[0:03] transportation utilities and
[0:05] waterways review board Alderman
[0:06] Bauman share of the board.
[0:07] And when we go around the room
[0:08] quickly and introduce ourselves
[0:09] will start on the left to the
[0:10] newly appointed member of the
[0:14] board. As of yesterday, a win
[0:15] for our please. Thank you so
[0:18] much. Member, our Alderman 3rd
[0:19] District. I am now in my.
[0:20] For its been 14 a half months
[0:21] in office. It's been a pleasure
[0:22] to serve the residents of
[0:25] district 3 very good at making
[0:26] a please more of his chair,
[0:27] John Rogers, deputy director
[0:27] for the Milwaukee County
[0:30] Department of Transportation.
[0:31] Excellent.
[0:33] Good morning. MISTER Chair
[0:33] James Washington. Public Works
[0:34] coronation manager and the
[0:36] Department of Public Works.
[0:41] Good Morning. MISTER Chair Gym
[0:42] for advocate of public Transit.
[0:43] Just like what, Jim Pictures,
[0:44] because it's like to speak of
[0:46] the mic to there's a microphone
[0:49] in front of you. Good morning
[0:50] Chair Jim Carpenter here, an
[0:53] advocate of public transit just
[0:56] like you.
[0:57] Good morning, Kevin Susi,
[0:59] citizen member John DECEMBER
[1:01] resident of Milwaukee advocate
[1:05] for transit. Well, German Scott
[1:06] Speicher 13th District.
[1:08] All right. Excellent. We have
[1:11] one final in front of us today.
[1:11] It's item 2, 6, 0, 2, 2, 1,
[1:12] communication relating to the
[1:14] creation of a publicly owned
[1:16] electric utility by the city
[1:17] of Milwaukee sponsored by
[1:19] Alderman Broward and myself.
[1:20] I think we'll start today by
[1:21] having a brief opening comments
[1:23] from some of the board members
[1:23] who have indicated a desire to
[1:25] make comments. So we'll start
[1:28] with almond grower. And thank
[1:29] you so much. MISTER Chair.
[1:30] I really want to express my
[1:32] deep gratitude to you and to
[1:34] the staff here at City Hall
[1:36] and this body for meeting today
[1:38] to discuss this really, really
[1:40] important topic because we are
[1:43] we are faced with so much here
[1:47] in the city of Milwaukee.
[1:48] Not only are we faced with
[1:48] rising prices across the board,
[1:52] whether it's these landlords
[1:53] gouging U.S. Or Kroger,
[1:56] shutting grocery stores down
[1:58] and then raising prices or
[2:00] whether it's frankly our
[2:01] current utility continuing to
[2:03] raise prices again and again,
[2:07] the working people of this city
[2:07] are suffering right now.
[2:11] And I am so glad that this
[2:12] council in this body are taking
[2:14] heed of that and exploring this
[2:15] possibility today for us to
[2:17] utilize chapter one, 97 of the
[2:21] Wisconsin state statutes to
[2:23] replace we energies with the
[2:25] utility that's democratically
[2:26] owned as a socialist alderman.
[2:29] I believe that we should have
[2:31] democracy in every single part
[2:32] of our economy because it's one
[2:33] thing to just elect people
[2:34] wanting to go to vote for
[2:34] PRESIDENT. One thing to be a
[2:36] vote for your representative.
[2:40] But it's another thing people
[2:42] have said a c in the material
[2:45] conditions that affect you
[2:48] every single day. And when you
[2:49] have a corporation like we
[2:52] energies, that's The they MAY
[2:54] suppose and present that their
[2:56] a priority is to deliver
[2:56] electricity. But as with any
[3:00] company that you can treat on
[3:01] Wall Street. The real hidden or
[3:04] maybe not so hidden priority of
[3:06] that entity is to deliver
[3:08] profits for shareholders.
[3:10] And I think it's about time.
[3:13] Then this world we seriously
[3:15] reconsider that economic
[3:18] arrangement where we have an
[3:20] economy where every single
[3:22] human life is valued. Everybody
[3:23] has an equal say no matter
[3:24] what. Zip code you live in, no
[3:26] matter what your skin color
[3:28] is, no matter what your gender
[3:30] is, that we have equality in
[3:31] that we have a democracy.
[3:33] And so this is one step that is
[3:34] allowed under current state
[3:36] law. We're not asking medicine
[3:38] to do us any favors here,
[3:40] although we do think they But
[3:41] we're not asking medicine to
[3:43] see favors. We are advocating
[3:44] under current law and I I ran
[3:45] on this and I'm I'm so proud
[3:52] that we are hearing this right
[3:54] now. To have this conversation
[3:55] about whether we use this
[3:57] statute that currently exist in
[4:00] law, which is one step for us
[4:02] to be able to come have an
[4:05] economy that works for every
[4:05] single person where everybody
[4:06] is self actual is where
[4:09] everyone can reach their full
[4:10] potential were no one is
[4:10] oppressed. And I know there's
[4:11] probably some right-wing troll
[4:12] out there. That's going to
[4:14] comment on the saying that
[4:15] because 11, 30 talk radio was
[4:16] just talking about making fun
[4:18] of people fighting oppression
[4:21] this morning. But I actually
[4:23] think it's a
[4:26] good idea to fight And I think
[4:27] we should be doing that in this
[4:29] world. I actually did. You
[4:31] know, call me call me a crazy
[4:31] leftist Marxist here. But I
[4:34] think that people should be
[4:36] able to live their lives, how
[4:36] they want and have a say in
[4:39] every single aspect of their
[4:41] lives. And so it was really
[4:42] MARCH or the opportunity called
[4:43] his meeting. I appreciate
[4:46] everybody on this committee for
[4:47] showing up today and I
[4:48] especially on what and also I
[4:50] want to thank our here are
[4:52] going to testify and provide
[4:53] testimony as well as the
[4:55] members of the public who are
[4:56] here as well. Look at this
[4:57] crowd. Look at these people who
[4:59] showed up on a workday. Some of
[5:01] you I know, have taken off of
[5:03] work because this issue is so
[5:04] important to discuss. I'm here
[5:05] today. So I just want to say
[5:08] from the bottom of my heart
[5:10] to every single person present
[5:12] here, thank you for raising
[5:15] your voice. It's one thing to
[5:16] be an elected official on, but
[5:17] it's another thing to really be
[5:18] a member of the community and
[5:19] advocate and stand up when it's
[5:22] difficult. So all of you are
[5:23] doing that today. Thank you all
[5:24] so much. And thank you so much
[5:27] for me to have some remarks,
[5:30] MR. Chair, thank you all.
[5:36] I'm tired of making opening
[5:38] statement. Yes, I would like
[5:39] to make an opening First of
[5:40] all, I want to reiterate that I
[5:42] took the public transit here,
[5:43] the green line with my wife
[5:46] and I believe in public
[5:48] transit.
[5:49] A government does a lot of good
[5:51] things and providing services
[5:52] public transit being one of
[5:53] them. That's why I'm on this
[5:56] committee. But I also believe
[5:57] in public utilities. Let me
[5:59] read a few using my background
[6:01] is in economics instructor.
[6:05] I'm a proud member of Milwaukee
[6:08] dsa. Yeah.
[6:13] Also I believe in a mixed
[6:14] economy. Where is there a?
[6:17] There is a place for markets
[6:17] and competition and profit,
[6:20] but also a place for government
[6:24] provide services. The preferred
[6:25] drug visions of utilities likes
[6:28] or water and energy have proven
[6:29] to be a good place for
[6:31] government services. When I
[6:33] first started reading about
[6:35] publicly owned nonprofit
[6:36] utilities, I learned this is
[6:38] not all fire, all fringe idea.
[6:42] It is a model supported all
[6:44] over the country by people of
[6:45] different political or
[6:49] political persuasions. Let's
[6:49] get the facts straight and
[6:51] urging that works are what
[6:54] economists call natural
[6:57] monopolies allowing multiple
[6:59] companies to provide redundant
[7:01] energy networks in a given
[7:03] geographical area makes no
[7:05] economic sense. Energy networks
[7:09] are best provided my
[7:11] monopolies. The problem is we
[7:14] energies is a profit driven
[7:15] monopoly and sometimes profits
[7:18] get in the way of providing the
[7:20] best solution to a problem.
[7:24] For example, sometimes is more
[7:25] cost effective to improve
[7:27] energy efficiency rather than
[7:29] true. Then to provide more
[7:31] energy. But a for-profit
[7:34] utility does not have the
[7:36] incentive to provide energy
[7:37] efficiency because this reduces
[7:41] the consumption of energy and
[7:43] this reduces profits. Consider
[7:44] data centers all over this
[7:46] country. Communities are
[7:47] enacting moratoriums on data
[7:49] centers because of negative
[7:52] effects of these data centers
[7:54] on your told the Bills, the
[7:58] environment and other negative
[7:58] externalities, but profit
[7:59] driven utilities have no
[8:01] incentive to a pop up all these
[8:03] data centers because they
[8:05] dissenters lead to higher
[8:08] energy consumption and higher
[8:09] profits. Recently we energies
[8:11] proposals are reviewed by the
[8:15] Public Service Commission of
[8:16] Wisconsin. And let's review
[8:19] some of the things Thomas
[8:20] contents said about this review
[8:21] process. Some of the things
[8:23] that we energy trying to pull
[8:24] off because they're a
[8:25] for-profit company. But before
[8:28] I do that, I just want to bring
[8:28] attention to the Bell. Iris
[8:31] 2, I noticed I received from we
[8:33] energies with my last energy
[8:34] bill saying that my energy bill
[8:38] will increase by double digits
[8:42] next year. 10.28% That is
[8:44] wholly unacceptable. Yeah.
[8:47] And it's being that driven by
[8:48] a for-profit motive. I believe
[8:49] that a publicly owned utility
[8:52] would not be increasing my bill
[8:53] by double digits next year.
[8:58] Well, let me let me make take
[8:59] a couple quotes from this
[9:01] actual in our goal. All the
[9:04] damage are null said no by Tom
[9:05] Content.
[9:06] The time is confidential is the
[9:06] executive director of the
[9:08] Citizens. Your Ability Board
[9:11] of Wisconsin. This is some of
[9:12] the things that we energies
[9:13] was trying to get away from
[9:17] that. The Public Service Act
[9:18] commission rejected rejected we
[9:22] energies proposals to require
[9:23] consumers to pay. 25% about
[9:24] 1 billion dollars for natural
[9:27] gas. Power plants to be built
[9:30] for data centers. He cited that
[9:32] customers protect customer
[9:33] protections should be in place
[9:36] for smaller data centers and
[9:37] we energies. I then smaller
[9:39] data centers. Then we energies
[9:43] and for a boss. Data centers
[9:45] rate increases. Cub will
[9:47] scrutinize billions and excels
[9:48] energy data centers plans.
[9:52] Cubs will actively review the
[9:55] price hike proposals we
[9:56] energies and Wps put forward
[9:57] seeking double-digit increases
[10:00] for residential customers over
[10:01] the next 2 years. The on data
[10:05] centers, Wisconsin needs to
[10:08] put affordability first energy
[10:09] been rising at a clip. Well
[10:11] above inflation, since Taters
[10:14] centers showed up to soften the
[10:14] blow cover eca men's these
[10:15] changes to be implemented by
[10:18] the government governor and
[10:21] the legislature stop utilities
[10:22] from profiting on dead power
[10:25] plants. Customer cut customers
[10:26] across the state are paying
[10:27] 1 billion dollars for piles
[10:29] of rubble that have nothing to
[10:31] do with keeping the lights on.
[10:33] We start deland's and how the
[10:36] stage energy future unfolds.
[10:37] Utilities push profits centric
[10:41] plans that rely solely on
[10:42] building power plants. But
[10:45] ignore energy efficiency and
[10:46] other technologies that can
[10:48] save customers under bills.
[10:51] A better planning process.
[10:52] Reacher tell these needs
[10:53] including distribution can fix
[10:55] this and that reforms to ensure
[10:56] utility profits are linked to
[10:59] affordability and how well
[10:59] power companies tackle the
[11:00] burden. A high energy cost of
[11:04] plays on people struggling to
[11:07] make energy and meat instead
[11:08] of making a lowering the
[11:09] profits. I say when they
[11:12] shouldn't have profits, we do
[11:16] not profit says.
[11:17] Let's and the profits are bills
[11:19] will be lower. Our energy czar
[11:20] systems more sustainable.
[11:23] And I will move forward in a
[11:25] better fashion so thank you
[11:26] very much for allowing me to
[11:27] make those comments here to
[11:28] thank you. Good people of
[11:31] Milwaukee for coming off.
[11:32] Sure. You're coming out because
[11:33] you're concerned about your
[11:34] energy bill, which is should
[11:37] be. But you're also concerned
[11:39] about the energy bills of
[11:43] people who cannot afford to
[11:45] have low income. And I find
[11:45] a difficult time of 40 these
[11:47] high energy bills are also
[11:48] concerned about the
[11:50] environment. So thank you for
[11:52] being people of conscience who
[11:54] care about the environment who
[11:56] care about the next generation
[11:57] who care about poor people.
[11:59] And of course, it's a layered
[11:59] normal human beings. You care
[12:02] about yourself. So thank you
[12:06] very much for being here.
[12:14] Other board members wish to
[12:16] make opening statements.
[12:17] All right. Then we'll proceed
[12:18] to our business today. We have
[12:19] 1, one item of housekeeping,
[12:19] and that is to approve the
[12:23] minutes of the previous
[12:24] meeting, which was 2 years ago.
