Business Improvement District Board #5 (westown Area) - Regular Meeting

Who's that? Who's that?

Oh, I just said hello.

Oh, happy New Year to you. Happy New Year to you. Okay. Okay. You're excited. Okay. Well, I had something inspirational to say, but I forgot it. Anyway, you know what? I wish everybody a prosperous and successful 2026 as we work together to improve Milwaukee and do better than ever this year. It's gonna be the greatest year ever for the city and for us as aldermans. Alright? So let's get started. Number 125 oh, let me tell you who's here. I'm Alderman Russell Stanford the second. I'm the chairman of the community economic development committee.

Welcome to our committee today. To my right is our vice chair, alderwoman Zamarepa Jocasta. And to our furthest left is alderman Deandre Jackson, and alderman Chambers is excused today because he has jury duty. And I believe alderman Dmitryovich will be joining us shortly. So number one, we have 251502, a reappointment of Tasha Freeman to the business improvement edition number eight. Miss Freeman, good afternoon. I'll see you on the big board.

Hello.

Hey. Hey. This is reappointment for you. How do you like working or providing service for bid number eight?

I love it. I think we're making a history with what's going on with the arts that's taking place in the Bronzeville area. So I'm really excited about being part of the board of directors.

Excellent. Anything special for us to look forward to this year?

Yeah,

a lot

of new

things, particularly with the arts center that's going up now. The artwork play area. It's just a lot of wonderful things that's happening in Big 8.

Okay, well keep us posted and invite us to the requisite things that we can participate in.

Absolutely.

Alright. Do we have any questions by the committee? Hearing hearing none, Alderman Jackson moves for your confirmation hearing. No objections. So ordered. Have a great day. Number two.

Thank you so much.

Thank you. Number 2251503, reappointment of Sharon Grenker to the business improvement petition number eight. Miss Grenker, are you available?

I am. Hello.

Hey. Happy New Year to you. How are you doing?

I'm good. Thanks. Happy New Year to you too.

Alright. What would be your goal for 2026 for this bid?

Well, like Tasha said, we've got a lot going on. We're actually doing another phase of the street furniture that you've already seen in the southern part of the district.

Yeah.

Excited that. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah, we're doing as much art as possible, as Dasha And there's just so much going on on King Drive. We're working to kind of like work with all the partners and the great developments that are going on to maximize business development along this trip.

Excellent. Excellent. Well, keep up the good work. Do we have any questions by the committee? Hearing none, order on the Zamparipa moves for your confirmation. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Thank you so much, and have a good day.

Thank you.

You too. Number 3251504 appointment of Katie Klinert to the business and competition number sixteen by the mayor. Miss Klinert, How are you?

I'm good. Clinert. Clinert. Clinert. Clinert. Clinert.

Clinert. Okay. Clinert. Hey. Hey, miss Clinert. Let's see here. You are coming to Bid District Number 16. Welcome. That is yours truly is one of his districts. So thank you for your willingness to serve and join our prosperous bid. So let us know why you wanna be a part of the bid.

I purchased McMobs in the building that it resides in almost two years ago. And so I've been a newcomer to this part of the city and looking to just be more involved and be more entrenched in growth opportunities, opportunities for change, and improvements in the community and invest back in.

Awesome. Did they tell you I came last was it last Friday?

No. You must have been in San Diego.

I I I just had some nice coffee, but the people over with, they ate, and I was introducing them to McBob's and one of the best in the city. So I was really bringing some people there. But, yeah, they had a good time, and they raved about the corned beef. So excellent. Thank you for being part of the bid, and I don't think we have any questions. Do have any questions? Hearing none, we've just been joined by order woman Demetri Abbott. So she moves for your confirmation hearing no objections to order. Thank you, and have a great day.

Thank you.

Alright. Number 4251505 appointment of Nicole Hagen to the business improvement edition number 48. Miss Hagen, are you available?

Hi. I'm here.

Hey. How are you?

I'm good. How are you?

Awesome. This is an appointment for you. So let us know why you would like to serve.

Well, I am the w two director for the Northwest Area. So we run the w two program over here off of Brown Deer Road. So I am fully vested out to live in this neighborhood. So I'm excited to improve the area and join the bid in learning partnerships, building partnerships, and different things that we can do over here in this community.

