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| | | | Meeting Link for Live Stream– City of Milwaukee Live Stream One for 301B:
https://milwaukee.granicus.com/player/camera/4?publish_id=6&redirect=true
Cable Subscriber Options: Spectrum: Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99
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| | | | The mission of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) is to foster strong, resilient and inclusive communities by providing a continuum of high-quality housing options that support self-sufficiency, good quality of life, and the opportunity to thrive. | | | |
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| | | | Call to Order
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 4:14 p.m. | | | |
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| | | | Roll Call | | | |
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| | A. | | APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA | | | |
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| | | | CONSENT AGENDA – ITEMS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL
(All items listed under the Consent Agenda will be enacted by one motion unless a Commissioner requires otherwise, in which event, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately.) | | | |
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R13685
| 0 | 1. | Motion | Approval of the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on November 12, 2025 | APPROVED | Pass | 7:0 |
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| | B. | | REPORTS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS | | | |
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R13686
| 0 | 1. | Motion | Election of Chair | APPROVED | Pass | 7:0 |
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R13687
| 0 | 2. | Motion | Election of Vice Chair | APPROVED | Pass | 7:0 |
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R13688
| 0 | 3. | Motion | A motion to approve the proposed 2026 schedule for the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee | APPROVED | Pass | 7:0 |
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R13689
| 0 | 4. | Housing Authority Resolution | Resolution approving an award of contract to Berglund Construction Company (Milwaukee, WI) for façade repair at Locust Court in the amount of $499,000 (Official Notice 58153)
Minutes note: Alison Woznicki, Travaux’s Vice President of Construction, explained that Restoration Systems LLC officially withdrew their bid due to an estimating error, in which the bid amount excluded significant details, leaving Berglund Construction Company (Milwaukee, WI) as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. She added that Berglund has satisfactorily completed previous façade work at Merrill Park and Becher Court, and that the hope is that HACM will be able to expedite the work allowing it to be completed in May 2026.
Ms. Woznicki answered Commissioner questions explaining that the per unit pricing will be used in case of cost overruns. Ms. Woznicki and Greg Kruse, HACM Counsel, discussed the usual construction contract review process performed by Travaux’s and HACM’s Procurement departments, and added that Counsel is asked to review any unusual contracts. Ms. Woznicki also discussed the Change Order process which can occur during construction. | ADOPTED | Pass | 7:0 |
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R13690
| 0 | 5. | Communication | Discussion regarding the Creation of a Finance Committee by the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, including how the Board may model its duties, members, structure, and processes
Minutes note: Greg Kruse, HACM Counsel, explained that multiple Commissioners had expressed an interest in creating a Finance Committee and so he had suggested that the Commissioners include a discussion item today to allow for dialogue amongst the Commissioners about how they may want to structure the Committee. He also referenced the attached opinion that was provided to a City Department in the past that was considering a similar Board-created Committee. For instance, it suggested that a Finance Committee appears to be allowed by statute, that the Committee could include non-Board Members, it must be made expressly clear within its creation that the Committee does not have Board authority, that the Committee must follow all open meetings and public record rules, and it should define the Committee’s quorum and how members are appointed.
Commissioners discussed making it clear that the Committee can only make recommendations and provide advice and support to the CFO and their team. It was suggested that the Committee could meet every other month. It was also suggested that the search begin for potential members with appropriate backgrounds, as that would be one of the most important elements of creating an effective Finance Committee that the Board can trust, who can explain the financial workings, actions and performance of the organization and make recommendations. Consensus seemed to develop that the Committee would include non-Commissioner subject matter experts.
Attorney Kruse added that the Committee would also have to be mindful of the number of Commissioners to ensure no HACM Board quorum exists, and it should ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest with any candidate for the Committee. At the end of the discussion, Attorney Kruse suggested that Commissioners interested in continuing the process reach out to him for future discussion. | | | |
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R13663
| 0 | 6. | Housing Authority Resolution | Resolution to appoint Convent Hill 202 Holdings, Inc. Directors
Minutes note: Tom Gartner, Counsel at Michael Best and Friedrich, provided a synopsis of the Convent Hill 202 Holdings and the units these Directors will oversee, explaining that a Public Housing Agency like HACM cannot be the owner of these units which are a part of Convent Hill and were financed using the HUD 202 loan program. Since Friends of Housing, the previous holder, is planning on dissolving as an entity, HACM, with HUD’s approval, will create a new instrumentality as required to own those units. HUD had a list of unique requirements for this entity, so these Bylaws are different than HACM’s other instrumentalities; most notably with specific requirements for the members of the Board. There is some more audit work required on the units, and then HUD must approve the entity, before the units can be transferred to the new entity and Friends of Housing can dissolve, but today’s action will move the process forward.