[12:25] Back on 5/10/2023 is there a
[12:29] motion to approve the previous
[12:31] minutes? So moved their second
[12:32] second all in favor, aye.
[12:33] All right. Good that the
[12:36] minutes right away. And this is
[12:38] a communication file. We're
[12:40] here to collect the information
[12:40] and disseminate that
[12:43] information to the public via
[12:44] your own presence here and the
[12:47] presence of the media, which is
[12:48] great. This is also being live
[12:49] streamed on the city channel.
[12:50] So there's there's a permanent
[12:51] video record of these
[12:53] proceedings which people can
[12:55] go to an consultant review.
[12:57] We're not going to take any
[13:00] action by this committee.
[13:01] This board does not have the
[13:02] ability to recommend a specific
[13:05] action by the Common Council.
[13:07] That is a step that will have
[13:09] to wait for the future and
[13:10] future action in terms of
[13:12] committing a of creating
[13:14] perhaps the task force to
[13:15] review the potential of a
[13:19] feasibility study to review the
[13:21] details. The facts, the costs,
[13:22] the details of the transaction
[13:24] of this sort. This is an
[13:26] enormously complicated process
[13:27] as indicated by the legal memo
[13:29] that we received from the pine
[13:31] box for him. We will be hearing
[13:35] from one of their attorneys
[13:36] on the legal process. We'll
[13:38] also be hearing from the
[13:39] American Public Power
[13:40] Association where we're we're
[13:43] we're very honored to have or
[13:43] should let striver here fresh
[13:44] from Washington, D.C., from the
[13:46] American Public Power
[13:47] Association
[13:49] this organization. We had the
[13:50] honor, all the Broward I met
[13:53] with her and her colleagues
[13:53] back in MARCH when we were in
[13:58] dc for the National League of
[13:58] Cities Convention.
[14:00] It was a very interesting
[14:01] meeting. They presented some
[14:02] some of of standing material to
[14:03] us and that material is in the
[14:05] file. So anybody can get access
[14:08] to that material via the file.
[14:09] So we will start with select
[14:13] and she can explain the whole
[14:14] concept of public power that
[14:16] it's not at all. But for our
[14:18] pointed out, some wild, crazy
[14:21] notion that all of it as member
[14:22] Carpenter mentioned that
[14:25] there's a lot of cities that do
[14:26] this, including some very large
[14:26] cities. Social of the floor is
[14:27] your wife. You tell us a little
[14:28] bit about yourself, your
[14:31] organization and then provide
[14:33] your testimony.
[14:34] All right. Thank you. Good
[14:36] morning. Appreciate the
[14:37] opportunity to be here today.
[14:39] I'll provide a little bit of
[14:40] perspective on public power
[14:40] from a national perspective, a
[14:44] little bit about what public
[14:46] power is trends we're seeing as
[14:47] it relates to municipal station
[14:49] and then a little bit on the
[14:50] process that we typically see.
[14:51] And then, of course, happy to
[14:54] answer any questions that you
[14:56] MAY have. So the American
[14:57] Public Power Association where
[14:58] Trade Association and the
[15:00] Washington, D.C., area where we
[15:03] lobby on a federal level for
[15:05] community owned electric
[15:07] utilities. We provide education
[15:09] resources, technical resources
[15:10] to ensure that public power
[15:10] utilities, have they have what
[15:14] they need to remain successful
[15:15] in the future.
[15:17] There are 2000 public power
[15:18] utilities in the U.S. A little
[15:21] over 2000 public power,
[15:22] utilities in the U.S. In all
[15:24] states except Hawaii. They
[15:26] serve 5 U.S. Territories
[15:29] serving 55 million Americans
[15:30] for context about 15% of
[15:33] customers are served by public
[15:35] power. Utilities. 13% are
[15:37] served by rural electric
[15:38] cooperatives and the remainder
[15:41] about 66% are served by
[15:49] investor owned utilities.
[15:50] So Alderman Power Baumann said
[15:52] earlier public her serve some
[15:53] very large cities like Los
[15:55] Angeles, Seattle, San Antonio,
[15:57] Omaha, Orlando, Jacksonville,
[15:58] all across the country. But the
[16:01] vast majority of public power,
[16:04] utilities are small, about 80%
[16:06] serve communities of 10,000 or
[16:06] fewer and 70% serve communities
[16:08] of 5,000 or fewer. So public
[16:12] power is very diverse in terms
[16:13] of size region of the country
[16:17] and also priorities. So that
[16:19] really plays into the I'm the
[16:20] overall the concept of public
[16:22] power, its local
[16:23] decision-making, local control,
[16:25] addressing the issues that are
[16:26] most important to the
[16:29] community. So their 5 per
[16:32] tenants of public power public
[16:32] ownership, local
[16:34] decision-making not-for-profit
[16:36] operations cost base pricing
[16:38] and customer first service.
[16:39] So it really is all related to
[16:41] the community and what issues
[16:44] are most important to the
[16:45] community. So public
[16:47] power, utilities, I can adjust
[16:49] their services to what the
[16:50] specific needs of the community
[16:54] are. And so that really plays
[16:55] into the umbrella.
[16:58] 10 and I public power is that
[17:01] local decision-making so
[17:01] decisions on rates,
[17:04] reliability, investments in
[17:05] infrastructure, renewable
[17:05] energy, any other services that
[17:09] the community makes are made
[17:10] here in the community.
[17:11] The community has an
[17:12] opportunity to weigh in on
[17:15] decisions, sit in on public
[17:18] meetings like this. The
[17:18] utilities are overseen by
[17:20] either. A city council are
[17:23] elected or appointed utility
[17:23] board. Sarah's. There's that
[17:25] local oversight. So can
[17:26] citizens can vote elected
[17:27] officials in and out of office
[17:28] if they're not addressing the
[17:31] needs of the customer. So it
[17:32] really is that customer first
[17:34] community focus that has missed
[17:38] most important. And so in
[17:40] general. Public care, utilities
[17:43] have lower rates, higher
[17:46] reliability, more focused on
[17:47] customer service and customer
[17:49] issues and certainly willing to
[17:51] dive into the details on the
[17:52] cost differential and
[17:53] reliability differential.
[17:53] But we do have statistics and
[17:57] some of it is in that document
[17:58] that are that is as noted
[17:59] there. And and our on our
[18:02] website public power to work.
[18:03] There's a lot of statistics on
[18:05] the current differential in
[18:07] terms of rates and reliability.
[18:08] And here in Wisconsin, public
[18:12] pair utilities have a slower
[18:13] rates and lower bills. Then
[18:16] other and other forms of of
[18:19] utilities. And in terms of
[18:20] municipal is a shunt trends.
[18:21] There are a number of
[18:23] communities that are looking at
[18:24] public power currently. And
[18:27] there have been for many years.
[18:30] I've been a ppa 29 years and
[18:31] it's been a constant drumbeat
[18:33] of communities that are looking
[18:34] at public power. But I would
[18:35] say there's more interest now
[18:40] than there's ever been in the
[18:40] last several years. And I think
[18:41] the other reasons vary on white
[18:45] communities are looking at
[18:46] public power. Sometimes
[18:48] its rates, the rate increases
[18:49] by the investor owned utilities
[18:51] have gotten to the point where
[18:54] it's just not tolerable in the
[18:55] community. Sometimes its
[18:57] reliability, particularly if a
[18:59] storm comes through the
[19:00] incumbent utility doesn't
[19:01] respond. Well, then that may
[19:04] prompt a community to explore
[19:07] public power. And sometimes
[19:08] it's long-term reliability
[19:10] issues. Renewable energy has
[19:10] been a really strong driver in
[19:13] the last several years. A lot
[19:16] of communities that are
[19:18] interested in access to more
[19:19] redact, reliable or renewable
[19:19] energy. More
[19:20] environmentally-friendly
[19:21] options in the incumbent
[19:23] utility has not been
[19:24] responsive. That has pushed a
[19:27] number of communities to
[19:28] explore their options. And then
[19:29] economic development. All of
[19:29] these issues play into economic
[19:33] development and the health of
[19:34] the community. And then
[19:36] finally, a lot of communities
[19:38] when their franchise agreements
[19:39] are expiring. That's a really
[19:43] good opportunity to explore
[19:43] options and just see what
[19:45] what's feasible. From app's
[19:46] perspective, we don't advocate
[19:48] for communities forming public
[19:50] power, utilities. We obviously
[19:52] believe it's the best business
[19:53] model, but it is a local
[19:55] decision were here to provide
[19:56] information to help you make an
[19:57] informed decision and help the
[19:58] community understand what
[20:02] public power is and what the
[20:02] benefits MAY be. But
[20:04] ultimately, that's a decision
[20:05] that needs to be made for that
[20:06] by the community, for the
[20:06] community to ensure that its
[20:10] it really is the right decision
[20:12] for you.
[20:14] You know, while there is a lot
[20:16] of interest in public power, I
[20:18] will say that it is relatively
[20:19] rare for new public power
[20:20] utilities to form because it is
[20:21] a lengthy process. It takes
[20:25] time. It takes commitment.
[20:28] It takes money and there will
[20:29] typically be pushed back from
[20:29] the investor owned utility.
[20:32] So you have to be prepared for
[20:34] that. If you're going to move
[20:35] forward in that since 1973,
[20:37] there have been public pair
[20:38] utilities that have formed.
[20:42] There have been 20 in the last
[20:45] 25 years. Most of them were
[20:48] small and many of them were
[20:49] greenfield New industrial
[20:50] parks, new residential
[20:51] communities that forms that
[20:53] were not previously served by
[20:57] that investor owned utility.
[20:58] And so the large-scale examples
[20:59] are relatively rare, but there
[21:00] are some and there are
[21:00] definitely some that are
[21:03] exploring new, many that are
[21:07] exploring now. So give you a
[21:07] couple of quick examples just
[21:09] to show really the diversity of
[21:11] both public power and the
[21:12] municipal station process
[21:13] because every municipal as
[21:16] ation campaign is different.
[21:17] So the most recent utility to
[21:20] form was Jefferson County pd
[21:21] in Washington. They had about
[21:25] 18,000 customers. They stay
[21:26] formed in 2013. Their issues
[21:29] were more access to real right,
[21:32] renewable energy, lower costs
[21:33] and higher reliability in the
[21:36] unit, which those are all kind
[21:37] of the common common. Points
[21:40] that communities are looking
[21:41] at, but that this situation was
[21:43] unique because they came to
[21:44] it. They negotiated a price
[21:44] with the investor owned
[21:46] utilities. So that's unusual.
[21:48] Usually they do go to
[21:50] condemnation go to the courts.
[21:52] But this one was negotiated
[21:53] which can make the process.
[21:55] It does make the process much
[21:55] quicker and less expensive.
[21:57] So if you're able to negotiate
[21:59] with the incumbent utility,
[22:01] that is the ideal situation is
[22:02] relatively rare. But that was
[22:02] the most recent one in. There
[22:05] are other examples like that.
[22:09] The second provide as Winter
[22:10] Park, Florida formed in 2005
[22:14] and they just celebrated their
[22:16] 20th anniversary last year they
[22:17] formed because of reliability
[22:19] concerns. They had very poor
[22:20] reliability from the incumbent
[22:24] utility. And when they took
[22:25] over the system, they committed
[22:27] to investing all the profits
[22:29] that were generated from the
[22:31] utility back into the utility
[22:33] to harden the infrastructure
[22:36] and the underground. It 80% of
[22:37] their lines within the last
[22:40] 20 years. They have very high
[22:42] reliability, as you can
[22:42] imagine. Now their rates are
[22:45] consistent or lower than that.
[22:47] The incumbent utility. And they
[22:49] have obviously very strong
[22:51] customer service in 2024.
[22:52] When Hurricane Milton hit
[22:56] Winter Park, they only last
[22:57] 250 customers and they restore
[22:59] them within 12 hours, which is
[23:00] pretty remarkable when you
[23:01] think of a hurricane coming
[23:05] through and wiping out a system
[23:08] in Florida. And then the last
[23:08] provide is the Long Island
[23:09] Power Authority they formed in
[23:10] 1998. They are. They have over
[23:14] a million customers said
[23:17] they're very unique. They
[23:17] formed because the investor
[23:19] owned utility Bill and a
[23:20] nuclear plant that never
[23:23] operated. But 8, there were
[23:24] significant cost overruns.
[23:24] And sky at dusk, the prices
[23:28] were skyrocketing. So the state
[23:30] of New York stepped in and I
[23:32] and created the public power
[23:34] utility. And they're very
[23:36] unique because they have a
[23:36] public private partnership.
[23:38] So they the it is a public pair
[23:42] utility owned by the community.
[23:45] Operated and governed by the
[23:48] utility board. But they
[23:48] outsource the actual operations
[23:50] to Pse g Long Island, which
[23:52] is an investor owned utility.
[23:53] So they still have the benefits
[23:55] of public power and that local
[23:59] control. But they have
[24:00] outsourced the operations and
[24:01] Winter Park did something
[24:01] similar when they forms for the
[24:05] first 10 years. They outsource
[24:07] their operations and then
[24:08] ultimately they decided to
[24:09] bring in the the operations
[24:11] and run it completely on their
[24:12] own. And they hired a lot of
[24:15] the people that were actually
[24:16] working at that outsourced
[24:17] company initially. So there are
[24:19] the point of all this is there
[24:20] are many different ways to look
[24:21] at this. You know what? There's
[24:22] not a cookie cutter answer for
[24:23] every community. You really do
[24:26] need to look at what's right
[24:26] for you. And that's where that
[24:30] feasibility study starts.
[24:31] Looking at those options very
[24:32] quickly, just to give you a
[24:33] flavor of the communities that
[24:34] are actually looking at public
[24:37] power now, there are a lot of
[24:38] them.
