It's a new day.

City of Waukeshaw Landmarks Commission.

And looks like we have a quorum.

Let's uh call to order and we'll do a roll call.

Marty Larson.

Linda Gordon.

Mike Christine.

Matt Retzak.

Alrighty.

Thank you.

And looks like we have some people signed in for public comment, but uh most likely you're gonna want to talk about when uh city staff brings up your new business.

So I'm gonna move on from public comment on to approval of minutes.

Did you guys get a chance to look over and see if there's any errors?

There's never errors.

So I'm gonna motion to approve.

Last month.

June's I will make a second.

Marty uh made the motion to uh and I second it for approval of minutes.

All righty, let's put it to a vote.

I aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

That passes unanimously.

All right.

And let's uh turn this over to uh Charlie.

Payton uh repair grant funds.

All right.

So as you know, uh paint repair grants are approved in an increasing scale.

Uh typically 15% of the cost of a project, up to a maximum of $3,000.

Uh Landmark submission uh may use discretion to change award amounts based on project scope, overall impact, fund availability, or any other circumstances.

Um for 2026, we have a total of 25,000 of paint and repair grant funds.

We as of this moment have 2,432 left over uh from one incomplete 2025 project.

Uh the that project has been uh completed and they have submitted the uh the invoices.

We just haven't gotten the checkout to them yet, so that's uh in process and will be done in the next week or so.

Um so that will be zeroed out uh and we have uh the landmarks mission to this point in the year has approved twelve thousand two hundred and seventy-seven dollars and fifty cents in grants, so that leaves twelve thousand seven hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents available to uh for grants for this year.

And as a reminder, the approvals have to be conditional on approval from Waukeshaw County in the SHIPO compliance.

I just have a question for you, Charlie, seeing that I'm newer to this and this is like only my second year with it.

But does it seem like the requests are coming in sooner this year than they did last year?

Because last year it seemed like we had you know a lot of money towards the end of the season, and this year it seems like we're going through it pretty quickly.

It seems like we've had a lot of requests, but a lot of them have been smaller than in past years.

You know, usually we'll get a few roof replacements or you know big big projects that'll be at the maximum, and we haven't had many of those yet.

Um a lot of the time July is a big month, and this is a fairly small agenda, so yeah.

Um the other question I had for you is 25,000 something that's been fairly consistent.

It it's been consistent for the last couple of years.

We had uh previously it was around 10,000 and the landmarks commission was giving 10 percent grants.

That's that was back in 2018-2019.

It was you know, we and kind of over a couple years demonstrated that that uh there was you know a demand for larger grants, so we've increased the grant amount and um reduced the grants that go to some other projects.

Uh but the 25,000 hours has been fairly consistent, at least assuming we get the same amount back from you know from the federal government.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah.

Any other questions for staff?

All right, let's move on to new business.

Uh 3975.

What do you got, Charlie?

All right.

So this is for 300 Windsor Drive, which is in the Caples Park Historic District.

Uh so as you can see, it is at the intersection of uh Windsor Drive and South Charles Street, uh, the northeast corner of that intersection.

And uh this is uh this house does not have a historic name, at least not in the uh the state's inventory, uh, but it was built in 1926 and has tutor revival revival style architecture.

Um this is the front porch.

As you can see, it has kind of a a unique uh arch door.

Um and the front screen door uh is shaped to uh to kind of uh carry the arch into the door.

Um and it also is a a wood door, which I believe the applicants had said was original.

Um the rear uh the in the in the rear, there's an an attached garage with a flat roof, which is uh pretty uh typical for the Capels Park Historic District.

Uh the garage has a a small breezeway between the garage and the house, which has a which has a screen door or a storm door on it uh currently, which is not historic.

Uh this is an aluminum door uh which is from the 1970s, and the applicant would like to replace it.

Um the current door uh is just a square window, but the uh the proposal for the new door, uh this this would be a wood door to match the material of the uh of the front door, and it would have a similar uh arch to the arch on the front door.

Um it will also have a divided light uh window, um, which will be actual divided uh small panes of glass uh rather than a full a full window with just a uh um with a grid section in it.

