Milwaukee’s current wastewater treatment contract holder, Veolia Water Milwaukee, is under fire, with some calling for an audit.

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It goes without saying that Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is an essential community asset.

Recently, MMSD has been in the news and not in a good way. The MMSD Commission voted to approve an audit of the district’s private wastewater operator. This is less than six weeks after the community organization Common Ground launched a public campaign calling for an audit of Veolia Water Milwaukee, alleging mismanagement of the Jones Island and South Shore wastewater treatment facilities.

I was briefly on a six-member MMSD advisory committee for the 1998 United Water Services contract. Now 28 years, and 2008, 2018, contracts later, the question is what firm to hire for the 2028 contract. I read Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee articles, whistle-blower letters and other materials and jotted down concerns listed below (there are others):

• Veolia cut corners on treatment time and process chemicals
• Veolia allowed MMSD assets — buildings and process equipment — to deteriorate
• Veolia provided inadequate staffing
• Employees, particularly those who questioned management, were treated poorly
• Reversing these conditions will be very expensive, if it is even possible to do so

Minneapolis leaders agree the next police chief is a critical choice, but it remains unclear whether the mayor and City Council can align on a candidate.

Mayor Jacob Frey declined an interview on the topic after announcing the hiring process and timeline earlier in the week. But 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke with City Council Member and Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee Chair Jason Chavez and Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, the prior Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee Chair.

All agree the police chief is one of the most important roles in Minneapolis.

Asked what it would take to get enough members on board with a candidate so that they can be confirmed, Council Member Vetaw said, “I think we’re figuring some of those things out, but what I hear from all council members is someone who’s strong on reform and wants to actually get reforms done right.”

Vetaw added that the next permanent chief should also have a strong record on slowing overspending.

“We need somebody who’s really going to reel that in and handle our money with care. I think those are two things that I hear from all of my colleagues,” she said.

Brian O’Hara resigns as Minneapolis police chief after report shows he interfered with investigation into his conduct

Asked the same question, Council Member Chavez agreed on key candidate criteria, but he expressed less confidence in the hiring process.

“Well, I mean, I’ve cleared out — I’ve laid out some of the things that I would like to see in a candidate,” Chavez said. “And then I want us to feel included in this process, so they can hear our feedback, and I want there to be robust community engagement. I don’t think that it’s oppositional to this plan. I guess my only thing is I want to make sure that all 13 members are included in this process.”

“I really care about community engagement, I really care about the criteria, and I want to make sure that the police chief that comes into Minneapolis is strongly committed to police accountability,” he continued.

“People want transparency and accountability. They want someone who can speak to the community, and it’s truthful,” Vetaw said.

“Like, we’re all looking for the same kind of leader.”

The question comes as Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, as the head of the department overseeing MPD and nominated by Mayor Frey in April, remains without enough City Council votes to be reappointed. Vetaw supports Barnette, while Chavez does not.

Vetaw said the lack of agreement over Commissioner Barnette is not an omen for the process of hiring a new MPD chief.

“I don’t believe that what’s happening with the commissioner is a direct reflection on the process for searching for a new chief. I think this council certainly separates those two,” she said.

“Do I want to move fast? Absolutely not. I want to move at a pace where we get the best person for the job … and I think we all want that. This is one of the most important roles in the city of Minneapolis.”

Chavez said he hopes the process leads to a chief he can support.

Asked if he believes he’ll be able to put his vote behind the candidate ultimately nominated by the mayor at the end of the process, Chavez said, “I would hope so.”

“And I want to be able to vote for a chief,” he continued. “I just think that we have to make sure that there’s a robust process that includes all council members, and that ensures that the voices of our community are not being left out.”

Former Chief Brian O’Hara was unanimously confirmed in 2022, though the council had a few different members at the time.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mayor Frey said, “Mayor Frey has been very clear that the search for a new police chief will be a collaborative process that includes community, City staff, and Council Members.” 

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will continue tracking the selection process, including its cost to taxpayers.