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| | | | Meeting convened at 9:12 a.m. | | | |
Roll call
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Video
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| | | | Also present:
Minutes note: Nik Kovac, Budget Director
Kathy Brengosz, LRB Fiscal Planning Specialist
Keith Broadnax, LRB Manager
William Christianson, City Comptroller | | | |
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250001
| 0 | 1. | Communication | Communication from the Mayor relating to the proposed 2026 budget.
Minutes note: -DPW – Admin. Services
Appearing:
Nathaniel Haack, Budget Office
Jerrel Kruschke, DPW Commissioner
Dan Thomas, DPW Admin. Services Director
An overview presentation on DPW - Administrative Services was given on the following topics:
2026 Budget Summary, Salaries and Positions, Operating Expenses, Revenues, License and Permit Changes, 2026 Budget by Service, Core Services, Key Performance Indicators (Contract Compliance, Workdays lost to injury), 2026 Major Updates, Community Engagement, Department Demographics, Service Uniformity, Environmental Impact
There was discussion on workdays lost to injury (factors), reduction of positions (merging of sections), decline in permitting revenue (major construction plateauing), fee increases, temporary occupancy permits, Workday FTE savings, vacation fees (alleys), use of AI technologies
Information requests were made as follows:
Adjusting fee estimate on vacation involving an alley (Ald. Spiker) | NOT ACTED ON | | |
Action details
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Video
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250001
| 0 | | Communication | Communication from the Mayor relating to the proposed 2026 budget.
Minutes note: Meeting recessed at 9:49 a.m.
Meeting reconvened at 10:06 a.m.
10:00 A.M.
-DPW - Operations (Sanitation, Fleet Services, Forestry)
Appearing:
Mason Lavey, Budget Office
Jerrel Kruschke, DPW Commissioner
Danielle Rodriguez, DPW Operations Director
Erin Stoekl, Forestry Services Manager
Brian White, Fleet Services Manager
Rick Meyers, Sanitation Services Manager
Ald. Lamont Westmoreland, 5th Ald. Dist.
An overview presentation on DPW - Operations (Sanitation, Fleet Services, Forestry) was given on the following topics:
2026 Budget Summary, Core Services, Salaries and Positions, Operating, Equipment, Special Funds, Revenues, Capital, Core Services, Org Chart, Key Performance Indicators, Forestry (Street Tree Management, Boulevard Planting & Maintenance, Workforce Development, Community Engagement, Climate and Equity Plan Initiative, Demographics), Fleet Services (Fleet Management, Fleet Repairs, Fleet Dispatch, Alternative Fuels, Fleet Electrification, Telematics, Demographics), Sanitation (Garbage & Recycling Services, Sanitation Special Services, Drop Off Centers, Other Items, Community and Environmental Impact, Demographics), Snow and Ice Control (Operations, Driver Experience & Team Compilation, Improvements)
There was discussion on DPW - Forestry relating to tree pruning (cycle and schedules, national standards, examination of trees, overgrown trees on N. Port Washington Rd. in 6th ald. district, boulevards, call for service, reducing longer pruning cycle, storm damage and emergency response, camera surveillance), stump backlog, contract with Kettle Moraine, tree planting (process), injection of trees, tree replacement (tree species), tree canopies, right of way plantings, native plantings (cost benefit, locations, leverage partnerships, MMSD), youth arborist apprenticeship program, tree/stump pruning or removal (on sidewalks next to fencing, impeding utilities and electrical lines, notice prior to removal), grass mowing (parks, vacant lots, city owned properties, staffing, inspection of work performed), apprenticeship feeder program (Vincent High School), AI use and efficiencies, staffing level (efficiencies, AI technology), career advancement, alder informational training sessions, operating budget (stormwater transfer fee), and new equipment for crews.
There was discussion on DPW - Fleet Services on CDL drivers (training, hiring), packer fleet (age, replacement cycle), fleet maintenance, new fleet purchase (EV vehicles), compressed natural gas (vehicle performance and maintenance, refueling), fleet repair (police vehicles and reimbursement), mechanic staffing level (market study impact, retention, recruitment efforts through schools), number of new vehicles to be purchased in 2026, fleet vehicles assigned to employees, and EV vehicles (charging ports, locations, assigned users).
