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Waukesha council gives Redevelopment Authority power to buy property and approves $1M seed fund
Summary
The Common Council voted 12–3 to adopt a policy allowing the Redevelopment Authority to acquire properties that meet city redevelopment criteria and to seed the program with $1 million in interest earnings placed into a special revenue fund. Supporters said the move will let the city act faster on redevelopment opportunities; some aldermen raised oversight and maintenance concerns.
The Waukesha Common Council on Dec. 2 approved a policy giving the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) authority to purchase properties that align with adopted city redevelopment plans and recommended criteria, and voted 12–3 to transfer $1,000,000 of interest earnings into a special revenue fund to seed the program.
City staff said the policy is intended to let the RDA act more quickly on strategic sites — for example, to assemble neighboring parcels or buy properties that are not actively marketed but could be redeveloped to increase the city’s tax base. "This is to spur redevelopment and gain tax base in the city," a staff presenter said during the council presentation.
Redevelopment staff outlined the criteria the RDA would use, including conformity with the city strategic plan and central city master plan, sites eligible for low-income housing tax credits or Brownfield cleanup, and potential to leverage tax-increment financing and other grants. The staff presentation included an example of two St. Paul Avenue properties that staff said could have generated about $7 million in added tax base and roughly $64,000 a year in tax revenue under a proposed redevelopment that did not materialize.
The council’s approval included a funding mechanism: $1,000,000 from interest earnings on American Rescue Plan Act funds and the city’s stabilization fund would be placed into a special revenue fund for RDA acquisitions. "The seed funding is $1,000,000 to start it," redevelopment staff said, adding that proceeds from future sales of RDA properties would replenish the fund.
Supporters on the council called the RDA a small, expert board that could convene quickly. Alderman Rick Lemke said the city has missed opportunities in the past and urged colleagues to give the RDA some independence: "I encourage all of you to allow a little bit of independence," he said.
Opponents and cautious members pressed staff on legal authority, ongoing maintenance costs and checks on spending. One alderman called the prospect of an independent body making purchases without direct council approval concerning: "I'm not comfortable with that," the alderman said. Council members asked that the RDA report regularly to the council and that purchases include standard due diligence such as environmental assessments, broker opinions of value or appraisals, and legal review.
Councilors amended the proposed motion to explicitly authorize staff to transfer the specified interest earnings into a special revenue fund before voting. The motion to adopt the policy and create the fund passed 12–3.
Next steps: the RDA will operate under the adopted criteria, report acquisitions to the council, and — according to staff — may pursue one to a few transactions per year. Any future request to expand seed funding or change the policy would return to the council for approval.
