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Finance committee approvals and votes — May 29, 2025 (summary)
Summary
The Finance and Personnel Committee took a series of routine budget, personnel and contract actions May 29, including approvals of vacancy requests, fund transfers and grant acceptances; several procurement and contract items were placed on file or held as noted.
The Finance and Personnel Committee completed routine budget and personnel actions and approved multiple resolutions and communications on May 29. Key outcomes are summarized below.
Votes at a glance
- Item 4 (250204) — Communication from Department of Administration, Budget & Management Analysis Division regarding vacancy requests, fund transfers, and equipment requests: APPROVED. The item included property‑tax levy and non‑property levy supported position authorities and fund transfers to support police radios and fire apparatus repairs (e.g., $15.585 million transfer within police for radios and other items; fire department transfer of approximately $3.946 million for repair and equipment). No roll‑call objections were recorded during the meeting.
- Item 5 (250201) — Communication reporting waivers granted for single/sole‑source contracts or amendments (Purchasing Director Rhonda Kelsey): PLACED ON FILE. Contracts included Microsoft unified support, Geocortex GIS licensing, JobApps interface work, Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network (WISH) amendment for EMS data sharing, and RELX research platform; several were multi‑year extensions or small dollar amendments.
- Item 6 (250202) — Department of Employee Relations classification studies (City Service Commission report): PLACED ON FILE. New time‑tracking lead and specialist positions tied to Workday implementations were noted.
- Item 7 (250203) — DER clerical/administrative corrections to salary and positions ordinances: PLACED ON FILE.
- Item 8 (250243) — Milwaukee Fire Department position authority for firefighter/paramedic positions implementing the recent labor agreement: APPROVED. The item added positions to sustain daily minimum staffing under the new vacation schedule; the chief confirmed the change implements the contract terms.
- Items 9, 10, 11 (250011; 250057; 250135) — Grants referred from Public Safety & Health (MMDEG drug‑enforcement grant; Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma grant; Wisconsin newborn screening grant): ADOPTED as grouped.
- Items 12 and 13 (ordinance amendments to offices and positions for 2025): ADOPTED, reflecting earlier committee actions on staffing and pay changes.
Procedural notes and held items
- Item 2 (long‑term roads financing report, 250198) was HELD to the call of the chair pending delivery of the administration’s report by May 31; the committee expects the city engineer to appear at the next meeting.
- Item 3 (Flock Group ALPR contract, 250196) was HELD to the call of the chair after public testimony and a closed‑session legal review of discrete competitive/bargaining contract questions (see separate article). The committee recorded a 4–1 vote to hold the substitute resolution following closed‑session counsel review.
Why it matters: The package of votes moves payroll authorities, equipment funding and grant acceptances forward for the administration and departments, and sets follow‑up on procurement and road‑funding matters. Several items were routine approvals; two items (roads report and Flock contract) were delayed for additional staff or legal work.
What’s next: Items held will return to the Finance Committee when staff deliver the promised documents (roads plan) or when the City Attorney and Purchasing report back on contract language and competitive/indemnification issues (Flock). Departments will proceed with approved personnel hires and fund transfers as part of fiscal-year operations and capital work.