Commissioners asked questions about Friends of Housing’s current status; it was explained that their Board is still constituted and can take the actions required, and that the Friends of Housing Board was always a fully separate entity, unlike HACM’s instrumentalities. Ken Barbeau, HACM’s Acting Secretary-Executive Director, added that HACM has been working with the Friends of Housing Board and the audit firm to assist in the completion of the audits and added that both organizations are working with HUD to ensure its approvals, including clarifying and completing HUD’s compliance process. Mr. Gartner explained that the word “Holdings” was added to the name of the entity to distinguish it from a different entity with a similar name to “Convent Hill 202,” while staying as close to the Convent Hill name as possible. After Convent Hill 202 Holdings has gone through final approvals and acquired the “202” units, it might be recommended that HACM and the instrumentality draft a Cooperation Agreement to facilitate any day-to-day actions. | ADOPTED | Pass | 7:0 |
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R13691
| 0 | 7. | Communication | Public Listening Session (General Comments)
The Listening Session is an opportunity for the public to provide input to the Board; for the Board to receive that information for their consideration. Persons who wish to comment may do so in person, via eComment on the internet, and via mail.
Those wishing to speak in person should register in person at the meeting and will be called in the order in which they signed up. As a courtesy to others and to ensure the widest breadth of input, all speakers will be limited to speak for two minutes.
Those wishing to provide written comment in person may provide the comments to the staffer who is also registering speakers, and those comments will be shared with the Board of Commissioners.
Those wishing to provide written comment via mail should send their correspondence to: Attention Public Comment, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, P.O. Box 324, Milwaukee WI 53201-0324. In order to be included in this meeting, all written comments for this meeting must be received two days before the meeting. If any comments are received after that
Minutes note: No member of the public requested to speak. | | | |
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| | 8. | | The Board may receive a motion to convene in closed session at City Hall Room 301-B, pursuant to Section 19.85(1)(g) Wis. Stats., to confer with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved. The Board may then reconvene in open session concerning any such item following the Closed Session. | | | |
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R13692
| 0 | 9. | Communication | Presentation of the November documents from the Travaux Board Meeting
Minutes note: Ken Barbeau, HACM’s Acting Secretary-Executive Director, explained that the attachments were recurring documents, similar to previous months, including a presentation by Travaux’s Vice President of Construction, Alison Woznicki, regarding Travaux’s active construction and modernization projects, in addition to the property management reports. He reported no significant changes. | | | |
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R13693
| 0 | 10. | Housing Authority Resolution | Presentation of the agenda and documents from the November HACM Executive Search Committee meeting
Minutes note: Patricia Dee, HACM’s Administrative Services Supervisor, explained that there was only one meeting of the Committee in November, but that during the month, comments from both the HACM and Travaux Boards, the residents, public and staff were consolidated and presented, then incorporated into a draft Ideal Candidate Profile and draft candidate rating and ranking criteria. In addition, the initial recruitment efforts began. Next month’s summary will provide information on the Committee’s two meetings so far in December, in which the Committee has begun some initial review of candidates. Chair Hayslett has appreciated the process and thanked Ken for the great job he is currently performing, and while she is in no hurry for Ken to move on, she was excited about the number of candidates the Committee is receiving. Commissioner Snyder said he knew one applicant, and so if that person was brought forward, he would seek counsel, to inquire whether he should abstain from the vote in that instance. | | | |
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R13694
| 0 | 11. | Communication | Report from the Secretary-Executive Director
Minutes note: Ken Barbeau, HACM’s Acting Secretary-Executive Director, called on HACM’s Chief of Public Safety Marlon Davis, who presented the monthly Public Safety Analytics and Initiatives Report attached to the agenda. He noted that calls were down compared to the previous month, partially due to the colder weather meaning people are spending more of their time indoors, but also due to how much the residents are starting to hold themselves and their neighbors accountable for activities within the buildings.
Chief Davis noted another inter-departmental effort has begun around evacuations, alarms and fire preparedness. HACM has partnered with the Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) and begun having conversations about best practices for HACM’s highrise and midrise buildings, including education, evacuation routes and internal processes. He noted that within HACM this is not an exclusively Public Safety effort, but is being developed in concert with the Property Management and Construction Services departments. Chief Davis shared that a significant Public Safety response was recently required when a major fiber optic cable was apparently cut which affected a number of developments, including severing the alarm panel service. Public Safety and Property Management personnel jumped into action, walking the floors of those buildings to make sure residents were safe, and HACM’s Information Technology department worked with the City to provide a solution as soon as possible. This example will be worked into the emergency preparedness efforts. Chief Davis also answered Commissioner questions explaining a process where Property Management provides Public Safety with a list of residents who may need assistance evacuating, and that list is also included at the building for MFD. He also noted that messaging about safety and evacuations have already begun to appear on the development monitors as a result of the meetings on the topic. Commissioners encouraged these activities, including fire drills and continuing education efforts, both because of resident turnover, and to keep the best practices front of mind, They also suggested reaching out to other community organizations who may have expertise in this area, such as Independence First. Commissioners also asked if providing Narcan boxes would be a positive safety feature.