Excellent. That sounds wonderful. Do we have any questions or comments by the committee? Hearing none, Alderman Jackson moves for your confirmation. Hearing no objection, so ordered. One second, Alderman Jackson. Oh, you good? Yeah. Okay.

Thank you.

Oh, you know what? Your is this the night? Oh, your older woman has come, and she is smiling. So I'm gonna let her give you some comments regarding this appointment. How are Taylor.

Thank you so much. Yes. Nicole has been wonderful to work with. Like she said, she manages that Ross employment innovative Ross employment innovation innovative office, right? Employment office. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you. Sorry. Got it all mixed up. But she has been great to work with. She's been a great community partner, and so we're very excited about her agreeing to serve on our bid. Awesome. Awesome.

Getting that bid together. Getting that bid together. Thank you, order woman. So another praise for you, miss Hagin. With that, autumn rejection

Thank you.

Moves for your confirmation hearing no objections to order. Alright. You have a great day.

Thank you. Alright. You too.

Number5251506, reappointment of Michael Michael Deschel to the business improvement district number two by the mayor. Michael Deschel, are you available?

I am here.

I see you. I see you. This is a reappointment for you, Mike. How you doing?

I'm great. How you doing? I'm Oliver Stamper, happy to meet you.

Happy New Year. Happy tell us why you want to continue serving on this bid?

I've been at this for twenty years down in bid number two. The third word is I think a beacon of the bids that we got out. We're number two, so we've been doing it for a long time. Yeah. Lot of wonderful things with the market. I think the big thing for the next year is going to be that Foxtown Landing development that will happen in '26. So we're excited. I'm also on the archives review board, so that's my other thing.

Excellent, Michael. Thank you for your service and keep up the great work. Let me see if we have any comments or questions by the committee. Anybody like to comment? Any questions hearing none. Older woman Demetrivich moves for your confirmation hearing no objection so ordered. Thanks, Mike, and have a great day.

Thanks, You too.

Alright. Number six, two five one five zero one, resolution relating to the acceptance and funding of the York City, New City City, director Mario Higgins. Happy New Year to you, New New mister Higgins.

Mister chair, thank you. Happy New Year. Happy New Year to the committee.

Yes, sir.

Hope you guys got all the nice presents and gifts that you wanted. So the Milwaukee so this is an annual grant that we get for planning with the continuum of care. The city serves as a collaborative applicant for the $16,000,000 in continuum of care grants. Dollars 1,100,000.0 of that is a planning grant and allows the city to facilitate COC board initiatives, provide training opportunities and technical assistance to project grantees, provide staff support to system wide capacity building and stipends for persons with lived experience to participate in system planning as they will be a part of the board. So the 16 projects get those projects are funded directly to I'm sorry, the 16 most of the $16,000,000 goes directly to support of housing projects.

Those supportive housing projects are permanent supportive housing, so 80% of the funds are spent there. And then there's some funds for those projects that go to coordinated entry and some for our HMISR information data people. Yeah. So that's sort of where those 16 projects are made up of. Those projects do get funded directly through HUD, and the planning grant comes to the city for that support. Sure. So

Hey, Martin. Which which housing development receives the, I guess, the biggest allocation or has the biggest

Most most of the funding is permanent supportive housing in the form of rent rent

Oh, rent assistance. Mhmm. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Which and who are using? Who are using now?

There's there's different projects. So Milwaukee County has projects.

Community Abbey is right?

Community Abbey is

a project. Block group sale.

Not on this one,

but Okay. Yeah. Okay. Questions by the committee? Hearing on?

Yes.

Yes. All the women to be treated.

Thank you so much.

I like your new glasses.

Oh, thank you. I can see you.

You see now?

Much more handsome. Thank you. No. Thank you so much. Actually, they're for reading. But question on same amount of funding as last year? Because I just wanted to understand this in the context of the federal cuts.

So this so the twenty twenty four year of funding.

Okay.

So it it this particular grant is like behind a couple years. So so it's it hasn't been affected by any current funding cuts or anything like that. So it's actually a little more than what last year's was, about $100,000 more.