There was discussion on DPW - Sanitation on garbage and recycling services (recycling collection schedule, calls for service, recycling curbside pickup education messaging in winter), second garbage cart fee, replacement cart (survey of carts, individual requests, technology reliance), leaf collection (improving collection, public outreach, balancing with snow and ice operations, seasonality variability, extend staffing and operations, staff work life balance), fines and enforcement (process, violations, apartment buildings, special charges, municipal citations, sanitation inspectors, AI tools), garbage truck juice (mitigation, solutions, education process), weekend dumpsters (reservations, schedule, extending length), illegal dumping (reporting by staff, Routeware reporting technology), food scrap dropoff pilot program (increasing sites), and composting.
There was discussion on snow and ice control relating to brine (application, type, testing of product, pilot for food based materials), operation totals for 2023 and 2024, salt usage and sale (for 2023 and 2024, stockpile and storage), and leveraging new technologies (reducing salt usage, snow plowing, automatic vehicle location tracking, public education).
Information requests were made as follows:
Youth arborist apprenticeship program testing information (Ald. Moore)
Data on contractors fined for inadequate grass mowing performed (Ald. Coggs)
Historical data on training and retention of CDL drivers (Ald. Burgelis)
Data on fleet vehicles assigned to employees (Ald. Burgelis)
Written information on description, count, and funding source for 2026 new fleet vehicle purchases (Ald. Spiker)
Heat mapping of garbage and recycling cart disposal violations (Ald. Burgelis)
Schedule for weekend dumpsters (Ald. Coggs)
Heat mapping and spreadsheet of illegal dumping and breakdown by aldermanic district (Ald. Coggs)
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Action details
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Video
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250001
| 0 | | Communication | Communication from the Mayor relating to the proposed 2026 budget.
Minutes note: 1:00 P.M.
-DPW-Transportation Fund
Appearing:
Sharon Osborn, Budget Office
Jerrel Kruschke, DPW Commissioner
Danielle Rodriguez, DPW Operations Director
Peter Knox, Parking Services Manager
Chuck Schumacher, Operations Administration Manager
James Vineau, Streetcar System Manager
An overview presentation on DPW - Transportation Fund was given on the following topics:
2026 Budget Summary, 2026 Budget by Service, Salaries and Positions, Operating and Equipment, Special Funds, Capital, Revenues, Transportation Fund Balance, Parking Services Metrics, 2025 Major Updates (Parking, Streetcar), Key Performance Indicators - Streetcar, Department Demographics
There was discussion on parking relating to parking meters revenue, professional services (private toll companies), parking citations (projected increase, enforcement and compliance, finding behavior change, ticket increase amount), revenue collections (recognition of revenue, red light cameras (responsible department), and vacancies (status, new hires, retention efforts).
There was discussion on the streetcar system relating to the Transportation Fund (cash deficits, plan to not make any withdrawal for 2026, funding streetcar operations, $4 million cost), existing route, route extension (plans and lack thereof), overall economic impact (on downtown, property values, return on investment), capital investment, sponsorships, adding a fare (consider new technologies), preparation for 2028 political impacts, clawback from federal grants, dialoque with the federal government, and idea to move the streetcar system outside of city government (regional transit authority).
Information requests made were as follows:
Data on private toll companies late on payments (Ald. Burgelis)
Data on increased property assessed values and TID tax collections surrounding the streetcar (Ald. Coggs)
Response on creation of a regional transit authority (Ald. Chambers, Jr.)
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Action details
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250001
| 0 | | Communication | Communication from the Mayor relating to the proposed 2026 budget. | HELD TO CALL OF THE CHAIR | Pass | 5:0 |
Action details
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| | | | Meeting adjourned at 3:22 p.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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| | | | This meeting can be viewed in its entirety through the City's Legislative Research Center at http://milwaukee.legistar.com/calendar. | | | |
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