Ken Barbeau, HACM’s Acting Secretary-Executive Director, next asked for Tracey Sheffield, Patrita Cummings and Tina Royalty of CVR Associates to present the monthly reports regarding the Section 8 Rent Assistance Program, attached to the agenda. Ms. Sheffield started by noting that they had been in contact with a landlord featured in a recent news report and have a meeting scheduled with him to learn more about his concerns. Regarding the report, she noted that late recertifications are lower for the second consecutive month and that CVR has made significant headway with the Project-Based Voucher reconciliation, with the biggest bottleneck now being receiving documentation from the resident families and working with them to schedule unit inspections.
Ms. Sheffield added that the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) reconstruction is also proceeding, noting that the Visual Homes to Yardi software conversion caused some problems with the accounts, which now must be recreated. She explained that for the families participating in the FSS program, any increases in their rent amount, compared to their amount at their start in the program, is put into an escrow account, and if they successfully complete the program, they can use those funds for select activities, such as a down payment on a home purchase. In answer to Commissioner questions, she shared that new FSS funds are currently flowing correctly in the Yardi system, and that CVR is going back to previous years to ensure everything is now calculated correctly. Mr. Barbeau added that Yardi is HACM’s software program which is in common use throughout Public Housing Authorities nationwide, and covers multiple components of the organization, from resident records to financials, and while HACM may add an inventory module soon, the transition from the previous software is now essentially complete.
Ms. Sheffield continued that effective October 1st, the Rent Assistance Program has now shifted to HUD’s new NSPIRE inspection standards. Since there are many standards that are new or different from the previous system, CVR has noticed an uptick in failed inspections, including emergency failures, which must be fixed in 24 hours, despite several months of communications regarding the changes. CVR has stepped up education efforts with additional information on HACM’s website, the development of a checklist for landlords’ use, and regular meetings with them. While these efforts are underway, there may be an increase in the number of units under abatement seen in the monthly reports. There was also discussion regarding landlord lead self-certifications, and information sharing with the Health Department.
Ms. Sheffield finished her report with data on the number of lobby visitors, which is new to the report. For the month of October, there were 2100 visitors to the Rent Assistant Program office, mostly for recertifications and assistance in the computer lab for document drop-off.
Ken Barbeau, HACM’s Acting Secretary-Executive Director, finished his report with a story about Mya Johnson, a former HACM resident featured in a recent HACM Hub e-newsletter. Ms. Johnson participated in the FSS program mentioned earlier, and was able to complete all of her goals in the five-year program in just two years. She also completed the Make Your Money Talk financial literacy program provided by HACM and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, and with the funds from those two programs and through the Rent Assistance Section 8(y) homeownership program was recently able to purchase a home for herself and her two sons. Commissioner Moore met with Ms. Johnson after hearing about her story, to congratulate her on her journey. Commissioner Moore also wanted to thank the staff, such as HACM FSS Case Manager Glynnis Greene, who were are a part of Ms. Johnson’s path to homeownership.
In response to Commissioners’ questions, Mr. Barbeau confirmed that HACM is still on track with the Sustainability Plan, having submitted the November report at the end of the month, but that there were a few financial items for December about which he may ask for an extension, as he dives more deeply into the financial information. He also spoke of an upcoming visit by HUD Regional Administrator Stroebel on Friday, December 19th, including a tour and discussion of Westlawn, with three of the Commissioners in attendance. He also confirmed that work continues on the audits, with the 2023 Audit going to the partner review stage.
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| | | | Adjournment
Minutes note: There being no further business, Commissioner Burrell made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:15 p.m. Commissioner Yepez-Klassen seconded the motion. There being no objections, the motion carried.
Minutes prepared by Patricia Dee. | | | |
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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 at 286-5824, (FAX) 286-0833, (TDD) 286-3504 or by writing to the Coordinator at PO 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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| | | | Be hereby notified that three (3) members of the Crucible, Inc. Board of Directors may be present at the meeting of the HACM Board of Commissioners, as some members serve on both boards. While a quorum of the Crucible, Inc. Board may be present at the HACM meeting, they will not exercise the responsibilities, authority, or duties vested in the Crucible, Inc. Board of Directors. | | | |
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