Okay. What is the grand total of it?

$1,100,000 for the CLC And planning

then with the continuum of care, I know this is our partnership with the county as well.

With all of our partners that work in the homelessness arena, yeah.

Which is such an amazing partnership because these are some of the people coming together to look at shelter needs. And then when we do have encampment situations working on that. Is this also the fund that does some of the rapid rehousing as well?

No. The planning grant can't be used for any sort of services. It has to be just for the planning and implementation. Okay. We work with the board, you know, providing technical assistance but also training and development for, you know, frontline staff or shelters. You know, they get we had a more recent one where we're trying to get them better trained on dealing with people with higher acuity needs because that's who's entering our shelters and not necessarily the type of populations they're used to dealing with. Okay.

Yeah, I just we're seeing such an increased need, and I'm hoping that we have the funds to meet that need to help people out. So thank you.

Absolutely. So on that note, when you say say we're behind, are we expecting money for 2025 or 2026?

Well, the allocations are technically there. Okay. Yeah. So those yeah. What happened in fiscal year twenty twenty five. So when the program first started, they funded two years of funding before they ever released the dollars. So that's why it's the year 2024 year, but it's used for 2026.

Understood. Understood. Alright. Yeah. Good. Any other questions? Alright. Is there an update on the funding from BlackRent yet from the federal government?

No. We haven't got anything yet. Right now, it's looking a little strange the way they're doing things. They may do minibuses. It sounds like they may be doing taking department by department and trying to fund the government, which is a terrible way to do it because, obviously, if those in power get what they want first Yeah. The chances of you know, that's when the negotiations could stall. But we don't know yet. I think

Would it be appropriate to have a communication file in two cycles to see where

we are and let everybody know? We probably well, you're gonna know by January something because they have a continuing resolution. So that will end on January 30. Okay. So they have to either fund the fund the government, do a continuing resolution, or or or shut it down. Damn.

Alright. Let us know as soon as possible, Roy. Okay.

Okay. I work with Jordan on that. I usually work with Jordan Premico on that.

Okay. Okay. Alright. Thank you. Thank you. Let's see. This is an adoption. No. This is Yes. This is an adoption. So sponsored by me, older woman. So Costa moves for adoption. Hearing no objection, so ordered.

Thank you.

Alright. Number 7250889, substitute resolution relating to the the you doing? I'm doing well. Are you related to some type of the the the bit is this a the business?

Yes. Yeah. We're a nonprofit theater group.

Awesome. Awesome. Well, older woman Pratt is the sponsor. Is she available or are you guys gonna present on her behalf?

I think we're just going to present. Don't if she's going to be here. All right.

So go ahead. Introduce yourself for your record. You guys have a floor.

Matt Ragic, Neighborhood Development Administrator for Department of City Development.

Yes, sir.

So we are here really for requesting permission to apply for a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, WEDC, we've come to this Board a couple of times for the CDI grants as well as the vibrant spaces grants in the past. I'm joined by Brian Rot, who is on the Villard Avenue bid and also that would be the entity that would be carrying out this activity. So the vibrant spaces grant does require municipalities to apply on behalf of a separate entity to carry out the actions. We did solicit different proposals throughout the city. And in consultation with WEDC, we did decide that this project was the furthest along and able to carry out the work here.

So unless anybody has any process related questions, I will turn it over to Brian. We can just kind of talk through a little bit about what the project is.

Well, let me see. Does anybody want to ask about process or where we are, how we got here? All right. Awesome. Let's do it.

Okay. Fantastic. So as Matt mentioned, I'm Brian Roth from Quasimodo Physical Theater, and I'm the executive director of that company. We, are located at 5151 North 35th Street in, the neighborhood of Old North Milwaukee. And this

is the

North Milwaukee Art Park project. So that's our building on on the left. Right now? It doesn't look quite that nice. But we're we're we're slowly making improvements on building as well.

I'm always on the what what what building is there? What what building is there now?

That is that is the yeah. That is the building there. It's just

Like, how does it look now? To help

my Similar.

It looks it looks similar. Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. That's that that is basically what's there.

