MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Public Works Committee could refuse to take up new matters before it at its next meeting in April.
And it’s all because of a pile of illegal tires and an alleged rebuked email.
The monthly meeting of the committee Thursday started out simply enough, including a discussion updating the city’s work removing lead service lines, which included a summary of the 2,682 lead lines replaced with copper piping in 2024.
But discussion became frustration, namely from Alderwoman Andrea Pratt. The First District alder brought up an email she received from DPW operations manager Danielle Rodriguez related to a pile of tires Pratt says were illegally dumped on North 26th Street property in her district.
“I was told by [Rodriguez] to not send her an email. Just put it in Accela. At this point…I don’t know if I need to walk over to her and hand it to her to get something done,” said Alderwoman Pratt.
Pratt’s message was received by DPW financial manager Chuck Schumacher, as neither Rodriguez nor DPW Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke were present for the Thursday meeting. DPW spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd tells WTMJ both Kruschke and Rodriguez were unable to attend the Public Works Committee meeting because they each had other meetings at the same time. “I will have everyone in the first district send you an email. That’s my promise. I will share your email with everyone,” she added to Schumacher.
“90% of the time, the best way to get those kinds of service requests done is by going through the system, because it is a more direct route to the crews that are doing the work 100%… in a perfect world.” said Schumacher.
Shepherd tells WTMJ a communication mishap occurred that led to the response from Rodriguez to Alderwoman Pratt, and that the two plan to meet at a later date to discuss the tire pile.
There is a form on the city website for residents to report illegal dumping incidents to DPW, with a reward of up to $1,000 paid to someone who provides sufficient information leading to a citation.
The absence of Kruschke and Rodriguez led committee chair Bob Bauman to threaten to withhold any further action from the committee until something was done on the matter.
“If at the next public works meeting we’re unable to have the commissioner or the director of operations present for this file, we will start…routinely holding all other public works matters that come before this committee. So we will basically freeze the operations of this department,” said Bauman.
While a search of the area surrounding the 4900 block of North 26th Street Thursday revealed no tire pile, there are several across the city that have drawn the ire of residents, including a pile of 19 tires that appeared at the North Holton and East Burleigh intersection overnight Tuesday, and another pile near North Teutonia and West Mill Road has been accumulating for some time on an abandoned lot that was previously home to a nightclub.
This article has been updated to reflect comments to WTMJ from the Department of Public Works.
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