Miller (205 W. St. Paul Avenue) spoke regarding the proposed regulation of powered scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks. He expressed support for regulations that address genuinely unsafe behavior but urged the city to pair them with low-cost street improvements (e.g., marked bike lanes, traffic calming near schools and parks, safe crossings) to provide safe alternatives for riders, especially children and families. He argued that banning sidewalk riding without safe street options would push more trips into cars, making streets less safe overall.

Presentations

  • Gallery Art Presentation: Alderperson Moltzan presented artwork from four local artists: Alex Poisson, Brian Radway, Jaron Baer, and Taylor Yuselman. The artworks included a mosaic glass garden, a portrait with a forked tongue, moonlight over a marshy area, a photo of a deer at Minooka Park, and others.

Discussion Items

  • Disallowance of Claim for Property Damage – Mervin Hanson: City Attorney Brian presented a claim for $911 to replace a windshield damaged by a baseball at Frame Park. No evidence of city negligence was found. Council voted 14-0 to disallow the claim. Alderperson Van Trieste noted there is 40-foot netting at the field and said he would make a referral.
  • Reallocation of Funds from CIP Project 26F08 (Fire Safety Trailer): The Fire Department requested reallocation of $35,000 from savings on the fire safety trailer project (which came in under budget) to purchase a 2015 vehicle with 61,000 miles for the mobile integrated health care case manager position. Chief Goplin explained the position has received over 125 referrals and requires daily travel within the city and to Milwaukee County for client visits and partner meetings. The current vehicle is aging and needs costly repairs. The motion passed 13-1, with Alderperson Lemke dissenting (stated he would not contest the outcome).
  • Proposed Regulation of Powered Scooters, Bikes, and Other Vehicles on Sidewalks (Ordinance 11.076-E): Alderperson Manion moved to send the item back to committee for further discussion, noting that only three of five committee members were present at the prior meeting and that the Police Department and City Attorney had differing opinions on the draft. Council voted 14-0 to refer the ordinance back to the Ordinance and License Committee.
  • Board of Public Works – Bid Awards:
    • Williams Street Overhead to Underground Electric Conversion: Low bid from Bevara in the amount of $99,920. Approved 14-0.
    • 2026 Pavement Crackfilling: Low bid from Thunder Road LLC in the amount of $143,220. Approved 14-0. Alderperson Van Trieste asked about the per-pound unit measure; Alex Damien explained the sealant is melted from blocks.

Referrals

  • Alderperson Van Trieste: To Building & Grounds Committee: Install "Caution children with disabilities" signs in both directions on Meadow Lane.
  • Alderperson Manion: To Building & Grounds Committee: Review and consider removal of the one-hour parking restriction on New Hall Avenue between Walton and West Avenues.
  • Alderperson Evert: To Building & Grounds Committee: Establish no-parking zones on both sides of Gassing Drive adjacent to Pewaukee Road.
  • Alderperson Helgestad: To Building & Grounds Committee: Consider relocating an existing no-parking sign at approximately 530 North Hartwell, 30 feet south.
  • Alderperson Lemke: To Building & Grounds Committee: Evaluate the appropriateness of a sign at Winterberry and Tall Grass Circle due to new subdivision and resident requests.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously (no roll call needed).
  • Claim of Mervin Hanson disallowed (14-0).
  • Fund reallocation for the Mobile Integrated Health vehicle approved (13-1).
  • Ordinance on powered scooters/bikes on sidewalks sent back to committee for further revision (14-0).
  • Contract for Williams Street electric conversion awarded to Bevara ($99,920) (14-0).
  • Contract for pavement crackfilling awarded to Thunder Road LLC ($143,220) (14-0).
  • Multiple referrals made to the Building & Grounds Committee.
  • July 2026 proclaimed as Parks and Recreation Month.
  • Public Works Director announced a tour of the Clean Water Plant on July 21 at 4:30 PM before the council meeting.

Meeting Transcript

All right, it is six o'clock, so we will call the Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 Common Council meeting to order. We will start with roll call. Dale Matthews is excused. Christine? Here. Everett? Wigderson? Piper. Ban Trieste? Wells. Manion. Moltson. Here. Wuteska? Anderson. Here. Helgested? Here. Matthews is absent. Micklitz? Lemke? Here. Camacho. I'm here. Excellent. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, we'll get started with public comment. I have one, nothing else in the box. Excellent. I have Joseph Miller. And you can come up to the mic. You've got three minutes. And please state your name and address. Thank you. Hello, Joseph Miller, 205 West St. Paul Avenue. I'm here in response to the recent Friedman article about Wakshaw's proposed e-bike and e-scooter regulation. I understand the concern about fast riding on sidewalks and the need to protect protect pedestrians. At the same time, I hope the city approaches this as a give and take rather than simply taking mobility options away from kids and families. If sidewalks are not the place for powered bikes and scooters, then riders, especially students and children, need a safe plat practical place to ride. Many streets without bike lanes, traffic calming, or connected routes are not safe for children on e-bikes due to fast moving traffic. Just as fast sidewalk riding is not safe for pedestrians. If the only practical option left is to be driven everywhere, then we are pushing more trips into cars, which is inherently less safe for everyone else using our streets, all the pedestrians and cyclists. To me, this points to a larger traffic safety issue in Walkshaw. The city should not solve a sidewalk safety problem by ignoring the unsafe streets conditions that cause many riders to choose the sidewalk in the first place. A potential approach would be to make incremental safety improvements to our streets, making the next small step by creating safe, productive streets that work for people outside of cars, especially around schools, parks, neighborhoods, and downtown destinations. I do support regulations that address genuine unsafe behavior.

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