COVID Response total $1,093,317 

COVID-19 Mitigation and Pandemic Planning $824,317

ARPA funding will support and improve the ongoing response to COVID-19 in three main areas: prevention and mitigation of COVID-19; addressing disparities in public health outcomes; and pandemic planning. The Wauwatosa Health Department plays a primary role in planning and implementing the COVID-19 response for the City of Wauwatosa, working closely with health systems, providers, businesses, community-based organizations, and residents. We provide vaccinations, make referrals for testing, conduct contact tracing and disease investigation services, collect and analyze data, share information with the community, and provide COVID-19 guidance to businesses, schools, child care facilities, long-term care, and more.

The ARPA funds will allow us to create a comprehensive emergency response plan and framework to respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. No permanent positions are included in this proposal; staffing support will continue through contracted or temporary employees.

Electronic Health Records $119,000

The Wauwatosa Health Department does not currently have an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system. We currently utilize a mix of paper records, spreadsheets, and multiple internet databases. We are proposing the purchase, implementation, and management of an EHR to serve as a centralized database for patient records and allow for streamlined documentation. Old records will be digitized to include them in the new system to create more space in our department for other uses. Using a standardized platform will reduce costs and make data and health information readily available and will allow for more efficient and effective communication within the department as well as externally.

Previously Approved Projects

Vaccine incentives $150,000

General Government/Administration total $2,902,000

2023–2026 Budget Stabilization 

American Rescue Plan funding was included in the 2022 Budget with the assumption that this amount would be gradually reduced over time as interest earning revenue increased. Staff are assuming that the following amounts are needed for subsequent budgets:

2023: $500,000
2024: $300,000
2025: $100,000
2026: $50,000

Total: $950,000

Previously Approved Projects

2021 Cost of Living Increase $613,115

Contingency 

$500,000 is proposed to be held in contingency to be utilized in the event of budget over-runs, particularly on infrastructure projects where there is price volatility.

Previously Approved Projects

Public engagement $94,500
Reporting and administrative support $50,000

Equity total $2,092,000

Library Equity Collection $272,000

Wauwatosa Public Library (WPL) proposes purchasing materials that are directly responsive to disparities augmented by the pandemic in an effort to reduce barriers. These barriers are disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. ARPA funds will allow WPL to improve its collection in the following areas of equitable need beyond its limited materials budget. 

WPL’s proposal will specifically address:

• Disparities in health, housing and education.
• Negative economic impacts on unemployed/underemployed and small business.
• Promotion of healthy childhood environments.

WPL will utilize the ARPA funds to purchase materials on:

• Health education, specifically minority-focused health topics.
• Housing education, focusing on renting and first-time homebuyers.
• High interest/low reading level items.
• Nonfiction for the Children’s and Young Adult collection to ensure accurate information. 
• Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities, and other minority group authors.
• Children’s and Young Adult materials by and featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities, and other minorities to reflect the diversity of our service community and allowing children to see themselves reflected in books.
• Homeschooling curriculum.   
• Parenting/family education.
• Career development.
• Entrepreneurship.
• Small business planning. 

All patrons will benefit from this proposed project regardless of financial means, opportunity, and accessibility. 

Senior Ride Program $70,000

A proposed senior ride program would allow residents age 55 and older to utilize a handicapped-accessible van for any purpose, including shopping, appointments, banking, and to visit the senior centers in Wauwatosa. A program at Milwaukee County already exists to provide Older Adult Transportation as described in the program, but does not currently include non-County operated senior centers. There has been expressed interest in expanding the program to all senior centers within Milwaukee County. Rather than create a new program for city staff to run, staff recommend collaborating with Milwaukee County and holding these funds to assist with the operation of the program. There is an industry-wide driver recruitment and retention challenge currently, so further discussion is needed on next steps to bring this plan to fruition.

Housing Rehabilitation Program $1,750,000

Wauwatosa has high-quality housing stock, but it is aging and in need of maintenance. Rehabilitation of older units can be cost prohibitive for some homeowners. To help alleviate this issue, the creation of a Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLF) has been recommended. The funds would be loaned to low-to-moderate income (LMI) households. Once the housing loans are repaid, they would be identified as Housing Revolving Loan Funds (RLF).

The ARPA funding would create this program. Homeowners in owner-occupied dwellings would receive 0% interest deferred loans. Loans are due in full when the title changes, when the home ceases to be the homeowner’s primary residence, or when the property is sold. Eligible activities may include electrical, roofing, siding, flooring, windows, stairs, foundation, structural repairs, furnaces, hot water heaters, and accessibility improvements. It is anticipated that the maximum loan amount would be $50,000 per household.

Infrastructure total $11,802,000 

68th Street water main relay $2,500,000

The City is reconstructing 68th Street from State Street to Wisconsin Avenue along with the majority of the existing water mains beneath the pavement. The water laterals along this stretch of main are lead and the publicly owned portion would be replaced with high-density polyethylene as part of this project. The CIP will need to be modified to include this project with standard ratepayer borrowing if this project is not funded through the ARPA process.