Um this also will match the not the style but the material of the door uh onto the the deck on top of the garage, so you can see that there.

Uh this is a similar material to what they're looking for, even though it's a a larger uh larger glass uh in the door.

So again, this is just replacing this rear storm door and the new door will be wood with a window to match the front door.

All right.

Pete and Rose are uh in the gallery tonight if they want to come up and speak.

Maybe ask some questions if we have them.

Your house looks like it has some type of artistic flair to it on the exterior.

Thank you for noticing.

Thank you for that great presentation, Charlie.

I don't have any questions.

Do you have questions?

Just the protocol is state name and address.

Peter Lang, 300 Windsor Drive.

Thank you.

Okay.

Do you have any questions?

That was a good one right there.

Uh the breezeway door.

Do you have like the original door, a photo of it?

Is that what you're going after?

No.

No.

I don't think there was a door there when the building was constructed.

When you get through that door, there's a door, a swing door to your left that goes into the garage.

There's a swing door that goes to your right that goes into the kitchen.

My neighbor's house, that breezeway is open to collect snow and leaves.

So I it it would be an absolute phone booth to put storm doors on both of those other entry doors to the house and garage.

So I think this was a good solution from the 60s.

It's just it's reached the end of its life and it wasn't really stylish, so look into Adam's architectural mill work to make us a nice door.

That answers our my next question.

Do we have any other questions?

I think it's a beautiful door.

Like the repetition of the arch.

The front entry from those carriage style garage doors.

Um I would make a motion to approve is submitted.

Do we have a second?

I second that.

All right.

All right, ready to put it to a vote.

I alright.

Stick around.

We have to you can have a seat though.

We're gonna now vote to take the next part.

We're gonna move on to uh that passes unanimously.

We're now gonna uh go on to 3976.

All right.

So this is the uh paint repair grant application.

Uh as uh you might remember in the past the Caples Park Historic District was never eligible uh when painting repair grants were based on the uh the uh they've previously been based on the census tract that it was uh they were only eligible in low to moderate income census tracts.

Caples park is outside of that that particular census track, so they hadn't been eligible as of this year.

The standard is different.

That it's any historically designated uh house in the city can be eligible, uh, but you have to make a finding that that uh it's the the spots lumblite finding that they're preventing future blight uh through the through the work that they're doing.

Um so in this case the storm door is uh is basically there to uh keep the uh interior space uh clean and and to prevent uh damage to those spaces.

Um so the cost of the of the door is uh four thousand four hundred and fifty-seven dollars.

Um 15% of that cost is $750.

I think this uh project warrants that particularly when they went through the uh time to uh artistically match the the arch rather than just getting a will fit door.

I think this is a better all-over design and being a corner house.

If I remember right, when I used to walk past that house, it's got great curb appeal from all sides.

So I think this is a great project, and I'm glad the rule changes are allowing that.

So I support this project and I will make a motion for $750.

And if there's any other um comments, I will second that, of course, with the approval condition upon the Waukesha County and Shippo compliance.

All right, we have a first and a second.

Are we ready for a vote?

All right, let's put it to the vote.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right, that passes unanimously.

Thanks for coming tonight.

Thank you.

We will now you're welcome, you're welcome.

Um we will now move on to 3978.

All right.

This is for 311 McCall Street.

Uh 311 McCall Street is located in the McCall Street Historic District on the south side of McCall, uh, right between Charles and James Streets.

Uh this is the uh Charles H.

Howard House, which was built in 1890, and it's architectural styles listed as front gabled.

This is one of a several houses that are uh very located very close together.

Um and it is a contributing property in the call Street Historic District.

Um as you can see, it has a stone foundation.

Uh the stone foundation uh has some cracks uh in the mortar, so they the applicants would like to uh get the that uh tuck pointed.

Uh so the the contractor um has identified a number of uh spots where they believe where they need the the tuck pointing will be needed uh throughout the foundations, uh so you can see some of them are more visible and some are less, uh, but they will uh chip away the the deteriorated mortar and then replace it uh to match the uh hardness and the texture and the profile of the existing mortar uh and then the color as closely as possible.

Um and there are all also uh a couple of places where uh some stone replacement might be might be necessary, might be necessary, so they'll replace that as well.