What's is that Villard? 55. So this is like

half a block off of Villard on 35th Street. Gotcha. Yeah. And and yeah. And so this is the North Milwaukee Art Park. It's kind of like a small community gathering space, a pop up park, I guess, you you could call it that type of thing. And we I guess this came out of we've kind of been collaborating with the Villard Bids since COVID times. I think that's 2021. Mhmm. But we we needed to do outdoor programming, and so we started planning Villard Vibes, which was a summer concert series.

And we had the summer concert series in the street in front of our building and in the alley next to our building. And around the second year, so, you know, we it was very successful. We had more and more people coming back each year. And we said, wow. Wouldn't it be great to do this instead of, you know, closing on the street, traffic buses, and not having the most accessible space to have a designated kind of green community space for this type of event.

And there was a vacant lot right next to our building there that was doing nothing but collecting debris. And so we went through the process of purchasing it from a company who owned it. And I was at the beginning of last year, around this time. And since then, we had applied for a couple different grants through MMSD and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and talking just kind of planning it, working with Merrick Landscaping who specializes in green infrastructure. So this is going to be a little it's a community like park, with parking and gathering space.

Mhmm.

And, and there will be, some public art, as well as, like, a very small, like, stage for for concerts, for the type of events that we've been doing with Villard Vibes. And and we we've actually been hosting we've hosted throughout the last five years a variety of different variety of of different different events in the community. We were a site for the Promise Zone bike rides and the visual vibes on Villard reception and

big

MKE clean spot. So it just really works out nicely, especially with the connections we already have in the community, and we're really excited about it.

Awesome. What's your budget for that?

Our budget is a $120,000.

That's gonna get every that's gonna get that whole vision right there? Yeah. Okay. I don't know why I can't picture that area right now. I'm gonna drive on there. I

can't Alderman Stapr, I'm gonna try to pull up

your statement.

Something. What's the anchor on there? Name something.

The the library. The Villardum. The Villardum. The new library? Yeah. Yeah. Where are you

in proximity to the library?

So I wonder you can almost see it in one of these pictures. So so see the the middle picture with the two tents with people selling? Yeah. Yeah. I'll see the library. Yeah. Yeah. There there's the library, and that's in the in the green space. Actually, our last Villard Vives concert this summer because we own this now we we we wanted to test out what it would be like to have the event there. So we Okay. That's what those couple pictures at the bottom are.

Okay. And the significance of the name, what does it mean? Well Quasimodo.

Yeah. Oh oh, Quasimodo. Right. So it's kind of like a made up word that's in between, like, quasi kind of sort of and mundo, which is world for Italian. And so we kinda we focus normally on theater, but also arts and education. And so it's the kind of quiet quasi kind of worlds that you make through your own artwork.

Excellent. Excellent. Alright. Let's see who would like to discuss this. Any comments or questions by the committee? Jackson, alderwoman, mister Jacobs, you guys like to have any comments about this project? No.

Alderman? Just share. Are we in Alderman Pratt's district? Is that what?

Yes. Okay. Yep.

Very good.

And you have your full support?

Yes. Very

good. Thank

you. Alright.

Well, I'm sorry. Actually, I sorry, Mr. Chair. Did you mention this? Are you working with the oh my god, the name is Sally in the arts in your district I mean, in your department?

Yes. I mean, there isn't a direct connection that we've made to the Arts Board on that but we're happy. Yes, we're happy to coordinate with Sally in the Arts Board and anywhere that we could maximize city resources in that regard, we're happy to.

I mean that just was what I was thinking. This is really cool and like if this model does as well as it looks like it will, it looks like it should be replicated. And it's just such a I feel like sometimes the arts don't get the accolades that they should as being small economic hubs and stimulants. I mean many artists, much sounds like yourself as well, are such an important part of our local economy. But that's why I was saying, I think connecting with the Arts Board would be really important because we have funding and we're looking for projects like this. So I don't want look at it only as a development because there's such a huge arts component. So

And we're happy to make that connection.

We don't have to go far.

Sally definitely makes herself available.

Thank I couldn't spit out the words.

