Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone. We will declare open the session of the Municipal Council of September 15 and I will ask our secretary to make the call.

Councilor Nowak. Nolan.

She is excused.

Roach. Turner. Present. Weigel.

Also excused.

Krisham.

Again excused.

Kroll. Present. Haas. Present. Alverson. Keane. Seth is present. Three excused.

This constitutes the quorum. We will now move on to the Sermon on Allegiance, which will be led tonight by Councilor Novak. Merci. Passons à la partie D. Nous n'avons pas d'audience publique, nous passerons donc directement à la participation du public. C'est le moment où les résidents peuvent s'adresser au conseil pendant cette période de 30 minutes. Chaque intervenant doit annoncer son nom et son adresse pour notre registre et veuillez limiter vos commentaires à une intervention de 5 minutes maximum. Vous le savez peut-être, nous ne pouvons prendre aucune mesure sur les sujets soulevés par les intervenants et nous ne pouvons pas interagir avec eux. Toute personne souhaitant s'adresser au conseil dans le cadre de la participation du public, veuillez vous présenter au public. Oh, I'm sorry. Alette, can you turn on the microphone? Just press this button. It should turn on.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the Municipal Council. My name is Trisha Alette and I am a resident of West Alice. I take the floor tonight to express my deep concern about the Council's decision to renew our contract with Flock Safety. Municipal budgets are the reflection of the values of a city. We know that this advice has allowed an increase in the expenses of our taxpayers, going up to $ 182, $ 900 specifically to add more cameras to our streets. By choosing to invest nearly $ 200,000 in a growing network of surveillance cameras, this advice has given the priority to a private company rather than to the real human needs of a community. Ce contrat représente une violation constante de la vie privée pour chaque citoyen qui circule dans notre ville. Si ce Conseil pense que l'extension des caméras Floc nous protège, vous ignorez l'énorme responsabilité juridique à laquelle vous exposez West Allis. Il y a tout juste cinq jours, On September 10, 11 municipalities right next door, in the county of Waukesha, were prosecuted in front of the Circuit Court for using the FLOX database without a search warrant, which constitutes a direct violation of our fourth amendment. A vast federal collective action has been filed against Flock, detailing police misconduct at the national level and showing that agents across the country have used this database of unguarded tracking data to track former partners while following innocent drivers who were mistakenly arrested for error in the camera system. This is why communities in Wisconsin like Appleton, Oshkosh and the county of Dane completely abandon Flock. Why West Allis? These $ 182,900 could have been devoted to useful investments that strengthen West Allis from the inside. Instead of financing an expansion monitoring network, these resources could have been used to offer well-deserved increases to our police and firefighters staff. This money could have financed neighborhood subsidies to revitalize our communities. It could have allowed to put in place proactive programs between the police and young people in need, or to expand specialized crisis units so that residents in mental distress receive appropriate care. True security comes from support for young people. Health resources Equally paid labor and a strong community. No automated surveillance networks. No espionage of the public. I urge this Council to reconsider its dependence on the Flock cameras. I know that our contract expires in 2027. Et j'aimerais vraiment que vous réfléchissiez tous à la manière dont ces 182 000 dollars pourraient être mieux utilisés au cœur de notre ville. J'aimerais terminer par une citation que vous connaissez tous très bien, j'en suis sûre. Ceux qui sont prêts à sacrifier une liberté essentielle pour un peu de sécurité temporaire ne méritent ni l'une ni l'autre. Je vous remercie tous pour votre temps et votre écoute. Passez une bonne fin de soirée.

Merci pour vos commentaires. Does anyone else wish to speak to the Council in the context of public participation?