So again, they're tuck pointing the foundation, the new mortar will be the will match the hardness and texture, and it'll match the color as closely as possible, and then they'll replace the stone where necessary.

All right, is the homeowner or someone representing the homeowner here tonight?

I don't believe they are okay.

Do we wish to discuss this or wait to tell?

No, but we can I don't I it's pretty plain and simple.

I think we can I just had some questions where the flashing was meeting if they were gonna do something about that, where uh any time you have stuff touching concrete, it's gonna eat it, but that's minor because they really need this fixed, particularly with all the rain that we've had, is just like that lower right corner.

Really, once the rain starts getting in there, it's gonna continue to wash out the concrete.

So let's continue to uh is there any questions of city staff about this project.

I would say it definitely needs to be done.

I support it.

Okay, then I will motion to approve COA to 60397 as presented.

I will second ready to vote.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right, that passes unanimously.

We will move on to 3978.

And I I guess I that's where we normally want them here.

Okay.

We can put it on hold to the next meeting.

They can make it.

Yep.

Okay, we can do that.

I motion to put it on hold, I guess.

I will second to put it on hold because I know we traditionally like when the people are here.

Um, so we can ask such questions.

Aye.

Hi.

Hi.

All right.

That passes unanimously.

We're gonna move on to 3983.

Charlie.

All right.

Uh so this is uh as we had discussed at a previous meeting.

Uh the there is a uh water utility pump station building at 445 West New Hall Avenue, which is uh uh owned by the city by the water utility.

Uh and the water utility is considering demolition.

It's on the National Register of district places, but is not a landmark.

Um so it won't the demolition will not need to come to the landmarks commission for approval, uh, but it will have to go to the uh the it'll have to go through a negotiation process with the Shift State Historic Preservation Office, the the SHIPO.

Um as an update from the last time the water utility is uh it had initially been uh looking for an EPA grant to help fund the demolition.

Uh they have decided that they will probably not be doing that.

Uh so it'll it won't be there's uh what's called a section one oh six review, which is a it's uh type of review where there's federal money involved.

Um that won't be happening.

There will still be the negotiation with the SHIPO, uh, but it's a little less involved and it will most likely not involve uh you know a meeting where there's where there are our stakeholders, including the landmarks mission present.

They'll just sort of be SHIPA will decide on a uh on a mitigation option, and then landmarks commission will have the opportunity to comment on it.

So we'll take public comment one second.

And uh hold please.

And I spoke the day that I received this email.

I went there, I took pictures, I walked around, I contacted uh our water utility several times, uh, had some ta uh phone conversations with that.

I also talked to the aldermen of that district.

We talked about that, and it's just kind of we're waiting, you know, just for more information on what it was, what it needs, uh some repairs on the inside.

I'd love to see the inside, but there's really nothing going on, and I know there's also the state of Wisconsin, the DNR really has some serious rules about uh capping and going way down so those wells can never be uh whatever piping is in there could be used again.

So I know that we also need to hear from uh the DNR.

Yep.

So and I've I've asked uh Kelly Zilster from uh the uh uh water utility to come and kind of give a little bit of uh more information on on the building itself.

I recognize her.

Callie, if you could state at least where you work.

I don't know if you're actually uh a city resident or not, but I am a city resident, I live at 1100 Poplar, but I'm the operations manager at the water utility, which is why I'm specifically here this evening.

Thank you very much for being here tonight.

So yeah, I don't know if it's okay.

Well, um as you can see on the map, it's located on the intersection of West and New Hall, and the property that is directly around it was formerly uh owned and used by KDB Label.

Not sure if it's still for sale or not.

Yeah, that's probably what we know, I think.

Okay, so our property at four four five New Hall was built in nineteen forty-eight.

It originally housed a well, well number four, and what you're looking at right now, the small portion of the building that has a flat roof would have been the booster pump station, and the large building attachment to it would hold 200,000 gallons of water.

It's not a place you can walk into, it's a confined space.

The um former pump room we presently use for storage, it's 20 foot by 20 feet as opposed.

So it's a very small portion of this particular structure.

