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Meeting Details
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Meeting date/time:
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2/26/2026
3:00 PM
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Minutes status:
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Final
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Meeting location:
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Convent Hill Community Room, First Floor
455 East Ogden, Milwaukee,WI
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| | | | Call to Order
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 3:07 p.m. | | | |
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| | | | Roll Call | | | |
Roll call
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T405
| 0 | 1. | Motion | Approval of the minutes from the regular meeting held on January 22nd, 2026 | APPROVED | Pass | 6:0 |
Action details
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T406
| 0 | 2. | Communication | Background on Travaux Mission and Purposes
Minutes note: Patricia Dee, HACM’s Administrative Services Supervisor, explained that she examined a number of Travaux’s historical organizational documents to create a synopsis of the Travaux Vision, Mission, Lines of Business and Purposes included with the agenda. Ken Barbeau, Travaux’s Interim President, added that the HACM Board of Commissioners, along with the incoming Executive-Secretary Director, plan on bringing people together to perform strategic planning and an organizational structure review to ensure that the Travaux instrumentality is structured correctly.
Director Guszkowski referred to the Asset Management listed in the Lines of Business, stating he thought the original intention was to manage some of the HACM properties, but the purpose of Travaux was to be an income generator by managing the properties of other parties. Director Crosby stated that the document was a good starting place to see where Travaux is aligned with its original vision and mission and where it has gradually shifted in other directions. Director Zepecki agreed that the Vision and Mission document reflects the instrumentality’s original goals, but over time, there was not always enough volume in the development and construction management space and so emphasis shifted in other directions.
Karen Gotzler, Vice Chair of the HACM Board of Commissioners and a Travaux Director, provided an update on HACM’s Secretary-Executive Director search. She invited the Travaux Board of Directors to participate in the process by providing their feedback on the candidates. Recordings of the HACM Board’s interviews with the candidates are available for review. Director Gotzler stated that the HACM Board has received informative feedback from residents, staff and community partners, but it would be especially incisive to gain the Travaux Board’s feedback with their development, construction and architectural expertise.
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Action details
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T407
| 0 | 3. | Communication | Response to questions regarding the Merrill Park LLC and Holton Terrace LLC Audit Reports
Minutes note: Ken Barbeau, Travaux’s Interim President, summarized the Responses to Questions on LLC Finances report included with the agenda. He explained that in Merrill Park’s Statement of Cash Flows the changes in accrued interest payable are reported in the operating activities section as an adjustment to net income. The change from 2022 to 2023 was a decrease in accrued interest, so it was subtracted from net income, while the increase in accrued interest from 2023 to 2024 was added back to net income. Mr. Barbeau added that what appears to be a loss on Holton Terrace’s Statement of Cash Flow from 2023 to 2024 is a reduction in a receivable asset. Travaux paid for invoices on behalf of Holton Terrace and Holton Terrace LLC did not reimburse Travaux for the items.
Director Gotzler informed the Board that HACM has contracted with BDO, an accounting firm in Milwaukee, to assist in updating the Finance Policies and Procedures and to give oversight and support to the current Finance Director, Finance Manager and the LLC program.
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Action details
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T408
| 0 | 4. | Communication | Report from the President
Minutes note: Alison Woznicki, Travaux’s Vice President of Construction, provided an overview of the Travaux Project Summary included with the agenda. She reported that the first two elevators are completed and waiting to be turned over for the College Court elevator modernization. The turnover will require a full power shutdown of the building, and then the update to the second two elevators can begin.
Ms. Woznicki noted that the Common Council has approved the City’s vacation of the land for the Westlawn Gardens Park and Playground, which returns the land to the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee.The Department of Public Works has released all of their permits, and the project is waiting for the Department of Neighborhood Services to release their permits for the work to begin.
Regarding the Hillside Terrace balcony modernization, Ms. Woznicki shared that the permits have been issued and work has begun. There were some delays to the start of the project because of the weather and some residents not removing items from their balconies.
Ms. Woznicki informed the Board that she has been working with Pamela Ritger of the City of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office, along with Focus on Energy, to replace lighting in two of the high-rise buildings. The service is free, and there are future plans to replace the lighting in all of the Public Housing properties.
Ms. Woznicki provided an overview of the CFP Budgets document included with the agenda. She reported that the 2020 funds have been drawn down by the expended date and that she is working to expend the 2022 funds before the May 11th deadline. Ms. Woznicki stated that she is following-up on the contracts and obligations to ensure that the funds are being utilized. She also mentioned that she had a meeting with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to discuss expenses left on some CFP grants that need to be spent in the next month or two. HUD reviewed the proposal and found the potential expenditures acceptable.
Ms. Woznicki provided an overview of the Highland Buyout and Change Order Tracking report included with the agenda. She reported that the only real change is the amount of the project budget in the negative. All work has now been bid out except for the Landscaping. At the completion of the project, the ledger will be reconciled.
Ken Barbeau, Travaux’s Interim President, provided an overview of the Public, Affordable and Market Rate Housing Occupancy Reports included with the agenda. He reported that there was very little change from January’s report. Overall, the occupancy rates, especially for Affordable Housing and Market Rate Housing, need to increase.
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Action details
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| | | | Adjournment
Minutes note: Director Hurtado left the meeting at 4:00 p.m. and Director Crosby left the meeting at 4:23 p.m. Quorum was maintained with the Directors still in attendance.
There being no further business, Director Zepecki made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 4:40 p.m. Director Gotzler seconded the motion. There being no objections, the motion carried. | | | |
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| | | | Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities through sign language interpreters or auxiliary aids. For additional information or to request this service, contact the Housing Authority ADA Coordinator, Marquetta Treadway at 286-5824, (FAX) 286-0833, (TDD) 286-3504 or by writing to the Coordinator at P.O. Box 324, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0324. | | | |
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| | | | Persons engaged in lobbying as defined in s. 305-43-4 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances are required to register with the City Clerk's Office License Division. Registered lobbyists appearing before a Common Council committee are required to identify themselves as such. More information is available at http://city.milwaukee.gov/Lobbying. | | | |
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