Wauwatosa health director highlights grant-funded programs, warns ARPA positions need new funding in 2027

Director Stevens, the city’s health department director, told the Financial Affairs Committee on Oct. 14 that the department expects relatively few structural changes in the 2026 budget but highlighted several programs that have expanded since 2024.

Stevens said the city’s “period pantry,” launched in November 2024, has “distributed over 22,000 menstrual products to 25 community partners,” including the public library and local schools. The department also described a harm-reduction vending machine, funded through ARPA and settlement money, that dispensed over 1,300 items in its first eight months; top items included first-aid kits, COVID test kits, hygiene supplies and naloxone. Stevens said the department has confirmed naloxone from the machine “has saved at least 1 life.”

The budget narrative shows the city receives roughly $100,000 a year from the state to support core public-health programs the director called state-mandated — communicable disease, lead, and immunizations — but Stevens warned many discretionary outreach programs are grant-funded and therefore vulnerable.

“We have 4.6 FTE nursing positions that primarily do communicable disease follow-up,” Stevens said, noting the state provides only about $4,600 to support that work and the remainder is covered by the tax levy.

Stevens summarized partial and temporary programs funded by ARPA and other one‑time grants: a city social worker (in place since 2022), a youth mental-health social worker, substance-use positions, and a vending‑machine harm‑reduction program. The social worker role has handled more than 500 referrals since 2022; Stevens said roughly two-thirds of those referrals were connected to services and that over half of referrals relate to mental-health or aging concerns.

Stevens told the committee the ARPA-funded positions are budgeted through 2026. “Beginning in 2027, we will need to find new funding for those,” Stevens said, adding staff are pursuing grant funding and will likely ask for tax-levy support in the 2027 budget for at least the city social worker and possibly other social‑work positions. Stevens also noted opioid settlement funds will provide multi‑year support for the department’s substance‑use specialist but not for the other ARPA positions.

On fees, the health department proposed modest increases (about $20 in many re‑inspection, pre‑inspection and license fees) and adjustments to short‑term‑rental and hotel fees to align with regional peers and better cover inspection costs. Stevens said some fees previously provided free will be charged going forward, and some larger facilities will face a range-based pre-inspection fee tied to facility size.

The department narrative proposed (but did not receive approval for) adding a second facility dog; Stevens said the city will continue with one facility dog after the previous animal passed earlier in the year. The narrative also notes an update to short‑term‑rental revenue estimates after final fees changed post‑budget last year.

Alder Dolan thanked Stevens for the period‑product initiative and for the life‑saving result from the vending machine. No public commenters raised questions during the meeting.

The department will return with updates through 2026 as staff pursue grants and prepare a request for tax‑levy support if needed.

Essential budget figures and program details cited in the department narrative include: 22,000 menstrual products distributed; more than 500 referrals received by the city social worker since 2022; roughly 1,300 vending‑machine items dispensed in the first eight months; approximately $100,000/year in state funding for core programs (plus about $150,000 in additional grant funding in the past one to two years); and 4.6 FTE nursing positions tied to communicable-disease follow-up.