Public Works Committee - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the public works committee. I am vice chair Alderman Lamont Westmoreland. Joined to my right by Alderman Robert Baumann. We are joined virtually by Alderman Larissa Taylor and Alderman Alex Brower, Chairwoman, Alderwoman Malayle Cox will will join us momentarily. Per order woman Cox, we will not be taking any public testimony for the MMSD appointments if anybody is here for that.

Item one, two six zero zero six nine. Resolution relating to the approving to approving the levying of assessments and construction of accessible public improvement projects at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes.

Good morning. Holly Rutenbeck with DPW. I will be advising on the special assessment process and project details. For those projects approved this morning, a bill will be sent to each property owner sometime after completion of the work. Within forty five days upon receiving the bill, the full amount may be paid without interest.

If the bill is not paid within the forty five day grace period, a charge of 8.5% simple interest per year will be added. If the assessment is at least a $125, the assessment can be paid over period of ten years on the tax roll at that 8.5% interest. For those projects approved with late billing, a bill will not be sent before 01/01/2028. All impacted property owners were mailed an official notice of this public hearing, and we will go in the order in which it was listed in that mailing. In the 6 Aldermanic District, North Veller Phillips Avenue from West Vine Street to West Reservoir Avenue stalled traffic calming speed humps. If anyone who's here to provide testimony, please feel free to come forward.

Good morning. If you could just give us both your both of your names and addresses.

My name is Garrett Kelly. My address is 1846 North Velar Phillips Avenue.

Good morning. My name is Caitlin Forsyth. I am also at 1846 North Velar Phillips Avenue.

We're here to speak in favor of the placement of the speed bump on Bellaire Phillips. It's one of the only through routes from North Avenue to McKinley Boulevard that has no speed controls. And there are very many drivers, unfortunately, who take advantage of that fact, and it would provide a safer environment for the neighborhood where we live with the condominiums and the apartment buildings. I also believe it would be safer to help regulate traffic in front of Saint Francis of Assisi, in front of the Howard Fuller School, in front of the Black Holocaust Museum at the very north end of North Avenue. So we are very much my entire building, there's 10 of us, Caitlin being one of them, that are very much in favor of this action by the city.

I will just echo what Gary had stated. We have been talking about this for a couple of years now as a condo building that we believe that it needed to happen. A lot of people have pets in the buildings. They're going out walking their dogs, and they're almost getting hit by a car because somebody takes Valor Phillips as he throughputs to avoid, MLK. So they're going probably 60 miles an hour. I continuous I am on the corner of the building that I watch a lot traffic accidents happen. And I believe that this will slow everybody down, and it's just for the safety of the neighborhood.

Cool. Cool. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for coming down, guys. Appreciate it. Alright. Approval. Motion by Alderman Baumann is approval. Any objections? Hearing none. So ordered.

In the 7th Aldermanic District, the alley between West Keith Avenue, West Townsend Street, North 46th Street, North 47th Street, concrete alley pavement reconstruction, replace some abutting walk or driveway approaches, grading storm drainage facilities, and permeable pavement as necessary. Is there anyone here to testify to this item? Out of 21 impacted properties, the majority were in support and the alderman supports the project.

Move approval.

Motion of alderman ballman is approval. Any objections? Hearing none so ordered.

In the 10th Aldermanic District, the alley between West Appleton Avenue, West Chapman Place, West Nash Street, and West Potomac Avenue, concrete alley pavement reconstruction replaced some abutting walker and driveway approaches, grading storm drainage facilities, and permeable pavement as necessary. All those who are here to provide testimony on this item, please come forward. Out of 40 impacted properties, the majority were in support and the alderwoman does support the project.

Mister chair, how many property are impacted by this?

40. 40.

And what was the count?

I was not provided the count. The older woman said the majority were in support.

Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning. If Good

everybody can just one at a time, give your name and address and testimony.

Oh, the address of the Your house.

Your house where you live. Yeah.

Okay. Gloria Ellum. 4851 North 67th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53218. Uh-huh. But the property is at 7283 West Appleton Avenue.

My name is Oscar Ellum. My address is 4851 North 67 in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ZIP code 53218.

Yes. Charles Ellum. 4739 North 53rd Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, city of Milwaukee, zip ZIP 53218. And I'm here with the pastor.

Robert Stetson. That's 7274 West Potomac Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53216.

Teresa Brown, 7234 West Potomac Avenue. Terry Roby, 7222 West Potomac Avenue.

Arthur Roby, 7222 West Potomac Avenue.

Okay. And we start with your testimony, and then we'll work our way that way.

Okay. Well, I'm protesting the payment of the alley that's costing us $8,600. Closer to the

microphone, please. I'm sorry.

Pull the

microphone. Pull the microphone closer, ma'am.

Thank you so much.

I'm protesting that amount of money. I mean, we are a church. We don't even have our own parking lot paid because we can't afford it. Pave our own parking lot, then the pavement alley behind us. That's too much money.

It's too much money. We have too many things we have to do and that we like a roof repair, parking lot repair, and then you want us to do an alley that we can't afford. So no, we don't. Mister chair?

Yeah. Go ahead.

How many of you are connected with the church?

Oh, three. Oh, three of us.

Three of you. Okay. Mhmm.

And most of that that we we we think about how. And and I was talking a few minutes ago that we don't necessarily have to use the adit because we got inches from the streets. But I I understand it's a catch 22 regardless of whether we use the adit or not. We're gonna be charged with it. And then we know that and membership has decreased since the COVID nineteen, and we're have a few members.

And most of that, we've been paying the bill with just a dollar left. But it would be called it'd be a kinda strain on us. And most of them, we're trying to do some things to make Milwaukee a better place. And I am the pastor. Most of them, we're trying to do do things just as the police department trying to make this world a little better place. And that's what we're doing too. But most of it, we pray that that we will have to pay take care of that also. And because right now, we we it will put a strain on us, or we're just barely paying the bills now. And with the additional money there, I'm saying, we none we still have it right now. But but I understand too.

I see how that you put a a ten year period to my understanding to pay it off. Am I correct?

That is correct. So the older woman would request late billing, so a bill would not be sent before 01/01/2028. We don't send it bills out during property tax season, so it'll be later in 2028. And then at that point, you have ten years as an option.

And then maybe perhaps our membership might be an increase by this.

Hopefully.

Hopefully. Yes.

So the earliest day we bill is 2019 2029?

Sometime in 2028.

That is correct.

I guess my concern is the amount because we got a letter saying $8,600 Is that per per house owner? On that in that alley or what?

So it is based off of a uniform rate that we advised the council at the end of twenty twenty five what the rates would be for alley reconstruction. So at the church for a 20 foot wide alley, the rate is $50.52 dollars per linear frontage foot. So the residents and the church and everyone has a little bit different frontages along that alley. Their assessments do vary between the properties.

Am I asking too much? What's the total cost for that? All of that?

The total cost for the entire alley? Yeah. The total cost for the entire alley which does include some funding that we are receiving from MMSD is $468,000 Wow. That's what we are estimating at this time. Wow.

I am having financial problems also but I know that the alley does need work and you have got a beautiful idea for design that takes care of rainwater. But we also have a garbage pickup that doesn't pick that drops almost as much garbage as it picks up and blows into all of the yards and then surely going to fill up that beautiful rainwater collecting driveway. Also we don't have a garage back there. The only use we have is for garbage pickup. So I would like to hear more about what you are doing about planning for that nice draining that is going to accompany the alleyway and what you are going to do to keep that from clogging up?

So the center four feet of the alley is proposed to be permeable pavers. So they're gonna look like brick from the top side, to the average individual. And underneath there is a storage layer, but it's going to look and function just like brick. You'll be able to drive on it, walk on it, everything along those lines. Our street maintenance group do actually go out and vacuum out all of the debris or anything that could get caught in between those bricks. I believe that they aim to do that once a year in order to remove any debris that would prevent that proper water infiltration.

Also,

one of the badly damaged sections of the alley is right where the garbage truck works to pick up the bin from the apartment buildings?

Yes. So only the center four feet would be constructed out of brick and then the garbage truck would actually straddle that when it's driving down the alley and be on concrete pavement.

In theory, that because that same garbage truck tore out our electric at one time.

Sorry to hear about that.

I don't think it's possible for a vehicle that big to be on the pavers, right?

It can make turning movements over the pavers. We just don't want long term for the garbage trucks to be driving on that pavement. Every single

day The or anything by any

garbage collection is once a week, but the majority of the time it would be driving on the concrete.

Are you an objection to this project?

I I I want to hear more before I decide you're you're giving me a couple of years to to slowly collect the money to pay off what you're asking for. So, that.

I'm not asking for this. The this is this is a project that the older person has asked for input on. So, at that point, they collect input and then they make a decision and it comes to the committee and the committee makes a decision but we're making a decision to recommend to the council. We're not asking for this project to be done.

Mr. Chair?

Yeah, go ahead.