Mayfair Road water main lining $1,050,000

A single water main runs along the east side of Mayfair Road, in the eastern pressure district,  and serves this area. Recently, a water main break in this section occurred near the Menomonee River. The Wisconsin DOT is planning to reconstruct a bridge that will be within feet of this existing main. When the bridge is reconstructed, there will be significant vibration of the earth surrounding the water main, which will stress the aging pipe. Lining the pipe with a product that will strengthen the walls of the pipe will greatly reduce the likelihood of failure of this singular connection point to the northeast corner of the City. The section of pipe lined would include the entire stretch of main along Highway 100 from Menomonee River Parkway to Keefe Avenue.

Potter Road Photovoltaic System $375,000

The primary pumping station for the City's western pressure district utilizes a significant amount of electricity to pump water so the construction of a solar photovoltaic system is being proposed. The City has successfully installed solar photovoltaic systems on the roofs of City Hall and the City Garage and require minimal maintenance. While the facility's roof would not support a solar array large, enough to supply the pumping station, there is a significant amount of green space that could be utilized for a ground mount installation. This installation will drive down operating expenses and reduce the utility's carbon footprint. It is estimated that this project would result in an annual reduction in electricity expenses of approximately $18,000.

Potter Road water main relay $1,800,000

A transfer of a previously owned Milwaukee County elevated tower located in Research Park occurred in 2013, which was intended to add a second elevated storage tower to the City’s western pressure district. The water utility has continuously attempted to place this second tower online to provide additional water storage in the western pressure district, which would increase the system's ability to provide water in high demand scenarios such as a fire-fighting event or system supply failure.

Unfortunately, when the second tower is put online, it does not fill/drain without forcing the primary tower closed, which is contrary to the goal of having both towers online simultaneously. Based on system modeling both towers should be able to be placed online simultaneously, and many field tests have taken place over the intervening years to attempt to determine what is causing the inability for the Research Park tower to fill/drain. The problem is believed to have been isolated to a particular segment of water main that has experienced significant capacity reduction over time due to reduction in the interior diameter of the pipe. It is being proposed that this segment of water main be relayed with a new, larger diameter pipe that will allow water to flow from the western district pumping station to the secondary water tower as well as the primary water tower simultaneously.

West Zone pumping station $5,250,000

Wauwatosa-owned water-pumping stations currently receive water from Milwaukee Water Works and subsequently pump the water at an elevated pressure to homes, businesses, and elevated storage towers across the City. The water utility provides service to two separate pressure districts, east and west. The eastern district utilizes three pumping stations and two elevated towers, while the western district only has one station and one tower available at this time.

The lack of a secondary pumping station makes the western district extremely vulnerable to system wide failures if the water feeding the pumping station or the pumping station itself experiences a failure. If a system wide failure were to occur and pressure within the system was reduced, this would result in potential contamination to the drinking water supply and limit the ability to provide water to combat fires. In order to protect the western pressure district's water customers a secondary pumping station is needed in order to provide backup to the existing primary station. The proposed secondary pumping station would likely be located adjacent to the Burleigh Water Tower. This pumping station would be sized in order to serve the entire western district so that if a failure occurs at the primary station no loss of service would occur.       

Remodeling Fire Station 52 and 53 bunk rooms $700,000

The fire department is requesting ARPA funding to remodel fire station 52 and 53 sleeping areas. These are the two oldest fire stations and currently have common, shared sleeping rooms similar to military barracks. So far in 2022, personnel assigned to these older stations account for 80% of COVID-positive employees while only accounting for 60% of the daily workforce. We have realized that these areas present a high potential for the spread of viruses due to the shared space. 

Our proposal is to create subdivided, individual sleeping rooms at fire stations 52 and 53. This includes HVAC updates to limit the potential spread of airborne illness. This would require design, engineering, and construction over a roughly two-year timeframe. We estimate the total costs for both stations to be approximately $700,000.

Hybrid meeting technology $35,000

During the pandemic, city meetings have transitioned from in-person to virtual to hybrid. The city’s audiovisual systems can only be used for hybrid meetings if a city staff member is present and in certain meeting rooms. This has left hybrid meeting technology inaccessible for some citizen committees.

This proposal would fund the purchase of two mobile meeting technology systems that could be used by citizen committees without a staff member present. The Information Systems Department has specified a setup of two mobile carts that include a microphone that will automatically track who is speaking, a computer, and a large touchscreen to display the zoom meeting to participants in the room. The mobile meeting carts will empower individual citizen committee members to meet from home, or in a hybrid methodology with some members at a city building and some from home without the city needing to add staff or staff hours to accommodate the use. 

Update and secure Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) control tools and computers $80,000

This project will upgrade the computers, software, and cyber security responsible for controlling and monitoring the storm sewer's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Outdated components present a cyber-security and operational risk caused by lack of support from vendors. The City has 8 pumps and lift stations around the city that are tasked with monitoring and managing water and waste flow through the storm and sewer lines, and this infrastructure serves to protect basements in the city from the possibility of flow backups. SCADA is a set of control tools, software, and components that empower city staff by allowing them to remotely manage and monitor water flow through storm sewer pumps. 

