Waukesha Board of Public Works approves mobile-pay change, parking-ramp repairs, flood mitigation change order and one-year leaf pickup for Park Place

The Waukesha Board of Public Works on Thursday approved a series of routine and project-specific actions, including a contract amendment to add a mobile-pay option for parking permits, change orders for repairs and flood-mitigation work, a sidewalk easement with We Energies and a one-year leaf-collection agreement for Park Place Mobile Home Community.

The board voted to approve the mobile-pay amendment with Passport Labs that will let drivers buy short-term parking permits without entering a username and password. Staff said the amendment carries a one-time implementation fee of $750 and a convenience fee of $0.45 per transaction charged to the parker, plus the usual credit-card processing fees. Brandon, a Department of Public Works staff member, told the board the city has seen higher payment rates at both ramps since implementing the Passport system and that the mobile-pay add‑on will be followed by new signage and QR-code deployment in the ramps.

Board members asked about the transaction fee and accessibility for users unfamiliar with mobile payments. Brandon said the convenience fee covers ongoing system maintenance and that the city is reviewing whether to pass credit-card processing fees to customers more broadly. Alderman Joe Piper noted the city plans additional QR-code signs within ramps to make payment easier for people arriving without prior experience with the system.

The board also approved a $41,714 contract change order with Scicon to repair vandalism damage at the South Street parking ramp, including replacing glass block with concrete block and installing more durable openings. Staff said Scicon's quote was lower than the city's hourly contractor and would get the repairs done more quickly.

On the Area 7 flood-mitigation channel and storage improvement project, the board approved change order No. 1 with Edgerton Contractors totaling $55,210.50. Staff explained the work includes hauling about 2,600 extra cubic yards of material off-site, additional gravel and geogrid to stabilize silty sections, and rework caused by an Aug. 9 flood that washed out areas and deposited debris. Staff said the additional costs are not the contractor’s fault and that the project remains under budget and near completion. Board members asked whether FEMA funding could be sought; staff said any FEMA claim would be complex given the work was underway and would take additional review.

The board approved an agreement under which a developer will maintain certain stormwater/pond facilities associated with a nearby development; staff described this as a maintenance agreement for existing and new on-site ponds. Details were discussed briefly and the motion passed without further amendment.

The board granted an easement from We Energies at 1830 Southwest Avenue to allow construction of a public sidewalk where the public right-of-way is too narrow. Staff said We Energies will construct and pay for the sidewalk; the company is granting the city a larger easement so the sidewalk can be placed and used as a public facility.

A one-year leaf-collection and release-of-claims agreement with Park Place MHC LLC was approved. Alderman Piper said the city has collected leaves from the private mobile-home community for decades but, citing budget constraints, will provide the service only one more year and will ask the community to place leaves at Elder Street in future years. The agreement holds the city harmless for driving city vehicles on the community’s private road during the pickup this year.

Routine business included approval of the Oct. 9 meeting minutes and a packet of 10 payments, one of which was a final payment for replacement of HVAC equipment at the cemetery administration building. Staff explained the cemetery furnaces were attic-installed with ductwork replacement, which increased installation complexity and cost; a portion of those costs are expected to be offset by federal EECBG grant funding, staff said.

At the end of the meeting staff reminded the public that the city’s leaf-collection program begins the following week on the south side and that the city will publish maps showing collection progress.

Votes at a glance: minutes approved; payments approved (including cemetery HVAC final payment); 6A Passport Labs mobile-pay amendment approved; 6B Scicon South Street ramp change order approved; 6C Edgerton change order approved; pond maintenance agreement approved; 6E sidewalk easement (We Energies) approved; 6F Park Place leaf-collection agreement approved. All motions passed by voice vote as recorded on the meeting transcript.

The board did not take any votes on possible FEMA funding for August flood repairs during the meeting; staff said they will look into eligibility and report back.