Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Waukesha public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
City Hall monument sign rehabilitation
The city is putting the City Hall monument sign repair out to bid, with bids due September 25. Because the driver who damaged the sign had no insurance, the city's own insurance will cover the project cost.
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.
Private Development Construction Oversight Contracts
The Board will consider contracts for construction site representation on private development projects, ensuring private builds meet city standards.
2027 Operating Budget Review Begins
Capital improvement project submittals come to the board in August, with CIP adoption targeted for September 15 and the operating budget adopted in early November.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
General manager recruitment
The GM position is vacant, with applications expected late this month and a hiring decision possible at the December meeting. The compensation study is also in progress.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
A parcel bought in 1978 as a potential shallow well site is no longer needed and is being listed as surplus for sale.
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.
Neighborhood traffic and safety referrals
Ten consent items added stop and warning signs, no-parking zones and truck restrictions across town, plus traffic studies on Rivers Crossing/Tanglewood and Michigan Avenue.
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 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.
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.
One-time sewer credit program and ordinance revision
Homeowners who fill pools, re-landscape big yards, or fix leaks can get one-time sewer credits so they're not charged sewer fees on water that never went down the drain. Staff are rewriting the ordinance that governs these credits, with a draft due October 22.
2027-2031 Community Investment Program
Capital improvement project submittals come to the board in August, with CIP adoption targeted for September 15 and the operating budget adoption in early November.
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.
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.
Possible demolition of Water Utility building at 445 W. Newhall Ave.
The Art Deco pumphouse may be demolished now that the water utility has switched to Lake Michigan water and built a new headquarters. It's on the National Register but not locally designated, so the state can require mitigation but can't stop demolition — commissioners want a historic marker and digital exhibit if it comes down.
Employee PTO, holiday, and retiree insurance policy changes
The utility updated its PTO, holiday and retiree insurance policies for the first time in about a decade — adding MLK Day and Veterans Day, boosting PTO, and offering a cheaper single-coverage retiree option — to stay competitive in recruiting and retention.
Endowment Fund Update
The board got a status report on the library endowment fund, which supports library programs beyond tax funding.
Meeting Room Policy Update (A-3)
The board approved an updated policy governing how the library's meeting rooms can be used and reserved.
Riverwalk boardwalk flood damage
The flood-damaged Riverwalk boardwalk would get $400,000 in 2027 not just to repair but to redesign it to better withstand flooding. Two aldermen called it a top priority for their districts and downtown businesses.
North Street/St. Paul two-way conversion, phase two
A $3.8 million full reconstruction and signal replacement at the Moreland/North Street/St. Paul intersection, coordinated with county and WisDOT projects.