[24:40] And I'll just mention a few.
[24:42] But there are I contacted, I
[24:43] would say every other week by a
[24:44] new community or state that is
[24:47] looking at what the options
[24:49] MAY be. So St. Petersburg,
[24:50] Florida, they just approved
[24:54] funding for a feasibility study
[24:55] to be conducted this year.
[24:56] A Clearwater, Florida just
[24:57] completed a feasibility study.
[24:59] And so there they are now
[25:00] looking at their options,
[25:01] whether they decide to
[25:04] negotiate with the incumbent
[25:05] utility or create a public
[25:07] power utility. And on that
[25:08] note, I will just say that, you
[25:09] know, ultimately the goal MAY
[25:12] be to form a public power
[25:14] utility, but as you go through
[25:16] this process, the incumbent
[25:17] utility is likely going to
[25:18] offer concessions and they
[25:20] they're going to want you to
[25:24] drop this effort. So that's
[25:24] where you gives you some
[25:27] leverage, too. Maybe negotiate
[25:28] with them. And if they are
[25:29] willing to do whatever you need
[25:32] to do, whether it's reduced
[25:35] reduce rates, improve
[25:35] reliability. It gives you an
[25:37] opportunity to have that
[25:38] discussion with that with them.
[25:39] And that's where we have seen
[25:42] some situations where community
[25:43] will explore public power go
[25:44] through the process and then
[25:47] the incumbent utility comes
[25:48] back and says we will provide
[25:50] more renewable energy for you
[25:51] and it meets the needs of the
[25:54] community at that time. And
[25:57] they MAY. Later decide to move
[25:58] forward with public power, but
[25:59] at least in the short term,
[25:59] it gives them leverage to
[26:02] negotiate with that incumbent
[26:04] utility.
[26:05] A couple other examples,
[26:06] Slayton, Minnesota, small town,
[26:09] but they are actually the
[26:10] voters approved the acquisition
[26:11] and is now in the courts.
[26:13] They are determining what price
[26:14] they are going to pay. So they
[26:15] are likely going to form their
[26:19] utility in the next probably
[26:21] this year or next. San Diego,
[26:21] California. They looked at
[26:24] forming a public pair utility
[26:25] a little over 5 years ago.
[26:27] They did a feasibility study.
[26:28] They decided to continue to
[26:31] look at their their options.
[26:32] They re-signed a shorter-term
[26:33] ten-year franchise agreement so
[26:37] they could they have the time
[26:38] to look at their options.
[26:40] 5 years later, their rates are
[26:42] still skyrocketing. There's a
[26:43] lot of disaffected
[26:44] dissatisfaction in the
[26:44] community. So they just
[26:46] compete, completed a second
[26:48] feasibility study and more
[26:50] detailed one to look at what it
[26:51] would look like to take over
[26:53] for 5 years when that franchise
[26:56] agreement expires. A lot of
[26:57] other examples. San Francisco,
[26:58] California, Tucson, Arizona.
[26:59] It's really all across the
[27:01] country that we're seeing this
[27:05] type of activity. And then I'll
[27:06] wrap up just with on the
[27:09] process. It's not a quick and
[27:09] easy process. It takes time.
[27:12] It takes commitment from the
[27:13] community from leaders. You
[27:16] know, it starts with this.
[27:17] The education campaign.
[27:20] Explaining what public power is
[27:22] what you're trying to solve by
[27:22] forming a public power utility
[27:24] or at least the exploring
[27:26] firming of public power
[27:28] utility. The next step really
[27:30] is that feasibility study to
[27:31] determine does it really make
[27:33] sense for this community?
[27:34] That's where you put pen to
[27:37] paper. You hire an outside firm
[27:37] to look at this. They look at
[27:39] what the impacts would be on
[27:41] rates, reliability. What other
[27:43] issues you want to address,
[27:46] what the response MAY be from
[27:47] the incumbent utility.
[27:49] So that really is that tells
[27:50] you, do you want to move
[27:52] forward at all or you just or
[27:54] are you going to choose to
[27:55] negotiate with the incumbent
[27:56] utility and then you'll go
[27:58] through a number of options.
[28:00] After that, the legal analysis
[28:02] that evaluation, the financing
[28:03] options and then the actual
[28:05] acquisition, there will be a
[28:06] referendum at some point for
[28:09] the community to weigh in and
[28:10] there could be a referendum.
[28:11] See, you know, along the way to
[28:11] decide if you're going to move
[28:14] forward and then ultimately,
[28:16] if you do decide or 2 decide to
[28:18] move forward with the
[28:19] acquisition, there would be a
[28:19] reference locally and then off
[28:25] and if you see will have to
[28:27] approve approved the the actual
[28:29] acquisition. So all wrap up
[28:29] there and I'm happy to answer
[28:30] questions, but just really
[28:31] appreciate the opportunity to
[28:32] be here. And it's really
[28:34] exciting to hear about what you
[28:35] what you're what you're
[28:37] exploring here. Thank you for
[28:38] that excellent presentation.
[28:39] Absolutely. You. You've
[28:40] obviously done this before.
[28:45] So thank you so we'll go to
[28:47] our attorneys now
[28:48] focus on the micro level,
[28:49] namely what a lot of Wisconsin
[28:50] provides relative to municipal
[28:53] as Asian electric utilities.
[28:56] So please. Identify yourself
[28:57] and give us a little bit.
[28:58] Hi, good morning, everyone.
[29:00] And thank you for your time
[29:02] today. My name is Cat Grant.
[29:03] I am an attorney from Pine
[29:04] Spock, llp, the Milwaukee
[29:05] chapter of the Democratic
[29:08] Socialists of America asked us
[29:09] to research several key issues
[29:13] of importance to the power to
[29:13] the people campaign. Today, I
[29:14] will be sharing our findings
[29:17] regarding the legal process
[29:18] that the city of Milwaukee
[29:20] would need to follow in order
[29:21] to acquire the we energies
[29:22] facilities, the process through
[29:25] which such facilities would
[29:26] be evaluated and the
[29:27] feasibility of protecting
[29:28] workers organizing rights by
[29:31] contracting with a third-party
[29:32] managing entity given the size
[29:34] and scale of this proposal, it
[29:35] is incredibly important to note
[29:36] that there are several topics
[29:38] outside of the scope of what I
[29:40] will be speaking on today.
[29:41] That would require further
[29:43] research and more details on
[29:45] the topics that will be
[29:47] discussing today as well as
[29:47] citations are available in the
[29:51] memo that has been submitted
[29:53] for public record. So the city
[29:54] can acquire facilities like
[29:56] those of we energies through
[29:58] one of 2 processes. You can go
[29:59] through condemnation or
[30:00] negotiated purchase for the
[30:03] condemnation option. The city
[30:04] would first need to hold a
[30:06] public referendum to even
[30:08] approved the acquisition of the
[30:10] parts of the utilities property
[30:11] that are currently already used
[30:13] for the benefit of the public,
[30:14] including utility
[30:15] infrastructure. This means that
[30:19] the city would not legally be
[30:20] able to acquire any of the
[30:22] facilities or equipment that
[30:23] are not actively currently used
[30:26] for the benefit of the citizens
[30:28] of the city of Milwaukee.
[30:29] Following that referendum.
[30:30] The next steps depend on the
[30:32] date that the utility was
[30:35] issued. It's indeterminate
[30:36] permit if that permit was
[30:39] issued before JULY. 11th 19, 0,
[30:41] 7, the city would then need to
[30:42] initiate a lawsuit in circuit
[30:43] court and prove that the taking
[30:47] as necessary and necessary here
[30:48] does not mean it immediately
[30:49] has to happen or the world is
[30:50] going to explode and there will
[30:53] be no more electricity
[30:56] necessary here just means more
[30:58] beneficial than not
[30:58] essentially. However, if
[31:01] indeterminate permit was issued
[31:03] after JULY, 11th 19, 0, 7, the
[31:05] utility is legally considered
[31:06] to have already consented to
[31:08] the process. That follows after
[31:10] the referendum and the city
[31:12] would not need to initiate a
[31:14] lawsuit. It's currently unclear
[31:15] in our research what year the
[31:16] permit that we energies
[31:17] operates under was issued.
[31:20] But the company that we
[31:21] energies traces its roots to
[31:21] obtained its independence or
[31:25] it's indeterminate permit in
[31:27] 1911, if this were later permit
[31:28] is the one currently used by we
[31:30] energies than the court action
[31:33] is not necessary. Regardless
[31:34] of any court action, the city
[31:34] would then be required to give
[31:39] speedy notice to the Public
[31:40] Service commission. There is no
[31:43] legally specified timeline as
[31:45] to what counts a speedy.
[31:46] At this point. The Public
[31:48] Service Commission would hold a
[31:49] hearing to determine the amount
[31:52] of just compensation that the
[31:53] city must pay the utility and
[31:55] any other terms and conditions
[31:56] of the purchase parties must
[31:59] receive 30 days. Notice of that
[32:00] hearing.
[32:00] At some point following that
[32:02] hearing, the psc would issue
[32:03] its order and certification
[32:07] and the title would vest in
[32:07] the municipality. I will
[32:09] provide more specific
[32:10] information on how compensation
[32:12] is determined a little bit
[32:14] further in this presentation.
[32:14] Any party MAY appeal the pse
[32:18] order through the circuit court
[32:19] after it has come down and
[32:22] following that decision, if for
[32:23] some reason the city or its
[32:24] citizens decide actually, we
[32:26] don't want to do this. There
[32:27] is a 90 day period in which the
[32:29] city through resolution or the
[32:30] citizens through referendum
[32:32] could discontinue a
[32:35] condemnation. Alternatively, to
[32:36] that process, the city could
[32:37] acquire we energies property
[32:41] through a negotiated purchase
[32:43] Milwaukee is in a unique
[32:43] position legally here as
[32:46] Wisconsin's only certified
[32:49] first class city, Milwaukee can
[32:49] enter into a contract with we
[32:51] energies that provides for
[32:53] amongst many other options.
[32:54] The purchase of all or any part
[32:58] of the utilities property by
[32:58] the city in order for any kind
[33:02] of contract of that nature to
[33:03] be binding, it would need to be
[33:05] agreed to by the Common
[33:07] Council, the utility, the psc
[33:07] and the majority of the
[33:10] electorate through a
[33:11] referendum.
[33:13] If the city didn't want to use
[33:15] this option, that uniquely has
[33:17] there is a statutory mechanism
[33:19] that any city in Wisconsin I
[33:22] can use for the voluntary sale
[33:23] by the utility to any
[33:24] municipality, the city and
[33:27] utility would need to come to a
[33:28] mutual agreement on price and
[33:31] all other terms and conditions
[33:34] of the sale. The city has the
[33:35] option to pay for the property
[33:37] from its general fund or the
[33:39] proceeds of municipal
[33:40] obligations, including revenue
[33:42] Bonds. The Common Council would
[33:44] then need to hold a regular
[33:45] meeting preceded by one week
[33:47] of official newspaper. Notice
[33:49] and adopt a resolution
[33:49] specifying the payment method
[33:53] and submitting approval for the
[33:56] purchase, too public referendum
[33:57] if the referendum succeeded,
[33:59] the city would then proceed to
[34:02] purchase the utility property.
[34:03] Now I want to know a key
[34:04] distinction there with the
[34:06] condemnation process. The
[34:07] referendum comes first with the
[34:07] negotiates its sale option.
[34:10] The referendum comes after all
[34:13] of the other aspects have been
[34:16] determined.
[34:17] Most likely the city of
[34:17] Milwaukee would be required to
[34:20] install a seven-person board
[34:22] of directors by mayoral
[34:23] appointment and Common Council
[34:26] approval, which could then
[34:28] appoint its own managers.
[34:30] Moving on from that particular
[34:31] set of procedures that would
[34:33] MR. Sure. Yeah. I mean, I'm
[34:34] so sorry. I had a I think I
[34:35] want to clarify something for
[34:35] the for the eyes. And can you
[34:37] can tell me if I'm if I'm
[34:38] incorrect in this, but as we
[34:40] were talking about franchises,
[34:41] an indeterminate permits, they
[34:42] would just be clear that in
[34:44] some states not in Wisconsin,
[34:44] but in some states, the
[34:46] municipality actually has a
[34:48] chance to enter into a contract
[34:50] with the incumbent utility
[34:52] particular on a regular basis.
[34:53] And so looking Illinois,
[34:54] Chicago with Con Ed, they
[34:56] haven't caught. The city has a
[34:57] contract with them. We don't
[34:59] have that option here because
[35:02] of what cat has sided with
[35:04] Chapter one 97. We We don't
[35:04] have any sort of regular
[35:06] negotiation period with them on
[35:08] like Colorado, where Illinois
[35:09] we energies has this
[35:10] indeterminate permit, which
[35:14] means that they have a right by
[35:16] law to operate the utility in
[35:18] this in this area indefinitely,
[35:20] unless we as a city take action
[35:21] to usurp them. Is that correct?
[35:22] Cat? And yes, that is correct.
[35:24] Okay. Thank you. So I just want
[35:24] to clear about that. That's
[35:25] what we're dealing with.
[35:26] A determined permits. The
[35:27] franchises like in California.
[35:28] We're not something that's
[35:29] within our legal wheel house
[35:30] unless we get the law changed.
