Public Works Committee approves multiple street, sidewalk and traffic-calming projects; confirms sewage-district appointees and accepts MMSD grant

The Milwaukee Public Works Committee approved a package of street, sidewalk and traffic-calming projects and confirmed four mayoral appointees to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) during a meeting that also included a vote to terminate an intergovernmental recycling agreement with Waukesha County and acceptance of an MMSD grant for permeable pavers.

The committee, chaired at the start of the meeting by the committee chair (recorded in the transcript as chairwoman Mielele a Cogz), approved assessments and construction for a variety of public-improvement projects and a slate of traffic-calming speed-hump installations after hearing resident testimony on several blocks. Committee staff and aldermen emphasized public-safety goals and neighborhood petitions as the drivers of the speed-hump program.

Why it matters: the actions set construction and assessment authorizations that will determine which sidewalks and alleys are rebuilt, where speed humps will be installed and how costs will be billed to adjacent property owners. The meeting also moved forward city fiscal and intergovernmental decisions that affect waste processing and stormwater-management pilot projects.

What the committee approved and discussed

- Appointments to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District: The committee confirmed Mayor Johnson's appointees Joanna Bouch (file 250188), Alderman Milleli Cox (file 250190), Jose Ramirez (file 250191) and the reappointment of Representative Caitlin Haywood (file 250192). The confirmations were moved on the record by an alderman and approved without recorded objections. The confirmation of Alderman Cox was recorded with an abstention by Cox.

- File 250142: Resolution approving the levying of assessments and construction of accessible public-improvement projects at various locations. The file encompassed multiple individual sidewalk, alley and traffic-calming projects across aldermanic districts. The committee: - Removed (deleted) one alley reconstruction project in the First Aldermanic District after the alderwoman for that district opposed the project. - Approved multiple speed-hump installations and alley/road reconstructions across the Second, Third, Fifth and Fifteenth Aldermanic Districts after public testimony and reports of postcard-survey support and petition signatures; most motions were approved without objection. - Held one speed-hump item (North 80 Eighth Street between West Concordia Avenue and West Townsend Street, Fifth District) for additional outreach because the initial postcard response rate was small. - Approved other reconstruction and sidewalk projects in the Third and Fifteenth Aldermanic Districts; in one instance a petitioner asked for the work to be constructed during the current construction season for safety reasons, and DPW staff confirmed construction scheduling would occur if the project was authorized.

- File 250143 and file 250144 (design/engineering): The committee approved authorizations to begin engineering/design work for various accessible and non-accessible projects with estimated engineering and total project budgets noted in the files (file 250143 estimated city engineering $85,000, total estimated $900,000; file 250144 city engineering $15,000, total $525,000). Motions carried without recorded objection.

- File 250145 and file 250146 (construction funding and area-wide sidewalk contracts): The committee approved construction funding setups for a set of non-accessible public improvements and for the 2025 area-wide and scattered-site sidewalk replacement contracts (construction-cost estimates were included in the files and discussed during the hearing). Committee members asked DPW staff to clarify how scattered-site requests are assessed and prioritized; DPW reported that scattered-site replacements are owner-initiated, inspected by staff, and currently there is a multi-year list (about 1,500 requests with roughly 300 addressed per year under current contracts).

- File 250118: The committee authorized a driveway approach wider than 30 feet (Frank Productions development; Vacated Fifth Street) to accommodate bus/van parking for the development; the item was approved.

- Project fund transfers for bridge rehabilitation (file 250133 and file 250134): The committee approved additional city cost participation for design work on the Ninth Place Bridge and the Holton Road (Holly Road) bridge over State Street. The files increased the city share of design funding; motions carried without objection.

- File 250139: The committee approved terminating the intergovernmental cooperation agreement with Waukesha County related to a regional recycling system. Rick Myers, Sanitation Services Manager, explained that a 2023 fire at the shared processing site altered the economics and insurance costs for rebuilding; subsequent study and a separate Waukesha procurement led both parties to move to end the joint-arrangement file. The motion to terminate the agreement was approved without recorded objection.