Have you had a

neighborhood meeting with the older person to discuss any

detail I of I did email her and the the response I got was that there was going be a meeting.

What is going to be a meeting? This meeting.

This

meeting. If we hold this a cycle, can the work still be done as scheduled this construction season?

Yes.

If everybody is in agreement, recommend we hold this one cycle so you can maybe confer with the local alder person instead of having a neighborhood meeting here because we have a long agenda. Does anybody have a problem with putting it off a month?

I have already had contact with the alder person and I'm in support. I'm I'm just Okay. This comes down to say that I've been talking with the previous alderman and the now the current alderman, you know, just of of recent, you know, for years. And this alley is just horrible. Okay. It's it's horrible. And then I get this note saying that this concrete was poured back in 1956. You know? Wouldn't need Come on. Even I mean, I'm like You two are in support.

Yeah. It it obviously needs the work.

Yeah.

I'm just asking

no one. Okay. Let's let's hear from our final witness.

I'm in favor. I'm gonna and I've been there over thirty five years, and it's been a long time.

You know? Fair enough. I

I guess

that's think some of the questions that I have was answered, but said you maybe that's more of a meeting for the older person. Right. Mhmm. As far as the cost, because of the apartment building that's blinds the street on Appleton

I see.

And the two businesses on the end Mhmm. And they're the ones that's bringing in the garbage trucks and the movers or whatever Okay. As far as the wear and tear.

I'm I'm inclined to move this forward. If you meet with the the older the older person between now and council, we can always send it back to committee.

What is what is the postcard survey survey say?

I was not provided the counts. The older woman indicated that she supported the project.

Property is involved. Alright. Well, I'll I'll move approval with the understanding. We can be sent back to committee in two weeks at at our council meeting if the local older person wants to do that.

Okay. We have a motion for approval. Do we have any objections? Hearing none, so ordered.

Thanks for coming down.

Thank you, guys.

Appreciate your

input. Reach out to the alderwoman.

Yes. In the 11th Aldermanic District, South 53rd Street from West Oklahoma Avenue to West Montana Street, asphalt pavement resurfacing, replace sidewalk and driveway approach as where necessary, sodding six foot with tree border area and grading. Is anyone here to provide testimony on that item? Out of 56 impacted properties, 11 were in favor and two were opposed. I believe Alderman Bergelis is on the bank board but he had indicated support.

Council member Gellis, do you have anything to add? Order woman Taylor moves for approval. Do we have any objections? Hearing none, so ordered.

In the 14th Automatic District, South 11th Street from West Morgan Avenue to West Holt Avenue, install traffic calming speed humps. Is anyone here for this item? Out of 31 impacted properties, six were in favor and two were opposed. The older woman supports the project.

Order woman Taylor moves for approval hearing no objections. So ordered. Their motion by order woman Taylor to approve in the entire file? 260069. Any objections? Hearing none, so order.

Thank you.

Item number two, file number two 60079. Resolution determining and necessary to make various accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city engineering cost estimated to be 425,000 for a total estimated cost of these projects being $2,550,000

Good morning. This is for setting up engineering on future assessable projects.

Move approval.

Motion by Alderman Baumann is approval. Any objections? Hearing none, so order. Item three, file number 260077. Resolution determining it necessary to make various non accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with city engineering cost estimated to be $240,000 for a total estimated cost of these projects being $3,500,000

Good morning. This is for setting up engineering for future non assessable projects.

Move approval.

Motion by the amendment is approval. Any objections here and also order. Item four, item number two six zero zero seven eight resolution approving construction of non accessible public improvements at various locations and appropriating funds for these purposes with the city construction cost estimated to be $1,758,000 for an estimated cost of these projects being $1,820,000.

Good morning. This is for setting out construction on non accessible projects.

Move approval.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is approval. Hearing no objections. So order item five, resolution authorizing the transfer of funds from the street improvement state and or federal aid program to the street reconstruct or resurface program, regular city program at various locations for funding of local street improvements under the local roads improvements program for street improvement greater than 20,000 with the city cost of what how do I say that number? What is that? Is that a bill?

4,000,000? No. The city $4,852,185.20.

What what about that? What about the last two? Mine is fried, man.

Million, $5,864.80.

And that third one.

Total cost of 5,854,050.

Good at that.

And $50 already.

So you're good at that. Thank you.

Good morning. Every two years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a local roads improvement project or program that we are able to apply for funding. This is actually the city's entitlement as part of that program.

Motion by.

Just curious, this so this is ultimately money that's appropriate in the state budget?

That's correct.

So this could be an item that could be, subject to this surplus distribution that, that they're arguing about?

We haven't been notified that they're planning on putting that towards the local road improvement program. They just tell us what our entitlement is.

But in theory, this could be a subject of an additional state infusion of resources.

Potentially.

Which directly assist the city in dealing with street repairs and potholes.

That is correct. This would all go into our local paving

program. Approval.

Motion by Alderman Baumann is adoption. Any objections to that motion? Hearing none, so order. Item

six,

File number 260080. Resolution authorizing the transfer of funds from the street improvement state and or federal aid program to the street reconstructor resurface program, regular city program for West Keefe Avenue between North 8th Street and North 18th Street in the 6th Aldermanic District to fund the municipal street improvement supplemental cost, local roads improvement, program with city cost being $1,100,000 and the grand tourist cost being $900,000 for a total estimated cost of $2,000,000 Good

morning. Holly Ruttenbach with DPW. This DPW applied for this supplemental funding through the local roads improvement program this year or this biennium for '26 and '27 is $25,000,000 that they spread across the entire state. It's actually a competitive application process, and only 30 projects statewide were selected for this funding. So we are excited that we were awarded funding for the reconstruction on West Keith Avenue.

Alderwoman Taylor moves adoption. Hearing no objections so ordered.

Thank you, Holly.

Item seven, File number 260123. Reappointment of Alderman Mark Chambers to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Steward Sewerage District by the mayor. Alderman Mark Chambers.

Was just in the hall.

Really out in the hall?

He was.

His attendance is on file.

To what?

Oh, he doesn't have to show up. Do we have a motion on that reappointment?

I move for approval. It was in the seventies.

Okay. Mr. Chairman? Yes, go ahead.

On all these appointments, I mean, as a practical matter, we are probably going to approve them at some point. We are familiar with all these folks. They do a good job. They are conscientious workers. But there are some issues that I think need to be addressed by all these candidates for the commission.

And that is some of the issues that have been raised by common ground. There have been some whistleblowers out there who have gone on the record. These whistleblowers are persons who were in a position to know what they are talking about. And so far, no obvious has evidence of bias or motivation to fabricate or misrepresent what they are talking about. So I think we need to hear from all of these candidates regarding exactly what they are going to do to get to the bottom of these allegations because some of these are pretty serious.

They directly relate to issues that have affected our community in terms of some of the flooding that has taken place, in terms of the release of raw sewage into our surface waterways, which is of course a major problem. And once again, I think would almost suggest that we take all these appointments as one file and line everybody up and have everybody respond to the basic question of what, if anything, they as commissioners intend to do about these allegations and how are they going to direct the sewage commission to proceed. Maybe we should take these out of order because Ms. Zetz is the chair of the commission. So I think she is in the strongest position to speak to these items.

So I would ask that item 11 be taken out of order.

Hey, hang on. We do have a motion on the floor of Alderman Zaylor for the confirmation of Mark Chambers. Do we have any objections to that? Hearing none, so order. Item 11, file number 260127. Reappointment of Corisettes to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor. Good morning.

Good morning, Alderman. Yes, I've I'm currently serving on the commission. I became chair in January. I I will say that the the commission's role really is to be oversight of the district and policy finance personnel operations which includes the operator of its plants. Until recently, we did not know of any, know of these allegations of of mismanagement.

Mismanagement. I I take responsibility for, I apologize for, maybe, reacting a little emotionally to a friend coming forward with those allegations and rather to the commission but now that we have seen those details, we have initiated steps to, begin an independent, third party performance audit, that will be overseen by the commission and that is, being that, audit will be overseen by a member of the commission.

That audit term been selected?

They have not. It has not, Auditman Bowman but I will say this, just speaking from my tenureship on the commission and the tactics of one organization that bring forth things. We will make a decision as a collective for anybody. We're not going to go with we would hear recommendations. We will, you know, take em under consideration but we do not have to abide by any recommendations from any organization, honestly, that going as independent body, obviously elected by or selected and confirmed by members of this committee and also the council.

You know, I will say that, you know, during my time, I learned so much on the district. We had some challenging times on the district especially with those historic floods. I've been me being the most severely impacted throughout the city on both floods.

Oh, that's

true. So, from direct knowledge of what's going on. I will say that the staff at the at the district has done a fantastic job at doing monthly audits. We hear at the commission every other week, every other two weeks about monthly audits throughout both locations, Jones Island and South Shore. So, when we heard the situation, when we heard about the allegations, when we heard these whistleblowers that came forth, You know, we we we took it for what it is.

