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City of Oak Creek · Milwaukee County · meeting of Sep 9, 2026 · Minutes
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Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes
September 9, 2026
10:30 A.M.
Item 1. Call Meeting to Order
Ald. Gehl called the meeting to order at 10:31 a.m.
Item 2. Roll Call
Ald. Gehl, Ald. Ruetz were present. Ald. Marshall arrived prior to Item 4.
Also Present:
City Administrator Andrew Vickers
Deputy City Administrator/Finance Officer (DCA) Max Gagin
Human Resources (HR) Director Toni Vanderboom
Police Chief David Stecker
Police Captain Andrew Thorne
Fire Chief Michael Kressuk
Administrative Services Director Sara Kawczynski
Assistant Administrative Services Director Carrie Wittlieff
Assistant City Administrator/City Engineer Matthew Sullivan
City Attorney Melissa Karls
Library Director Jill Lininger
Item 3. Approval of Minutes from 8/26/2026
Ald. Ruetz made a motion to approve the minutes from September 9, 2026, seconded by Ald. Gehl. Ald.
Ruetz and Gehl aye, Ald. Marshall absent; motion carried.
Item 4. 2027 Budget outlook and Committee guidance on the 2027 Executive Draft Budget.
Ald. Marshall entered the meeting. DCA Gagin presented the 2027 Executive Draft Budget outlook.
Revenues were updated, including the increase in room taxes—the City now receives 30% of the room
tax received in the community, with 70% to the Tourism Commission. Overall revenue estimates increase
$767,760. Challenges in expenditure needs including personnel costs and inflation were reviewed. Health
insurance renewals are still pending. Oak Creek Historical Society requested a one-year increase for a
capital project. Expenditures for ambulance billing, snow and ice removal materials, beer garden and
Police Department facility energy savings are expected to reduce, but the anticipated deficit is $483,560.
Administration would like to continue to provide the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all staff,
but levy limits create some constraints.
Committee guidance on a balanced budget was sought. Revenue enhancement options were reviewed,
including shifting utility aid from the Debt Service Fund to the General Fund, increasing the General Fund’s
investment earnings budget, reallocating utility aid and We Energies mitigation funds from the Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) to the General Fund and issue debt for capital project, implementing special
charges for items such as streetlighting and traffic signals, and implementing local vehicle registration
fees. Expenditure reduction options were also reviewed including not budgeting Police and Fire personnel
at their maximum salaries, reducing COLA for non-represented employees (excluding Police and Fire
command personnel), evaluating long-term vacant positions for potential restructuring or elimination,
and directing departments to identify and submit budget reduction proposals. The Committee was
interested in future discussions and planning surrounding moving items to Debt Service Fund and General
Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes
September 9, 2026
10:30 A.M.
Fund for future years, interest earning adjustments. The Committee was also interested in investigating
the impact of adjusting Police and Fire personnel budgeting. DCA Gagin also reminded the Committee
that future TID closures will also impact budgets in those years.
Item 5. Review and discuss personnel requests for the 2027 Budget by the Fire and Library departments.
Fire Chief Michael Kressuk presented the Fire Department personnel request, with an understanding of
current budgetary constraints. When the Department created the Administrative Lieutenant of Mobile
Integrated Health (MIH)/Community Paramedicine position, an operational vacancy was created in the
Department. The vacancy was backfilled via overtime which is essentially paid for by grant funding from
Milwaukee County through 2027. The Department is requesting the approval for one
Firefighter/Paramedic position to account for the operational vacancy created by the Administrative
Lieutenant of Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)/Community Paramedicine position. The Department is
investigating increased revenue options to offset the costs associated with the program.
Library Director Jill Lininger presented the Library request to increase the Substitute Librarian budget from
200 to 600 hours per year to account for an increase in Library staff PTO. This request right-sizes the
coverage needed and should eliminate the need for the Library managers to provide desk coverage.
Library Director Lininger also presented the Library request to convert one part-time, non-exempt Youth
Services Librarian to a full-time, exempt Youth Services Librarian. The Library acknowledges the budgetary
constraints, but the long-term plan of the Library Board is to convert all the professional staff to full-time
staff. The Library anticipates a positive impact in retention as well as the quality of recruitments. The
Library experiences an increase in visits between 5-8% each year. The Children’s Department relies heavily
on programing and saw an increase in programing and attendees. The Library has slowly reallocated
funding from Substitute Librarian budget to permanent staff (resulting in an increase of two staff to
checkout desk and three librarian positions).
These three requests are not reflected in the current budget.
Item 6. Consider a motion to convene into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. Section 19.85(1)(a), (c),
(e), and (g) to deliberate Oak Creek Police Officer’s Association’s Grievance 26-01 filed March 2, 2026.
Ald. Marshall moved to convene into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. Section 19.85(1)(a), (c), (e),
and (g) to deliberate Oak Creek Police Officer’s Association’s Grievance 26-01 filed March 2, 2026.
Seconded by Ald. Ruetz. All aye, motion carried.
Item 7. Consider a motion to reconvene into open session.
Ald. Ruetz made a motion to reconvene into open session, seconded by Ald. Marshall. All aye, motion
carried.
Item 8. Consider a motion to take action on any closed session item, if necessary.
Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes
September 9, 2026
10:30 A.M.
Ald. Marshall made a motion to approve the Grievance Resolution Agreement related to Oak Creek Police
Officer’s Association’s Grievance 26-01 filed March 2, 2026 and authorize Police Chief to sign the
Agreement, seconded by Ald. Ruetz. All aye, motion carried.
Item 9.
Adjournment.
Ald. Gehl made a motion to adjourn at 12:25 p.m., seconded by Ald. Marshall. All aye; motion carried.
Source: City of Oak Creek website. First collected Oct 16, 2026.