- File 250141: The committee accepted a green-solutions grant from MMSD to install permeable pavers in parking lanes on West Cherry Street (between North 30 Second Street and North 30 Fifth Street) as part of a street-reconstruction project; DPW staff said this will be a permanent paver installation. Motion carried without objection.

- File 250211 (ordinance amending four airspace leases with the Wisconsin Center District): Committee discussion of this item was lengthy and politically charged; the committee ultimately referred the item to the Finance and Personnel Committee without recommendation for deeper review and negotiations (see separate story).

- File 250152 (Gary Grunau[d] Memorial Plaza / Riverwalk): The committee approved a development agreement with the Downtown Riverwalk Business Improvement District No. 15 to design and construct the Gary Grunau Memorial Plaza using TID funding and BID contributions subject to RPP and SBE goals. Motion carried without objection.

- File 241333: The committee approved vacating a 40-foot portion of an east-west alley adjacent to 2111 West Wisconsin Avenue (Patrician Apartments) after staff said there is no current or future public purpose served by retaining the right-of-way; the property owner had paid required removal fees and notices were sent to adjacent owners. Motion carried without objection.

Votes at a glance (selected files) - 250188 — Appointment of Joanna Bouch to MMSD: motion to confirm (mover: council member noted on record); outcome: confirmed, no objections recorded. - 250190 — Appointment of Alderman Milleli Cox to MMSD: motion to confirm (mover: Alderman Baumann); outcome: confirmed; recorded abstention by Alderman Cox. - 250191 — Appointment of Jose Ramirez to MMSD: confirmed, no objections recorded. - 250192 — Reappointment of Representative Caitlin Haywood: moved and confirmed as noted on record. - 250142 — Levying of assessments and construction of accessible public-improvement projects (includes multiple alley, pavement and speed hump projects): approved with deletions/holds as described in the hearing; several speed-hump projects approved, one item held for further outreach. - 250143 — Determine necessary to make accessible public improvements (engineering): approved. - 250144 — Determine necessary to make non-accessible public improvements (engineering): approved. - 250145 — Approve construction of non-accessible public improvements: approved (substitute adopted for one project grouping). - 250146 — Authorize area-wide sidewalk replacement contracts: approved. - 250118 — Approve driveway approach wider than 30 feet (1051 N. Bell/Frank Productions): approved. - 250133, 250134 — Increase city cost participation for bridge design (Ninth Place Bridge, Holly Road bridge): both approved. - 250139 — Terminate intergovernmental recycling agreement with Waukesha County: approved. - 250141 — Accept MMSD green solutions grant for permeable pavers on West Cherry Street: approved. - 250211 — Ordinance amending four airspace leases with the Wisconsin Center District: referred to Finance and Personnel Committee without recommendation. - 250152 — Development agreement for Gary Grunau Memorial Plaza (TID-funded / BID contribution): approved. - 241333 — Vacation of portion of east-west alley at 2111 W. Wisconsin Ave.: approved.

What committee members and staff said

Holly Rittenback, Department of Public Works project adviser, described assessment rules and financing for reconstruction projects and explained that alley reconstruction assessments follow the city ordinance recovery ratio (50% of construction cost is assessed to adjacent property owners). DPW staff also described the spacing policies and design guidance for speed humps, drawing on FHWA guidance and Institute of Transportation Engineers practice, and said speed humps will be asphalt and located in clear zones free of driveways and utilities.

Residents who testified on individual speed-hump proposals gave mixed testimony: several neighborhood residents described children playing and speeding issues and urged approval; other residents on different blocks said they saw little speeding, cited snow-removal and emergency-response concerns, and opposed assessments where they saw no safety justification.

Hearing/next steps

Most motions were approved on the day of the committee meeting. The airspace-lease/amendment file with the Wisconsin Center District (file 250211) was referred to the Finance and Personnel Committee for further review and negotiation. Projects authorized for construction and design will move into scheduling and scoping with DPW; some projects approved for the 2025 construction season were discussed as potentially starting this year.