Hello, I am Barbara Dahlgren from 1928 South 56th. I would simply like to support the words of my fellow citizen from West Allis concerning Flock and there is not only Flock, by the way. Il existe de nombreux types de caméras, beaucoup de conseils municipaux envisagent de passer à Motorola ou à Axon et je sais que vous avez déjà un contrat avec Axon pour les caméras portatives de votre police, entre autres. Donc, ces choses sont considérées comme une solution de facilité des événements. C'est très pratique et c'est ce que les entreprises nous vendent. Oh, all you have to do is accept, and we'll take care of the rest for you. There are a lot of cities that have started to be removed, but Floch refuses to dismantle his... camera. Les villes ont dû les recouvrir. Et c'est parce qu'ils continuent de gagner de l'argent avec, même sans financement municipal. Et c'est parce que nous sommes le produit. Nous ne sommes pas seulement le client pour lequel ils surveillent, pour la police et autres. Ils surveillent pour leur propre compte. Ils surveillent pour on ne sait qui d'autre. And no matter what you think the contract contains, they lie to us all the time. They have been taken in flagrant delirium of lies several times in recent months. So, to go back to Floch and this mass surveillance, it's beyond me. Well, did you read 1984? Well, it's ... Because that's what we're living here at the moment. Je dois descendre ma rue et il y a une caméra floc juste là. Elle surveille mes enfants, elle me surveille. Et ces dernières années, nous avons vu beaucoup de choses se passer au niveau du gouvernement fédéral, où ils utilisent ces outils de surveillance de masse pour des choses vraiment méprisables. And we know that the federal government has a lot of capabilities that exceed what we can do in our small town. But we should not help them in their mass surveillance. We should not help them with any technology that they could use against us, which is precisely the case here. And we certainly shouldn't help the private sector spy on us and give all our data to who knows which company, for whatever reason they want. It's a security problem for us that people can spy on our children. Floch has been reported for spying on children in Georgia inside a leisure center. Now I'm happy that we don't have this service in our leisure centers, but Floch's employees were spying on children who were doing gymnastics. So why, why do that? Donc, je ne veux vraiment pas de ce service dans la ville. Ce n'est pas un service, c'est un système de surveillance de masse. Et je vous exhorte tous à relire 1984 si vous ne l'avez jamais lu. George Orwell, c'est un classique. Et je ne veux pas que ma famille vive une époque orwellienne. Merci.

Merci pour vos commentaires. Y a-t-il quelqu'un d'autre qui souhaite s'adresser au Conseil lors des commentaires du public?

No, Gracie is not going to speak. She is very reserved. Hello, my name is Mary Kay Steem. I live at Dumitra 63, South 75th Street. This is not a formal speech. My sister asked me to give my opinions and my ideas on the emergency shelter center that she offers at the church, Mount Hope. You know, I don't want to be someone who is against or who thinks that homeless people are bad people. I have an incredible experience because I spent 50 years as a nurse in emergencies in disadvantaged neighborhoods. I was a volunteer for more than 20 years in free clinics in the city center. I worked closely in collaboration with the rescue mission. I agree with the need for an emergency shelter, but we need a better location. Dans le cadre de mon travail, j'ai côtoyé beaucoup de jeunes filles enceintes ou atteintes d'IST et leurs petits amis, les pères, ce ne sont pas des gamins de 14, 15 ou 16 ans, ce sont des hommes de 25 ans, ils sont plus âgés. Beaucoup de personnes The homeless that I met were two young men who had gone through a difficult period. I'm less worried about primary school than about the young girls I see hanging around the high school. It's easy for them to tie up contacts. I've already seen him. That's what worries me. We are told that it will be mostly women and children, but it's wrong. Throughout my career, I have always found shelter for people and I have never had any problems with women and children. I always found places to welcome them. I could find solutions for them. But with young men, it was complicated, and rightly so, because there were only three of us. Les lieux étaient bondés. La nuit, il fallait bien les ouvrir. Mais en face d'écoles comme ça, pourquoi ne cherchent-ils pas ? Un meilleur endroit. Une fois sortis le matin, où iront-ils ? Ils disent avoir un emploi, mais beaucoup n'en ont pas. Où vont-ils aller ? Il n'y a aucune infrastructure dans ce secteur. Ils vont aller à la laverie automatique ? They will hang out, I know where they will go when it's cold, they go to the West Allis Memorial emergency and squat the hall. I let people wait in my hall all the time. But you should find a better place, that's where your resources should go. A place with full services to help people better integrate into society, plutôt que de simplement les héberger la nuit pour les relâcher le matin. C'est juste ce que je ressens. La température ne monte pas soudainement de 15 ou 20 degrés le matin. Il continuera de faire froid lors de bon nombre de ses matinées. Donc je pense que cela doit être mieux réfléchi. Il faut que ce soit ouvert 24 heures à 24 et deuxièmement, il faut un accès à des installations à proximité. C'est mon sentiment. I know, it's okay.

