Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Milwaukee public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
18 issues in environment
Grocery and pharmacy retention
A new $1.8 million fund aims to keep grocery stores and pharmacies from leaving neighborhoods, funded from the Tax Stabilization Fund.
Fall leaf collection
Leaf drop is heavy — 30-40% down citywide. Residents can mulch, rake a foot from the curb, use drop-off centers, or request paper-bag pickup; a color-coded online map shows when collection is coming to your area.
Lead service line replacement
The city replaced 24% more lead lines last year and says it's on track — maybe ahead — for the 2037 EPA deadline, targeting roughly 4,000 replacements this year. Ald. Moore flagged that residents experiencing problems during replacements aren't getting follow-up tracked.
Severe weather flooding protocols
Public Works must now write protocols to prevent flooding in known trouble spots like 27th and Capitol and Wright and Fond du Lac. Alderpeople across districts cited basement backups and said infrastructure investment and state funding are needed.
No Mow May
Participating in No Mow May no longer requires registering with the city — just display a yard sign during May to avoid a mowing citation.
Native plant landscaping registry
Residents can now register native plant lawns with forestry so they won't be cut down under the old tall-grass ordinance.
Federally funded EV charging network
A $15 million federal grant will build public EV chargers at 26 sites, including libraries, county parks, UWM and the zoo — but the federal money is currently frozen, so the city is pursuing state funds and a private operating partner, with installation hoped for 2027.
Urban wood utilization
The city ships 2,000-plus tons of logs annually to Kettle Moraine Hardwoods, which uses only 20-30%; Forestry will issue a new RFI to find smaller-scale users, after a prior $3.3 million in-house operation was ruled infeasible.
Native plants ordinance
Ald. Brower's ordinance lets residents replace lawns with intentional native plant gardens without fear of being mowed down by the city, after a constituent's planting was cut. The committee added an annual registry requirement before recommending passage.
Green alleys and stormwater management
Alderwomen Moore and Coggs pressed on why rising fees aren't translating into better roads, and warned that road money has to be balanced against flood-fighting investments like green infrastructure and tree pruning. The mayor's office acknowledged roads are a top public concern.
Lincoln Creek flooding and the MMSD West Basin project
Bauman pushed on whether TID money should attack the Lincoln Creek flooding problem directly; staff pointed to the MMSD-led West Basin project as the big fix, with the TID-funded playground depending on its timeline.
Garbage cans and North Avenue cleanliness
Youth from the Lindsay Heights BID 32 cleaned up North Avenue and identified missing trash cans as the top need — Alderman Stamper noted the city already bought 500+ cans and offered to place more.
Public Artist in Residence at the Fire Department
Artist Sarah Luther will spend a year working with the Fire Department on safe and survivable housing art projects, treating fire stations as neighborhood hubs — part of the mayor's 2026 housing focus.
Recycling ordinance technical revision
The city's recycling ordinance was held last month so the City Attorney could make it legally airtight under state statute; the committee sent the cleaned-up substitute forward.
Lead hazard reduction grant
The committee forwarded acceptance of a 2025-2029 federal grant for lead hazard reduction and healthy homes work — funding that helps make older Milwaukee housing safer for kids.
Multifamily recycling enforcement gap
Alders flagged that recycling rules at apartment buildings are essentially complaint-based and rarely enforced; DPW is working with DNS to fold enforcement into regular property inspections.
Deconstruction ordinance moratorium extended again
The deconstruction requirement for older homes has been paused since 2021; the committee extended the stay another year while the city reworks the program toward salvage-and-reuse. Ald. Spiker pressed for a concrete game plan rather than another indefinite punt.
End of city-run recycling at the MERF site
DPW confirmed the city will not rebuild its recycling facility, contracting with WM instead because recycling returns no longer justify the investment. Spiker criticized that the full council never formally weighed in.