[35:33] But that's just want to make
[35:34] sure that that was that that
[35:36] was clear. And I just want to
[35:36] also confirmed can't because
[35:38] some people you want a
[35:39] precondition, this effort on
[35:40] knowing exactly every single
[35:41] penny that will have to pay
[35:42] for we energies,
[35:47] infrastructure. I think you
[35:48] stated in your that the psc and
[35:50] I think was also referring to
[35:52] the pier are in memo. But the
[35:54] psc doesn't do hearings on
[35:55] hypotheticals. That is
[35:57] incorrect. They're not
[35:58] interested in just doing the
[36:00] co. Let's flip that. Whoever
[36:01] whatever cities fancying this.
[36:01] Let's just hold it. Just a
[36:02] six-month hearing process for
[36:03] on vacation. They don't do
[36:06] that. We have to vote yes to
[36:07] move forward before. We'll
[36:08] determine valuation. Yes, that
[36:09] is the statute currently.
[36:09] Okay. Yeah. That's the country
[36:11] were under okay thing, right?
[36:12] And that's simply, you know,
[36:13] for the sake of the psc in the
[36:15] administrative burden that that
[36:17] would place on it. Obviously
[36:19] they do not have the time and
[36:20] resources to do the evaluation
[36:23] process for things that might
[36:24] not happen.
[36:27] So yeah, when we can move on to
[36:28] the issue of valuation,
[36:30] actually. So the best like I
[36:30] said, the pse can only
[36:32] determine the fair price for
[36:36] the property after a referendum
[36:37] already taken place. So first,
[36:40] the psc would need to consider
[36:41] previous sales of a similar
[36:42] nature. Look at the price in
[36:45] terms of any good faith sailed
[36:47] comparable property. So they
[36:48] factor in things like situation
[36:50] usability improvements that
[36:52] have been made to the
[36:53] facilities and other
[36:54] characteristics looking at
[36:55] those previous sales that would
[36:55] create basically a reasonable
[36:58] belief that it is, in fact,
[37:00] a comparable to the sale that
[37:02] we would be discussing in this
[37:04] case. The psc would then also
[37:06] evaluate any appraisals offered
[37:08] by both parties. So that would
[37:09] be and appraisal by the city as
[37:10] well as an appraisal from we
[37:12] energies in this case and it
[37:16] would take those into account
[37:18] in making its final decision.
[37:19] Generally, though, the psc
[37:21] historically seems to take an
[37:22] approach to valuation. That
[37:23] takes the average of 2 sons and
[37:28] they have kind of confusing
[37:30] the Inc. So you have the
[37:32] trended historical cost
[37:35] depreciated and the
[37:35] reproduction cost
[37:37] new depreciated so that trended
[37:38] historical cost appreciated.
[37:41] That takes the amount that the
[37:42] facilities and equipment and
[37:46] the land that is currently
[37:49] there how much that cost to
[37:51] build in purchase at the
[37:52] historical moment that those
[37:52] facilities were built. The
[37:55] equipment was bought. The land
[37:58] was bought. And then that cost
[38:01] is adjusted for inflation.
[38:02] Using a guy like the Handy
[38:02] Whitman Index of public utility
[38:05] construction costs. Now they
[38:06] don't have to use that specific
[38:08] guide, but that is a guy that
[38:11] they have used in the past.
[38:14] That number is then reduced to
[38:16] reflect the normal expected
[38:17] deterioration of equipment over
[38:19] an average service like in
[38:21] their metrics that they use for
[38:23] that as well. The second number
[38:24] reproduction cost new
[38:27] depreciated then takes what it
[38:29] would currently cost right now
[38:30] today to build an exact replica
[38:34] of the existing facilities as
[38:34] well as the land. If you used
[38:38] the same materials and the same
[38:39] historical methods to produce
[38:41] that same type of facility so
[38:44] they would not be using the
[38:46] most updated
[38:47] most efficient way of
[38:47] construction. Anything like
[38:49] that, that they would look at
[38:50] those old methods, how they
[38:50] were built and apply that to
[38:54] things like labor charges of
[38:54] material charges as they
[38:55] currently exist at this moment
[38:58] instead of a statistical model.
[39:01] I they then again reduce that
[39:02] number. So they take that based
[39:03] number. And then they reduce it
[39:06] by the age of the equipment and
[39:07] other facilities based again on
[39:11] that same statistical model of
[39:12] average service life. These
[39:12] 2 values are then averaged to
[39:15] determine what the reasonable
[39:17] purchase price would be.
[39:18] If any of the equipment or
[39:20] facilities have significant
[39:21] damage beyond what those
[39:24] statistical models of
[39:24] depreciation would reflect the
[39:28] psc can then further reduce
[39:31] that cost based on that level
[39:32] of damage. I'm now there are
[39:36] some complications here because
[39:38] the city would not be acquiring
[39:39] we energies and its entirety.
[39:41] We energy serves a large
[39:42] portion of southeastern
[39:45] Wisconsin. So this would only
[39:46] be a person taking there does
[39:50] seem historically from the psc
[39:50] to be a distinction that is
[39:52] made between property. That is
[39:56] part of a utility system in
[39:57] its entirety as opposed to
[40:00] property that is used to serve
[40:02] each of the separate public
[40:04] utilities operated by the
[40:05] company. Any property that is
[40:08] used to serve another
[40:08] community. In addition to
[40:11] Milwaukee under at least one
[40:13] other indeterminate permit
[40:15] would likely be considered
[40:15] system property and would not
[40:19] be eligible for acquisition
[40:21] and excluded from the potential
[40:22] valuation. This could be
[40:22] addressed through the
[40:24] establishment of the municipal
[40:26] power district involving other
[40:27] municipalities. But for the
[40:27] sake of time, I will not go
[40:29] into the details of that
[40:30] process. You can find further
[40:33] details of that in the memo.
[40:35] Up. So in terms of actually
[40:37] paying for the acquisition,
[40:40] the city would most likely want
[40:41] to use revenue bonds to finance
[40:42] it as opposed to general
[40:43] obligation, bonds, which are
[40:45] backed by the general tax
[40:49] revenues such as property
[40:52] income or sales tax revenue.
[40:53] Bonds are backed by the funds
[40:56] from the electric rates.
[40:57] And that is what finances those
[40:58] bonds. That means that the
[40:58] revenue collected from the
[41:04] utility itself would pay for
[41:05] the acquisition. I this is
[41:07] permissible, but the psc does
[41:09] set the amount that utility
[41:11] can collect from those rates.
[41:12] That's based on the value of
[41:16] the utilities, capital assets
[41:18] at original cost minus
[41:18] depreciation. Utilities are
[41:22] typically only able to recover
[41:24] rate of return about 6 to 7%.
[41:27] And the depreciation on their
[41:27] assets.
[41:30] Once the city has acquired a
[41:31] facility.
[41:34] We then run into the problem
[41:36] of it were to run into the
[41:37] facility directly. The utility
[41:38] employees would likely have
[41:40] their organizing rights
[41:42] curtailed under act. 10.
[41:42] There are however options
[41:46] available to avoid that
[41:46] outcome.
[41:49] Once the city has acquired a
[41:51] utility, it could in theory.
[41:52] Public utility plant to another
[41:55] entity like a co-operative to
[41:56] run it. But those cooperatives
[41:57] are particularly well suited
[42:00] for an urban municipality.
[42:01] They're more common in rural
[42:02] municipalities and it's
[42:04] unlikely that the city would be
[42:05] able to get the necessary
[42:08] approval from the psc for that
[42:09] type of model. Again, for the
[42:10] sake of time, I'll direct
[42:11] everyone to the written memo
[42:15] for more information on that
[42:15] particular topic, a simpler and
[42:19] much more likely way to avoid
[42:19] the pitfalls of act. 10 might
[42:21] be for the city to contract
[42:22] with a third-party managing
[42:26] entity to manage operations
[42:28] and assets. The existing we
[42:28] energies workforce would then
[42:31] become employees of that 3rd
[42:32] party, managing entity and
[42:35] likely not fall under the
[42:35] limitations of act. 10, this
[42:36] strategy would create a
[42:37] stronger possibility for the
[42:41] protection of pensions and
[42:43] other benefits that.
[42:45] The currently unionized.
[42:47] We energies workforce has
[42:47] access to now. There are a lot
[42:48] of complications regarding that
[42:50] and the obligations of a 3rd
[42:52] party managing entity in that
[42:54] regard not addressed by this
[42:57] memo. But I will say there is
[42:59] nothing that prevents a 3rd
[43:00] party entity from honoring the
[43:02] collective bargaining agreement
[43:03] currently held by the We
[43:04] Energies employees and the
[43:08] years of service of the current
[43:09] unionized workforce. The city
[43:09] enters into contracts on a
[43:12] regular basis. Of course, for
[43:13] a wide range of services,
[43:14] including but not limited to
[43:17] construction maintenance
[43:19] storage, towing health
[43:20] services. It services so many
[43:22] other things. This is a well
[43:23] established process by the
[43:26] city. There would need to be
[43:27] a competitive bidding process
[43:28] that's run through the
[43:30] purchasing division for the
[43:34] city of Milwaukee. This project
[43:35] would require that its be
[43:37] advertised, sealed and opened
[43:38] at a public bid opening with
[43:39] the final bit being awarded by
[43:42] the city's purchasing director.
[43:45] Like any option. This one also
[43:47] has complications to consider.
[43:49] It's unknown at this point what
[43:51] businesses or organizations
[43:54] currently exist that have the
[43:55] expertise and resources to take
[43:57] on a project of this scale.
[43:57] If a group or establish
[43:59] specifically for this purpose,
[44:02] it would need to have the
[44:03] capacity to take on operations
[44:04] before ever being granted the
[44:06] contract. It is also unknown
[44:08] at this point how much such
[44:10] a contract would cost the city
[44:12] compared to direct management
[44:12] has the final cost would be
[44:17] determined by the bidding
[44:18] process. As I stated my
[44:20] research today only touches on
[44:21] the key issues that I've
[44:22] addressed above and does not
[44:25] address other factors that we
[44:26] need to be considered nor does
[44:26] it address other alternatives
[44:30] outside of acquiring the we
[44:32] energies process. Given the
[44:33] scale of this project again,
[44:33] further research will be
[44:35] required. Thank you all for
[44:38] your time today. I'm happy to
[44:40] answer any questions. Thank you
[44:40] for that Questions at the end
[44:41] of everybody public. I can.
[44:42] I can wait than all right, Jim,
[44:47] we'll go to MISTER Rosenberg,
[44:47] please. Thank you. Thanks for
[44:50] the opportunity to do today.
[44:53] My name is Sam Rosenberg and I
[44:54] am here representing the
[44:57] more than 1700 members, 500 of
[44:57] them in Milwaukee at the
[45:01] International Brotherhood of
[45:01] Electrical workers. Local 21
[45:05] 50, I'm also an operations
[45:06] dispatcher at we energies.
[45:08] I want to talk about
[45:10] reliability members I represent
[45:11] reliability is not a slogan.
[45:14] It is the work we do every day
[45:15] and every night.
[45:16] It is the crews going out in
[45:18] the cold and the storms and
[45:20] emergencies to keep lights on.
[45:20] Keep guests service safe and
[45:23] get Milwaukee back up when
[45:28] something goes wrong.
[45:29] We saw this work in action
[45:29] earlier this month when strong
[45:32] storms and tornadoes hit
[45:33] southeast Wisconsin. Our
[45:36] members are star power. More
[45:38] than 80,000 customers. Some
[45:38] cases crews had to rebuild a
[45:39] major parts of the local
[45:41] electrical system that were
[45:42] badly damaged. There's a kind
[45:44] of work with liability. Depends
[45:49] on.
[45:49] Ibew, local, 2050 strongly
[45:50] opposes this municipal as a son
[45:53] proposal because it would put
[45:53] that reliability at risk.
[45:57] Milwaukee would not just be
[45:58] taking or polls wires and
[45:59] equipment the city would have
[46:01] to recreate any tire utility
[46:05] operation from scratch. When
[46:07] storms hit, we energies can
[46:07] move crews, trucks, poles,
[46:09] transformers, wire materials,
[46:10] and expertise across Wisconsin
[46:13] to where they're needed.
[46:16] Most. Milwaukee is not backed
[46:17] up by one isolated shop is
[46:17] backed up by a regional system
[46:20] with people and experience
[46:22] already in place. That is what
[46:23] reliability looks like in real
[46:25] life. It means crews can be
[46:26] shifted across regions and
[46:29] these materials can be found to
[46:30] move quickly. And these gas
[46:30] and electric emergencies can be
[46:33] coordinated at the same time.
[46:36] And these dispatchers and
[46:37] control room operators are
[46:38] working with field crews who
[46:38] know the system, the
[46:41] neighborhoods, the equipment
[46:43] and safety risks.
[46:44] City-run utility would have to
[46:46] build all that while keeping
[46:46] the lights on every day and
[46:47] would have to hire and train
[46:50] the workforce set up
[46:50] dispatching. By maintain
[46:53] equipment in his inventory,
[46:54] build the supply chain, prepare
[46:56] for storms and create regional
[46:59] backup support. There is not
[47:00] quick and it is not cheap.
[47:04] And it's not something Waukesha
[47:04] Gamble on. And this is not
[47:05] about we energies. This is an
[47:06] issue that affects every
[47:08] customer who expects heat on a
[47:10] cold night. Our during a storm
[47:14] in a fast response. And gas
[47:15] emergency happens.
[47:17] If the city breaks off
[47:18] Milwaukee from we energies
[47:19] statewide system, it also
[47:21] breaks away from the people
[47:22] tools, materials and backup
[47:25] support to help make service
[47:25] reliable.
[47:28] Our union workforce is proud of
[47:30] what we do. These are highly
[47:30] skilled union jobs bill.
[47:33] 10 years of training,
[47:36] experience and safety.