And I will say this, the grant program from WVDC, my understanding is that they are planning to fund this in the future. So if in other districts, if you're aware of kind of pocket vibrant spaces like this, definitely feel free to reach out to us. We've got a couple of projects that we're still trying to work with. But if you're aware of any projects might be able to take advantage, let us know and if they continue to fund it, we'll continue to apply for

it. Matt, do me a favor. Send something out to the bid. Yep. Yeah. Okay. Yep. I'll bring this up at the next bid meetings but would you please send this?

Absolutely.

Absolutely. Would well, how much money did WEDC put in the total amount of the grant?

For for this specific project, it would be up to $50,000 Statewide.

Your budget is $1.20, right? Yep. So, you only apply for 50?

That's the max that we can apply for.

Yeah. Okay. So, entity can only apply for 50. Yep. Oh, but it's 120 available.

Well, the total budget of the project would be 120. The max that we can apply for is 50 and it is, I believe, a one to one match. So we do need other non reimbursed funds to be able to maximize that. What did

they put in the pot for this?

I think it was 1. 5,000,000 statewide.

500? Yep.

And it's first come, first serve.

Alright. Yeah. When you get a chance, please send that Yeah. Please send that information. Order one.

Yep. Just so I gotta clear because you know, I'm taking my notes. What please remind me one more time. I know you're going send it out. What would be what would qualify for this type of funding again?

It is it's still sort of in a pilot phase at WEDC, but really what they're looking for is small public or quasi public spaces that can be used for multiple different purposes for community purposes, basically kind of like this, concerts, art series. What about parks? Parks that I do believe that would be available, but it's got to be the grant would have to be used for brick and mortar or landscaping improvements, something that really sort of encapsulates the space. Because right now, this is basically just a vacant lot. And what Brian is going to be doing here is adding parking, adding landscaping, adding green space, green infrastructure.

That's really what the grant is going to be used for.

Okay. Awesome.

Yep. Alright.

Thank you.

Oh, we'll sit on the floor. You good?

Yeah. I just I want to get this information because I got about three or four ideas.

So Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Thank you, guys. I'm looking forward to the completion of the project. Order woman to meet your average moves for adoption. Hearing no objections to order.

Nice to meet you. Thank you for your time.

Nice to meet Alright. Numbers 825-1412. Resolution related to city events to promote city employment. Order woman COGS, are you gonna move forward today? Yes. Excellent. Excellent. Please, please come on up. Happy New Year to you, and we are here to discuss city events to promote city employment. This was a footnote for the 2026 budget amendment. So let's see. What staff what staff is are coming is this related to? Is it a DCD?

It's across the city. So it's

all the time. Alderman, this is sponsored by you. You have the floor.

Members may recall during the budget process. We passed a footnote to basically encourage I give Department of Public Works much credit with their creation of the big truck days. I think it has, you know, sparked renewed interest, particularly in our young folks Mhmm. And different careers here at the city by just using, you know, what we have, the the trucks and the staff to help sell that. We've even incorporated the big truck into our Bronzeville Festival as well, give even more young people exposure to the possibilities of the work and the great trucks that we have.

That same innovation and imaginative way that staff at DPW used to create the big truck day. This is just an encouragement across departments for people to think about creative ways that they too may be able to create some

Oh, yeah.

Events and things publicly that could encourage folks to consider careers here with the city.

Especially the fire truck.

Yeah. I just and and you know, some departments probably gonna do better than others with it, but I think the goal we've been through having large rates of vacancy in departments, and we've seen what that's done to the services in the city. And I just think about how do we ensure that we're never back there again. And it's a multitude of things we can do, and this is just one small thing Yes. To make to help make working at the city attractive again to more people.

Do we expect any physical connection?

No. Okay. But, I mean, it depends what people wanna do.

But Yeah. Yeah. Now this is excellent. Please add me as a cosponsor. Do we have any questions by the committee? Hearing none, no questions? Alright, you guys.

Are are we gonna have the departments report back to us? You with

Yeah. Yeah.

We most of my footnotes, what I attempt to do is have a communication file later, you know, before next year's budget where they say, you know, where they're at on the on the footnote. So that I would do the same here. Right. So, yeah.

Mister chair. Yeah. But I wanna participate. I wanna I want my district to be part of this. Like like the youth. Like, so this is real summer initiative I see it as.