If you'd like to look inside the pump room, it's a concrete box, but I will be happy to take you there.

And as you can see on this, the front column, um, which may not be the right term.

I'm not on the landmarks committee, I'm merely a citizen, appears to be crumbling to the naked eye.

The roof structure, which we have other photos of, is deteriorating.

Whoa.

Sorry.

It's okay.

So the roof is deteriorating over what was the reservoir.

And the there used to be a well house in the area that's fenced in, and that was demolished in 2001 by my predecessor.

And the well, which was well four, was properly and completely abandoned by DNR standards in 2018, and that would have been located where one of the flat plates that you see is currently laying there.

Those are street plates, it's not covering the well.

The well is properly abandoned.

With the construction and completion of our new operations center, we are looking to centralize all of our bits and pieces, so to speak, in one area, so that we can be more efficient to our customers.

And this is one location where that pipeyard and the little bit of storage would no longer be needed.

Here again, it shows the uh our drone operator on the north side of the photo, and more deterioration of the roof.

It does contain asbestos, which is um somewhat concerning to me as a citizen.

This is a picture of the inside structural framing of the roof of that part of the building.

So the reservoir, you can see it's a sloped roof.

Um and the metal joists are very much rusty, and you can also see what used to be a window of some sorts in the left photo that has uh daylight showing through it.

There are also other parts of the building that you can see daylight through where the roof intersects with intersects with the structure.

As you can see on the right side photo, there is a metal ladder that is attached to the wall, but I would not suggest trying to use it, Alderman.

This is taken from the platform, which is just inside the structure, which allowed us to verify that the water once when it had water prior to 1994 was there, what level it was, and take any samples we needed to.

We have no further use for this building.

I think from a citizen standpoint, this would be more useful as something adjacent to the property that may bring in income for the uh community, but it's obviously it's not my decision to make.

Um you can see some daylight and uh various forms of mold and decay in that uh structure.

So we are hoping to demolish it rather than try to rehab it.

Um a note that you may also be interested in is there is a similar type structure located on uh Northmoreland that houses our well number three.

It is also on the national registry, and we are keeping that because it is a backup well, so we're not looking to take down the last of its kind in the city.

All righty.

I know I have some questions, but I'll wish to hear from other commissioners.

You can stir.

Okay, thank you.

Uh this actually looks much worse than I thought it would, just uh the steel structure.

I mean, almost looks like we were housing salt water in there.

Were you were you housing salt water in there?

No, it was groundwater, but since it started in 1948 and was used until 1994, uh there was not a lot of structural coatings properly used or used in the 50s.

Well, I I think whatever just the humidity alone of a concrete building sunk into the earth, even if it it didn't house any water, just the constant humidity uh humidity in there.

I bet it smells great in there.

I would not recommend it.

Thank you for those photos.

I don't need to see on the inside anymore.

I was just as a lover of uh local um things and neat structures that are old.

Uh what makes this building unique is those columns on the corner, but the same thing that makes that building unique as if those uh sconces or whatever in that style of uh the columns weren't there, it would just be uh you know, not a particularly interesting building to look like if it was a total square piece of concrete.

But the same thing that makes this building unique and interesting looking is also the it's it's decayed.

Uh you would have to redo all of that and just the uh the skeletal structure of steel that holds that up.

I I don't see I'll be bold.

I'm saying trying to save this far exceeds any value.

Um I feel you don't need our permission to do that.

I'm glad you came up to us about this, but um I will save further comments till I hear from elbow fellow commissioners.

Okay.

Well, uh I guess part of um you don't need it anymore.

Correct.

Which there's probably a lot of places we don't need anymore.

Um but it obviously there's an expense to take it down.

So you would just take it down and be a blank piece of land that is probably non-conforming.

And I don't know if with the new changes if it would be conforming.

You know, because it's so small.

You know, that it would only have any value to the neighbors.

So if we left the building because it's there and it was sold, instead of spending the money to remove it, one could keep it and use it as what's the zoning is in that area, which right now it's being stored, so I somebody could keep it as a storage.

It yeah, it's currently manufacturing zoning.