It's allegations. We needed facts. We asked for facts and initially, they wasn't being forthcoming. They wanted to do it their way which is their own prerogative and their right but now that we have it, now we could take the information that was provided to us finally and move accordingly and and I have great confidence in the staff within the district that we will identify whatever concerns that is come up from any allegations and if they are deemed basis or they can't find it, we will report that out as well.

Well, I think it's very important at least from my perspective having served on the commission as well for one year until I was unceremoniously removed. But in any event, I think it is important that there is an independent review and even more important than that, that it appears to be independent to the court of public opinion. And what is going to be the process for selecting the reviewer or auditor or auditing firm? Is there RFP going out, request for qualification going out? I mean, what's the process to select an entity to do the review? How much time is it going to take? And does this affect the time schedule for deciding the contract between Veolia and the competitor competing firm? So I'm sorry, so

you know, the for the contract selecting, we don't we're not we don't have anything to do with the contract selecting. There's additional, it's an ad hoc committee that is comprised of former former chairs, I believe, of the district that are looking at metrics from both competitors who are competing for the contract.

But you

ultimately approve. We will ultimately approve and we have a timeline that is scheduled for September.

That's what I thought.

Yeah. So, it's scheduled for September. You know, honestly, from what we're hearing, it could possibly be moved up but we're we're kind of staying on track with the schedule for September. We think it's fair. We think that's what we put out for the community and we're going to stick by what is going on with, said process. However, I think for any audit, it's gonna take time. To your point, you bring in the r you wanna do a RFP. We're at the end of May right now. So right at end of May, if we do RFP, RFP gonna be at least thirty days, which is gonna take you to June. You know, you're do contractual, you know, agreements which will take you probably to about the middle of July and then they can get the start going on there for August and then, what?

We're hear the results and then make a decision. I just think that's not I I I personally don't think it's reasonable to to have those expectations. That that's just me. I'm speaking for myself but you know, but if the if the if the if we can find something in an expedited matter and and get the results done, I think we will make that choice to do that but.

And miss, oh.

Go ahead. Sorry.

President Perez. I just want to get in the queue. I

guess I just want to speak to I understand and I appreciate your insight being on the commission for a year. I also served three years on the commission. So I know the from a commissioner standpoint, what that looks like. It was under a different administration, but I served three years. I guess my point is that I want to be clear that an audit being done will not happen likely before you select one of the two vendors in place.

And then for me, what because I think Alderman Baumann said it very eloquently about the issues at hand and really putting them to bed whether they're true or not. And for me, my decision, anything MMSE related is going to be how independent this audit is because in the end if MMSD is overseeing this audit, to me it is an independent and it has to be completely removed from MMSD in order to put everyone's kind of fears or questions or doubt to put them to rest, it has to be completely independent. That'll weigh on my decision.

Mhmm. Thank you.

Anything related and with all due respect to any of the candidates, including my colleagues, I just think I for me, I want to know that this is going to be a very independent audit so that, no one has any influence on this at all.

Yeah. We, I did talk with the executive director at length about this yesterday. There are to your question, there are firms who do this who work in wastewater. The it would be within the budget authority of the executive director to execute a contract. I drafted some language for our June meeting to bring this to the commission.

The audit should be paid for by MMSD. It will need to be paid but overseen by the commission which is an independent body, appointed by seven members from this common counsel and four from the ICC. So that is the independent oversight of the audit. And then those audit findings, just like all of MMSD records, are public record.

Because because can't the legislative audit bureau do when an audit?

I think timing is critical and I think to that point, like, our decision is in September and I wanna make sure as part of this oversight body that our communities that we represent, 29 municipalities, have faith in this district, that we are I mean, we are globally recognized as a water reclamation and water stewardship district. We have an incredible track record of performance. But the community trust is imperative to believing in that we are doing good work and not responsible for undue harm to the community or our waterways. And so having an independent audit start in advance have mean, in an audit that it could just be part of best practice in doing that. The regular audits are part of the new contract going forward.

So future, whoever wins this contract in September will be required to do three year, regular independent performance audits. So getting that practice in place now, making sure that that is, that there's community trust. I think at a time where we have experienced such historic flooding two in one year where residents are impacted, in a really profound way, it's important that we are working together to ensure that there's trust in this district to maintain our water resources. So we will come out the commission will oversee that audit and that will be

public resources.

Just to

be clear on your answer, you're saying that the audit is the priority of the audit is moving forward to have an audit regularly. So is there an audit that's going to figure out if there's been any harm done with anything that's been talked about in the media at all or the accusations or what the whistleblowers have to say?

Yes. We bring an item to the commission at the June meeting to hire an independent third party auditor with the goal of having that audit be completed before the September decision.

Okay.

What is the magic if I may, Mr. Chair? What is the magic of September? Is there a contract expiration date here? Why September? Why not move it back so we have time to actually digest all this?

It has been a two year public procurement process and this has always been the timeline that was part of it. It gives enough time the new contract that will go into place is significantly different than the current contract. So it gives enough of a roadway for whoever wins the contract to prepare to take on the maintenance of our facilities.

Why not October? Why not November?

This is

this is what we decided at this point. I think we feel confident that we can have. Yes, we could absolutely, but I think at this point we we are feeling confident that we could have the the audit independent audit results. And it's something enough that is.

Frankly, I don't know what's the rush in in this this hesitancy. Get the answers out there. If it turns out these allegations are phony fabricated and motivated by people with grudges and disgruntled former employee, fine. Then that's established beyond reasonable doubt. Again, it's not only important to get the audit right, but that it appears to be independent. And right now, I'm not having confidence

that that's the case.

All right, but I will provide some context if I may. We hire outside independent law firm out of Madison. Some a company that MSMSD maybe interacted with once in the past ten, fifteen years.

Never hired

a Never hired a law firm. We vote on it. We were very intentional on the law firm that we hired to handle allegation as far as that who handled communication with said group and said group said, nope. We don't wanna hear from you because you were hired by MMSD. We have to be reasonable when we have these discussions. We have to be reasonable when we have these type of things. Asking for a legislative reference bureau or or the state to to do an independent audit. That's unreasonable right now when we have a timeline. That's extremely unreasonable. That's not saying that we're not committed to doing that.

So, I think when we when we have these conversation, we have to be realistic when we're doing this. Extremely realistic. Right now, we're just doing fallacies. Now, everything that you're seeing, everything that's going on, we take everything seriously on that commission. We're not sure covetous. We're not looking at it just just passing by or anything in that nature but there have to be some, there have to be some reasonable discussions and not just want to be one-sided. Right now, it's looking real one-sided and they don't like what they hear.

I can tell you, not in public. It doesn't look one-sided at this point.

Public, we all look bad. We're we're we're elected officials. So, I mean, you know, I mean, I'm dealing with other stuff too. So.

Less bad if possible but.

Yeah. No. But but I I I say this is all sincerity. We take we take everything that has been brought to us with the level of seriousness as seriousness can get. We have a responsibility to the public as you mentioned, Alderman Baumann, to do what's right for our residents and I think we are doing that.

Okay. Do you guys serve for fixed terms, three year terms? Is that right?

Three year terms.

Do you serve until your replacement has been so there would be no consequence to holding these files? I guess the answer is there would be no consequence. I I don't know that answer. So I would move to reconsider item seven and then I will move at the appropriate time to hold item eight, nine, ten and eleven.

Okay. The motion on the floor by Alderman Baumann is to hold item 11. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing none, so ordered. Alderman Baumann has made a motion to reconsider item seven. Are there any objections to that? Hearing none, so ordered. Alderman Baumann has made a motion to hold item seven. Any objections? Hearing none, so ordered. Item 8260124, reappointment of older woman Malayle Cox at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor. Move to hold. Alderman Baumann has made a motion to hold. Any objections? Hearing none, so ordered.

Item nine, reappointment of representative Kaylen Haywood the second to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor.

Move the hold.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is to hold. Any objections? Hearing none, so ordered. Oh, Alderman Malale Cox.

I was trying to talk around.

Good morning.

We can't hear you.

Alderman Coggs, we cannot hear you. Maybe try hanging up and call it back. Alderman Burgales.

Well, I I don't have anything.

I don't have anything to add on these items but I also tried to speak earlier.

Couldn't hear me. Maybe it's technical.

We saw you there.

We saw you. Thanks for trying though. A for effort. Yeah.

Okay.

While we wait for alderman Alderman Brower. Are you Are you talking? We can't hear you either. Hang on. Technical assistance is here.

Alden Brouwer, are you there? Alderman Brower?

Are you able to hear me?

Yes. Now we can.

Okay. Yep. Sorry. I had a technical issue on my end just for a few these past few moments, but I was I was trying to speak earlier on an item and I wasn't able to be heard. So I don't know actually that due to another technical issue. I'm not sure where we are on the agenda. It was on our it was on our end. Sorry, Old man Brower. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I guess maybe mister Cherry could let me know where we are in the agenda and then I I did cut out myself as well. So.

