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| | 1. | | Call the Order
Minutes note: Meeting convened at 9:06 am | | | |
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| | 2. | | Roll Call | | | |
Roll call
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| | 3. | | Review and Approval of the Minutes From the Meeting of July 23, 2026.
Minutes note: Co-Chair Owczarski moved for approval, second by member Tarkowski.
There were no objections. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Update on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Process
Minutes note: Co-Chair Owczarski expressed concern regarding the lack of response for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) evaluations requested for the Office of the Common Council City Clerk.
It was noted that current CPTED requests are managed through a "Safety First" email address owned by the Department of Employee Relations (DER).
A motion was made by Co-Chair Owczarski, 2nd by member Jackie Carter to recommend that the responsibility for CPTED evaluations be centralized under the proposed Security Operations Manager position and to establish a regular cadence for CPTED assessments, potentially every three years, to ensure ongoing security for elected officials and public meetings.
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| | 5. | | Role of Central Safety Committee
Minutes note: Co-Chair Owczarski and Beka Bein (LRB) presented research from the Municipal Research Library showing that the Central Safety Committee was originally created for "OSHA safety" and risk management regarding workplace injuries.
The committee agreed that the Central Safety Committee is not the appropriate body for City Hall campus security and should return to its original focus on workplace safety and injury prevention.
Member Jackie Carter from DER supported this transition, noting that DER lacks the specific law enforcement and fire safety expertise required for campus security management.
The final report will include language emphasizing collaboration between the Central Safety Committee and the new Security Operations Manager to avoid operational silos.
Ald. Dimitrijevic highlighted the need to incorporate security best practices from peer cities like Madison, Chicago, and Minneapolis, as well as the National League of Cities.
Suggestions included annual CPTED assessments for legislative bodies, centralized calling systems, and home alarm supports for officials who spend significant time working in the community.
Ald. Dimitrijevic emphasized the importance of codifying that threats and harassment against elected officials are unacceptable and should be treated as a distinct level of harassment in city ordinances.
The committee agreed to reference these best practices in the final recommendations to ensure they are considered for future system building.
A motion was made by Co-Chair Owczarski, 2nd by member Jackie Carter to include recommendations alone the lines discussed.
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| | 6. | | Creation of Incident Command Structure
Minutes note: Co-Chair Chief Lipski recommended the adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to provide a unified framework for multidisciplinary emergencies within the City Hall complex.
The recommendation includes NIMS training for all department heads, second-in-commands, and elected officials using cost-neutral, self-paced FEMA courses.
Co-Chair Owczarski added a friendly amendment that NIMS training should lead to regular tabletop exercises, specifically those led by the fire department, to identify potential coordination failures before real emergencies occur.
Co-Chair Chief Lipski noted that NIMS is essential for creating the necessary damage assessment paperwork required for FEMA funding, referencing the successful implementation during past thousand-year floods.
Ms. Bein (LRB) to incorporate recommendations for NIMS training and fire department-led tabletop exercises into the final report.
A motion was made by Co-Chair Owczarski, 2nd by member Tarkowski to recommend NIMS training, with a friendly amendment from Co-Chair Owczarski to include fire department-led tabletop exercises to practice these protocols in a controlled environment.
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| | 7. | | Update on Citywide Parking Lot Access Policy
Minutes note: Member Tarkowski from the Department of Public Works (DPW) provided an update on the citywide parking lot access policy, which was prompted by safety concerns in underground and enclosed parking areas.
The committee discussed the changing threat matrix, noting that risks now include physical, internet, and transit-related threats for government employees.
Member Carter suggested a specific edit to the policy language, recommending that the term "termination" be changed to "discharge" to maintain consistency with existing city guidelines.
Member Carter made a motion, seconded by Member Tarkowski, to include the parking policy in the final report.
Co-Chair Lipski credit the work of former emergency manager Ryan Zollicoffer, who recently relocated to San Diego.
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| | 8. | | Completion and Submittal of Final Committee Recommendations.
Minutes note: The committee noted that the final written report and recommendations must be submitted by September 30th, 2026, leaving only 12 days to finalize the document.
Beka Bein from the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) reported that the final recommendations report is drafted and currently undergoing a supervisor review for grammar and edits. She expects to distribute the final copy to the committee for review either later today or early next week.
Ald. Dimitrijevic requested that the report be expanded beyond a simple memo to include a summary of best practices from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison, based on National League of Cities research.
Co-Chair Owczarski noted that Alderman Spiker has already requested a formal presentation of these findings to the Public Safety and Health committee in the future.
Once the draft is circulated, Co-chair Owczarski and staff assistant Carmen will coordinate a brief, 15- minute virtual meeting for the committee to officially endorse the final version.
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| | 9. | | Announcements
Minutes note: LRB Beka Bein to send the drafted report to the committee for review by early next week. Update the report language to use "discharge" instead of "termination" in the parking policy section. Incorporate a summary of best practices from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison into the final recommendations. Include an acknowledgment of Ryan Zollicoffer's contributions in the opening of the report.
Jim O. and Carmen to schedule a15-minute virtual meeting for final report sign-off before the September 30 deadline.
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| | 10. | | Adjournment
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 9:49 am
Carmen O Roman
Staff Assistant | | | |
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| | | | In the event that Common Council members who are not members of this committee attend this meeting, this meeting may also simultaneously constitute a meeting of the Common Council or any of the following committees: Community and Economic Development, Finance and Personnel, Judiciary and Legislation, Licenses, Public Safety and Health, Public Works, Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development, and/or Steering and Rules. Whether a simultaneous meeting is occurring depends on whether the presence of one or more of the Common Council member results in a quorum of the Common Council or any of the above committees, and, if there is a quorum of another committee, whether any agenda items listed above involve matters within that committee’s realm of authority. In the event that a simultaneous meeting is occurring, no action other than information gathering will be taken at the simultaneous meeting.
Times for specific agenda items are estimations. If items cannot be heard at their specified times, they will be heard as soon as practicable thereafter.
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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 assistance contact the Legislative Services ADA Coordinator at 286-2998, (FAX)286-3456, (TDD)286-2025 or by writing to Room 205, City Hall, 200 E. Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
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| | | | City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building are accessible by "The Hop" City Hall Stations, the MCTS Green Line, Connect 1, 14, 15, 18, 19, 30, 33, and 57 bus routes. Visit https://www.ridemcts.com/ for more information.
Bike racks are available on Water Street, Market Street, and Broadway, and a Bublr Bike Share station is located on the northeast corner of Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street.
Limited parking for persons attending meetings during normal business hours is available at reduced rates (5 hour limit) at the Associated Bank River Center on the southwest corner of Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street. You must present a copy of the meeting notice to the parking cashier.
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| | | | Persons engaged in lobbying as defined in s. 305-43-4 of the Milwaukee Code are required to register with the City Clerk's License Division. 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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