Speakers [{"name":"Amber Daniels","role_title":"Council liaison for Mayor Johnson","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Mayor's Office","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:37:18","transcript_line_range":[2238,2240]}},{"name":"Joanna Bouch","role_title":"Executive Director, Via Community Development Corporation (appointee)","affiliation_type":"nonprofit","affiliation_name":"Via Community Development Corporation","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:37:35","transcript_line_range":[2258,2260]}},{"name":"Jose Ramirez","role_title":"Mayor's appointee (introductions)","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"resident / union representative","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:41:42","transcript_line_range":[2524,2526]}},{"name":"Holly Rittenback","role_title":"DPW project adviser","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Department of Public Works","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:44:20","transcript_line_range":[2672,2674]}},{"name":"Gary Nosacek","role_title":"Resident / witness","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"not specified","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:51:32","transcript_line_range":[3092,3094]}},{"name":"Tom Jans","role_title":"Resident / witness","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"not specified","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:55:36","transcript_line_range":[3336,3338]}},{"name":"Mark Jelasic","role_title":"Resident / witness","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"not specified","first_reference":{"timecode":"01:07:46","transcript_line_range":[4066,4068]}},{"name":"Kaya Slaugstensperkitz","role_title":"Resident / witness","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"not specified","first_reference":{"timecode":"01:07:58","transcript_line_range":[4318,4320]}},{"name":"Cameron Charier","role_title":"Property owner/testifier","affiliation_type":"business","affiliation_name":"owner of 1851 North Warren Ave","first_reference":{"timecode":"01:20:14","transcript_line_range":[4814,4816]}},{"name":"Rick Myers","role_title":"Sanitation Services Manager","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Sanitation Services (DPW)","first_reference":{"timecode":"01:50:46","transcript_line_range":[6646,6648]}},{"name":"Solomon Bechler","role_title":"DPW staff","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Department of Public Works","first_reference":{"timecode":"01:58:55","transcript_line_range":[7075,7077]}}],"authorities":[{"type":"ordinance","name":"City ordinance: alley reconstruction assessment recovery ratio (50%)","referenced_by":["250142"]},{"type":"policy","name":"DPW speed-hump effective spacing policy (based on FHWA and Institute of Transportation Engineers guidance)","referenced_by":["250142"]},{"type":"other","name":"Traffic-counting ordinance (enabling speed-hump program, enacted 02/2006)","referenced_by":["250142"]}],"actions":[{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250188"},"motion":"Confirm appointment of Joanna Bouch to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District","mover":"Alderman Baumann (recorded motion)","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"No objections recorded; congratulatory remarks."},{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250190"},"motion":"Confirm appointment of Alderman Milleli Cox to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District","mover":"Alderman Baumann","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Recorded abstention by Alderman Cox."},{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250191"},"motion":"Confirm appointment of Jose Ramirez to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District","mover":"Alderman Baumann","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"No objections recorded."},{"kind":"appointment","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250192"},"motion":"Confirm reappointment of Representative Caitlin Haywood to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District","mover":"Alderman Westmoreland","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"No objections recorded; item briefly held then confirmed."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250142"},"motion":"Adopt resolution approving levying of assessments and construction of accessible public-improvement projects at multiple locations; include traffic-calming speed-hump installations and alley/pavement reconstructions","mover":"Alderman Baumann (moved approval on multiple subitems)","second":"various/recorded on the floor","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Multiple subprojects approved; one alley project deleted at request of local alderwoman; one speed-hump item held for further outreach (North 80 Eighth Street)."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250143"},"motion":"Determine necessary to make various accessible public improvements (engineering funds)","mover":"Alderman Baumann","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"City engineering funds $85,000; total estimated $900,000."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250144"},"motion":"Determine necessary to make various non-accessible public improvements (engineering funds)","mover":"Alderman Taylor","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"City engineering funds $15,000; total estimated $525,000."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250145"},"motion":"Approve construction of non-accessible public improvements (substitute adopted)","mover":"Alderman Brower","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Construction funding set up; substitute amended project list for emergencies."