Oh, I was answering the question for the the first one.

Which one?

I was answering her question about Department's report. The department's.

Yeah. Agree with that. So So this is piggybacking off that. When I report to us and when we can get notice and be involved and and

promote it,

you know? Mhmm. But go ahead. Now that was

Did you call the second one before us?

No. I didn't. I was still coming up. This this this legislation right here. Somebody wrote wrote wanna talk. Also, had a co sponsor for this one and the next one. Okay. Alright. So add Alderman Jackson to the co sponsorship. Let's see. Alright. Let me let me get the next one first.

Wait. Can I talk about this one?

Yeah. Yeah. Let's finish this one right quick.

I would also like

to Both of y'all trying to go to the next one.

Well, I wanna stick on eight for a second. I wanna be a cosponsor too.

Eight.

And then on number eight. Also, I participated in this program last year with the Harvard Institute.

Oh,

yeah. The young American leaders program and our project actually centered on this. Mhmm. So I'm gonna share some of those notes with you because Mhmm. The whole idea was to go in classrooms. And that's what I I was some of this, you can't go in the classroom with, an actual, you know, garbage truck or something. But the idea is, like, seeing is believing and having role models, etcetera. So my my thing with that, I'm gonna share those notes with you. We had to, like, vote on it, and that was the project that got everybody's support in our cohort. So we did a little bit of background work.

But what I was saying is can we make sure or at least be explicit about it? Knowing you, I'm sure it's your intention. But specifically, I'd really like to work with Milwaukee Public Schools because I think, like, the one day experience is is definitely amazing but like when it's part of a curriculum.

Right.

Is is when I've seen even with my own child. One time they had somebody from the symphony orchestra come like in their classroom and he's still talking about it. So but building a curriculum around it is incredibly impactful. So I just think we need a partnership with the schools as well. And I think we get even more out of it than like I mean, the drop in is great and it's the seeds, but we got to water those seeds too. So I hope we can immediately work with the public school system on this.

Yeah. I support that idea. Yeah. And is that part of the thought process as far as like youth that are interested in these departments

being a Canadian process. Participate, There's no limit to the thought process.

Yeah. But as we support this and develop this opportunity

I think we can make it.

We can

make participate in these days.

Yeah.

Like, ride around, like Yeah. I know we all rolled in police cars, but it's different when you you from you in there. You're a Which way you saying? Like, you're rolling all these cars. Almost I'm not not locked not with any handcuffs on. As an old regret of drive to my district, but it's still a great experience.

Yeah.

They get to see how I mean, they got the uniforms on. It's real live. So I wonder how big did they tell us how big your day was? How was that?

They taught us the attendance.

A lot of people attended?

Several thousand.

Mhmm. Where was it?

At Red Arrow Park.

Yeah. Mean

Did y'all anybody go?

Mm-mm. I haven't been there.

I'm the only one that didn't know. Uh-huh. Well, I bet y'all won't miss anymore. Okay. Well, Amy is a cosponsor of Alderman Jackson, Alderman Zamarepa, and Alderman Demetrius Evarts even though she didn't say it, but I know she wants to. With that, Alderman Jackson moves for adoption, hearing no objections. So ordered, this does tie us into number nine two five one four four six resolution relating to the promotion of internship and apprenticeship opportunities for the youth council. Order on.

If members may recall, I think at twenty four, I did a footnote in the resolution that the council supported asking every department to look at whatever internships and apprenticeships they already do and ones they could create, but even if they weren't already existing. Mhmm. Really, again, trying to figure out ways to introduce people into opportunities at the city early as early as possible. So and in different ways. So they the the departments did that, and some just, you know, shared the stuff they already are doing, and some created some internship opportunities or saw where they can and will in the future create internship and apprenticeship opportunities.

So but it's one thing for them to to to to to do it, but, like, who knows about it? How do they get access to it? That kind of thing. Yeah. So making sure that the promotion of the opportunities is as widespread as possible, particularly those that are geared towards young people.