We're we're in the middle of holding all the reappointments for the sewage district but if you have a comment, go right ahead.

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much and thank and thanks for allowing me to speak and I appreciate channel twenty five fixing the issue that we had here. Both Malaylee and I were trying to get on but was older when Connor's able to speak as well?

She has not. I think she's trying to sign back on.

Okay. I believe she was trying to say something as well when the items were being held. So okay. Thank thank you so much. I'll just move on to my comments here. First of all, I'll just I'll just say broadly that, you know, from what I'm hearing from the folks who are looking to be reappointed, I do appreciate you guys being diligent on this. This is a huge issue. There it's a it's a lot of allegations of mismanagement here, so thank you for taking it seriously. I do I do really appreciate that. Thank you for taking it seriously.

Thank you for, you know, diligently here. Guess, like, my my comments would be that I mean, kind of just this like, the the timing issue of this is concerning, and I I would kind of echo some of what alderman said, which which is being concerned with, are we moving too fast on the reauthorization or excuse me, getting a new operator in place by September that doesn't allow us to properly evaluate our current operator, which we you know, still isn't a consideration to my knowledge for the chance to be an operator. I specifically did have a question for some of the appointees, and maybe my office needs to do a follow-up to get some these contacts. But in the process of this, in the process of replacing the operator, what is the status of the workers there on the ground? I I'm on the understanding that they do have a union contract.

But this just kick in the successor agreement or are we talking if we switch operators? What are the implications for the workers that are employed by that operator? And then I just would echo and maybe this was already covered at the time when I was had a technical issue. You know, is there a you know, when you guys do this audit, are we going to be able to, you know, have a full proper review of things before we choose a new operator? Because this could be disqualified for the current operator as well if you get a chance to answer those questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman Brower. Yes, your first question about the employees, there are multiple unions who are running the plants in the conveyance system currently. And those would transfer if it was a different operator selected in the procurement process. Obviously, if there are if there is a change in operator, management level staff would change. There would be some changes regardless because the new contract is structured differently.

But the majority of the employees, those union employees would stay with, in operations. And then, yes, like, if, the results of any independent audit is would be public record. And to Alderman Bowman's point, at this point, we are feeling, optimistic about getting this started in June and having the summer. Should there be reason to delay that option is always available to us. But at this point, we're still feeling optimistic about being able to make an informed decision by September.

September. And again, if there are reasons for delay, that option is open to us as the commission, but we're not moving to change that timeframe at this point.

Mr. Chair? Yes, sir.

Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Just a follow-up question. Thank you. That's clarifying. I guess maybe or maybe colleagues can inform me. I have seen as well the call for the legislative audit bureau to specifically conduct this audit. I mean, I am just generally curious because I haven't got a chance to dive in as much as I want. I'm in.

Is there a specific reason they're calling for the legislative audit bureau? I mean, are standards that auditors, you know, use. There's a trade association for auditors. There are generally accepted standards that auditors use for this. So I would be I'm a little bit confused about why there's a call and maybe please enlighten me, why there's a call specifically for the legislative audit bureau when there are audit standards that cut across the auditing industry broadly and if we do hire an independent firm they in theory would practice the same standards of audit that would be used by the legislative audit bureau. Is anybody able to enlighten me about what they've been hearing here?

Well, I have third level hearsay to the effect that the legislative audit bureau doesn't have the resources right now to conduct an audit of this scale on the timeframe being contemplated? In other words, are short staffed.

Do we know the reason that the call is specifically for legislative audit bureau? Is that just because that's a familiar entity to some other electeds or

A familiar, B, credible, and C, free of charge.

Okay. That makes sense to me. I'm wondering, you know, for MMSD I'll ask a question for MMSD and then we'll make it a comment. For MMSD, what is the budget? What are we looking at as far as what we're, you know, looking to allocate?

And I'll just broadly say that to my knowledge, there are a lot of independent firms that operate very reputably and professionally that would follow auditing standards that are standard for the audit industry. And so I guess for my knowledge of that situation, don't see a reason to specifically use the Legislative Audit Bureau that we can hire an independent firm that's reputable to conduct this. It doesn't necessarily have to be the legislative audit bureau. But maybe you could comment on that. I'd be curious for MSD appointees, the plan is as far as budgeting for this and that sort of thing. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Alderman Brower. So two pieces. One, is a planned conditions assessment already planned for happening next year as part of standard practice for when a new contract goes in place we would, assess the conditions of the plan so that starting with a new contract, we know the condition of all of our facilities and that is clear to the operator. That we can move up and have that be completed a little earlier. I don't know that budget, off the top of my head, but I know that is already part of MMSD's budgeting for the next year.

And as for the actual audit, that would be scoped as a task order. So with different pieces to look into, I think the we've identified some of those task orders already. What we've been receiving lately is just giving a little more definition to that. And so that could be an hourly wage. We don't earn hourly rate. We don't, have a set budget yet, but, that would be part of our approval process. So sorry, I can't I can't quite speak to a actual number right now, but

Do you have any comments about why there's a call for the legislative audit bureau to conduct this?

I do not. I do not know the reason why.

Okay. No, that's fair.

And I

appreciate that. I mean, I think perhaps we could actually that MSD would be benefited by going with a nongovernmental audit firm to increase confidence in the public. This is not just a, the government of Madison looking at the government of Milwaukee, that it's an actual independent firm that independently audits other corporations and operations for other private entities, think that could potentially increase confidence from the public is one of my things. But I could be missing something here. But thank you. Those my comments.

I think there are firms who specifically audit wastewater and water treatment facilities. And then again, that was part of our intention in previously looking for an attorney to do more of the HR, to really look into HR

We're to Taylor's.

10. Item 10. 260126. Reappointment of Julia Taylor to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor.

Move to hold.

Motion by Alderman Bowman is to hold. Any objections? Hearing none, so ordered. At the request of the chair, we will take a ten minute break. Thank you.

Yes. We're gonna reconvene this public works, meeting. Alderman Baumann.

And madam chair, I'd like to reconsider item seven, eight, nine, ten, and 11. So we'll start with seven. I move to reconsider item seven.

The motion by Alderman Baumann is reconsideration for seven, eight, nine, and two eleven. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing none. So ordered. Item seven is in front of us. Do we have a motion?

I'll move the con I'll move confirmation.

The the motion by aldment bombing is confirmation hearing no objection so ordered. Can you do

item eight? Yes. You did reconsider all of them.

We reconsider all of them but you

got Okay. Item eight two six zero one two four. Reappointment of older woman Malalee Cox. Can I say A? Malalee A Cox. To the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor.

What's the confirmation?

Motion by alderwoman Taylor is confirmation. Any objections?

I'm saying.

Madam chair or mister chair. Just a remark, please.

Yes, sir.

Yeah. Just wanna remark that, you know, I I intend to support these because we need this board to continue to move forward and do its work. The important work here but I do wanna say that, you know, we need to hold MSD board and MSD and the operator to the highest of standards and make sure that, you know, things, the operations there are, you know, fully independently verified as being in line with what we expect from any public operator. Thank you.

Mister chair?

Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am.

I'm abstaining, of course, because it's me. But I just wanna publicly say, I'm committed, to making sure that that happens and that'll be demonstrated through my votes, on committee. I believe the board is too, but I can speak for sure for myself. I definitely wanna make sure that we are great stewards of the public trust and can continue the great work that I know MMSD does. Thank you.

Did someone make a motion?

Taylor.

Taylor. Motion by order woman Taylor is confirmation with one abstention. Hearing no objections. Or are there any objections? Hearing none, so ordered.

Item number nine, file number 260125. Do we have the confirmation of representative Kaylen Haywood the second? Do we have, a motion?

Well, I move for confirmation.

The motion by alderman Taylor is confirmation. Are there any objections to the I'm hearing one objection. The motion passes. Item number 10, file number two six zero one two six, reappointment of Julia Taylor to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by the mayor. Do we have a motion? I move confirmation. The motion by honorable woman Tyler is confirmation. Are there any objections to that motion?

I object.

Hearing one objection, the motion passes. Item number 11, phone number 260127, reappointment of Coriezettes to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District by the mayor. Are there can I get a motion?

I move for confirmation.

The motion by Alderman Tyler has confirmation. Are there any objections to their motion?

I object.

Hearing one, the motion passes. Item number 12, file number 260051, resolution authorizing an easement with Wisconsin Electric Power Company on city of Milwaukee property at 823 South 4th Street in the 12th Automatic District. This, you wanna speak this is sponsored by Alderman Perez. Did you wanna speak on it at all before we hold it?

Well, I'm a little confused because this did come up, and I had a conversation with DCD and I just wanted verification that the easement and the work by Wisconsin Electric Power would not disturb. There's an underground tunnel that View Elementary School uses every day to get across National Avenue. And as far as I know, I haven't heard back that it wouldn't be disturbed. So I I guess I could hold this until I get confirmation that the work they'll be doing doesn't because they use the tunnel twice a day to cross National Avenue.