Yes, thank you very much. I appreciate it. Please. Does anyone else wish to address the council during the public participation?

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the Municipal Council. My name is Angelito Tenorio. I live on 1555 South 74th Street. And I have the honor of being the representative of the 14th District of the Assembly, which covers a major part of West Allis. I am here with my colleague, Representative Karen Kerkouche, and we are very happy to put this quote back in the city of West Allis for having recently won the title of the most powerful city in North America, Cacto Milo. Je suis très fier d'être de West Allis et de la direction que prend notre ville et je suis vraiment reconnaissant du travail que vous accomplissez tous ainsi que le personnel municipal, nos résidents et les membres de la communauté. Car nous sommes une ville en plein essor. Nous vivons un moment de renaissance vraiment spécial et c'est grâce à vous. Au leadership dont vous faites preuve, au personnel, à nos petites entreprises, aux membres de notre communauté et aux parties prenantes. Je vais passer la parole à la représentante Kirch pour quelques mots puis je l'arrête la citation.

Alors oui, merci de nous recevoir. Je suis la représentante Karen Kirsch, je représente l'Est de Greenfield et j'en suis très fière. Je dirais que West Allis est devenue une véritable ville de destination du Petite Ice Center, à vos merveilleux restaurants et votre Main Street et à la construction d'une vraie communauté ici. Je tiens également à saluer les nombreux employés publics qui font de West Allis ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui. Je ne pense pas que les employés publics reçoivent assez de reconnaissance, alors je veux m'assurer d'en citer quelques-uns. Merci aux services de police et aux agents pour leur aide pour continuer à faire de West Allis une ville sûre aux pompiers, aux secouristes pour en faire une ville sûre, et à tous les employés qui travaillent à la mairie. Je sais tout ce que vous faites, les inspections au service. Je sais que les inspecteurs peuvent rendre nerveux quand on construit quelque chose, mais ils sont là pour une raison, n'est-ce pas? Alors merci à tous les inspecteurs et à tous ceux qui travaillent à la mairie pour faire de West Allis ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui, et nous sommes fiers de vous remettre cette citation. Merci.

This is a quote from the state of Wisconsin signed by myself, their representative Kercu, Senator Tim Carpenter, who represents the east of West Allis and also signed by the President of the Assembly in England. This is therefore a bipartisan quote for the city of West Allis. Citation of the state of Wisconsin by the assembly. Know by the present, considering that West Allis, located on the ancestral lands of the Potawatomi, Ochunk and Menominee nations, and considering that West Allis was officially recognized as a city on April 2, 1906. And considering that West Allis takes its name from Edward Ellis, whose heavy machinery company transformed the community into a vast industrial center in the twentieth century. And considering that West Allis is full of solid workers' roots and an active and dynamic community, considering that West Allis continues to preserve its history through commercial institutions, West Allis Historical Museum, and West Allis welcomes cultural pillars such as the State Fair annual fair and the Milwaukee Miles Speedway circuit, And West Allis illustrates a growing quest for environmental protection and sustainability, with nearly 20 parks and the reception of the Green Luminary Award. As a result, representatives Angelito Tenorio and Karen Kersh, on behalf of the Wisconsin State Assembly, with the agreement of Senator Tim Carpenter, in favor of the 97th rule of the Assembly, congratulate West Allis for being named winner of the 10th annual Strongest Town Contest.

Thank you.

Thank you very much to Representative Tenorio and Representative Kerch. We appreciate this recognition and it is rather pleasant to return to this success that we had a few months ago. I know that we have been trying to register this in the calendar for a while, so we are happy that you were able to be present tonight. Does anyone else wish to address the Council in the context of public participation? Very well. Not seeing anyone, we will move on to point F, which is the announcement of our permanent committees. They will meet during our break tonight. So if you are here for a specific question concerning a license, a permit or other and you do not know in which room to go, do not hesitate to call one of us during the break and we will be sure to direct you to the right room of commission.

