Waukesha · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Waukesha public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
TIF assistance for 84-unit apartment development
A term sheet proposes tax incremental financing help for an 84-unit multi-family housing project at Les Paul Parkway and Genesee Road. If approved, it would move forward toward a development agreement.
Private Development Construction Oversight Contracts
A batch of developer and stormwater maintenance deals — Skyline Phase Two, Country Crest Lane, Waypoint Villas, ProHealth's Meadowbrook site, Carroll University and Innio — cleared the board and head to the Council. These lock in who maintains stormwater facilities as new development goes up.
2027 Operating Budget Review Begins
The Finance Committee is reviewing the city's proposed 2027 operating budget, which covers everything from public works and transit to the clean water plant and parks. These reviews determine what services Waukesha gets next year and what residents will pay for them.
Water Treatment Chemical and Park Structure Bids
The city is soliciting bids for ferric chloride and polymer, chemicals used to remove phosphorus from water, plus bids for a Mindiola Park structure.
Street closure permit approval process
Municipal Lot No. 3 will be closed for a BB's on Main special event. Downtown drivers and parkers should plan around the closure.
2027-2028 Municipal Construction Consultant Contracts
On consent and by unanimous bids, the city set 2026 Drop-Off Center fee adjustments and awarded over $1 million in street work — traffic signals on N. Moreland/Michigan and city-wide concrete patching.
City Hall monument sign rehabilitation
The board advanced a resolution to have staff prepare plans and specifications for fixing up the City Hall monument sign.
Historic district exterior repairs and grant funding
The 2026 grant fund started at $25,000 and only $3,222.50 remains, but three applications on one night totaled about $6,141 in guideline amounts. The commission had to ration the money proportionally, so homeowners got far less than the usual 15% up to $3,000.
Redevelopment of former Lindholm building site at 222 Maple Avenue
The old school district office building may come down for a 53-unit apartment project. Residents emailed commissioners asking that the historic facade be saved, and commissioners urged the developer to consider it before the Council hearing in December.
Multi-family development at Elkhart Drive terminus
An 84-unit, six-building apartment complex is planned on former DOT right-of-way near Waukesha West High School. The rezoning passed unanimously with little public comment.
Utility transformer placement in Winterberry Reserve Phase 2
A new We Energies policy forced transformers into front yards, prompting a relief request. The developer scaled back to just three transformers with landscaping required to soften their look.
TIF assistance for Les Paul Parkway housing development
Staff cited the 2024 housing study showing a persistent shortage of rental and owner-occupied housing, while one resident noted Waukesha's 58% owner-occupancy rate is the lowest in the area and asked what the city is doing to add owner-occupied homes. Staff explained state law bars the city from regulating ownership type.
Cooperative purchasing membership
Joining the Minnesota Cooperative Purchasing Venture should cut costs on paratransit buses and other equipment, with no downside identified.
UPS purchase for new Operations Center
The new operations center is nearly done, with the office move set for December 2 and reopening December 3. Consolidating buildings should eventually trim costs, though the larger new facility may cost slightly more to operate at first.
S.J. Louis Construction v. City of Waukesha litigation
Deposits in the SJ Lewis lawsuit should wrap up by early September, with expert reports to follow and a possible court date set after a December update to the court. Mediation scheduling has been slowed by a lack of communication from SJ Lewis's attorney.
General Manager leadership transition
The commission voted to keep Cortney Nagel in place as acting General Manager while the utility's top leadership position remains in transition.
2027 Water Rate Increase
The utility has formally asked the PSC to pause its water rate increase until Milwaukee's rates are known, so customers don't face back-to-back increases. No answer yet.
Prairie Home Cemetery operations and services
Prairie Home Cemetery is seeing surging demand for natural burial — sales jumped from 18 in 2022 to about 50 by July 2026 — so it's budgeting to plat a new natural burial section. The cemetery gets just $88,661 in tax support, unchanged for over a decade.
Police dispatcher shortage
The police department is short four dispatchers and losing qualified candidates to other agencies over pay. Committee members pressed whether a pay increase should be considered; administrators said more market analysis is needed.
Shared building inspector with neighboring cities
Community Development wants to hire a full-time trade inspector shared with Brookfield, Pewaukee and Sussex to keep up with record permit volume. It shows as a new FTE but partner cities reimburse the cost, and it only happens if all four municipalities approve it.
Library security improvements
The library's security push — cameras, staff training, walkie-talkies — cut police calls by 33% compared to pre-2020. It's asking for $15,000 more to add badge locks on staff doors that currently can't be secured.
Voting machine replacement needed
The city's voting machines work fine, but the vendor is ending support and they'll become federally noncompliant. With polling places consolidated from 13 to 9, fewer machines will be needed — replacement is expected within a couple of years.
Fire department trends and grants
Fire received $359,000 in grants this year, is rolling out a new strategic plan, and flagged emerging risks: e-bike and scooter battery fires and injuries, plus electric car chargers in or near buildings. Concurrent calls rose from 47% to 52% since 2022.
2027 Property Tax Levy Increase
The proposed 2027 budget raises the property tax levy about 1.7% ($1.3 million), meaning an average $350,000 home pays roughly $33 more — about 1.2%. 80% of the city's revenue comes from taxes and state aid, and the city is pushing for more state shared revenue since its share lags peer communities.
