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| | | | This will be a virtual meeting conducted via GoToMeeting. Should you wish to join this meeting from your phone, tablet, or computer you may go to https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/358857853. You can also dial in using your phone United States: +1 (872) 240-3212 and Access Code: 358-857-853. | | | |
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| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 1:05 p.m. | | | |
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| | | | Also present:
Minutes note: Bernadette Karanja, Common Council, City-Clerkâs Workforce Development Office
Alex Highley, Legislative Reference Bureau | | | |
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| | 3. | | Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes.
Minutes note: The meeting minutes from June 11, 2020 were approved without objection. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Set priority items and recommendations.
Minutes note: a. Goals
b. Actionable Objectives
c. Measurable Expected Outcomes
d. Other
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| | 5. | | Assessment and analysis.
Minutes note: a. Milwaukee Department of Employee Relations workforce data
b. Population migration
c. Economic inequality
d. New City Observatory Report: Youth Movement
e. Diverting funds from public safety
f. Reasons Millennials and Gen Z leave Milwaukee
g. Any research requests?
h. Other
Chair Ellison said that the task force should have an internal discussion on members' ideas and suggestions made thus far from previous meetings, assess the reasons why people leave or stay in the City, identify items of priority to progress forward, and to review the member ideas document.
Members questioned the employment boundaries and sectors that the task force was directed to address and what government can do in response to task force recommendations.
Mr. Lee said that the legislation creating the task force directs the task force to address the City of Milwaukee as a whole, including both the private and local government sectors.
Chair Ellison commented. The research document "America's Opportunity Gaps: By The Numbers" contains six key opportunity gap areas that reflect the same gaps that the task force would like to address: education, employment, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, health, and wealth disparity. Perhaps the task force can provide recommendations quick enough to impact the City's upcoming budget proposals for next year. The task force should work to identify and build upon existing initiatives and programs rather than reinvent them. Examples of existing programs include Upward Bound. The task force has identified two different groups to address: 15-25 (pre-college/education) years of age and 25-35 (early workforce) years of age. Public employment in the City of Milwaukee can be a starting point to address. There should be incentives towards first time home buying and residence in particular areas of the City. A reason why people leave the City may be due to the inner city being too congested. Exposure to pathways is important for young people. There are some persons within her Social X organization that can come speak to the committee to share insight on their successes. Through various Social X events a positive that she has heard from many people from the outside is the lower cost of living in Milwaukee.
Ms. Karanja commented. The City budget is finite with small allocations going directly towards the community. Both public and private funding is needed to work in partnership towards solutions. There should be expansion into private dollars. She came to Milwaukee from Kenya as an immigrant, remained in Milwaukee for its big-city-small-town feel, was surprised by the racism issues in the City, and was motivated to fight for more inclusiveness.
Member Ochalek commented. She is working with the Common Council President's office to develop an ERG career development program to provide mentorship to City employee and can share information from the program. Perhaps information can be collected on Common Council legislation impacting, relating to, or addressing the brain drain topics that the task force is exploring. DCMKE is about connection, breaking down silos, and should be given more resources to expand.
Mr. Highley said that he can collect information on Common Council legislation that would be relevant to the task force and also on the City's 10,000 Homes Initiative.
Member Fojut commented. Measures are needed to help retain people with upward mobility since these people are the ones that are able to leave the City. One year programs are not successful. There are some business improvement districts (BID) that have been successful, and more capacity and resources should be given to BIDs to help them improve commercial corridors. Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) is an economic development technique to expand the property tax base and value to fund site improvements that would not otherwise occur. A Tax Incremental District (TID) is physical area designated for improvements via a TIF. He is part of summer course pilot program called The Great Lakes Gap Year with MATC for in-state and out-of-state high school and pre-college students. Students can convert credits and have access to employers.
Member Hostad commented. Reasons people may leave the City include high property taxes, inflated childcare costs, and inflated college tuition costs. There should be anti-displacement measures and programs for childhood development or tax credits for childcare. Successful TIDs can allocate funds to underperforming TIDs, and BIDs should be able to do the same to assist underperforming BIDs. Childcare issues may impact older people and not younger people.
Members said that Millennials include people at various different points of life and recommendations should not be age specific but rather be based on stage of life as follows: high school to precollege (up to 23 years of age), those with no children (23 to 30 years of age), and those with families (30 to 38 years of age), that the City of Milwaukee needs to market better its many programs, which many people have no awareness about, and that there are too many silos.
Members Rae and Thao shared that they moved to Milwaukee from elsewhere to originally attend college in Milwaukee and remained in Milwaukee post-college due to employment and internship opportunities; Milwaukee being a big enough city for upward mobility, success, and personal achievement; and being in close proximity to family back home.
Member Rae added comments. Pipelines to jobs are crucial for retaining people. Based on his college experience, many people do not venture off campus and remain in the campus bubble. Students need to venture out more to learn about and be more exposed to the City.
Member Thao added that he is at a stage in life to start a family and is assessing whether or not he and his family will remain in the City with the education system being one important factor in his decision making.
Members commented. Staying in Milwaukee is about integration. For younger people of importance is to increase university enrollment for them, make the college experience better, implement curriculums to teach them about Milwaukee possibilities, and expose them to the City and its opportunities. Career opportunity, upward mobility, and family well-being are more important to older people.
Member Hostad said that he was interested to be further involved with creating incentive-based solutions and policies.
Members Hostad and Fojut left the meeting at 2:28 p.m.
Members further commented. Solutions need to be inclusive of everyone and also be intentional to aide those who have been systematically disenfranchised (African Americans and other minority groups). Safety in all aspects need to be considered, including police brutality and strained police-community relations. Recommendations should address racial justice and mirror what the City is doing. More support should be given to the Office of African American Affairs.
Mr. Highley said that recommendations can be symbolic and does not all have to be program-based. Task force support can lead to government support and outside awareness. For context, some Common Council legislation has come through the form of supporting existing programs and initiatives rather than creating them.
Mr. Lee said that task force agendas, minutes, and collected data/research are all collected under Common Council File Number 191649. The file is publicly accessible, and he can forward the access link to members. | | | |
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| | 6. | | Next steps moving forward.
Minutes note: a. Task force schedule of meetings and structure
To be determined. Task force to remain meeting as a whole group to continue discussing the direction of the task force.
b. Agenda items for the next meeting
Items to include:
-Further assessment of reasons why Millennials and Generation Z stay or leave Milwaukee
-Identification of existing programs or initiatives (homebuyer assistance,10,000 Homes Initiative, childcare assistance) relating to task force brain drain topics
-Information on Common Council legislation relating to task force brain drain topics
-Examples of task force reports
c. Set next meeting dates and times
To be determined.
d. Other
There was no other discussion. | | | |
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| | 7. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 2:54 p.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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