BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE LASHAWNDRA VERNON, CHAIR Deshea Agee, Vice-Chair Theresa Garrison, Anthony Smith, Baboonie Tatum, Rayhainio Boynes, and Vanessa Claypool Staff Assistant, Chris Lee, 286-2232, Fax: 286-3456, clee@milwaukee.gov Legislative Liaison, Ted Medhin, 286-8681, tmedhi@milwaukee.gov Monday, March 14, 2022 9:00 AM Virtual Meeting This will be a virtual meeting conducted via GoToMeeting. Should you wish to join this meeting from your phone, tablet, or computer you may go to https://meet.goto.com/640956621. You can also dial in using your phone United States: +1 (312) 757-3121 and Access Code: 640-956-621. 1. Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m. 2. Roll call. Present 5 - Agee, Garrison, Vernon, Boynes and Smith Excused 1 - Claypool Also present: Amy Turim, DCD Real Estate Ken Little, DCD Commercial Corridor Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Aldermanic District Maria Prioletta, DCD 3. Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes from January 31, 2022. The meeting minutes from January 31, 2022 were approved without objection. 4. Update or review of DCD Commercial Corridor grants. On behalf of member Claypool, Mr. Little said there were no updates to report. City of Milwaukee Page 1 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes March 14, 2022 COMMITTEE 5. Update on the MKE United Anti-Displacement Tax Fund. Appearing: Tony Panciera, MKE United Correta Herring, Riverworks BID Mr. Panciera and Ms. Herring gave an update presentation. The Anti-Displacement Plan had a recommendation to assist homeowners to retain their homes. Resources were to be identified to assist low and moderate income homeowners in neighborhoods where rapidly rising values would create a property tax hardship. Common Council had directed DCD to develop a proposed local framework for an Anti-Displacement Tax Fund modeled on the Atlanta Westside Future Fund in December 2018. DCD presented a potential framework for the tax fund to the Common Council in May 2019 and identified the need for a local sponsor, program administrator, and raising of private (non-governmental) funds. MKE United agreed to explore sponsoring the creation of the tax fund in June 2019 and secured sufficient funding commitments to launch the tax fund during the 2019 tax season in October 2019. Fund contributions were provided by generous philanthropic and private donors since no public funds could be utilized for tax assistance payments. The averaged assessed value of homes increased more than 10% above city average increase between 2014-2019. Neighborhoods such as Walker's Point, Halyard Park, Brewers Hill, and Harambee were identified as exhibiting indicators associated with risk of displacement due to rising property values. The tax fund eligibility criteria required owner-occupied homes in the program area, property ownership or inheritance from a family members since January 1, 2015, current on real estate taxes and not subject to mortgage foreclosure, and income at or below City averages. 2021 maximum income limits were $40,115 (family size of 1), $45,850 (family size of 2), $51,580 (family size of 3), $57,310 (family size of 4), $61,895(family size of 5), and $66,480 (family size of 6). The MKE United Anti-Displacement Fund launched and began accepting applications in November 2019. Year 1 results in January 2020 yielded 111 applicants who were certified as eligible for assistance, 86 receiving property tax assistance, 25 additionally approved but not experiencing a tax increase, $36,356 in total tax assistance payments ($446 average). Year 3 of the Fund application opened in September 2021. Direct mail was sent to all 2020 applicants. Follow-up telephone calls were done to all previous applicants. Direct mailing was sent to all homeowners in the program area and follow-up outreach from the local alderpersons was done. Targeted door-to-door contacts in neighborhoods were done. Also available was the Fund website. Year 3 results yielded 122 applications received, 94 applicants certified as eligible for assistance with 69 on the northside and 25 on the southside, 76 participants receiving property tax assistance on their 2021 tax bill, 18 additional participants being eligible for assistance in future program years and not experiencing a tax increase in 2021, and $77,904 in total tax assistance payments ($1,025 average and over double the first year average). City of Milwaukee Page 2 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes March 14, 2022 COMMITTEE Cumulative results of all three years of the program yielded 421 total applications received, 321 total applications certified, $207,225 in total assistance payments, $22,000 average participant income, age range of 31-98, average age of 65 in 2021, average property purchase date of 1998, 75% of participant being African American/Black or Latino/Latina homeowners. Lessons learned included the importance of the data and that the Fund program was working. Everyone who applied walked with resources even if they were not given property tax assistance payments. Not one home was sold for those who applied for the Fund. She was the program administrator. The program was doing well when compared to other cities with a similar program. COVID-19 and the tax assessment freeze played a role in decrease program applicants. Riverworks were doing workshops to educate families to understand property taxes and providing additional resources: free tax preparation, screening, financial coaching, comparative market analysis, and tax assessment