But but all of them, because all of them are age specific. But I just thought is a lot of them are geared towards young people. And since we we do have a youth council, it just makes sense to have a partnership with the youth council for them to help find those creative ways to promote it. Plus, what it also does is it introduces potentially those youth council members to some of the different opportunities that are here at the city as well. So really

Kinda like Alderman Day for those Yeah. Young people experiencing our actual common council day. Right.

It it really just my goal to try to think of, like, the resources and people and things we already have at our fingertips that if we just were more intentional with the alignment of them, that we could help to promote it. So this is just one small way to to do that, and I would hope for your

Awesome, Alderman. Because true of the people, for the people, by the people, like government leader. You know what I mean? So add Alderman Jackson wants to be a a cosponsor. Please add me to miss Carmen. What's your last What's your last name? Name? Roman. Roman. I forgot to introduce our new staff assistant, miss Carmen Roman. Welcome to the team. Thank you so much. We will miss miss Elmer, but we welcome you wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly.

Riverside Tigers. Yeah.

Riverside. I got nineteen ninety in Riverside. Okay. Had already committed to saying this, so I just went out. That's okay. So, guys, okay. So we got two cosponsors. Anybody else wanna be a a cosponsor of this awesome legislation? Okay. Okay. All the both all the women and hearing objections. So order all the ones that believe it moves for adoption. Hearing no objection. So order. Thank you. All the women Cox. Excellent. So next, we have number 10. All the women moving forward with this. I got an email that you wanted to hold.

Thank you, mister chair. I made a mistake.

You wanna

move forward? I do wanna go forward.

Do it.

And may I speak on it?

Yeah. Let me let me let me introduce it. Okay. Mister chair, 11. I'm on number 10. I'm

on

mhmm.

Right? Yes. Okay. So number 10251457, resolution directing the Milwaukee Public Library Director to report to the Common Council and Library Metrics. Okay. Interesting. Have you did you talk to her?

Yeah. No. So this was actually we already approved this. This was just like Alderman Cox. This was a footnote because we spent so much of the budget talking about libraries, library usage. It was the great effort of this common council that starting this year, 2026, two new libraries, Martin Luther King and Mitchell, will now be open on Sundays in the middle of the year. Excellent. The date to be determined. So that's very exciting. But I wanted us to, as we move forward in this conversation, get and receive metrics so we're all sharing the same information.

Why I paused for a second is I actually misread this and thought that it was like asking for the report right now. And I'm like, woah, it's too soon. We would only have a couple days. But really what it is is doing what we're gonna see throughout this whole legislative cycle, which is these footnotes coming in. This is actually, my understanding, the, resolution so that she will report quarterly, I believe Correct. With our metrics in the future.

This is getting started.

Yeah. Because otherwise, we were we were not getting that information until budget day, then budget was reactionary. And this will allow us

Give me example of the biggest metric that brought this legislation here. Was

it Okay.

Just funding or was it staffing?

For those of us that

What do mean?

Yeah. Those of us that

What was the ticker, you know?

I'd say that the library system, as we were debating extra hours in this budget, it was a hot item, as we know.

Yeah.

They worked to redesign their staffing model in order to provide those extra But also just monitoring the usage and the visits. Just like we're not only looking at people coming in the door, but we're looking at programming, we're looking at circulation numbers, Internet usage. I just think we need to, as we have this talk about more hours and better hours for our users, we need to evaluate what they're actually using.

Absolutely. And are we maximizing

Exactly.

The opening and opportunity of the libraries. Are y'all using this to the. Right. Full capability. Yeah. Because they they nice. These are nice libraries.

Yes. Yep. Exactly.

They got printers and they got everything.

Yeah. And Martin Luther King Junior which is our newest one and is absolutely gorgeous as well as Mitchell in two areas that do show some economic need. I think, you know, they have these things like makerspace, three d printers. So, we just want to make sure that us as policymakers prior to the budget have the tools that we need

to make

the most strategic decisions.

For sure. Excellent. Excellent. Now, they're not here, but are they aware?

Yeah. Well, they were aware when it was adopted in the budget.