Let's move on to point G, the mayor's report.

I have two or three things to say. Last week, with the city development service staff, we organized the second annual conference on female entrepreneurship. Je tiens à remercier Lucie from Aroma Café on National Avenue for being our honored guest. And I see that Marla Poitinger from Bars and Rakes is here in the background. She helped to animate one of our panels. I just want to thank all the panelists and the staff who allowed this event to take place. You know, we are very proud of our community of small businesses. This is what makes our city interesting and unique, to have independent shops that are not found elsewhere and that are rarely reproduced in other regions. I always say that anyone can have an Applebee's, but we have a lot of restaurants, shops, cafes and independent bakeries, very nice and so on. So excuse me, we hope that all the participants have made good contacts, left with inspiration and that it was an excellent day. We continue to work for the growth of small businesses in our city. Secondly, today marks the beginning of the month of Hispanic heritage and I made a proclamation on this subject in West Allis. I just want to recognize and salute all the contributions that our Latinos and Latinas residents bring to our city. Last night, we welcomed the laureates of the embellishment prize here in this room of the council. I would like to congratulate all the owners who have won in the categories remarkable properties, best veranda, and the most patriotic veranda. Congratulations to all of them and thank you for all the hard work they do to maintain their property in good condition. Thank you also to the forestry service personnel and to the volunteers of the embellishment committee who sought out the laureates and helped to organize the ceremony. This concludes the mayor's report. Do we have reports from municipal councilors? Seeing none, given the very small number of councillors present tonight, we will move on to point I. Mr. Mayor, I propose the approval of the verbal trial of the Municipal Council of September 1, 2026. We have a motion supported by Councilor Arnaud, if there is no correction, no change, that all those who are in favor say per qui be querelli, for, someone is opposed, des quai pour l'emport. The verbal trial is approved. In relation to the permanent committees, we have none tonight. And Mayor Devine K, Councilor Haas. Would one of the councilors be a separate action on one of the points of our order of the day?

And not seeing any, I propose the approval of point K of our order of the day.

Adopted.

There is a proposal and an appeal. And if there is no discussion, I will ask the secretary to proceed to the appeal of the day.

Councilor Novak. Roder. Turner.

For.

Grob. For. Haas. For. Alverson. Keane. For. 7 for, 0 against.

The motion is adopted. Mayor Devin. Councilor Haas.

I propose that the council suspend the session until the end of our committee meetings.

We have a proposal, we have an opinion. Those who are for. For. Someone is against. Sorry. Good evening. We will call the board of directors and I will ask the secretary to make the call.

Councilor Novak. Vote.

Present.

Turner.

Grotte.

Present. Haas.

Present.

Alverson.

Present.

Keane. 7.

Present. 3 still excused. We still have the quorum. We will start with the administration committee which has nothing, so we will go directly to the public works committee.

The public works committee recommends the adoption of point 18, the approval of point 19 and the classification of point 20, 20.

Without objection, I propose... Thank you, Councilor Roth. A discussion? Otherwise, I'll ask the Secretary to make the call.

Councilor Novak. Roth. Turner. Weigel. Oh, I'm sorry. Roth. For. Haas. Alverson. Keane. 7 for, 0 against.

The motion is adopted. We will move on to the Economic Development Committee.

The Economic Development Committee recommends the adoption of point 21. I propose a discussion.

Otherwise, I will ask the secretary to make the call.

Councilor Novak. For. Roth. Turner. Brov. Haas. For. Alverson. Keane. 7 for, 0 against.

A motion is adopted. Then, public security.

Le comité de sécurité publique recommande le rejet du point 23 et l'accord du point 23 avec modification des horaires de 8h00 à 22h00.

A. Maire de Vigne, je propose conformément au rapport du comité.

Merci, conseiller Russell. Est-ce que nous... Y a-t-il une discussion ? Since there is none, who is for?

The motion is 2.

Mayor Devine. Councilor Haas. I propose that the council be updated until our next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

Opposed.

A proposal is in motion.

Who is for?