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250146"},"motion":"Authorize area-wide scattered-site sidewalk replacement contracts (2025) and appropriate funds","mover":"Alderman Taylor","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Construction-cost estimate included; DPW explained area-wide vs. scattered-site selection criteria."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250118"},"motion":"Grant approval of driveway approach wider than 30 feet for 1051 North Bell (Frank Productions)","mover":"Alderman Balman","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Approved for service access for buses/vans."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250133"},"motion":"Authorize additional city funds for design of Ninth Place Bridge rehabilitation","mover":"Alderman Westmoreland","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"City share $55,000 increase."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250134"},"motion":"Authorize additional city funds for design of Holton/Holly Road bridge rehabilitation","mover":"Alderman Brower","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"City share $40,000 increase."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250139"},"motion":"Terminate intergovernmental cooperation agreement with Waukesha County regarding regional recycling system","mover":"Alderman Westmoreland","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"DPW Sanitation Services explained fire-damaged processing facility and changed economics/insurance costs."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250141"},"motion":"Accept MMSD Green Solutions grant to install permeable pavers on West Cherry Street","mover":"Alderman Brower","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Grant will fund permanent paver installation as part of street reconstruction."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250211"},"motion":"Amend four airspace leases with the Wisconsin Center District (ordinance)","mover":"Alderman Baumann (sponsor)","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"referred","notes":"Motion referred to Finance and Personnel Committee without recommendation for further negotiation and review."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"250152"},"motion":"Approve development agreement with Downtown Riverwalk BID No. 15 for Gary Grunau Memorial Plaza (TID funding & BID contribution)","mover":"Alderman Balmer","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"BID to contribute 22% and conform to RPP/SBE goals; project budget in TID 84."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"241333"},"motion":"Vacate portion of east-west alley adjacent to 2111 West Wisconsin Ave.","mover":"Alderman Baumann","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Applicant paid removal fee; DPW recommended approval; plan commission recommended approval."}],"discussion_decision":{"discussion_points":["Neighborhood petitions and postcard surveys used to measure support for speed humps and sidewalk projects","DPW described assessment ratios (50% for alley reconstruction) and speed-hump siting policies (FHWA/ITE guidance)","Sanitation Services explained changed economics after 2023 fire at regional processing facility and Waukesha County procurement"],"directions":["DPW to scope and schedule approved projects for 2025 construction season; engineering funds authorized for design of future projects"],"decisions":["Confirmations of four MMSD board appointees","Approval of multiple street and sidewalk projects and funding authorizations","Termination of Waukesha County intergovernmental recycling agreement","Acceptance of MMSD green-solutions grant","Referral of airspace-lease amendment file 250211 to Finance and Personnel Committee without recommendation"]},"clarifying_details":[{"category":"assessment_recovery_ratio","detail":"Per city ordinance, alley reconstruction recovery ratio is 50%","value":50,"units":"percent","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Holly Rittenback"},{"category":"speed_hump_cost_estimate","detail":"Typical assessment example: 40 feet of frontage results in a one-time bill of $110 for a speed-hump project","value":110,"units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Holly Rittenback"},{"category":"scattered_site_waitlist","detail":"DPW has about 1,500 scattered-site sidewalk requests on file; contracts address roughly 300 locations per year (about a 5-year wait)","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Holly Rittenback"},{"category":"bridge_design_increase","detail":"Ninth Place Bridge estimated city share increase: $55,000; Holly Road/Holton Road bridge increase: $40,000","units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"David Tappe"}],"proper_names":[{"name":"Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District","type":"agency"},{"name":"Department of Public Works","type":"agency"},{"name":"Downtown Riverwalk Business Improvement District No. 15","type":"organization"},{"name":"Wisconsin Center District","type":"organization"},{"name":"Menomonee Valley","type":"location"}],"community_relevance":{"geographies":["Milwaukee: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Fifteenth Aldermanic Districts","West Cherry Street (North 32nd area)"] ,"funding_sources":["assessments to abutting property owners","Tax Increment District 84 funds","MMSD Green Solutions grant"],"impact_groups":["residents on affected blocks","pedestrians and cyclists","property owners assessed for reconstruction"]},"meeting_context":{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":40,