Milwaukee committee recommends denial for multiple property-damage claims after DPW reviews; several settlements approved after closed session

The City of Milwaukee Judiciary and Legislation Committee on Monday recommended denial of multiple property-damage claims after city staff described prior road and sewer work and an internal investigation.

City representatives told the committee that Department of Public Works crews addressed a manhole and pavement depressions at the site in 2022 and 2023 and that sewer maintenance dispatched on May 23, 2024, confirmed a positive dye test. A sewer television inspection that month “indicated a cut connection between the subject properties and the the city's main sewer,” city staff said. The city attorney's office recommended denial, saying DPW responded to each call in a timely manner and that earlier depressions were small and did not warrant dye testing.

Neighbor and claimant John Shaw, who described himself as a civil engineer, told the committee he had a paper trail showing the city had acknowledged sinkhole issues in 2022 and 2023 and argued that earlier dye testing should have been done. Claim amounts recorded by staff included $21,540 for Mr. Binney and $13,700 for Kramer and Shaw.

One committee member urged claimants to pursue a court proceeding for complex engineering disputes, saying the committee’s process is not a trial and moving to deny the claim. The committee chair said the motion covering the files will be referred to the full Common Council at its next meeting on 11/25/2025; the city attorney's office noted that receiving a formal notice of denial satisfies statutory prerequisites to file suit in circuit court.

Separately, the committee considered a claim by a property owner at 7324 West Capitol Drive who sought $16,881 after reporting damage to a sewer lateral associated with a city light-pole installation. City staff said their investigation found the pole was about 5 feet south of the lateral and that a large rock caused the break; staff recommended denial because the claim was filed on Dec. 2, 2024, roughly 11 months after the alleged Jan. 24, 2024, damage and outside the state’s 120-day filing period.

Other items on the agenda were recorded as first-time nonappearances and moved to hold; a second nonappearance was recorded for a separate file and led to a motion to deny. The committee also moved into closed session under Wisconsin law to consult with the city attorney on pending litigation. Returning to open session, the city attorney recommended approval of several settlement resolutions discussed in closed session (including Bridges v. City of Milwaukee and additional identified files), and the committee moved to approve those recommendations.

What’s next: The committee’s recommendations are referrals to the full Common Council on Nov. 25, 2025. If the council adopts the committee’s denials, claimants will receive formal notices enabling them to pursue circuit-court filings if they wish.