Um I guess I guess that's that's the question is like you know, instead of tearing something down and spending the money to tear it down, if they weren't gonna use it even, you know, not tear it down to build something else because they needed something else there, but they don't need something else there, it's just a you know, but are you just gonna hold the land and it's just gonna be there, or are they gonna sell the land too?

There is for there's only a 20 by 20 foot area that is storage available.

And what we have done with the other properties that we are demolishing that are not historic in any nature, the city declares them surplus property, and then it gets sold either to the neighbors or whoever wants to purchase it.

That's how it's gone in the past.

So we could do that, we could put it out as surplus with the building, and it's a certain given time, nobody wants to take it on, because there are grants for this property through probably state and federal because it is a historic, then have the approval.

I mean, it's the mitigation aspect of it.

Right.

So have you guys thought of the mitigation aspect of trying to sell it as is.

I didn't figure anyone would want to purchase it given that most of the structure is not a place or think part that you can use, and there's asbestos in the roof.

Right.

And at the time we started thinking of this process KDB label was there, and they wanted it as part of their um driveway and parking area.

So we're I just figured nobody's gonna want to spend the money on it just because it's not anywhere close to as beautiful as the house that was item number one of your agenda.

Right.

Well, yeah, except that when we put a property into this status, there's an obligation by the owner to maintain the property.

And obviously, we didn't need this for a pump station anymore.

And I know because I've read through the whole document, there was the the pump's house on the property that was taken down, which was a contributing factor to this here.

And I don't know if we properly.

That was my predecessor.

I know, it's not it's not you, but I'm just saying you're you're the one here tonight, so you get to listen to it.

That's that's what I guess it's yeah, it's not a landmark, so there wouldn't have been wouldn't have had to come to the landmark submission then either.

Um since the water utility can't own any property, and if it's if I'm saying this right, with the last properties of the city did, the city takes ownership of it, and then the balders decide what happens with it.

Yeah, ultimately it'll be up to the the uh council.

Correct.

Right.

So I guess if instead of spending city money to tear it down, if we could get somebody to buy it as is, at least give the opportunity since it's been here this long, it's not gonna fall down anytime soon because I saw the construction of this is it's gonna take a lot to get it down.

So, you know, that just is my take on it, you know.

I don't know if anybody else it would be paid for by the water utility, so it would be paid for by the water customers in their rates.

Right, but I'm the water customer rate person.

I am too, I understand.

Right.

So there's some non-city residents that pay for delicious walkershall water.

That is also true all the time.

Right.

But so um do Charlie, do we need to make a motion on this as or we're just discussing?

Well, yeah, it's just it would be nice to have a be a show of hands uh on the landmarks commission, at least those present, what they ultimately would like to see to do with this.

That's what I would like to get the uh uh the view of the room, so to speak.

Right.

Well, money was spent and time and energy to put it into the landmark.

I think just spending a little time to see if there is somebody who would buy it, and who knows what they can do inside, because it's only the outside that's landmarked.

And who knows what they can do inside because it's only the outside that's landmarked.

You know, so I guess that's just my take is if we could it's less money for the water utility, do you have to tear it down?

They might make some money.

You could sell it for a buck, that's it more than yeah.

I mean it barring the legal and technical and all the layers to this.

I mean, it logical common sense is put it on the market as is, and somebody wants it, they'll buy it and they'll turn it into the business or space they want.

Now they desire well maintaining a good portion of a landmark.

I mean, that seems logical to me.

All right.

It sounds like the room is suggesting to put it to common council then with the uh rest of them.

Is that what city staff uh recommends?

Um, I guess from the perspective of planning, it's it is kind of it's a small property, uh, which in the manufacturing district the uses that those tend to get is uh that's usually storage or small car lots or things like that that uh are you know when they're located in you know adjacent to residential districts, a lot of the time they can become a little bit of a nuisance with neighbors complaining about uh you know things being stored outside or disrepair.

Um there isn't really parking there.

Uh so that that's something that you know is a little bit of a factor um in terms of the potential for reuse.

Um so if it's owned by the water utility, they don't have to use it as its own because they um I'm just because you know, obviously they're using it as storage.

So if somebody else would buy it and use that same back lattice storage, you're basically saying that's really not technically what it's supposed to be.