[47:37] Lineworkers gas crews,
[47:38] dispatchers control room
[47:39] operators, planners,
[47:40] supervisors, mechanics,
[47:41] warehouse workers and support
[47:44] staff all work together as one
[47:45] system.
[47:49] If workers are forced into
[47:49] uncertainty over pensions,
[47:51] healthcare, seniority,
[47:52] contracts and union
[47:53] protections. Many MAY not move
[47:57] to a city-run utility. They
[47:57] have options. And if they
[47:58] leave, Milwaukee loses more
[48:00] than employees at loses.
[48:01] The people. Who know the system
[48:05] and know how to restore service
[48:06] safely. At the end of the day
[48:07] or liability is not created by
[48:09] changing the name of the
[48:09] utility. It's created by train
[48:14] workers backed by statewide
[48:15] operation with crews. It's
[48:15] equipment, materials and
[48:18] experience to respond when
[48:19] people need help. That is what
[48:20] Milwaukee already has. And that
[48:21] is what this proposal puts at
[48:23] risk. Thank you. Thank you for
[48:26] the number. Okay. Next up is.
[48:30] We'll go away and is up.
[48:32] Brian rigor from will not
[48:35] waste.
[48:40] Rigors. I just couldn't see
[48:41] Ation of Rodgers on Rodgers.
[48:42] And that's our standard it.
[48:43] And that's what our bring I
[48:47] am grateful to be here this
[48:50] morning.
[48:55] It's a privilege being able
[48:56] to serve as a vessel.
[48:59] To bring the tree and
[49:01] creativity and wisdom.
[49:01] The moral imagination that
[49:02] exudes from neighborhoods like
[49:05] Lindsay Heights on the North
[49:08] side.
[49:08] And to carry the into the halls
[49:09] of power where decisions are
[49:12] made that quite literally in
[49:12] quite immediately, in fact, the
[49:15] lives of all of us that call
[49:16] Milwaukee home.
[49:18] And so the effects of those
[49:21] decisions fall. Symmetrically.
[49:24] On the city's hyper segregated
[49:25] society.
[49:26] Some decisions, shorten lives
[49:27] in some places. Well,
[49:30] lengthening them and others.
[49:33] Improving lives here on this
[49:35] block, harming that lockdown
[49:39] there. So it is the director of
[49:41] the Web. The Wisconsin Eagle,
[49:42] just his base buildings.
[49:45] It's a statewide movement.
[49:48] Infrastructure.
[49:50] Operation.
[49:51] That is seeking to expand
[49:52] community self-determination by
[49:54] strengthening the capacity of
[49:55] Wisconsin residents to shape
[49:56] the systems. The institutions,
[49:59] the decisions that affect their
[50:01] lives. How's that one away?
[50:04] Conservation Corps? We're
[50:05] focused on energy,
[50:05] affordability, House and
[50:06] justice, environmental health,
[50:09] Democratic participation we can
[50:10] use of.
[50:19] We're going to bring the
[50:22] Michael close for comfort of
[50:22] their wheelchair.
[50:26] So I'm I'm from here point
[50:27] raise my grandmother and her
[50:27] children in Lindsay Heights.
[50:29] See, my father took care of her
[50:31] in that same house. I'm told 15
[50:32] was rights. Chief while father
[50:35] who passed away earlier this
[50:39] month. At the age of 76 was
[50:39] living in the same room, but he
[50:41] cared for her mother and she
[50:44] died in. I'm at home is housed.
[50:46] A lot. A lot of history.
[50:50] A lot of promise. A lot of pain
[50:52] and disappointment. And that
[50:53] home belongs to 110 square
[50:54] block neighborhood of Lindsay
[50:55] Heights that has been under
[51:02] assault. Quietly. Pernicious
[51:03] For decades under watch by both
[51:03] white and black
[51:04] administrations, Democratic
[51:05] and Republican leadership in
[51:06] times of surplus and periods
[51:10] of deficit. So I know what
[51:11] killed my father.
[51:11] In the disgraced ascension
[51:13] money pit that doubles as a
[51:17] hospital. The bodily ailments
[51:19] that plague his life.
[51:19] Hyper chronic, chronic
[51:22] hypertension ever. Predator
[51:24] threats of diabetes.
[51:32] It's a bit.
[51:33] The threat of diabetes and
[51:34] heart attack the asthma, the
[51:35] actual stroke that he suffered
[51:38] that rendered him blind for the
[51:39] final 2 years of his life
[51:40] underneath this physiological
[51:43] physical airlines, a deeper
[51:44] disease.
[51:45] In the body politic of a
[51:46] society that would allow such a
[51:48] man to lead such a life in such
[51:49] a home inside such a
[51:54] neighborhood of such a city.
[51:55] Is this? So I'm here today to
[51:56] discuss. I mean, this was a
[51:56] shunt up to one of the 7
[51:58] Wisconsin statutes they do
[52:01] bring in to talk about data.
[52:02] They bring me and I presume for
[52:04] my rhetorical flourishing and
[52:05] better one. Yeah, yeah.
[52:07] But I want to begin suggesting
[52:07] that the most important
[52:08] question for us is not within
[52:12] walking should only utility.
[52:14] The more powerful query,
[52:14] perhaps as for the people of
[52:15] Milwaukee, should have greater
[52:18] power over the systems that
[52:18] shape the daily lives, its
[52:19] conversations, ultimately not
[52:23] about electric poles and wires.
[52:25] Forgive me, sir.
[52:27] It's not about substations and
[52:28] transformers, utility planning
[52:30] and accounting. If you're
[52:31] paying even marginally close
[52:32] attention, any of us to the
[52:35] public these days, it is so
[52:36] clearly about democracy.
[52:39] It is so self evidently about
[52:43] public health.
[52:48] Most obviously about economic
[52:49] justice and climate adaptation.
[52:52] So is therefore not in the
[52:53] least bit hyperbolic to suggest
[52:54] that the central political
[52:55] question a steak you today is
[52:57] who gets to decide what kind
[52:59] of future we build and then
[52:59] have to call and have it
[53:01] together before discussing
[53:04] minutes. A position itself.
[53:05] I think some of those with
[53:06] various an exciting fun forms,
[53:10] democracy can assume, indeed
[53:10] has assumed since the earliest
[53:12] record experiment in ancient
[53:15] Greece over 2500 years ago.
[53:15] If if you will permit me.
[53:18] Because there was this machine.
[53:21] In Athens be a phenomenal
[53:24] city-state. We're culture
[53:30] science.
[53:31] In Gora in Gora stands the
[53:34] Terry and Machine. This was a
[53:35] machine that looks pretty
[53:35] unremarkable. But in the
[53:38] context of ancient Greece was a
[53:42] central technology radical
[53:43] experiment in democracy.
[53:46] This machine, a big rock with
[53:47] slabs and it slips in it.
[53:51] Was the random selection
[53:52] lottery. That put people into
[53:54] office, administrative bodies
[53:58] on governing agencies. Of
[54:00] juries.
[54:01] So what does that tell us?
[54:03] Well, it says some things that
[54:03] Plato and Aristotle other
[54:04] political philosophers of the
[54:07] day. We're making very clear.
[54:11] Clear argument in favor of if
[54:13] you want a citizen the that can
[54:14] manage and govern its own
[54:15] affairs and to do so long, some
[54:17] values that we can all agree
[54:18] are common and ethical. Then
[54:21] everybody has to be ready at
[54:22] any point.
[54:27] Elections would tend to and we
[54:30] might say they have indeed 10
[54:31] towards hierarchy of power,
[54:31] concentration by those who have
[54:32] economic resources, those who
[54:33] have education, those who are
[54:35] well connected. In other words,
[54:39] any one of us up here? To some
[54:42] extent.
[54:45] It's very different in
[54:48] democracy. We have today.
[54:49] I think we agree.
[54:50] Now lets ask why this
[54:53] conversation is emerging now.
[54:55] Well, he did not suddenly wake
[54:58] up one morning and decide to
[54:58] be he's a chapter one. 97.
[55:00] This conversation has been
[55:03] occurring. For a long time.
[55:07] Occurring within a much larger
[55:11] social political economic and
[55:11] ecological contexts. Everyone
[55:12] is touched on them at some
[55:15] point in the remarks this
[55:16] morning.
[55:16] Families struggling with the
[55:18] rising cost of living in
[55:21] virtually every front. We are
[55:24] living through in Arab,
[55:25] expansive, expensive wars
[55:26] abroad and a tightening
[55:29] crushing austerity at home.
[55:30] Homelessness in the city's
[55:31] rises along with the deaths of
[55:34] despair in the countryside.
[55:35] Now 2026, there's more wealth
[55:38] being created than at any time
[55:41] in history.
[55:42] The bloated stock markets do
[55:43] not lie. It's been a steady
[55:47] diet of resource extraction,
[55:48] labor exploitation, profit
[55:49] generation of private
[55:50] accumulation accomplished
[55:51] increasingly by means of the
[55:52] magic of I don't even know what
[55:55] the f is. Financial is a shun.
[55:59] Communities are confronting
[56:00] worsen. Climate impacts,
[56:00] extreme weather flooding.
[56:01] Dangerous heat indeed. All of
[56:04] earth's life support systems.
[56:05] If we believe and fluidity in
[56:11] the methodology of science.
[56:11] Are being stretched either to
[56:13] their breaking point or human
[56:14] activity has already caused it
[56:17] to surpass its planetary
[56:19] boundaries.
[56:20] So from data centers to
[56:23] detention centers, foreign
[56:25] wars, fbi files across the
[56:27] nation, residents increasingly
[56:28] feel that many of the most
[56:29] consequential decisions
[56:30] affecting their lives are being
[56:32] made far away from the people
[56:33] who must live with the
[56:36] consequence and to know they're
[56:39] making bank doing it.
[56:40] So whether discussing housing,
[56:42] healthcare, detention centers,
[56:44] data centers, energy
[56:45] infrastructure, environmental
[56:45] permitting or economic
[56:46] development, communities are
[56:49] increasingly asking the same
[56:50] fundamental questions.
[56:51] Across very different right
[56:54] there. A mega Jason communities
[56:54] that are asking very pointed
[56:56] questions to their own mayor
[56:56] and Port Washington. I
[56:58] shouldn't say that about Port
[57:04] Washington anyway, who governs?
[57:05] Who benefits? Who bears the
[57:06] cost and who gets a meaningful
[57:08] voice in the decisions that
[57:11] shape the future. So what now?
[57:14] The conversation that means
[57:16] was a Shannan is simply one
[57:17] expression of that broader
[57:19] Democratic question. Again,
[57:20] 2 which and the ancient
[57:21] philosophers that we love to
[57:22] lionized had very specific
[57:23] concrete ideas and warnings
[57:27] about. The so-called democracy
[57:28] we enjoy. So from the
[57:29] perspective of the communities
[57:29] that web organizers with the
[57:30] current energy systems
[57:34] experienced. Few affordability.
[57:35] MR. Carpenter brought his
[57:38] literal bill to the hearing.
[57:43] We don't encounter the utility
[57:44] system. Some abstract policy
[57:45] debate we encountered instead
[57:48] through monthly bills.
[57:49] Difficult choices between.
[57:50] Any of the things that are way
[57:53] too expensive that we need to
[57:54] live.
[57:54] Longer than normal
[57:56] disconnections due to aging
[58:00] infrastructure. Poor
[58:01] maintenance. The cascade of
[58:01] shut offs that come every
[58:06] spring to our own manufactured
[58:08] poverty. To encounter it
[58:10] intimately inadequately
[58:10] insulated, housing, Asian
[58:11] furnaces, unsafe indoor
[58:12] temperatures in the constant
[58:15] stress that comes from living.
[58:16] One unexpected expense away
[58:18] from crisis. To raise your
[58:22] hand. If you are living one
[58:22] x, unexpected expense away from
[58:24] crisis in for Kerri Amaka look
[58:25] back. But I imagine everybody's
[58:27] hands are up behind thing.
[58:28] I do not even have to turn
[58:31] around in this so-called
[58:32] democracy. We enjoy.
[58:35] It's the overwhelming majority
[58:35] of us. Whatever ms prevail
[58:38] about the so-called middle
[58:41] class.
[58:42] We got the telling the story.
[58:45] But, you know, we got the data
[58:46] we've been in.
[58:47] I had this point. I don't know.
[58:50] It doesn't dockets with the
[58:51] psc from a very large customer
[58:52] tariffs. We work very closely
[58:53] with pines by love me. Some
[58:57] Chris and Eduardo props to
[59:01] pines Buck. Rate cases.
[59:02] Infrastructure dockets,
[59:03] affordability, investigation
[59:04] dockets creating low-income
[59:05] affordability program dockets.
[59:06] You name it. The Public Service
[59:09] Commission. Yeah, they're low
[59:12] on resources. Or something like
[59:14] that.
[59:16] The data shows the energy burns
[59:17] are significantly higher in
[59:19] many black brown in low-income
[59:19] neighborhoods and regional
[59:20] averages, especially when
[59:23] compared to white
[59:24] neighborhoods.
[59:25] Some communities now
[59:26] householder spending with over
[59:28] 6% of their income on energy
[59:31] costs. Some even upwards to
[59:35] 15, 20.
[59:36] We shouldn't reduce the
[59:39] question of public ownership
[59:40] to matter of technicality,
[59:41] accounting or asset valuation,
[59:44] though, all those are important
[59:46] questions.
[59:48] The spreadsheets the
[59:48] engineering studies legal
[59:49] procedures lies a much bolder
[59:51] and more fundamental question.
[59:53] Who should govern the
[59:56] conditions of life? And that
[59:59] means interest.