Move to hold. Call to the chair.

The motion by alderman Baumann is to hold to the call of the chair. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing none, so ordered. Item number 13, final two six zero one four seven. Communication relating to the permit process for Parklet sidewalk area dining facilities and the active streets for program. This is sponsored by Alderman Perez.

Yeah. Thank you, madam chair. I wanted to get a communication out ahead of time. We've been working for some time to restructure the approval, permitting process, and approval for the parklets. Every block is different, every neighborhood is different, every commercial corridor is a little different.

And at the moment, DPW through the Active Streets program from COVID has the ability to review and approve. And after some long debate and discussion through the city attorney's office, DPW, we believe that the best opportunity for this will be to the best process for this will be for it to be an extension of premise and go through licensing. So that notice can go out to neighbors when they do and then nearby stakeholders can chime in and then have a process to support, maybe object to and or have a conversation to figure out some of the issues and resolve those as needed. And I have licensing here that could talk a little bit and DPW can talk a little bit about what that looks like. I wish the legislation would have been ready by today, but it wasn't.

And in lieu of the file not being filled and ready, we wanted to get a conversation going so that as we move forward, people are one aware and maybe they come up with questions, suggestions or concerns that we can take into consideration as we fine tune the legislation.

How many, parklets and how many of these type of approvals have, DPW given at this point? Do we know?

Good morning, madam chair. James Washington, public works coordination manager. I don't have the exact number. It's about 82, I believe, for the sidewalk cafes for this year. And there's about, about 22 for the active streets and park lifts combined.

Do you have a breakdown by districts?

I can provide that.

Yeah. If you could please to the committee.

What what was that total number again?

There's about I believe there's 82 sidewalk cafes for this year and, there's about 22 parklets and active streets combined.

Okay. Give or take. And Madam Chair, a part of this came up as the DPW approval process would provide these permits and people put up the parklets and I had some feedback and some objections in communities about limited parking in areas and commercial corridors that the parklets were taking part of and or they would be up year round and then issues with just maintenance of them were the big ones.

I apologize for the technical difficulties. Jim Cooney, License Division. There is a flowchart that is in the file that visualizes the license process that I think all of U. Committee members are familiar with. And hopefully we can get it up here on the big screen as well.

But a potential solution for this is to leverage the sidewalk dining permit process that we already use, Move the parklets, are the elevated structures on the street along with the active street for business installations, which are the tables and chairs on the roadway surface protected by jersey barriers or other protective measures into that section. Then when an application is received in the clerk's office, 90 Percent of the time, a new application comes in with a liquor license application. So we are already sending notice out to neighbors within a two fifty foot radius of the proposed establishment. We would propose to make that notice requirement standard just across all sidewalk dining and parkland applications. The application contains a couple of things, a plan of operation, which will include things such as the hours of operation, a plan to keep the area tidy, free of litter, quiet, things like noise mitigation security.

It also includes a, drawing of the proposed layout, which we refer to DPW for their review. I'm sure James can speak to what they do, with that part of it. Additionally, we refer to DNS and health department to verify that there is occupancy for the adjoining business as well as health with any kind of food preparation. Those three referrals all happen on a parallel track after the notice goes out. We get the reports back from the departments within two weeks, which gives two weeks, at least two weeks worth of notice for neighbors to, provide any feedback and then we would follow-up with, the local members to see if they've received any objections.

If not, we can issue the license. If so, schedule it for licenses committee and deal with the objections there. And then for renewals, if we get objections to the operation throughout the license period, we would refer them to the committee as we normally do. And I apologize that the visual is not working. It is in your iPads and it is in the file. But happy to answer

any questions.

What is the holdup of the legislation? It sounds pretty clear.

So it is a complete revamping of all of these programs. So the sidewalk dining cafe program has been in place since at least before 2010. And that is a complete and comprehensive ordinance in chapter one fifteen. But the other two programs, so the park list began in 2015. It is kind of a very abbreviated, ordinance.

There's a lot of information that's not in there. As you're aware, the active streets for business program began in 2020 during COVID, and that's not an ordinance at all. That's in it's just a resolution that we renew every year. So there is quite a bit of refining, especially considering that the sidewalk dining cafes are on the sidewalk. The other two programs are in the street, so there's a lot more, consideration just considering, the hazards because now you're where cars are supposed to be.

So all those things are now, we're we're working on now. So the delay was, by the time we got to November of last year, because this was a complete overhaul, we didn't want to rush this through and not give, businesses an opportunity, you know, one for planning and for, financial planning too and also for, just the renewed process. We figured, there wasn't an urgency at the time. So we said that, you know, this is late in the year. We'll, hold this off for 2027 for the beginning of that year.

So I get, the shift from, the one the parts of them that are just approved by DPW to allow for neighborhood and other, issues that licensing would generally, take into consideration to be considered. But I guess as I'm thinking about it, especially the in the street part, do you envision, mister Cooney, the way that this could likely go and maybe the sponsor that the DPW considerations would also be part of the decision making as well?

I I do. Yeah. And and there's is already an element of that within the sidewalk dining permitting process. The thing that sticks out to my mind is ensuring that there is ADA compliance so that at least five feet of clearance. And I am sure that there are other technical considerations probably with lighting, fire hydrants, other fixtures that are needed for the operation of the city. Those are drying requirement currently requires that those are displayed on those. We forward them to DPW and then I will just say they do their thing to ensure that, that drawing fits within the streetscape.

Madam Chair, it's mostly on the technical side because right now, they are the approval process. So we do expect them to participate, but it's very much on the technical side of all the things they need to do to make it safe and amenable to the street around, but the actual approval process will then be licensing.

Do you anticipate there being requirements so far as, like, the materials you use or, like, whether or not there's a I'm thinking in the street stuff. Is there currently?

Yes. There is currently. So again, we have guidelines for active streets for business program. So, again, it's not part of ordinance, it's not codified. But we do have those guidelines. Okay.

Was there more since we got it working? Was there more you want to go through, Cohn?

I ran through the whole flowchart but I'm happy to answer any questions about it.

I just have one that maybe we can get on the record. So this will just go out as a two fifty foot notice from the applicant in a radius that people will now see that a parklet when people are saying this is a Class B renewal or a new license with the parklets, it will say specifically parklets so people will know what that means?

Yes. So it's for new ones, but it will say parklets. It will define briefly what parklets are so that people understand what impact that could have on them and provide a method to provide.

And that it is in the public right away? Yes. Okay. Thank you.

Any questions from committee?

Madam chair. Brown? Yeah, I guess overall for for the folks from licenses and and public works, change like what's being proposed, do you believe this is going to help help streamline everything for businesses and make it make it easier and and clear for businesses and the public to make these kind of things happen or share their opposition if they have it?

I can take that one. Think so. This parklets, active streets and sidewalk cafes are affiliated with restaurants and bars. We're already handling restaurants and bars. And we are going to leverage the same plan of operation that they are filling out for their restaurant or bar. It will really condense paperwork and condense administrative burden for those applicants.

Do you have a

follow-up?

Yes. So from the DPW perspective, this does give an opportunity for other entities to comment on a particular active street active streets for business activation. We would still have our DPW permits that we would need because again if you're occupying the street that is something that's a little bit more, you know, there's more liability there than occupying the sidewalk.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Yeah.

Thank you, guys. Thank you all.

Any other questions from me? All right. If there are no other questions, we could place on file unless the sponsor wanted to do something different. Is placing on file alright with you, ardent Perez?

Pardon

me? Is placing on file alright with you? Alright. The motion by ardent man Brower is to place on file. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing none, so order item number 14, file number 250086, substitute resolution assigning the honorary street name John j Williams to North 14th Street from West Sure. Capitol Drive.

I'm sorry. I think we may have

some continued technical difficulties, sir.

Thank you. Yeah.

To West Olive Street in the first Automatic District.

Computers, they're great,

aren't they?

I do wanna while that's restarting, I know it's in the first automatic district. I know order one man Pratt will probably join us virtually. So order would move to hold. So that's done and restarting. Are there any objections to that motion? Hearing none, so ordered. We'll call you back up in just a minute. Item number 15, file number 252170, communication from the Department of Public Works relating to its performance and securing funding for infrastructure projects in the previous biennial budget and prospects for such funding in the future. This is sponsored by Alderman Bergalis.

Thank you, madam chair. This is in response to finding and identifying and understanding how much we're investing in our local roads. The state has a, large sum of money, $546,000,000 in the last budget that they distribute for road projects. The city of Milwaukee gets contributes about 10% of that total to the fund by paying vehicle registration fees, fuel tax, EV fees. But Milwaukee gets about 5% of that total back in revenue state aids for local roads.