Mental Health total $1,482,543 

Community Health Workers to Address Youth Mental Health $350,543

Mental health has been a growing concern among youth in Wauwatosa and has only been worsened by the pandemic. To improve outcomes and target disparities, the Wauwatosa Health Department is proposing a Community Health Worker (CHW) program. Using CHWs is an evidence-based strategy to serve as a bridge between communities and health departments. We will continue to provide education, promote prevention programming, and link individuals to treatment.

We will work with youth in Wauwatosa to identify five individuals to serve as CHWs. These individuals will be trusted peers and leaders in their community and will go through a formal training program with the Milwaukee Area Health Education Center. Through their training, they will learn about the basic principles of public health, including health promotion, disease prevention, and self-care management at the community level. The CHWs will serve as advocates and educators to provide mental health information and resources to the youth community. They will also assist the health department in identifying the barriers, challenges, and stigmas that youth face in accessing mental health prevention and treatment. 

Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction Program $577,000

Substance use has been a priority area for the Wauwatosa Health Department for several years. County-wide, there has been a 115% increase in drug deaths from 2015-2020. Issues such as binge drinking, marijuana use, and youth substance use have been problems in our community for some time, but have now been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wauwatosa has the second highest annual rate of fatal drug overdoses per 10,000 people in Milwaukee County, and is higher than the City of Milwaukee and is second to Cudahy.

The Wauwatosa Health Department is proposing a comprehensive Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction Program to target substance use at various levels in our community. The program will target 4 priority areas: a pilot needle exchange program, an overdose prevention program, referrals to substance use treatment, and community-wide substance use prevention and awareness. The proposal also includes hiring a Substance Use Specialist to focus on providing these services to our community. 

Health, Police, Fire Social Worker Position $555,000

The Wauwatosa Common Council approved a social worker position that would be connected to the city’s health, police, and fire departments. The new social worker will connect residents to resources such as social service providers and mental health resources, as well as conduct follow-ups with cases and clients. They will help forge deep and dependable relationships among the community, care providers, police, fire, health, and other agencies. The social worker’s approach can help identify patterns of behavior, create conditions of safety and stability, and work with community partners to prevent crime before it may occur.

Parks total $4,000,000 

Implementing Active Tosa Plan $4,000,000

Active Tosa is the Comprehensive Master Plan for parks, trails, open spaces, and recreational facilities within the City of Wauwatosa. It includes a review of City properties, Wauwatosa School District (WSD) properties, and some Milwaukee County parks. The plan developed through a community-driven process. Using this information, combined with community input, a list of priorities will be established for parks, trails, open spaces, and recreational facilities. The Active Tosa plan was crafted to provide the community with a clear delineation of action items and key steps needed to successfully implement the recommended improvements over time.

Small Business Support & Development total $1,286,400 

Community Development Authority (CDA) Small Business Building Improvement Program $500,000

The Community Development Authority (CDA) aims to ensure that the small business community in Wauwatosa remains viable and operating in safe, well-maintained buildings. The CDA will invest $500,000 in ARPA funds for a Small Business Building Improvement Program designed to assist properties located in City commercial districts with improvements to buildings owned and/or occupied by small businesses. Funds will provide one-time direct financial assistance to eligible small businesses disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and have a need for financial assistance to undertake building improvements. Projects include but are not limited to accessibility modifications, code compliance updates, maintenance projects and renovations that were deferred due to the financial impacts of the pandemic.

Feedback received from the small business community indicated they suffered large revenue losses during the pandemic and many had to expend savings and emergency funds to stay afloat. Financial support directly to small businesses for these projects will allow them to keep their buildings safe and in good condition without having to take on debt in a precarious time or forgo needed repairs/improvements to the detriment of their business. City staff will work with CDA to review and approve eligible applications that meet the Program requirements. The program will provide up to $15,000 per business to cover project costs as approved by the CDA and will serve a minimum of 33 businesses.

Village BID Director $60,000

The pandemic dramatically reduced the amount of visitors to Wauwatosa and the Village area. Small businesses struggled to make it through this time with the limited business. Bringing people back to the Wauwatosa Village is crucial, and a full-time staff is more likely to be effective in doing so. Temporarily increasing the funding of an Executive Director position to provide for a team of staff, rather than a part-time position, will offer a greater chance of success in responding to economic harms to small businesses. This increased investment would provide a jump-start in the evolution of the Village BID.

Their vision moving forward is to generate increased visibility, awareness and traffic to
Wauwatosa’s small businesses through a host of events. Increased revenue from events can conceivably provide for full-time staff funding in the long term. However, there is a need to increase staff funding in the short term. Bringing major events such as the Tour of America’s Dairyland Bike Race, HartFest & Tosa Fest under the umbrella of the BID will require more staff commitment. By having a full-time staff that specializes in professionally run, revenue generating events, we will be able to grow these events and bring more people to the area. Our goal is to add several new events that will draw not only local residents, but bring people to Wauwatosa from throughout the region. 

Previously Approved Projects

Tourism marketing $125,000
Restaurant week $25,000
Art64 $76,400
Small business emergency support $500,000