Waukesha committee approves 0.875 FTE in security staff for South Street ramp to curb vandalism

The Waukesha City Human Resources Committee unanimously approved adding 0.875 full‑time equivalent security staff to provide coverage at the South Street parking ramp in downtown Waukesha.

Brandon Schwinn, deputy director of public works and city engineer, told the committee the South Street ramp has experienced vandalism, graffiti, and misuse, and the city has taken measures including tougher materials for windows, camera improvements tied to police dispatch and increased enforcement. Schwinn said the next step is adding security guard coverage at the ramp.

Schwinn said the proposal represents roughly 35 hours per week split across two part‑time positions (one 20‑hour and one 15‑hour position) for a combined 0.875 FTE. He estimated the annual cost at just under $35,000 and said the cost would be covered by the city’s parking utility, which is already averaging about nine parking citations per day across the two municipal ramps under the new parking system.

“I have a couple more bills that we need to pay, and we’re not—we’re just halfway through the year,” Schwinn said, noting year‑to‑date cleanup and repair costs for vandalism and biohazard incidents exceeded $6,300 and that additional security is expected to reduce those operating expenses.

Committee members asked for clarification and had no substantive objections. A motion to approve the agenda item (ID 2051240) passed unanimously.

Schwinn said the city has already implemented deterrents—replacement of vulnerable glass with Lexan, graffiti removal programs, updated cameras and coordination with police—and expects the security staffing, funded by the parking utility, to be offset by citation revenue and reduced cleanup costs.