Storage storage would be a permitted use in the manufacturing districts, but um it's typically more, you know, when it's in an area that's surrounded by a lot of other manufacturing, it is less of a nuisance than in when it's you know, when it's in a residential area.

Could it be rezoned?

It could be, yeah.

So that would be an option.

So, yeah.

An applicant could come in, buy it, and rezone.

Yep.

Alrighty, if we don't have any more questions for Kelly, I think she could sit down if you have more questions.

Okay.

Thank you for coming in tonight and uh uh represent uh the city water utility.

All righty.

We will move on to Waldman's report.

There's one more.

There's one more.

Um 3983.

Okay.

I crossed that one out with a too big a check mark.

Charlie, what do you want?

Uh what do you got for 3983?

Uh, so this is uh a grant program that the state historic preservation office has.

Um it's uh it's kind of an annual uh opportunity for the certified local governments throughout the state.

Basically, their funding comes from the federal government.

I think they've said it's it's like leases on oil offshore oil rigs or something like that, that all of the state historic preservation offices in the country are have get their funding from uh a certain amount of that has to be passed on to the uh to the local governments.

Uh so they have this grant program, which uh can be used for a number of different things.

Uh our the city's 2013 intensive survey of historic properties uh as well as I think the original one from the 1980s.

Uh those were funded using uh the certified local government subgrant money, and then um it can also be used for national register nominations.

Um the the grant process would be starting if the application would be starting in the fall, um, and then it would be awarded, I think in like January of 2027 for a grant cycle that that would go from 2027 into 2028.

Um but if we wanted to apply for that, we would have to start contacting homeowners to find out property owners to find out if they're interested, you know, in the very near future.

Um one of the one of the uh kind of the decision points for a uh the national register is if a homeowner objects to or property owner objects to being on the national register that the nomination does not go forward.

Um so if we're going to apply for a grant, and we really want a positive, we want the property owners to state that they that they do not object before we start, so we don't get into it and have spent money and and then not have uh um not have a uh a grant.

So there are or not have a not have a nomination.

Uh there are a couple of properties that are potentially eligible uh that I just wanted to bring up and and uh sort of gauge whether there's interest in uh contacting the owners.

Um this is all from the the 2013 intensive survey.

Uh so this is the Brickson and Dick Brixen and Dicks duplexes district.

Uh it's its potential historic district.

It's at the corner of Scott and Wabash Avenues.

It's nine nine duplex properties, which were built in 1943 and 1944.

At that time, that was uh during World War II.

There was a very strict restriction on uh just in general rationing for the war effort.

Uh there was a very strict restriction on new home building.

Had to be, it was only allowed in areas where uh there was defense manufacturing that was going on and it there was a maximum value per home.

And so since these were built at that time, the belief is that they were they were what's called defense housing that was qualified under those those strict restrictions.

Um so that that's a historic district that's potentially eligible.

We did when we previously applied for the subgrant in 2019, I think.

Uh, we had contacted all those property owners.

They're all owned by different people.

And I think only one of them was owner-occupied.

Um, so we didn't get a ton of responses.

So that it's uh, you know, it might take some different kinds of outreach, or it might just not be possible to get a response.

With the historic district, um it wouldn't go forward if it was a majority of property owners.

Uh so that would be five of the nine that objected.

So we'd want to hear from probably five at least that they were in favor of of it before going forward with a uh with a uh nomination.

Um there are a couple of other uh single-family homes that might also be eligible or that that are also potentially eligible.

This one is the Claude and Eilish Schmidt House.

Um it was built in 1966.

It's got a contemporary style architecture.

Uh it's at 1021 Downing Drive.

Uh the design, it's described as in the uh survey as right-in style, uh, which you can see with the horizontal lines, and it's built into the into the side of the hill.

Um another one which is eligible as of this year, is the uh David Bart's house.

It was built in 1976.

So uh a house has to be at least 50 years old to be eligible for national register status.

Um so this is another example of uh contemporary style architecture.

This is at 1381 Harris Drive.

Um and this is the photo from the uh intensive survey.

These ones are more recent.

Uh so this is also potentially eligible.

