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City Service Commission approves minutes, extends temporary appointments and probationary periods
Summary
At a brief March 25 meeting in Milwaukee, the City Service Commission approved March 11 minutes and unanimously approved a series of temporary appointment and probationary extensions for Water Works and Public Works staff and several neighborhood services employees.
The Milwaukee City Service Commission on March 25 approved the minutes of its March 11 meeting and unanimously granted multiple temporary appointment and probationary extensions for city employees, actions commissioners said were needed to maintain basic services through the year.
Commissioners approved the March 11 minutes early in the session. The commission then approved a 90-day extension to June 21, 2025, for a temporary appointment at Milwaukee Water Works for Miguel Herrera; several temporary appointment extensions for city laborers in the Department of Public Works Operations Division that run to Dec. 19, 2025; and probationary-period extensions for three Neighborhood Services and Infrastructure Services employees.
Why it matters: The extensions keep staff in place while supervisors are on leave, while employees complete required certifications, or while the departments await clarity on next year’s budget and staffing changes. The Department of Public Works told commissioners it expects a 2026 budget change that would reduce the number of city laborers while increasing equipment-operator positions; commissioners said the extensions preserve service continuity through that transition.
Most important actions
- Minutes (File 241832): The commission approved the meeting minutes from March 11, 2025. The motion carried with Commissioner Miller, Commissioner Smith and Commissioner Cleary voting yes.
- Milwaukee Water Works temporary appointment (File 241833): The commission approved a first extension of a temporary appointment for Miguel Herrera to serve in a supervisory capacity through June 21, 2025. City staff said the regular supervisor remains on injury leave and a return-to-work date is uncertain. The motion carried with Miller, Smith and Cleary voting yes.
- Department of Public Works Operations Division temporary appointments (File 241834): The commission approved first extensions for 19 listed city laborers to Dec. 19, 2025. Department correspondence said the workers are needed to provide basic services for the rest of the year and that staffing levels are expected to change under the 2026 budget. The motion carried with Miller, Smith and Cleary voting yes.
- Neighborhood Services probationary extensions (Files 241835 and 241836): The commission approved three probationary extensions: Denae Lindsey (district code enforcement supervisor) for three months through July 28, 2025, and Tina Hope (Office Assistant 4) for three months through June 16, 2025. Meeting materials cited incomplete certification for Lindsey and attendance/dependability concerns for Hope; each file included a probationary-service report and an employee performance improvement plan. Commissioners confirmed each employee was notified of the extension. Motions carried with Miller, Smith and Cleary voting yes.
- Infrastructure Services probationary extension (File 85241837): The commission approved a six-month extension for Elias Sarati, municipal services electrician, through Oct. 7, 2025. City engineering correspondence cited attendance and dependability concerns; materials included an employee-improvement plan. The motion carried with Miller, Smith and Cleary voting yes.
What commissioners and staff said
Commission staff told the commission that paperwork for the temporary appointments and extensions — including job descriptions, resumes, reports of probationary service and improvement plans — had been provided in advance. For the Department of Public Works item, staff emphasized that services must be maintained through the remainder of the year and that the department will report back later in the year when budget decisions for 2026 are clearer. Human Resources confirmed the affected employees had been notified of the probationary extensions.
Procedural notes and next meeting
There were no public comments on these items. The meeting concluded after routine business; commissioners scheduled upcoming meetings for April 7 (appeal hearing, limited to noon–12:30 p.m. by room availability) and April 8 (regular meeting). The commission adjourned following the votes.