So, so I asked the city engineer to put together a report on how, on what kind of funding the city does realize, what other funding sources are available, are we maximizing our, opportunity to get those competitive dollars from the state. If we're putting in 10% of the fund and getting 5% back, that's a problem on the surface. But I want to look and see the numbers. And we have a report from the department that I guess will the PowerPoint's in the file, but I, ask city engineer Kevin Muse to talk

us through it.

Sure. Absolutely. So, as the alderman just noted, we do have a link in the file. It's also a PowerPoint presentation, that we could share. But I primarily, this essentially is the form of the report just because as I was putting together a written report, it turned into a series of bulleted lists, and that to me just lends itself more of a PowerPoint presentation.

So that was the approach I took. I'm happy to, you know, go through it and you can look at the aids if it's helpful to you, but it is a lot of text. So it's actually a very bad PowerPoint. So as the alderman said, he requested a review of, where where we are on obtaining funds back from the state. Most of this is actually a federal summary that I wanted to provide primarily because that is our big opportunity that we take advantage of as a city.

There are few opportunities to directly access state funds. It's just not how our transportation funding framework in Wisconsin is set up. So first page first two pages really of the presentation after the title slide are going through just briefly summarizing the memo also requested from Alderman Bergalis last year on where we are on our roads, in in Milwaukee and the funding situation. The big takeaways are that generally speaking, our arterials and our minor and major arterials, which are the busiest streets in the city, continue to improve, in average condition over time, as we do these major reconstruction and resurfacing projects across the city, many of which are under construction right now, and have been for several years now. The main reason that that we've been able to do that is that there are a fair number of federal grant opportunities that we've availed ourselves of at the department and as a city, to, to improve those things.

However, the collectors and local roads, continue to either hold steady or in case of local roads decline, and that is because essentially local roads are not eligible for federal money and the state resources dedicated to local roads are very very slim. So, that's that's basically the the headline from that that memo.

I'm sorry. Sorry to interrupt. When you say slim for local road funding. Yeah. We got like a million dollars.

Correct. For. Every other year.

Oh. Yes. Dollars million every other year. And how much does the state state contribute to their local road program?

So statewide, the local road program, there's two different buckets. Well, three, technically speaking, but the there's an entitlement program. That's where we get our million dollars every two years. Every two years, the state puts a battle.

That's where the the state gives $72,000,000 to each county equally. Each county gets a million dollars.

It's so it's.

It's fair so that each county gets $1,000,000

no matter their population, no

matter their roads, no matter their need.

It doesn't exactly work like that but it does work out very similar to that. So, there's 38. 6,000,000 that goes into this entitlement program. We get a million of that 38. Of the 38.6, 10.7, so 11 of the 39, goes to municipalities.

So all cities and villages across the state are in that pool of 11,000,000. That is distributed by population and by lane mileage. So that is a reasonable formula I think where you could probably pick an argument with that formula though is the very small subsection of the 38.6 that goes to municipalities and then also, well, whether that 38.6 is a reasonable number given who owns most of the roads, in the state, which is not not the state. So that's the entitlement program. There's another $140,000,000 in the current state budget that goes to discretionary and supplemental, which is competitively awarded.

We do we did win, actually our very first, competitive local road project this year, another 900,000 for a collector to get reconstructed on Keith Avenue between Tutonia and the 8th. And so that's our first success on that. This supplemental program is relatively new. I will say that to your point Alderman about this generally speaking they say right in the guidelines for awarding those that they seek geographic diversity and that generally speaking they prefer to award no more than one project in this competitive program to any single municipality which puts us at a significant disadvantage and doesn't reflect of course our ownership of relative share of roads compared to other locations across the state.

Or population.

Yes. So that's so there's $140,000,000 that goes into this competitive program in the local road improvement program, 33,000,000 of that $134,000,000 of that $139,000,000 is available to cities and villages. So again, the formula is oriented towards towns and counties rather than cities and villages. And this is pretty consistent with most state programs, in general.

Just to interrupt again. I'm sorry. Who makes that formula? Is it the governor? Is it the

It's it's in it's in the state budget. It's a legislative. Yeah. In statutes. Yeah.

The the state legislature could correct this.

Of course.

Yeah. Yeah.

We'll put a name in that for November.

Sure.

Thank you. The

remainder of what is included in this, you know, I don't need to go through all of this because I recognize we've got a long agenda today. But the remainder of what's in here is discussing the other funding programs that impact our city streets from other entities other than you know local government obviously. I did want to highlight page six the state highway rehabilitation program. The reason I wanted to highlight that is that is the program that WSTAT uses to invest in state trunk highways and connecting highways, in the city. And that is a rare, ray of light, and brightness in this entire situation, which is that, the current administration at the State Department of Transportation has invested pretty heavily and is planning to invest even more heavily in connecting highways within the city.

This is a significant sea change from what we saw more than ten years ago. And so there are many, many projects under construction like National Avenue, but also, many future projects that are in the pipeline of design right now, to end results being a resurfacing or reconstruct. But again, this is going to be the arterials. So it's not going to reach the local roads across the city. But that is something that the State Department of Transportation controls and they are choosing to invest in the roads in Milwaukee as part of that program.

And this will be my last interruption. So thank you, Kevin. There are a number of significant projects going on. You you just mentioned National Avenue. 27th Street is also shut down because of the I 94 East West project. The sixteenth Street Bridge had some emergency repairs.

Yep.

The the East West project also has shut down 60th Street North South. So we're left with 35th Street and and 6th Street. One lane on 6th Street, one lane on 1st Street, 22 And A Half or three lanes on Brewers Boulevard or Miller Parkway.

Mhmm.

But we just heard that 35th Street is also going to get shut down for the National Avenue project.

Mhmm.

What level of coordination does WSDOT have amongst itself

Sure.

To coordinate closing down more than half Yeah.

Of

the access in the middle of our city.

Yeah.

Residents residents already are waiting are are spending fifteen or twenty minutes to get from Lincoln to National Avenue. It personally affects me quite a bit. It affects a lot of my constituents and constituents for almost half of the alders sitting here at the table. Closing 35th Street right now without anything else being open.

Mhmm.

Is going to be have a devastating effect starting next week Tuesday.

Yep.

What kind of coordination are we able to give Wistat or what do what do we do? Mhmm. Is has the department looked at undoing some of the traffic calming on 6th Street to expand lanes or further west to try to get something else in 68th Street or 64th Street. There's there's so little access.

Yeah.

And so much congestion.

Yeah.

Granted, I I recognize we have to do these infrastructure improvements. We have to invest in our community and we're grateful for the dollars. But we're not grateful for the lack of coordination. Sure. Amongst these other independent projects.

Yeah. I can certainly appreciate that Alderman. So a couple points. Let me clarify just on the National Avenue project piece of it just to make sure the correct information is is out, and I don't think you misspoke, but just to be specific. So what is starting on Tuesday is the Southeast Corner Of 35th And National is being reconstructed as part of the National Avenue project.

That means that folks traveling northbound on 35th South of National will not be able to travel through the intersection to get to the viaduct. So the viaduct remains open in both directions and will remain open in both directions, but people heading north on 35th will not be able to cross National to get to the viaduct. So to get to the viaduct, you will need to be traveling west on National and make that right turn. So that is that's specifically what's occurring and starting on Tuesday. We did announce that, last night and this morning depending on which form of, information you receive.

If it's desired, we could also send out a, you know, a specific media release highlighting this. It's obviously part hopefully it's obvious that it's part of the construction staging for the National Avenue project. To the larger question on coordination, that is a significant challenge.

The

we did have discussions specifically around the National Avenue project, I 94 because those are two parallel corridors. We also had, conversations around the impacts to the viaducts. The city obviously had the 16th Street rehabilitation happening over the Menominee River. Nobody can plan for emergency work, but that complicated that project further as far as the the traffic control impacts. The state is reconstructing 27th Street over the freeway as part of their project.

And then as you alluded to Alderman, there's further impacts on the west leg of I 94 as well on the on the western edge west of the stadium. So that is a lot going on at once. We had several conversations within WSDOT, within DPW about that. The challenge that we faced within DPW is the succession of things that needed to move in place. So we we nor the state wanted to delay the National Avenue project any further.

The road is in it has it has been overdue for a while and it is it was nearing not passable. So we determined that project had to move forward. 16th Street, emergency closures and emergency closure. That wasn't part of our planning, of course, but the rehab over the Menominee River structurally needed to happen when it had to happen. It also had the funding opportunity within the programs later in this memo is something called the local bridge improvement assistance that's funding part of the 16th Street rehab.

And then we discussed this with the DOT and and they did determine that the I 94 project couldn't be delayed further either. And so that is the end result of of of that is where we are today, during this time period as we're reconstructing that quadrant of 35th and

next year. Why Why that northbound lane? Why why does that entire northbound section segment have to be shut down? Like. Yeah. Can it can we move it over to the other side and have one lane in each direction?

We did look at that. There is not quite enough room to remain to safely allow the various movements to occur in in the intersection. It is a very tight intersection. There are buildings up to the corners particularly on the south side of the intersection.

