New Libraries, City Hall Renovations on the Table at Milwaukee Committee Meeting

The Capital Improvements Committee approved requests for the 2017 budget to help build Milwaukee libraries and improve important structures in the city.

The agenda for this meeting was the discussion of various requests for funds that have come to this committee to be approved. City entities such as the Fire Department or the city attorney come to this committee with requests for projects they would like to be funded and the committee decides which projects are seen as essential to the smooth running of this city.

With requests for renovations to the eighth floor of the City Attorney’s office and the second floor of the City Clerks, there is a need from those working in the city that improvements could be made to some of Milwaukee’s older buildings.

The renovations for the eighth floor would cost upwards of $3 million with this project having been backlogged for 10 years. With the need to ensure the building is up to code and safe for its inhabitants, the project was funded at the requested number. When faced with the decision of funding a project like the eighth floor of the City Attorney’s office, Alderman Nik Kovac questioned funding these types of projects.

“I wonder if we’re going to have the money to rehab city structures that aren’t directly serving the public,” says Kovac.

More requests similar to the eighth floor are evaluated and funded and the choice to fund these projects depends upon the fact that even though the public is not seeing these changes or improvements, they are, according to the committee, still necessary changes that may affect them in the long run.  A request to fix the foundation of the City Hall building may not affect the public on a day-to-day basis, but the need to make those changes to ensure the stability of the building make it a priority.

“It’s not going to be immediately noticed by the public,” says Kovac.

It may not be immediately noticed but that does not diminish the importance of projects like City Hall that this committee evaluates and funds based on the need.

While projects like the eighth floor have been funded, there are also many projects funded that improve the buildings and services of the community. Several libraries are going to be built or improved upon and there is no hesitation in funding these libraries that will provide a service to the community.

“It was an all or nothing type of request,” says Mark Nicolini, Milwaukee’s City Budget and Management Director.

When faced with using money to fund the refurbishment and building of new libraries or passing on the request, the committee funded the project with the idea that the libraries are a more essential project than others.

Central branch constructions for two new libraries and improvements on a third totaling close to $3 million was the main focus of the request. The project was funded at the requested amount with the prospect of receiving more funding in future years for more locations.

For some projects that are seen as not being critical to fund for this budget year, the committee puts a pin in the request and pushes it to a later date or won’t fund it until there is more information from the entity about why they are requesting the amount of money they did.

As the requests are made, there is a need to stay accountable for the amount of money that some entities are requesting. Commissioner of Public Works Ghassan Korban sums up the dilemma they face.

“Once you start the request, everybody has a need and request,” says Korban.

By meticulously reviewing the requests that are being sent in, the committee is able to understand if the money requested is actually necessary or if there are some ways to delay the request for a year or two.

In some cases, the request may be moot in the coming years. Milwaukee fire stations are requesting money to overhaul their security systems, but with the imminent closing of some branches, the committee decided not to fund this request until they can get more information from the fire stations.