Milwaukee Board approves classification changes, several temporary appointment extensions and one exemption

The Milwaukee Board of City Service Commissioners approved classification and pay-rate adjustments, repurposed two vacant health department positions, extended multiple temporary appointments and exempted a Department of City Development communications position at its July 22 meeting.

The board voted to accept three classification reports presented by Sarah Cinski of Compensation Services. The first report recommended title and classification adjustments in the Assessor’s Office: retitling one chief assessor position to deputy commissioner of assessments; retitling an assessment division manager to residential division manager (recruitment rate $95,761); reallocating an assessment operations director from pay range 1KX (recruitment rate $105,336) to pay range 1MX (recruitment rate $120,143); and reclassifying an assessment division manager to commercial division manager (recruitment rate $105,336). Cinski described the changes as intended to reflect duties, address compression and align recruitment rates with responsibilities and market data. "I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have," she said.

The second report addressed Department of Public Works inventory positions and recommended setting the recruitment rate for three inventory-management titles (DPW inventory and purchasing manager, fleet inventory manager, and inventory manager) at $76,500, and increasing the recruitment rate for inventory assistant manager from $61,544 to $62,959.

The third report asked to repurpose two vacant positions in the Milwaukee Health Department: converting an accounting coordinator 2 (peerage 2FM) to a health revenue cycle specialist (peerage 2IX), and converting a Well Women program manager (peerage 1GX, recruitment rate $91,191) to a health project supervisor (peerage 1GX, recruitment rate $87,656).

The board recorded that most of the classification changes involved vacant positions or employees already performing the duties; staff recommended no probationary-period changes for those reclassified or reallocated roles.

Separately, the board approved five requests to extend temporary appointments. The Department of Health requested a four-month extension, retroactive to April 13, 2025, for Michael (Mike) O'Mannon in the chief of staff position, through Aug. 30, 2025; Commissioner Michael Todoridis submitted the letter supporting that request. The Department of Public Works requested first extensions (July 20–Dec. 19, 2025) for Nicole Anderson as tow lot manager and for Tammy Stefan as assistant tow lot manager; Danielle Rodriguez, DPW director of operations, supplied job descriptions and resumes with those requests. DPW also requested a first extension (July 20–Dec. 19, 2025) for Jason Schmeling (urban forestry technician) to cover an employee on extended medical leave. The sanitation division requested a fourth extension (Aug. 16–Dec. 19, 2025) for David Espinosa (equipment and tool mechanic 2); Makeisha Porter, human resources administrator for DPW operations, explained Espinosa's appointment resulted from multiple staffing shifts and said an internal job announcement is posted in the Department of Employee Relations so the position can be filled permanently.

Commissioners moved and seconded approval for each extension; roll-call responses showed the commissioners present voted to approve the items.

The board also approved a request from the Department of City Development to exempt one marketing and communications coordinator position (pay range 2JX). Deputy Commissioner Sam Leichling and an HR manager referenced in the packet (Urban) supplied a memo describing that the position reports to the deputy commissioner and performs independent public-relations work, which supported the exemption request.

President Frank Bach opened and closed the meeting. Commissioners present recorded approval of the minutes from the July 8 meeting and approved all items described above by voice or roll-call. At the end of the meeting Bach noted receipt of an email notifying the commission that an individual identified in the packet would be leaving; a participant who identified themself as Harper addressed colleagues and said this might be their last meeting and that they expected to return as a guest at future hearings.

The board adjourned after brief announcements, noting a regular meeting scheduled for Sept. 9 and a discharge appeal hearing on Sept. 15. The commission did not take any other formal actions at the meeting.