But we've taken out medians before and Yep. Paved over curb extensions.

Yep. It, I mean, I will go back and work with the team to verify that but we did look at that very carefully. The original plan which Alderman Zamripo was aware of is was actually to close the entire south half of the intersection at once and we were able to work with the contractor to come up with this alternative which allowed us to do quadrants and will allow us to keep at least one direction open to access straight to the viaduct on 35th.

And you're not taking the median out or you are taking the median out?

I'll have to verify that and get back to you. So

I travel to the South Side daily Mhmm. Of a child that attends school on the South Side. And those closures, 16th And 27th, are are major. What it feels like, just on what I see on a daily basis, is for those folks who are on the lower end or the eastern end, it pushes you to 6th Street Mhmm. Or potentially Water Street to try to go. And what I noticed is that at various times of day that are aren't normal, it's highly backed up.

Mhmm.

So when my colleague, Alderman McGillis, mentioned about relieving some of the traffic calming measures Mhmm. It makes me think. Mhmm. Is there a reason that we haven't done that for 6th Street given the likelihood of more folks using it during non peak times? Mhmm. And what's stopping us from doing that?

Yeah. Thank you because he the alderman Brigales did ask that and I forgot I failed to follow-up. So so 6th Street has two separate types of traffic calming improvements. So there's a stretch between Canal and the roundabout essentially Canal And Virginia which we implemented more recently. There was also slightly older stretch between Virginia and National.

Actually, it extends further south there. So the stretch South Of Virginia, did reduce it to one lane in each direction, primarily a speeding concern and an ability to allow parking on street parking in that area, which is a burgeoning business district. So that was the primary focus of that effort. I'll be honest, we didn't consider removing that partially because it's poured concrete on top of the roadway, so we would have to do some slightly more intensive work to remove it and partially because it has been such an improvement in quality of life for that area. We've heard it's, you know, as many elders know our traffic calming projects can be controversial sometimes.

We've heard no negative feedback on that stretch, right? We did talk about, you know, the the part with the Jersey barriers, with the concrete barriers that could be moved back, between Canal and and the roundabout. I think our primary concern and I guess we're open to reevaluating that if there's a lot of feedback. Our primary concern on that was that without the additional capacity South Of Virginia, you're not doing much to improve the situation. And we were actually a little worried that with 16 shrunk South Of Virginia, you would actually shove a lot of traffic on to Virginia and on to 5th, which again are then more neighborhood and business streets that bear the brunt of too much traffic getting through at once.

We'd rather it be spaced out. And then as no doubt you noticed, I certainly noticed it as well when I use these streets, the delay from that narrowing, happens, you know, into downtown and over the viaduct, North Of Canal and into downtown, which if we're going to have a lot of congestion, those are places we would rather have that level of congestion than on neighborhood and and smaller business streets. So that's that's kind of the balancing act. The other thing I will note, and obviously president Perez just stood up, but, the reason we did that project was we were seeing a lot of drag racing southbound over the viaduct on or over the bridges on 6th Street. There were cars leaving the road.

They were running into businesses. They were it was impacting the ability of those businesses to have things like parklets and those types of things that we talked about where because people didn't feel comfortable because they're afraid a car would crash through. So that was that was a very defined safety project that we did. And I guess we would be concerned that although it would relieve the congestion issues you mentioned during the day, it would lead to a return of those nighttime activities that were were pretty pretty substantially challenging. So that was that's so and I guess I just wanna reiterate where I started on that, which is I don't think this is, like, obviously one way or another. So if we do get a lot of feedback, then on that, the preference is to focus on dealing with this congestion, we can evaluate that again.

You. Madam Chair? Madam Chair. Audeman Baumann. That

is a rational process. I cannot deny that, that you have considered the various alternatives. What is the schedule for 16th Street?

So the bridge itself is still unscheduled to reopen end of October, early November. That's been the original schedule.

The full bridge is the

portion with the steel repairs.

That would be the full bridge. The steel repairs, the latest announced is end of July.

Okay, very good.

Yeah. But I I think to although there's the reroute, of course, that you know well, Alderman, that uses Ember Lane. I think if we're really talking about adding capacity, we're really talking about reopening the entire viaduct. Yeah.

Oh, thank

you so much. I was just going to ask that same question regarding National. Sure. Was over there and it took thirty minutes to get from 6th Street all the way down to 43rd Street before you can get off of that street. So Yeah. Yet, you know how long that's gonna take and then when they will start the other side?

When it'll switch sides? I will check on my check with my team and see if we've got an update on that. I don't wanna give inaccurate information to you. The westbound configuration we have right now is is the current stage as we rebuild the south half of the street. The whole project itself is expected to run through around Thanksgiving through the end of construction season. Yep. And that'll be from twenty seventh to thirty ninth. So that should be open to traffic unless things go wrong. That should be fully open to traffic again, you know, by the end of this year. But then we are doing first to eleventh next year on National Avenue. So we're switching to the Far East end of the project next year.

Thank you. Any other questions from committee? From Go ahead, honorable.

Yeah. Thank you. So the total investment from the city for roads, big big umbrella,

right?

Is somewhere around $60,000,000 Yep. A year. Is that going to incrementally that huge that number? Is that going to incrementally improve the average condition of roadways in our community or is $60,000,000 where?

Yeah.

Where your report from May of last year requires $792,000,000 to fix all of the roads in the city. Yep. And $60,000,000 puts us on a what? 12? Mhmm. 13. Mhmm. Time frame. Yeah.

Thank you. So the 60,000,000 estimate is to tread water. So that is the average condition of the road stays the same. So we are treading water on the average condition with our current investment.

So we're not improving anything from

On on that, no. And the biggest challenge is local roads, because that's continuing to decline without additional resources.

So the resources that we are able to access from the state and from the Fed except for that $500,000 from the states from the legislature each year, that's all local tax levy.

Yes. And well and tax increment financing in some parts of town.

And the real tax. The real tax is going to generate $12,000,000 now with the recent change. But we're still millions of dollars short. Correct. What's the plan?

Yeah. As we discussed last year, I mean, I think the the most obvious plan is to go to the state and seek more resources. I think there's arguments to be made that the state is prioritizing certain types of facilities, and those certain types of facilities they're prioritizing may not. I would say they don't reflect what I hear, as as the city engineer regarding the public's preferences for priorities and so the legislature could choose to make different investment, investment priorities if they wanted to.

So we have we have to roll the dice on the outcome of the elections in November if our roads are going to improve by any measurable

I think that is generally true. We actually discussed this, I think, perhaps last committee meeting with Alderman Baumann, as well that the administration would like to invest more in roads. But any additional local levy we put into roads is something else within our capital budget that doesn't get funded, which as all members of the committee know is a balancing act of different priorities. Right? So the overall resources available to the city to invest more in capital are limited which means yes the state is the obvious unit of government to help us.

So then the the 40 ish million that we're getting in state and federal aids is that projected to continue? Like are are we applying for new projects for '27, '28, '29?

Mhmm. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Actually, that is expected to continue. It it it did actually that number got a bump up under the IIJA or the bipartisan infrastructure law depending which acronym you use, which was passed under the Biden administration. So we've taken advantage of that bump up to do more projects. It's part of why the public is seeing more construction happening right now because there is more investment going on. But that bill actually runs out September 30. So the end of the federal fiscal year for 2026 is September 30.

Actually just yesterday or the day before, the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee released their proposed replacement reauthorization legislation for transportation law, which is a thing that is typically done every five or six years. It does seemingly relatively maintain that investment pace, but the details are still to be decided. The house has to negotiate among its its members. The committee has to negotiate and then also the senate, of course, needs to contribute to their conversation as well. So it's it's looking like that investment rate will stay apace, but maybe not increase with the next transportation reauthorization.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Just a minor point, I think, you know, it's not a question of the state helping us. I mean, we are not looking for charity. Are looking for a reasonable return for the taxes and fees that the Milwaukee community sends to the state in terms of user fees, guest tax and sales tax and income tax. And we are just looking for a return of the resources and revenues we send to the state of Wisconsin.

And number two, our road infrastructure, all of our infrastructure carries state traffic. It's not just our citizens driving around, but it's people from the entire region that drives around and uses that infrastructure. And so I wish we would get away from this notion of please help us, but we want our money back. We want a fair return on the money that we send to the state of Wisconsin that funds their road projects up in these likely populated counties that have no resources to spend on anything. So I think just a point of context in terms of the mindset, please state help us. No, it is not a matter of help.

It is

a matter of a return on our and investing in the roads that carry state traffic.

Yes. Agreed and acknowledged and I apologize if I used a poor word choice there.

I get it.

We've all been saying that.

I think

we've been saying that for thirty years, forty years, fifty years. Helps. Federal government, please help us. State government, please help us. Yeah. We're the poor wayward little child over here. No. We're the economic engine of the state of Wisconsin.