Leaf collection schedule
Leaf pickup runs the last week of October through early December, hitting the whole city twice. New ride-on blowers should make it faster and easier on crews — and an early snow always adds risk.
Area 10 floodplain project BRIC grant
The neighborhood near University/Algoma deals with flooding. A new $191,000 federal grant (city share $64,000) funds detailed design; construction could come around 2029 if another grant lands.
Clean Water Plant sand filter defects
The city's wastewater plant scored a perfect 4.0 on its state compliance report for the tenth year running, even weathering a 200-year rain event. A sludge dryer project will turn plant solids into a DNR-approved Class A biosolid product the public could eventually purchase.
Raised bike and pedestrian bridges
Two pedestrian bridges over the bypass, 80% federally funded for design. Council approved AECOM 9-4 to do the study; critics worry about the eventual multi-million-dollar construction share.
WEDC Small Business Development Grant application
A long-boarded entrance at the old Metropolitan Building is coming back to life as the Lost Art Fiber and Textile Studio's main door — small change, real street-level impact downtown.
Police range facility shared use
Other law enforcement agencies can now use the city's police training range under a standard contract, and the police chief can sign future deals without another council vote. Fees collected go to the general fund.
Sale of city-owned Big Bend Road property
The city no longer needs a nearly 2-acre former water utility parcel along Big Bend Road, and the commission recommended declaring it surplus — a step that could lead to its sale.
Bartender licensing standards after violations
The split 7-6 vote on Ashley Rodriguez's license showed real disagreement on the council about how much weight to give recent underage-drinking and fake-ID violations versus an applicant's work record and rehabilitation.
Water Diversion Rights
Waukesha got a rare legal OK to pull drinking water from Lake Michigan even though it sits outside the Great Lakes Basin. That matters because it affects tap-water safety, utility bills, and the precedent for other cities seeking Great Lakes water.
EMS balance billing policy
The city is setting its policy for billing residents when ambulance services are used. An attempt to cap charges at $250 failed on a tie vote, so the policy advances as originally proposed.
2027 Residential Garbage and Recycling Fees
The committee approved a resolution setting what homeowners will pay for garbage and recycling collection in 2027. The fees now go to the full council.
Buchner Park playground ADA resurfacing
Extending Parkton Drive would put a road next to the neighborhood park playground. The parks department says it needs street access to the park, would consider fencing the playground, and is open to expanding the park toward Oakdale Drive; the developer offered to help pay for a fence.
Neighborhood meeting notification radius for large developments
Alderperson Manion suggested the council consider expanding the notification radius beyond the current 300 feet for large projects, noting many affected residents were never notified of the developer's neighborhood meeting.
Multi-family development on School District land near Oakdale Drive
Fiduciary Real Estate wants to build 15 apartment buildings with 384 units in two phases on 36.7 acres the school district is selling. Neighbors fear traffic, cut-through driving, safety at the park and bus stop, and a change in neighborhood character. No vote was taken — the commission gave feedback and the developer will return this fall.
Neighborhood traffic and safety referrals
Ald. Matthews referred a request for stop signs on Fox Ridge Drive and Campfire Crossing to the Building & Grounds Committee — a traffic calming issue for that neighborhood.
2027-2031 Community Investment Program
The utility's draft 2027 Capital Improvement Plan was reviewed — it's the roadmap for next year's water infrastructure spending, which ultimately affects rates and service reliability.
Water utility cybersecurity
The commission discussed protecting the water utility's computer systems from potential cyberattacks behind closed doors, following recent incidents at other water systems.
One-time sewer credit program and ordinance revision
The board split on sewer credit requests — approving four homeowners' credits but denying two whose projects didn't count as 'new landscaping.' Vice Chair Kevin Reilly referred the murky Chapter 29.11 rules to the O&L Committee for a cleanup, so expect clearer eligibility standards soon.
Snow and ice removal ordinance update
Second reading of updates: clearance window drops from 24 to 12 hours, fines rise from $25 to $50 plus admin costs for repeat offenses, definitions clarified for enforcement.
Flock license plate reader program funding removed
The council voted unanimously to cut $292,000 for the Flock camera program from the 2027 budget, removing it from the capital plan.
2027 Library Tax Exemption Certification
Members pushed for the updated plan to identify tax-exempt sites — schools, the post office, the YMCA, former Hope Center — that could be redeveloped as tax-generating housing, arguing the city can't grow its tax base otherwise.
Possible demolition of Water Utility building at 445 W. Newhall Ave.
The National Register-listed Art Deco-era pump station may be torn down by the water utility, which no longer needs it for storage. The commission can't block it but voted to join the state preservation negotiations, and members want more information on the building's condition and whether it could be sold instead.
Meeting Room Policy Update (A-3)
The board approved an updated policy governing how the library's meeting rooms can be used and reserved.
Employee PTO, holiday, and retiree insurance policy changes
A volunteer time off policy would let library staff take time for community volunteering under defined rules. It now goes to the Library Board.
Endowment Fund Update
The board reviewed how the library's endowment fund is managed under Policy F-8. The endowment supports library programs beyond what tax dollars cover.
Sidewalk replacement funding gap
The city only replaces about 2.5% of its 11.3 million square feet of sidewalk a year — a 40-plus-year cycle at current funding. The committee added $200,000 and a failed amendment showed appetite for more; a larger policy debate is coming.