So if you are interested in pursuing a subgrant this year, we could contact the homeowners and uh gauge their interest.

Uh we could potentially have somebody from the state come and uh give a little presentation to uh explain what the national register is and you know why it's not uh really uh there isn't really a drawback for homeowners to be on it, uh things like that.

So I guess uh I'm really just looking for sort of it does you certainly don't have to make a motion, just kind of sentimental do you think it's worth worth pursuing this year, or should we put it off until uh later or not not go forward with it this year?

Does city staff have resources, manpower for this?

Um yeah, I think we you know we we had had a little bit of discussion.

We have an intern who's been working with us this summer that you might be able to uh uh do prepare some of the the letters to the homeowners and I think this sounds like perfect intern uh based on that uh first um the World War II um era brick construction.

I think the duplexes we don't necessarily have to talk to them.

We recently did talk to them and didn't sound very favorable.

I think we're more resources on the the last ones we just viewed.

But I I recommend since the city staff has uh people able to do it.

I recommend the intern has the time and can do a good job.

Why not?

Definitely, these are very unique homes.

That one on Downing, it's stands out, not just because it's on the hill.

It's a it's a very unique house, just like this one on Harris.

Well, I don't think we need a motion, but I sitting in this chair, I recommend it.

So as you say, this is just the national historic.

So it has nothing to do with local landmarks, right?

So the benefit would be tax incentives for them to maintain the property.

Yeah, it would be uh they would be eligible for historic preservation tax credits.

And I guess beyond I I think there are some grants that uh that are based on national register status that are that are not uh um you know the grants from private organizations.

It wouldn't come with any kind of uh like yeah, like you say, it's it wouldn't involve any regulation like the landmark status.

So they if they wanted to do something and get this money, they don't have to come here for us to do any kind of approval.

They they are going directly to the government and really know that there are a few properties in the city currently that are on the national register but aren't landmarks.

There are I think only two or uh maybe three or four actually that are landmarks but are not on the national register.

I I just think right, and they're saying educating public, you know, to the benefits, you know, it since as you say there's no really downside to it.

There's only upside, and it's it's an upside for the city too to have properties that have the character and being preserved because there's extra funds available to do the right thing versus slap up aluminum siding.

Right.

Would city staff entertain fellow commissioners saying, hey, there's a really neat home that is eligible.

Would they like to hear city staff like to hear other uh interesting homes that would qualify?

Um if you yeah, if you have ideas, certainly.

Um I know you know, we we did have those surveys they went through uh you know, there's one there was one from 2013, which was the most recent one that it kind of went through and looked at a lot of uh um a lot of you know it was from a professional who was looking at it based on the all of the standards for the historic for the national register status.

Um but they certainly could have missed some.

We actually um I I at uh the state uh historic preservation and local history conference last year.

I had attended a session that was related to um was some work that's being done uh on like a Latino in Wisconsin uh status report of whether there's uh um you know properties that can be preserved or that that it might be eligible for national register status or or um other kind of preservation work based on uh Latin American history.

Um there they had identified a number of them throughout the state, including at least one in Waukesha.

I'd emailed the the person who gave that uh um the talk that uh it's a professor at UWO Claire, so it's possible she's not uh checking her email over the summer, but um I hadn't I haven't heard back from her yet.

So any more questions on the subject?

No, it'd be a great thing to pursue.

All right, thank you.

I have some ideas.

I'll send out an email is based on our our last uh one of our applicants at our last meeting actually has people stop in front of their house and say, What are you doing here?

You live in this style house.

I just think uh that's kind of neat.

But uh, I guess we need some other ideas.

All right.

We'll move on to the Alderman report, if that's all right.

Um obviously there's N Alderman here.

We do for another uh till April, uh two more years.

Um so we got a lot of things going on in the city, check uh the city's website.

Um there's a lot of stuff.

Though a lot of people don't realize they have uh special uh food trucks uh on July 3rd.

There's uh 545, they're doing a special flag dedication um with an American Dream Oak celebrating also uh the park's anniversary in uh America's 250th anniversary, that's at 545, fireworks July 3rd.

Uh there's a bunch of neighborhood uh uh adult beverage gardens in various uh parks.

So check the city website on that.