appeal assistance to northside families. The Fund partnerships consisted of the City (providing technical assistance), MKE United (Fund sponsor), Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Milwaukee Urban League, The GMC, and LISC Milwaukee, Riverworks (Fund administrator), MEDC Milwaukee (3rd party eligibility certification), and UCC (outreach and engagement). Funders ($25,000 or more) included Bader Philanthropies, Bucks Foundation, Dohme Company Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Kohl Philanthropies, Medical College of Wisconsin, and two anonymous sources. The program was a 5-year pilot. Funds were secured for the program to extend perhaps a few more years. More funds were needed to be raised ($2 million additional) to extend the Fund to 10-15 years. The Fund was one anti-displacement tool out of many to address displacement. Ald. Coggs commended the Fund team, and said that the Fund had greatly impacted residents, she had sat through neighborhood meetings to hear resident concerns on the Fund, she hoped the Fund would extend to 20 years, and hope for families to become more financially prepared after receiving property tax assistance. Mr. Panciera added that there were residents who experienced increased property taxes but did not qualify for the Fund due to having delinquent taxes, the Fund could not provide aide to those with delinquent taxes, they were providing other resources and helping families appeal their increase property tax assessments, and they would continue to look at other creative solutions to provide assistance. Ms. Prioletta added that the State had announced providing assistance to residents with delinquent taxes. 6. 6th and North Ave. Development Opportunity RFP proposal presentations, review, and recommendations. The Bronzeville Advisory Committee may convene into closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85(1)(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session. The committee may then reconvene into open session for the regular agenda. There was no closed session. City of Milwaukee Page 3 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes March 14, 2022 COMMITTEE Members said that due to the importance of the site, they wanted more time to review the RFP submittals offline before having presentations and deliberations and that they felt that they did not receive the meeting materials in adequate time. It was noted that meeting materials for this item was received on March 11th. Vice-chair Agee moved to hold to the call of the chair, seconded by member Smith. There was no objection. Members inquired about the customary timing and manner to submit meeting materials to a body for its review, the urgency to review and render a decision on the RFP, and that they would like to receive RFP submittal materials a week prior to a meeting. Mr. Lee replied that, based on his staffing experience, 48 hours prior to a meeting was a customary good faith deadline, there were no codified deadline for the timing of meeting material submission to a body, meeting materials submission would range from many days in advance to submission of materials at the table on a meeting day, the advisory committee has experienced this wide timing range of meeting material submission before, late meeting material submission was not uncommon, and the advisory committee as well as any other body had discretion on holding items for further review and requesting the manner (reasonably) in which they would like to receive materials. Ms. Turim replied that there was no immediate urgency, a decision should be made before September when the matter was expected to go before Common Council review, and that she was available in early April before the 15th for another meeting. Chair Vernon said that a special meeting should be scheduled on the matter in a few weeks time. 7. Update or review of other Bronzeville RFPs, listings, projects, programs, initiatives, events, grants, activities, or plans. There was no discussion. 8. Public comments. Sara Daleiden, HomeWorks: Bronzeville, announced the artist housing sale for 322-340 W. Meinecke would occur tomorrow, there would soon be a press release, and members were invited to a artist house cluster press launch event on March 26th at 10:30 a.m. 9. Next steps. a. Agenda items for the next meeting. ARCH program update for the next regular meeting. Other items to be determined. b. Next meeting date and time (May 16, 2022 at 9 am) Members and clerk staff discussed and set a special virtual meeting for Monday, April City of Milwaukee Page 4 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes March 14, 2022 COMMITTEE 11, 2022 at 9 a.m. to consider and review the 6th and North RFP submittals. 10. Announcements. Ray Hill, Historic King Drive BID, announced the opening of the process for a strategic framework for the BID over the next three years and that they were looking for consultants who specifically worked in engagement for strategic planning in framework. Member Smith announced the Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations Broadway musical from April 5-10, 2022 and the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's dance performance on April 20, 2022 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Ticketing price and orders was available at the MPAC website. Mr. Little announced that his office had a job opening for a Commercial Corridor Manager. 11. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 9:58 a.m. Chris Lee, Staff Assistant Council Records Section City Clerk's Office City of Milwaukee Page 5