[1:00:01] We know one way that it can
[1:00:01] work because we are
[1:00:02] experiencing it. We're
[1:00:03] literally having a conversation
[1:00:06] about it because we're
[1:00:06] experiencing it.
[1:00:07] If it's in the interest of
[1:00:10] profit, private accumulation.
[1:00:13] Perhaps we might do something
[1:00:14] else to guarantee the quality
[1:00:16] provision of permanently
[1:00:18] affordable. We're live on
[1:00:20] fossil free energy. And they're
[1:00:25] doing it everywhere. Thank you
[1:00:26] for. Your example.
[1:00:27] So it turns out we have learned
[1:00:29] the hard way these objectives
[1:00:29] are frequently intention.
[1:00:33] You cannot identify maximum
[1:00:34] shareholder returns or sorry,
[1:00:35] enjoy indefinitely. Maximize
[1:00:36] shareholder returns while
[1:00:39] simultaneously minimizing costs
[1:00:40] to households.
[1:00:41] You can prioritize. Quarterly
[1:00:42] earnings will fully
[1:00:45] prioritizing affordability.
[1:00:46] You cannot build a system
[1:00:47] around the extraction of value
[1:00:48] and expected to consistently
[1:00:51] produce equity, resilience and
[1:00:51] Democratic accountability.
[1:00:54] If in fact, we care about those
[1:00:56] things.
[1:00:58] For investor owned utilities.
[1:00:58] The answer is constantly
[1:00:59] constrained by the structure
[1:01:01] matter how dedicated their
[1:01:04] employees. How sincere their
[1:01:04] intentions. They remain
[1:01:09] obligated to generate returns
[1:01:09] for investors. That
[1:01:10] obligation shapes everything,
[1:01:12] priorities, incentives,
[1:01:14] decisions.
[1:01:14] So the question before
[1:01:16] Milwaukee is with an essential
[1:01:17] service upon which every
[1:01:18] household business school
[1:01:21] hospital neighborhood depends
[1:01:22] on. Should be governed
[1:01:24] primarily by those incentives
[1:01:25] for the weather. Should we
[1:01:25] should govern them by a
[1:01:28] different set of values
[1:01:31] altogether.
[1:01:34] There's a lot more.
[1:01:35] I would say to some of my
[1:01:37] experience with the Public
[1:01:38] Service Commission.
[1:01:41] The regulator of we energies.
[1:01:45] Isn't Aaron Sorkin series
[1:01:46] called the Newsroom. Everybody
[1:01:50] should watch it. Jane Fonda,
[1:01:50] isn't it? She's great.
[1:01:52] Aaron Sorkin doesn't do great
[1:01:53] with the development. The
[1:01:55] complexity of female
[1:01:59] characters, but that's his
[1:02:02] problem. It's not ours. But
[1:02:03] Jane Fonda, it runs a media
[1:02:04] conglomerate, right? And Jeff
[1:02:06] Daniels is this like anchor
[1:02:07] who goes off on a student, a
[1:02:08] college student that is
[1:02:09] thinking about why is America
[1:02:12] the greatest country in or out?
[1:02:15] But it's not.
[1:02:18] She tells a joke. She says it's
[1:02:19] about GOD and golf. I'm not
[1:02:20] going to tell the joke because
[1:02:22] he's tells a much better.
[1:02:23] And Aaron Sorkin wrote it.
[1:02:26] The punchline is worth it
[1:02:31] because
[1:02:32] Moses is doing side. GOD is
[1:02:33] doing all these things. And one
[1:02:34] point Moses says to GOD, okay,
[1:02:37] are we going to go for you just
[1:02:38] going to f around? And that's
[1:02:39] literally I feel like what
[1:02:41] we're doing here. None of this
[1:02:44] is difficult. This is not hard.
[1:02:50] I mean, I don't have to turn
[1:02:51] around and every hand in the
[1:02:52] room went up to everyone in the
[1:02:55] room, but also in the room went
[1:02:56] up. Yeah. All right. So I rest
[1:02:58] my case with that
[1:03:04] visualization. There's so much
[1:03:04] more to say. But I.
[1:03:07] What look at what's happening
[1:03:08] in the world. Can we insulate
[1:03:11] ourselves from it? Not entirely
[1:03:12] isolated cells
[1:03:13] from it. No, we affected by
[1:03:14] what happens in Iran. What
[1:03:17] happened in China? What happens
[1:03:18] in Venezuela? Yes.
[1:03:19] So what are we going to do
[1:03:21] about that reason that people
[1:03:24] who want to make? But lots of
[1:03:26] money?
[1:03:27] Far addictions and our
[1:03:28] attention deficit disorders and
[1:03:31] off our hatreds. We let them
[1:03:32] do that to us. It's insane.
[1:03:35] So it's not difficult. It's
[1:03:36] not difficult. I appreciate
[1:03:37] the examples where the places
[1:03:41] the labor question is so
[1:03:45] delicate. Because young been
[1:03:46] abused, abused. It's crazy.
[1:03:47] Devil we energies employee a
[1:03:49] union do show up at a hearing.
[1:03:50] We're trying to say they don't
[1:03:52] build a gas plant. It's going
[1:03:53] to kill people. People don't
[1:03:54] want it. They don't even know
[1:03:55] what's happening. It's going
[1:03:56] to cost of so much money and
[1:03:57] then it's going to not want
[1:04:00] be used anymore. We're still
[1:04:00] gonna pay for it. We can't
[1:04:05] afford anything else in our
[1:04:07] lives. And this brave man steps
[1:04:09] up because the utility said go
[1:04:10] and he reads a statement about
[1:04:11] how he's so grateful that the
[1:04:14] utility give says family health
[1:04:14] care's that his child or
[1:04:15] whoever loved one in his life
[1:04:18] can actually get health care to
[1:04:19] deal with the illness that they
[1:04:20] most likely got from the fact
[1:04:23] that they work at a coal plant.
[1:04:32] It's just not hard to do.
[1:04:34] It's just not hard. And it's
[1:04:35] so clear that in 10 years, 20
[1:04:36] years, 50 years from now,
[1:04:37] depending on how this goes,
[1:04:39] everybody's a look back and
[1:04:39] say, well, what did you all do
[1:04:41] with a 9 people heared? What
[1:04:42] job do about it? Because
[1:04:43] everybody was telling you what
[1:04:46] the f to do about it. Did you
[1:04:50] do it?
[1:04:53] Thank you.
[1:05:07] A technical question and maybe
[1:05:07] first-look answer just ones.
[1:05:09] That is what are the typical
[1:05:11] models that are used for me as
[1:05:13] well should because we have a
[1:05:14] large public shareholder on
[1:05:17] utility that is regional, as
[1:05:17] he's pointed out.
[1:05:23] There are no generating
[1:05:24] stations in what is one
[1:05:25] generating station in with the
[1:05:26] city of Milwaukee. That's very
[1:05:29] small, primarily supplies
[1:05:31] steam. The major generating
[1:05:32] capacity is outside the city of
[1:05:33] Milwaukee. And in some cases
[1:05:36] outside the county of
[1:05:37] Milwaukee.
[1:05:39] There's transmission lines
[1:05:42] which is a high voltage long
[1:05:44] distance transmission
[1:05:46] equipment, their substations,
[1:05:46] theirs. The distribution
[1:05:48] network, which is the poles and
[1:05:50] wires we see in our
[1:05:52] neighborhoods. And then there's
[1:05:53] this vast array. As MISTER
[1:05:55] Rosenberg pointed out, there's
[1:05:55] material yards. There's even
[1:05:57] Tories of Poles and
[1:05:59] transformers and spare parts
[1:06:00] sitting in a yard waiting to be
[1:06:03] deployed in the case of renewal
[1:06:05] or repair.
[1:06:06] And then the whole question of
[1:06:07] all their vehicle to me, they
[1:06:09] must have 1000 light trucks are
[1:06:12] hundreds of light trucks that
[1:06:12] we it is a situation where
[1:06:14] okay, you get 3, we get one.
[1:06:15] You get 3 of these. We get one
[1:06:17] of these. The how does this
[1:06:19] work in practice? One of the
[1:06:22] models for municipal as Asian
[1:06:22] or is this more financial
[1:06:25] exercise where we basically are
[1:06:27] become just a reseller of power
[1:06:29] and leave the infrastructure
[1:06:30] under the ownership most or all
[1:06:31] of it and continue ownership
[1:06:34] of the shareholder when
[1:06:35] utility.
[1:06:37] That would. That would be where
[1:06:38] the feasibility study comes
[1:06:43] into play to look at all that.
[1:06:45] But generally. The public care
[1:06:46] utility, most public power
[1:06:47] utilities are distribution,
[1:06:50] only utilities. So you would
[1:06:52] likely. One option would be to
[1:06:53] just purchased the distribution
[1:06:54] system, which would be the clue
[1:06:56] to the polls on the wires
[1:06:58] within the city of Milwaukee.
[1:06:59] And then you would out there
[1:07:01] and then you would get your
[1:07:02] power supply from somewhere
[1:07:04] else you could. If you wanted
[1:07:05] to generate it yourself, you
[1:07:09] could. But most public power
[1:07:10] utilities purchase Harris plan
[1:07:12] on the open market or they work
[1:07:13] with joint action agencies
[1:07:14] which are groups of public
[1:07:16] power, utilities that come
[1:07:18] together for power supply.
[1:07:18] So they'll so here in
[1:07:21] Wisconsin, wpp, I energy is
[1:07:24] a joint actually agency that
[1:07:25] provides power to their members
[1:07:26] in Wisconsin in I believe
[1:07:30] they've one or 2 in Michigan
[1:07:31] as well. So they the purchase
[1:07:33] date the community will
[1:07:34] purchase power supply from
[1:07:36] those entities in terms of
[1:07:38] trucks and those types of
[1:07:40] equipment that could that could
[1:07:40] be negotiated. But likely the
[1:07:43] city would purchase their
[1:07:44] tracks. There are materials
[1:07:49] moving forward. He wouldn't.
[1:07:50] Purchase them from we energies.
[1:07:53] Mostly we ever do. Most likely
[1:07:53] you would purchase and have
[1:07:56] your own supply yard where you
[1:07:57] would have a, you know, a
[1:08:02] supply of poles and wires and
[1:08:03] so forth and I will say on the
[1:08:06] the idea of when there's a
[1:08:08] storm or you need extra
[1:08:08] assistance, you know, public
[1:08:09] power utilities, if the city of
[1:08:13] Milwaukee were to form of
[1:08:14] public power utility, your
[1:08:16] crews would live and work in
[1:08:17] the community that the first
[1:08:19] priority in a storm would be
[1:08:20] to restore power here in
[1:08:23] Milwaukee. So you have people
[1:08:23] that understand the system.
[1:08:26] They lived here. Their friends
[1:08:27] and family are here. They have
[1:08:30] a vested interest in return.
[1:08:30] Restoring
[1:08:33] power quickly beyond that,
[1:08:34] there is a mutual aid network
[1:08:35] of public power, utilities,
[1:08:38] investor owned utilities,
[1:08:39] co-ops.
[1:08:40] Come together. A ppa is the
[1:08:43] national convener of Public
[1:08:44] Power. Utilities that set
[1:08:48] whenever there is an unexpected
[1:08:49] storm. We meet. We have
[1:08:52] regional coordinators to me
[1:08:54] throughout the U.S. And they
[1:08:56] stage crews to come in and help
[1:08:58] public power utilities. And
[1:08:59] then once they've restored
[1:09:02] power to those public pair
[1:09:02] utilities, they help with co-op
[1:09:03] restoration and investor owned
[1:09:06] utility restoration as well.
[1:09:07] So just because you have a
[1:09:08] public Perry utility doesn't
[1:09:11] mean you don't have broader
[1:09:12] access to cruise.
[1:09:12] Across the country and often
[1:09:15] it is across the country.
[1:09:17] You start regionally that we've
[1:09:20] had crews from Washington State
[1:09:22] go to Florida to help with some
[1:09:24] of these storm restoration.
[1:09:25] So there is a network out
[1:09:27] there, but I would say it is
[1:09:34] extremely important to protect.
[1:09:35] The the employees and the Union
[1:09:35] employees. When you go through
[1:09:36] this and there are ways to do
[1:09:39] that, that's extremely
[1:09:42] important.
[1:09:48] And there are multiple ways to
[1:09:49] do that. So I think that but
[1:09:52] that goes without saying is you
[1:09:53] you went to whether it's
[1:09:56] providing them the same
[1:09:56] package, whether it's
[1:09:59] outsourcing your operations and
[1:10:00] bringing them on as employees.
[1:10:01] There are different ways to do
[1:10:06] that. But that is extremely
[1:10:07] important. Would this be a
[1:10:07] more efficient exercise?
[1:10:10] It was all a Milwaukee County.
[1:10:13] Which is 245 square miles.
[1:10:16] Milwaukee's 96 square miles.
[1:10:19] Milwaukee County's 900 and
[1:10:20] 40,000 people. The city's 5.70,
[1:10:23] and dropping. I'm just curious
[1:10:25] with that being more efficient
[1:10:28] model to at least aspire to.
[1:10:29] I believe. So. I believe that
[1:10:30] that I legally might be more
[1:10:33] efficient, but that would still
[1:10:35] run into the same legal
[1:10:37] complications of just how big
[1:10:38] the we energies infrastructure
[1:10:40] is and the realities. And I'm
[1:10:43] not an engineer. I went to law
[1:10:44] school an bad at math. But you
[1:10:46] know, that goes into the
[1:10:46] realities of just how big this
[1:10:47] infrastructure is and how
[1:10:50] intertwined it is throughout
[1:10:52] southeastern Wisconsin. Any
[1:10:54] other questions of the board?