I do want to note this is also a national conversation. Across the country, local governments own about 75% of the lane miles of the streets. And even if you look at the federal aid system, is an industry term for basically those arterials I've been talking about, local governments receive only about 16% of the federal funding for the federal aid even though we own 43% of the federal aid mileage. So it's national and a state conversation that's worthy to have as far as who's getting those resources.

Okay. Thank you.

Madam Chair.

Auditor Umbrella.

Yes. Thank you so much. I just want to reflect, you know, earlier we're talking about you were talking about some priorities that the state, you know, Wisconsin has regarding its road spending and, you know, maybe maybe reading between the lines a little bit, but we have a situation where we're spending from what I'm seeing, you know, billions of dollars on interstates and this and I don't even know how much this is costing over. I don't even I don't even know if I want to know how much it costs because they'll pain me to hear how much the interstate widening and redo is costing that we could have used successfully here in the city of Milwaukee for local roads or our school system or anything else that could improve the quality of life here, you know, for Milwaukeeans rather than just another highway which seems to be the state's priority. I I don't appreciate that especially from a so called progressive governor and so I think you

know this is all so called what

Alderman Blomman said like in addition to just changing the mindset that we have I mean we have to have the we have to organize Milwaukee to demand what's what's ours and to demand that we get the resources to have every single person in this city, you know, be fully self actualized. I mean, we do not have we need to Milwaukee needs to exercise its political muscle more. The residents of Milwaukee need to demand because it's not just roads that are suffering at the hands of misallocations and and misguided priorities or frankly racist priorities out of Madison. What it needs to happen is the Milwaukee needs to stand up and demand that it's not just our roads that get funded from the state government. It's not just that we get relief from ever increasing property taxes.

It's that our schools be fully funded too. So we don't have to just keep going to referendum after referendum and we have teachers that can I mean, there's a fight at the school board right now whether to have the teachers get a pay raise starting on July 1 of 1% or two and a half percent? It should be it should be a pay increase for teachers of 25% and now that money is just it just misallocated resources, you know, from the state of Wisconsin. So, really I really appreciate this being recognized in some way by the executive branch as well and everybody in this room should be aware and everybody following this on TV too should be aware that you know we are really have a huge amount of misplaced priorities. We have tax breaks for the rich.

We have more and more interstate high ways and now at the federal level too, we're look, you know, we've spent almost $40,000,000,000 in our engagement with Iran. All that money could have been used, you know, here locally and across the country and local roads. So, I appreciate that this is the this should be recognized and but more specifically, have a rather random specific question because I've been asked by a few different constituents. You know, about our different funding sources. I'm glad Alderman Burgales was able to outline some of them for local roads with the levy, the wheel tax, and could you just clarify if you're aware where revenues or net revenues, if any, from parking citations where those where those go?

I think there is a I would just speak I've been asked if you know how much are we just writing more parking tickets to fix the roads. I mean obviously that's not a equitable solution but where I do I'm I'm aware that parking services does is like self funding. It pays for itself at the revenue generated but where does where does net revenue go from from parking?

I would have to defer because that isn't under my side of DPW. So parking service is part of our operations division. So I will say, I think very generally, net revenue was a question for a little while, with especially during and immediately after the start of COVID. And there's been, in order to keep parking services operating, there was a need to allocate resources actually to the parking fund. So my understanding is that right now that the parking fund any net revenue is going to pay back where the money was borrowed from as part of that. But I really the budget office office or the operations.

Yes, madam chair. My American election serves the any net revenue created by parking enforcement would go into the transportation fund.

Correct.

Yes. And

net income during the budget cycle is then plugged back into the general account. Correct. Reduced tax levy.

Yep. Yeah. That's all correct.

It's not your it doesn't go as particular place. It's not in a lock box. If you want to use that term of the old days. It's not dedicated to a specific source. It's just general revenue that's used to reduce property taxes.

That's all correct. I just don't I don't have the current numbers of what's going on here in my head. Appreciate you serving that.

I think we just make this

It's been

a big number. Upwards of $15.18000000 some years.

At at one point.

Yep. Once upon

a time, we were writing $19,000,000 in parking ticket. I think we're down about 12 or 14 now.

I would, I'm not the one with the the numbers in my head. So,

yeah. Budgetable.

But I think the, you know, the point I'm trying to make with that with that question

and just I thank you for

that clarification because I have gotten questions from constituents about that. You know, where does where does that money go? I mean, we, sounds like, you know, there's questions on net and it goes in the general fund after the after that point. But the thing, you know, I think the point that I want to make here is that like, you know, our options are limited here at the state of Milwaukee for revenue generation. We have to have support from the state of Wisconsin and it is, you know, the state income tax is an incremental income tax, incremental progressive income tax is the most equitable way to extract, you know, to to have the state get the resources it needs and then we can collect that at the state level.

So, then, you know, when we get more revenue from the state, it's not just a matter of the state letting us lifting the property tax levy which is something we should be able to do if we want to but it's not just matter of them lifting the property tax levy or letting us levy a local income tax which maybe that's a future thing we could be asking the legislature for as well in order to offset property taxes but it's a matter of you know all the state coming together pooling its money and then it being equally based on population and need distributed throughout the state of Wisconsin. You know, so that the people so that there therefore the people in Menomonee Falls who use our roads, who come to the East Side, who come to Bradford Beach, who come to Brady Street, the people in Menomonee Falls and New Berlin, and even, you know, Madison or or Watertown who are coming over here to the East Side or Bayview or coming to a Brewers game are paying their fair share for the local roads that they're using because the I appreciate what the alderman said that they are using our local roads too.

If they're visiting a friend at UWM, they're coming into the 3rd District and they're driving on Kramer Street and continuing the wear and tear on that road. And so it does make sense that at a statewide level, we're planning this and generating that income there. Thank you. Before

our Audit Member Gas Committee Member Tyler.

Thank you so much. So I just wanted to look at this highway improvement safety improvement program that you have on slide eight, and it says targeted at locations with deadly and life changing injury crashes. Yes. And then when I look at some of the roads that are listed down here, Brown Deer Road isn't included. And that is one, when I first got here, it

was Mhmm.

Six Mhmm. Accidents there and I believe it was, I know, one fatality for sure.

Mhmm.

So I guess I'm just looking at how does that play into determining where the funds will be spent for improvement?

Yes. Yeah. Thank you, Alderman. Very good question. So, Brown Deer Road in particular is a state trunk highway. So we have actually you and I had this conversation a couple of years ago I believe when you first became elder woman. We have historically and after that conversation we did advocate to the state around safety improvements. I would have to check to see if they've got anything in in the pipeline on that particular stretch. But this wouldn't be because it's state trunk highway, it's not an application the city would submit and this list reflects the city city submittals that DPW has has submitted to this program.

Well, when you do check, could you please let me know? Was coming that way today and there was another in the exact same space. Yeah. Another accident. I don't believe it was deadly this time but I don't want to get to that point Yeah.

Before we ask a question.

Thank you.

Honorable Gallas.

Thank you. And, kind of to wrap this up, older person Joe Castro Zamripa has just announced, and sent out a media advisory for a press event on the corner of 35th National Avenue for today at 03:30PM. I hope you can join.

Thank you. Are there any any other questions? Hearing none hearing none, Alderman Westmoreland would move to place on file. Objections. So order. Alderman West Alderman Brower would move reconsideration of item 14, file number two five zero zero a six. The substitute resolution assigned to honorary street name, John j Williams, to North 14th Street from West Capitol Drive to West Isle Street in the first automatic, district.

Okay. Bradley.

I I know we were waiting for the update for the woman Pratt to join us, but in the interim, she did stop through. And I know she spoke with you, miss Williams Yes. That she spoke to some members as well to let us know her support, I believe, of this street name because she had a neighborhood walk to get to. Yes. So if you wanna go ahead and tell us a little bit about John j Williams and why he's so deserving of the street name.

I will. Thank you very much. My name is Joanne Williams. I am John J. Williams' son. I live at 9524 North 60th Street in Brown Deer, 53223. John Jay Williams was the longest resident in Milwaukee on 4130 North 14th Street. His family moved to Milwaukee in 1923. His father, Reverend Samuel Williams, became pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. He attended Lincoln High School, now Lincoln Center for the Arts, then worked as a Pullman porter in the kitchen on the trains that came into Milwaukee.

He graduated from Milwaukee Teachers College, now UWM, to be a high school teacher. But he could not get hired to teach in Milwaukee because MPS did not hire black teachers then. So he found a position in Oklahoma to teach high school. He and my mother returned to Milwaukee in 1942 because her family was all still here. They had been in Wisconsin before the Civil War.

In the 1940s, he ran his own newspaper, The Milwaukee Globe. John Williams worked at the Tannenbaum Tannery and started the first women's softball team to build camaraderie between black and white workers. He was the first black cab driver in Milwaukee working for the Yellow Cab Company, then brought in black women to become drivers. He worked in the post office here in Milwaukee as a mailman downtown on the East Side. He was promoted to supervisor and employment officer and worked there for more than forty years.