That's all. We'll get we'll get this to them. Yeah. With that order, I mean, Jackson moves for adoption. Hearing no objection, so order. Could you put me on that other co sponsor as well? Okay. Alright. Number 11251458 resolution relating to a feasibility study for a business development and training center. This is my sponsorship. I'm gonna I'm gonna hold this because I have some things to work out. Okay. So thank you for coming. Nice tie. Thanks. This was beautiful. So last appearances. So just Wait. Wait. When?

Yeah. We were wondering.

When? I'm signed up for your party.

But when is it? This Friday? Last next Friday is my last day.

Okay. Okay.

So this is your last CD. Have a seat. Have a seat. Have a a seat.

Okay.

It's your last CD? It is my last CD. For your record, let us know your tenure at the city.

Jeff Ostroman, legislative reference supervisor. I had to think about that for a minute. I've been with the city for thirty three years and two months. I was going through some papers yesterday. I discovered an article from the nineteen ninety two council primary election where it had the different candidates profiled and it had Alderman Baumann. He lost that year, but Did he? He was on there,

Okay. And they gave his age. So Who he

lose to, Paul? He did. Yeah.

Wait. Was this

when you graduated from high school? Close. Jeff, we thank you for your service. We're gonna miss you. And the pleasure. We call on you for expertise and help all the time. I can't believe you're retiring. Much respect to you, and we wish you much more success

Thank you. In your retirement. I'll be around. You can call me.

Well, about that. Please make sure we have the phone number where we know to go.

Yes. People just leave and don't let us know, So would you like did you invite everybody? Yeah. To your I did. Alright. Won't you give us the information right now so we can have no issues the whole city. Yeah. But No. I'm just talking about the committee. Well, I'm sorry. Yes. Yeah.

Because he's trying to

Otherwise, my pension will have to be increased.

We'll get back to him. Right. Thank you, man. I just wanna show you some love, man. Appreciate you. Alright. Thank you, guys. Take care, man. Take care. Alright. Let's see here. We got so I'm gonna hold that. So number 12, I think on the speaker asked for a hold too. Did he

come come in? In? So So motion motion for for eleven. Eleven and.

Sorry. Thank you, Chris. Motion to hold eleven and twelve at the call of the chair. Hearing no objection. So ordered by. Which order? Oh, I'm sorry. Alderman Zammaripo moves to hold us at the call of the chair. Both files here and no objections. So ordered. We are down to number 13. Two five one five seven one. Resolution authorizing exponential of up to 83,300 from the MKE Community Excellence Fund. Special purpose account for various events and initiatives. Thank By 2026.

So, this is going to be revised with sponsorships and allocations. I need some time. I'm asking that we do a special before committee so I can talk to all of my orders about available funds and spending it in the community and get the sponsorship right. Mhmm. So I ask for some leeway and Okay. For us to attend a little early on council day for a special. Okay? So with that, older woman, Demetri Abrams.

I'm really happy to hear that, mister chair, because what I was worried if we did a full hold was we might not be able to pay the bills for Black History Month.

Correct.

So I just wanna make it sounds like like always, you're three steps ahead.

Well, part of it was, you your concern as well. Yeah. Yeah. So thank you all for that and thank you bringing it to my attention. No problem. Was getting everybody together, making sure we get this right.

Okay.

Alright. With that, I'm gonna hold that to the color chair for a special. Arnold Jackson moves to hold that of the color chair for a special. What day is council? Nobody

knows. The twentieth.

The twentieth, January 20. Let's do an 08:30 or 08:45. Can you get there at 08:45? All room in the dravage? Can you get coffee? Can you get your coffee early? Was just about to say that. Get coffee and your special a little early that day. We're good. Alright. With that, on the judge's move forward, this is the call of the chair to January 20 for a special hearing. No objections are ordered. The following file may be placed on file as no longer needed. 142410699. Reappointment of Mark Lawson to the architectural review board by the mayor. This concludes our CED meeting for today. Miss Dez, why are you here at the last second? Miss Amber, why are you

here at the last second?

Did you wanna be acknowledged? Did you wanna say hi? Happy New Year. Yes. Happy New Year to you. Thanks for coming at the last minute. Did you have any comments before I close out? No. Alright. Well, thanks for your presence for the last thirty seconds. With that, today's CED is adjourned. Thank you. Have a great day, everybody.