[1:10:55] Yeah, I've got a few. Sure.
[1:10:56] Thank you so much. Yes. So just
[1:10:58] a couple things that popped up
[1:11:00] in And the I just want make
[1:11:04] sure the listening audience in
[1:11:06] the folks here we touched a
[1:11:07] little bit on revenue. Bonds
[1:11:10] for says general obligation
[1:11:11] to finance on. I just want to
[1:11:11] point out a couple things.
[1:11:13] Can't think maybe you can
[1:11:15] confirm been your research is
[1:11:17] found when the city revenue
[1:11:19] bonds to acquire income
[1:11:22] producing assets such as the
[1:11:26] infrastructure of utility that
[1:11:26] does not count against r
[1:11:28] bonding cap in the state's
[1:11:31] constitution. Is that correct?
[1:11:32] As far as I'm aware, I did not
[1:11:32] have the opportunity to do
[1:11:34] extensive research on that
[1:11:38] topic. That was a little bit
[1:11:39] outside my original parameters.
[1:11:40] But to my knowledge, that is
[1:11:41] correct. And that stated in
[1:11:42] Article 6 of the right of the
[1:11:43] state's constitution, that that
[1:11:46] cap is exceeded when it comes
[1:11:47] to. So the the question and
[1:11:49] then a revenue by your research
[1:11:52] is structured in a way that
[1:11:54] like the city itself are other
[1:11:56] assets besides the utility
[1:11:57] infrastructure would not rdr
[1:11:59] Treasury would not be on the
[1:11:59] hook when a revenue bond is
[1:12:02] issuing of years. Looking
[1:12:02] provides more details and that
[1:12:03] too. So we issue a revenue bond
[1:12:07] to make the acquisition or to
[1:12:08] upgrade the infrastructure
[1:12:10] that doesn't. That means that
[1:12:11] will that hasn't. That hasn't
[1:12:12] downgraded the credit of these
[1:12:13] other cities that do this and
[1:12:15] it and it certainly hasn't put
[1:12:17] their treasuries in jeopardy
[1:12:18] or made the city's less
[1:12:19] financially viable. Could you
[1:12:20] could talk about that first
[1:12:22] live. You've seen that with
[1:12:25] the Saudis. Yeah, absolutely.
[1:12:26] And so with revenue bonds
[1:12:27] obviously all of the repayment
[1:12:30] comes from the revenue that is
[1:12:31] generated from the utility and
[1:12:33] a utility is an essential
[1:12:34] service. It's not a risky.
[1:12:38] There are there will be revenue
[1:12:39] generated from that utility.
[1:12:40] So that's what's used to pay
[1:12:41] back those revenue bonds.
[1:12:41] And so that's completely
[1:12:45] independent from the general
[1:12:46] obligation, bonds. And then
[1:12:47] once you have and you use as
[1:12:48] revenue bonds to acquire the
[1:12:51] system, once you've acquired
[1:12:55] the system, all the
[1:12:56] improvements or other other
[1:12:58] investments you make can be tax
[1:13:01] exempt. Bonds can be used for
[1:13:03] for any upgrades or anything
[1:13:05] after you've purchased the
[1:13:07] system. So that's a much that's
[1:13:08] a more financially feasible
[1:13:10] type of finds that you're
[1:13:11] saving money there by using
[1:13:13] those Texas infants. So I think
[1:13:14] there is there to benefits.
[1:13:15] They're both using the revenue
[1:13:16] bonds and then having access to
[1:13:18] tax exempt Bonds, ft from the
[1:13:19] utility. So I I like to think
[1:13:21] of and maybe even Craig, if I'm
[1:13:22] wrong. But I do think of this,
[1:13:23] as you know, this is but it's
[1:13:24] not legally assume it's a
[1:13:25] kitchen or cousin of a mortgage
[1:13:27] that we're taking out on this
[1:13:30] property just like when people
[1:13:31] decide to own their own home.
[1:13:31] Very rarely. Does anybody have
[1:13:32] the cash in their bank account
[1:13:35] to purchase the House? They
[1:13:37] will use credit to purchase
[1:13:37] that. But then that builds
[1:13:38] equity and you own an asset
[1:13:42] that and have more legal rights
[1:13:42] to it. It's like I mean, we
[1:13:44] found benefit with It sounds
[1:13:45] like with this. I mean, it's
[1:13:47] not you know, I just I just
[1:13:50] want to get from you or have
[1:13:51] you confirm because some of the
[1:13:52] concern that I've heard when
[1:13:53] I've been out about has been
[1:13:54] all this is going to wreck the
[1:13:56] city financially, but actually,
[1:13:57] you haven't found has there
[1:13:58] been any example that you're
[1:14:01] aware of across the United
[1:14:02] States? We're a municipal
[1:14:03] utility has caused the city
[1:14:07] to declare bankruptcy or been
[1:14:09] in financial ruin.
[1:14:10] No, okay. There's no. There's
[1:14:10] none. The are aware of that.
[1:14:12] All ok, in fact, in fact, it's
[1:14:13] actually like been the opposite
[1:14:14] because sometimes these
[1:14:15] utilities can make a transfer
[1:14:16] to the general fund it there
[1:14:17] if they have excess revenue.
[1:14:22] Yeah, absolutely. And that's
[1:14:23] one of the kind of the the
[1:14:24] primary benefits of public
[1:14:26] power. But another benefit of
[1:14:28] public power is you are any
[1:14:29] revenue that is generated
[1:14:30] generated from the utility
[1:14:31] stays in the community. It can
[1:14:34] go back into the system in
[1:14:35] terms of making system
[1:14:36] improvements or it can be used
[1:14:39] to reduce rates in the
[1:14:41] community.
[1:14:42] And most almost all, probably
[1:14:43] all public power utilities with
[1:14:45] the exception of Oklahoma
[1:14:47] because they don't allow it.
[1:14:49] But public power, utilities
[1:14:50] provide tax exempt or payments
[1:14:53] in lieu of taxes to the city.
[1:14:56] So extra revenue goes to the
[1:14:57] city to pay for other city
[1:14:57] needs whether it be the police
[1:14:59] department. The fire
[1:15:02] department. Public schools.
[1:15:06] Anything that is generated from
[1:15:09] the committee, the utility goes
[1:15:09] back into the city and state's
[1:15:10] here for us is going to see
[1:15:13] that stockholders who with our
[1:15:15] water department. Exactly.
[1:15:15] Yeah, already has a publicly
[1:15:18] owned utility and that is the
[1:15:19] water park and inequities and
[1:15:20] in the past, MR. Sure you can
[1:15:21] confirm we've received payments
[1:15:23] maybe not every year, but we've
[1:15:24] received payments and or
[1:15:25] general fund. Everybody put
[1:15:26] your hands are a little tacky.
[1:15:27] That's exactly what we do know
[1:15:29] is that it's, you know, them.
[1:15:30] I had some further questions if
[1:15:30] you don't mind, sir. Thank you
[1:15:31] so much. Yeah, so that I just
[1:15:33] really appreciate that because
[1:15:34] that's a complicated issue.
[1:15:35] But I think I really appreciate
[1:15:37] what Brian brought the table
[1:15:38] that in the end like there's
[1:15:41] complexities. But it's a simple
[1:15:42] concept that we want to own
[1:15:43] one. Our own power. Jen, we
[1:15:50] want to own our own utility.
[1:15:51] You're right on. And just
[1:15:54] for Grant when we talk about
[1:15:55] potentially bring in a 3rd
[1:15:56] party because I complete my
[1:15:56] bed. I was the PRESIDENT Of
[1:15:59] local. I can please stand with
[1:16:03] organized labor in everything
[1:16:04] that I do But I do see
[1:16:05] friction a little bit here
[1:16:07] where we have we have an
[1:16:08] entity. I I think it is
[1:16:08] possible. I'll say this.
[1:16:09] I think it is possible for a
[1:16:11] good employer which we are just
[1:16:13] maybe I can't speak to that.
[1:16:14] But what we have possible for
[1:16:15] good employer to be a bad
[1:16:18] member of the community.
[1:16:18] I think that's what's going on.
[1:16:21] I'm here. It's going that, you
[1:16:25] know, those 2 tracks.
[1:16:26] So we want, you know, we've
[1:16:27] been just honor that. We want
[1:16:28] to honor with the world with
[1:16:29] the workers have their. I
[1:16:29] haven't heard that from.
[1:16:30] I mean, there have been
[1:16:31] winners. Employees have told me
[1:16:34] we're just not a good employer.
[1:16:35] So I would, you know, challenge
[1:16:35] the union also to make sure
[1:16:36] they're asking every single
[1:16:39] member what their thoughts are,
[1:16:42] too. But as far as the 3rd
[1:16:43] party entity that we could
[1:16:43] bring in that is legally
[1:16:44] possible to be identified for
[1:16:47] us to manage the day-to-day
[1:16:48] operations to avoid at 10
[1:16:48] concerns. And this for birdie
[1:16:51] in the audience are listening.
[1:16:51] X 10 is the law that strips
[1:16:52] what Wisconsin's public sector
[1:16:54] workers from collective
[1:16:56] bargaining to have contracts
[1:16:57] similar to what Idw has with.
[1:16:59] Well, we energies, but there
[1:17:01] wouldn't be anything legally
[1:17:04] stopping these workers of we
[1:17:05] energies from themselves.
[1:17:06] Forming a worker co-op to
[1:17:08] manage the day-to-day
[1:17:10] operations caught the boss
[1:17:11] entirely for legally forming a
[1:17:13] worker. Co-op that there's
[1:17:13] works with the union to have
[1:17:15] the same wages or better wages
[1:17:17] and benefits than we are just
[1:17:18] currently has. Is there
[1:17:19] anything the found in the
[1:17:19] statute that prohibits
[1:17:21] something like that as we move
[1:17:23] forward? There's nothing that I
[1:17:24] have found in any statutes that
[1:17:27] prohibits that the obligations
[1:17:28] of any 3rd party management
[1:17:30] entity really depend, you know,
[1:17:32] their primary legal obligation,
[1:17:33] as you know, if they are
[1:17:37] acquiring these employees and
[1:17:38] they intend to take on all of
[1:17:39] the currently unionized
[1:17:42] workforce that it was within
[1:17:44] the acquisition. They have an
[1:17:45] obligation to at the very least
[1:17:46] come to the bargaining table
[1:17:49] with those workforce is no,
[1:17:50] they are not legally obligated
[1:17:51] to honor the collective
[1:17:53] bargaining agreement as it
[1:17:55] currently stands. But they are
[1:17:58] obligated to go to the table
[1:18:02] with the union, which in any
[1:18:04] possible world could result in
[1:18:06] a better collective bargaining
[1:18:07] agreement. So there is really
[1:18:08] nothing legally that stop at
[1:18:09] 3rd party. Managing entity is a
[1:18:11] matter of the will of the
[1:18:12] third-party managing entity
[1:18:13] and we can build that will
[1:18:16] through worker power on the
[1:18:18] job site. All just all this
[1:18:19] comment that I'm interested for
[1:18:20] a question first love because
[1:18:21] of that. The issue has come
[1:18:22] up. When I talk to constituents
[1:18:23] of people about this issue of
[1:18:26] small towns, right, that is
[1:18:27] then the narrative being.
[1:18:29] Oh, well, you know, this works
[1:18:30] for Lily white, rural
[1:18:31] Wisconsin. They have a little
[1:18:33] weight, Jefferson, Wisconsin,
[1:18:34] to have a municipal
[1:18:36] utility. But nope, big, scary
[1:18:38] Milwaukee. This is going to be
[1:18:39] messed up. I'm here in
[1:18:40] Milwaukee is the narrative that
[1:18:41] the right wing and I'm sure
[1:18:42] talk radio is going to be.
[1:18:43] You're going to take that clip
[1:18:46] and put it up on 11:30am.
[1:18:48] Some point soon, too. The so
[1:18:49] that's that's the narrative
[1:18:50] right is like, oh, this works
[1:18:51] in in small towns. The biggest
[1:18:52] one we have in Wisconsin as
[1:18:53] Manitowoc, which I believe is
[1:18:54] just over 40,000 people.
[1:18:57] So barely a drop compared to
[1:18:57] what we have is forced
[1:18:58] population. But you made a
[1:18:59] comedy one time that it cares
[1:19:02] if you could elaborate more
[1:19:03] on that. There was some of the
[1:19:05] reasons that we don't have more
[1:19:07] of these big city utilities
[1:19:08] because of the political will
[1:19:11] that the utility industry has
[1:19:11] to squash these things
[1:19:13] specifically lake in Cleveland
[1:19:15] when Dennis Kuz it was the
[1:19:16] mayor. How the the actually try
[1:19:18] to wrestle the Cleveland
[1:19:20] utility from the city and put
[1:19:21] back in private hands. I'm not
[1:19:22] saying you need to be clear
[1:19:23] that situation. But the gist is
[1:19:24] that what you're seeing is that
[1:19:24] what you guys are seeing that
[1:19:25] there's a political is more of
[1:19:28] a political fight regarding
[1:19:29] with the big cities.
[1:19:31] Yes, absolutely. And you know,
[1:19:33] and I think part of the reason
[1:19:34] the big cities are often run
[1:19:36] by investor owned utility are
[1:19:37] served by investor owned
[1:19:40] utilities or that, you know,
[1:19:43] when electricity first.
[1:19:44] I guess. Yeah, the investor
[1:19:46] owned utilities were willing to
[1:19:48] serve those large communities
[1:19:50] because they were profitable
[1:19:51] and they weren't willing to
[1:19:53] serve smaller communities.
