Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Waukesha public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
33 issues
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.
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.
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.
2027-2028 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.
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.
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.
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.
Cooperative purchasing membership
Joining the Minnesota Cooperative Purchasing Venture should cut costs on paratransit buses and other equipment, with no downside identified.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.