Uh fireworks at 9 30, so go to your favorite uh fireworks place, and then the parade kicks off at uh 11 o'clock.

If you're walking in the parade, be by the Dreyfus building at 10 o'clock.

And if you're attending the flag or the parade, maybe say a shout out to somebody that looks like maybe, and maybe you'll get extra candy for everyone in the viewing listing area.

So, Mr.

Alderman.

Yes.

If we have bad weather for the fireworks.

How does one know they're canceled and I've canceled?

You know, because people are planning their days.

As much as I don't ever go on social media, uh, the city has a very good social media, and they also have out uh I highly recommend everyone joins the city, at least on the social media.

But uh last year's parade got canceled, and word went out on um radio news, um national or uh uh normal TV broadcasting, cable broadcasting, and all social media, and it's we were still walking and people were coming the other way.

So check your local sources of media.

Um so that is the best way.

Uh but the city does put out a mass um communication with uh Rebecca and her teen, Jenny Anthony, Tony, and I'm probably missing somebody, but they oh I knew it.

I knew it.

I was I think I called them Tony, didn't I?

But anyways, uh they have a great uh team just to get that word out.

So if you are not signed up on the city of Walkershaw's email list or uh social media, whatever your social media platform, there's three, four or five of them.

Uh but if you are on that platform, the city will get the word out very, very quickly on that.

Right.

And we don't know if they're just gonna move them to the the next day.

We would have really no they did not uh last year, and then the parade last year just they just didn't have it.

Fireworks, I don't think they've traditionally had that uh remember, right?

At least in my modern recollection.

I'm uh it's rare that I'm in here this time of year, as usually I'm up north looking at my dad's place this time of year, but uh I'll be in town.

Thank you for your information.

Yes, and then um like I say I keep talking about uh walkshaw unlocked, but um that's what I have.

So let's move on to the springs report.

All right, I don't have anything uh new for the Springs report.

Uh we're gonna hopefully get a springs cleanup scheduled before walkers unlocked, but have to talk to Tony Lanza again about uh getting uh some you know he had a group that could help, but otherwise we might just do one uh send out a volunteer invite.

Uh um that's really all I have.

I have yeah, are you uh your volunteer invite is that uh through April with Park and Rex?

She's got a great communication team on that.

We we work with them and we use their uh their volunteer trailer, but uh we it it's sort of a separate uh okay.

I know April does a work with April for over for that that division for over 22 years and uh with another uh volunteer organization I work with.

So they have great network of volunteers.

Okay, you know your resources.

All right, is there any other communications and publications?

Yeah, uh there's two things that I had uh um one just uh it's kind of out ways out in the future, but uh the Wisconsin Local History and Historic Preservation Conference is gonna be in Milwaukee this year.

Um when it's been other parts of the state, typically the city has said we can pay for conference the the conference uh uh fee to attend for landmarks mission members, but wouldn't pay for the hotel.

But I guess uh in Milwaukee might be a little easier to get to.

out ways out in the future but uh the Wisconsin Local History and Historic Preservation Conference is going to be in Milwaukee this year um when it's been other parts of the state typically the city has said uh we can pay for conference the the conference uh uh fee to attend for landmarks mission members but wouldn't pay for the hotel but I guess uh in Milwaukee might be a little easier to get to um so that's October 15th and 16th uh there's an early bird uh registration by mid-August uh so that's uh just something to consider whether or not you can make it and would be interested um that's a Thursday and Friday it's typically a full day Thursday and then half day Friday um and they may or may not have some tours in on the afternoon of the Friday uh in of the storic properties in Milwaukee um and then Waukesha unlocked is October 10th and 11th and we are planning on having springs tours again uh on the 11th uh so if anybody is interested and willing to uh help out with the tours uh let me know that would that would be very helpful if you can uh so that's it's a bus tour of the four spring sites and we have a sort of a script at each site of of information on on the springs so maybe we could drive by a certain one in New Hall and just say hey everybody for sale right nicely done all righty um just if we can get the first serve in uh yep I certainly will all righty is there any other discussion if not uh we can move forward journal all righty thank you everybody thank you and those watching at home we'll see you next month thank you city