[1:19:55] So that's why public power
[1:19:57] utilities started in small and
[1:19:58] rural electric cooperatives.
[1:20:00] Strip started in small
[1:20:00] communities because the
[1:20:01] investor owned utilities were
[1:20:02] willing to serve them. That was
[1:20:04] the only way they could get
[1:20:05] power. So that's why you see a
[1:20:06] lot of large utilities are
[1:20:09] currently served by investor
[1:20:12] owned utilities
[1:20:13] we have seen a handful that
[1:20:14] have transitioned from investor
[1:20:15] owned utilities to public
[1:20:18] power. They don't because the
[1:20:22] company's Hilla t. We'll lose a
[1:20:23] lot of money if they were to
[1:20:25] form of public power utility
[1:20:26] there, you know, by Milwaukee
[1:20:27] forming a public or utility,
[1:20:29] they're losing a million
[1:20:31] customers. They're more willing
[1:20:33] to give up a community of
[1:20:34] 20,000 customers than they are
[1:20:39] larger community. So they're
[1:20:40] going to fight it much harder.
[1:20:41] They're going to there will be
[1:20:42] loss or suits. There will be pr
[1:20:43] campaigns and you have to be
[1:20:43] prepared for that. But they're
[1:20:47] not going to give up easily
[1:20:48] because it's a it's a lot of
[1:20:49] profit. A lot of customers, a
[1:20:50] lot of revenue that they're
[1:20:54] going to lose by by losing
[1:20:56] these larger cities.
[1:20:58] I would like to add to our
[1:20:58] experience in the public
[1:21:01] Service Commission docket work
[1:21:03] the last 4 years. He's made
[1:21:06] it really clear and attempts to
[1:21:11] to like prohibit.
[1:21:14] We energies use of rate payer
[1:21:14] dollars to effectively lobby
[1:21:16] against public interest rates.
[1:21:20] So they making campaign and
[1:21:21] political donations. They are
[1:21:23] slap a new name on any
[1:21:24] building. Even if that building
[1:21:25] has to do with I don't know
[1:21:29] that climate science or public
[1:21:31] health, which is
[1:21:31] again, insane using our our
[1:21:35] money right to do all their
[1:21:35] pr stuff. In some cases, we
[1:21:37] discovered that they're paying
[1:21:40] their attorneys over $3,000
[1:21:44] an hour.
[1:21:45] We're $1000 an hour. It's in
[1:21:46] regardless. It's insane, right?
[1:21:51] But that's not their money.
[1:21:55] That's that's our money.
[1:21:56] So I just I think it's very
[1:21:58] important right to on the one
[1:22:01] hand to know that like that's
[1:22:04] reckless use of public funds
[1:22:06] rate for relief for private
[1:22:07] gain. That also really works
[1:22:08] and distorts our political
[1:22:09] system. So it becomes really
[1:22:11] difficult to find political
[1:22:16] solutions in a situation where
[1:22:18] you have such thorough.
[1:22:19] Corporate capture of regulatory
[1:22:21] agencies and the Legislature
[1:22:22] by extension. And thank you so
[1:22:25] much that Brennan Mike's my
[1:22:25] question to the Idw would be
[1:22:27] that, you know what? We seem to
[1:22:29] have the bones of a path here
[1:22:31] to honor what you guys have
[1:22:31] with we energies, if not
[1:22:35] improve it for the day-to-day
[1:22:38] worker and so we have this path
[1:22:39] and if we are able to outline
[1:22:41] and find even more about this
[1:22:42] path and clarify it, will the
[1:22:45] ibew public to support this?
[1:22:49] Kelly comment whether or not
[1:22:50] they're going to support or
[1:22:53] not, the ibew, his best
[1:22:54] interest is really just getting
[1:22:57] the best contract and benefits
[1:22:57] for its members.
[1:22:58] That's the only thing I can
[1:22:58] really say to that is a
[1:23:01] community benefit coming to
[1:23:02] your guys considerations.
[1:23:05] Yes, I can be a question for
[1:23:07] me. Sorry, okay.
[1:23:09] The what I've seen with my
[1:23:10] brothers and sisters in the
[1:23:12] ibew across this country is
[1:23:12] that there's been a politically
[1:23:14] joined the utilities to oppose
[1:23:15] these things. For example, in
[1:23:16] Maine, the question of public
[1:23:20] ownership was on the ballot
[1:23:20] in Maine. In addition to
[1:23:23] utilities, spending on a
[1:23:23] misleading ad campaign. The
[1:23:24] ibew joined with millions of
[1:23:26] dollars expended out of its
[1:23:27] political action committee.
[1:23:32] As far as the vote. No campaign
[1:23:33] in Maine. Are you aware of any
[1:23:35] place in the United States
[1:23:36] where the Idw has supported
[1:23:39] public power of public power.
[1:23:42] Endeavor.
[1:23:44] I am not aware of a vice chair
[1:23:44] in the union and operations
[1:23:47] dispatchers says about the
[1:23:48] level I have.
[1:23:49] And that's what I just want to
[1:23:50] assure these questions is
[1:23:51] questions, get get put out
[1:23:52] there. I mean, we stand in
[1:23:53] solidarity with rather it like
[1:23:55] and we want, you know, we want
[1:23:55] every dispatcher to have a
[1:24:00] better job. We just want the
[1:24:04] ceo did not have a job
[1:24:12] and like that's that's where
[1:24:13] that's where a little too early
[1:24:14] for. Our our case is not
[1:24:15] against anybody. A member of
[1:24:16] the committee member of bwi
[1:24:17] that I think a lot of the
[1:24:19] members of the committee are
[1:24:20] disappointed with iv w's
[1:24:23] continued support of we
[1:24:25] energies publicly on its
[1:24:26] lockstep support up. And also,
[1:24:27] frankly, in a week it w
[1:24:29] standing with the construction
[1:24:32] of data centers because of its
[1:24:33] support for ai. I think a lot
[1:24:34] of people are disappointed that
[1:24:36] because we want to be in
[1:24:37] solidarity with you all.
[1:24:38] But we're not seeing solidarity
[1:24:39] for the cup for the community,
[1:24:39] from the Brotherhood of
[1:24:42] electrical workers at this
[1:24:46] time.
[1:24:47] That's what we do best. We pull
[1:24:48] double that. So we build the
[1:24:51] worker, an economy that we
[1:24:52] want. You I'm very frank about
[1:24:53] that. Like that's how we build
[1:24:56] is what we all stand together.
[1:24:57] In 1, 1, union when one union
[1:24:59] says that my interest come
[1:25:00] before the rest of the
[1:25:03] community, everybody sees that
[1:25:04] when they might win. Union says
[1:25:05] ai data centers are so
[1:25:07] important that we have to have
[1:25:08] the political will to build
[1:25:09] them and constructing I don't I
[1:25:10] don't begrudge anybody building
[1:25:10] that. That is what I do.
[1:25:11] Not begrudge the day-to-day
[1:25:12] worker at a data center because
[1:25:13] they have a job and they need
[1:25:17] to feed their families too.
[1:25:17] But as an institution, I would
[1:25:20] call in the Idw to join the
[1:25:21] rest of committees to oppose
[1:25:24] data centers and up and join us
[1:25:27] in opposing we energies.
[1:25:30] I will say to the ibew credit,
[1:25:32] you know, the dnc has met with
[1:25:34] you guys like you could.
[1:25:35] We have had conversation like
[1:25:38] there's not been a closed door.
[1:25:40] I can really appreciate that
[1:25:41] So but I just don't want to
[1:25:42] offer these things. We have a
[1:25:42] legal path. We have a legal
[1:25:45] path of the union to set up a
[1:25:45] worker co-op and make it make
[1:25:48] and get on the best deal it can
[1:25:51] from that co-op it is legal
[1:25:52] for Good Corcoran. Costa have
[1:25:53] union contracts, a live mic,
[1:25:53] Seminole Strange. But that is a
[1:25:54] legal arrangement that could
[1:25:58] be created under existing law.
[1:25:59] Were you guys could set the
[1:26:00] wages and benefits that that
[1:26:01] you want and then we could have
[1:26:02] a managing entity and that's
[1:26:03] until we get back 10
[1:26:05] overturned, which I think MAY
[1:26:07] happen so it like and then you
[1:26:07] know that we can have you
[1:26:08] joined the, you know, in the
[1:26:12] Derby could have a contract
[1:26:13] with the city to the question
[1:26:15] of the grid because I do want
[1:26:16] to come back. I think maybe
[1:26:16] Ursula can speak to this.
[1:26:20] The question of of the grid
[1:26:21] like I mean, I really
[1:26:22] appreciate what we are just
[1:26:23] been saying that they're that
[1:26:24] they're more efficient, a grid
[1:26:24] white. I mean, that's that's
[1:26:25] the case for taking over the
[1:26:28] entire grid crosses in her
[1:26:30] state or nation, bring all that
[1:26:32] under public First, let like.
[1:26:34] Maybe you can comment like,
[1:26:35] for example, La is is the
[1:26:38] largest municipal utility in
[1:26:39] the country. I mean, they
[1:26:40] probably have a ring of suburbs
[1:26:42] that with Pg e I believe the
[1:26:44] Genie Service territory.
[1:26:46] What la for getting the exact
[1:26:46] name of their utility, but
[1:26:47] cell. And I think I know some
[1:26:48] people from the public comment
[1:26:50] or to be sharing some stories
[1:26:54] about the la above power and
[1:26:55] light as well. But
[1:26:56] you know how it how easily been
[1:26:58] as far as as far as its ability
[1:27:00] the Palisades fire happened?
[1:27:01] You know that what reckless?
[1:27:01] I mean, how did how did the
[1:27:04] public power utility respond to
[1:27:05] that and how to respond on a
[1:27:07] day to day, even if it is an
[1:27:07] island amidst pga Pacific Gas
[1:27:10] and electric side service
[1:27:14] territory.
[1:27:17] Well, I mean, I would say, you
[1:27:21] know, once again, it comes down
[1:27:23] to that local oversight.
[1:27:24] And, you know, when there are
[1:27:27] issues within the community or
[1:27:27] the utility.
[1:27:32] The committee, the utility has
[1:27:34] to respond. Because customers
[1:27:38] are. They're demanding answers.
[1:27:39] And the ceo and all the
[1:27:41] employees live and work in the
[1:27:44] community, they can walk up to
[1:27:44] the cfo of the Los Angeles
[1:27:47] Department of Water and Power
[1:27:48] in the grocery store. You know,
[1:27:51] they have immediate access to
[1:27:54] them. You can call the mayor
[1:27:57] and that is that encourage it
[1:27:58] forces the utilities to address
[1:28:01] the needs that that part of
[1:28:03] a concern. And of course there
[1:28:04] are there are wildfires in la
[1:28:04] as well and they have to But
[1:28:08] they have done a really good
[1:28:12] job.
[1:28:13] Restoring and rebuilding their
[1:28:14] system since that last wild
[1:28:14] fire. And we actually we have
[1:28:17] our cold front and national
[1:28:19] conference coming up starting
[1:28:20] tomorrow. And we have the
[1:28:22] interim general manager from
[1:28:23] Los Angeles Department of Water
[1:28:26] and Power coming to talk about
[1:28:27] how they went through that
[1:28:28] restoration effort and what
[1:28:29] they've learned and how can
[1:28:31] other public power utilities
[1:28:33] learn from them. So that's it.
[1:28:34] The public power network is
[1:28:35] really strong. The we learn
[1:28:38] from one another, they're
[1:28:39] willing to share best
[1:28:40] practices. And that's what a
[1:28:42] ppa is there to do is to make
[1:28:42] sure that public power
[1:28:44] utilities have an opportunity
[1:28:47] to learn from one another.
[1:28:48] Thank you so much and it seemed
[1:28:49] to me there was mutual aid from
[1:28:51] what I read these materials
[1:28:52] that when when the la well
[1:28:54] first happened, there was
[1:28:56] mutual aid from other municipal
[1:28:56] utilities. The came in, we have
[1:28:57] municipal utilities around the
[1:28:59] state of Wisconsin as well.
[1:29:00] We have wp Pa and I would
[1:29:01] appreciate you explain a little
[1:29:03] more about that because that's
[1:29:05] as a joint action agency.
[1:29:07] They build generation work with
[1:29:09] municipal utilities like so
[1:29:10] there's already it. Please
[1:29:11] confirm this. There's the right
[1:29:12] now in Wisconsin that exist
[1:29:15] today that municipal utility
[1:29:19] Milwaukee could link him to
[1:29:20] to for support and and
[1:29:20] generation facilities. And our
[1:29:23] could you please just elaborate
[1:29:24] more on toward action agencies
[1:29:24] are essentially their groups
[1:29:27] of public power, utilities that
[1:29:30] come together for power supply.
[1:29:31] So wpp,
[1:29:35] I energy is a joint action
[1:29:35] agency that has members thereby
[1:29:38] believe they have 50 or more
[1:29:40] members in Wisconsin and
[1:29:43] surrounding states. But there
[1:29:44] are joint action agencies all
[1:29:44] across the country. There are
[1:29:46] some in and whether you were
[1:29:49] served by wpp. I energy either
[1:29:51] is American municipal power at
[1:29:53] There are several in Minnesota
[1:29:54] and so those are opportunities.
[1:29:57] So you don't have to build your
[1:29:58] own power supply and joint
[1:29:59] action agencies can small surf,
[1:30:00] small communities, but they
[1:30:04] also serve Los Angeles
[1:30:05] Department of Water Power,
[1:30:06] Pasadena, a lot of those larger
[1:30:06] California utilities are served
[1:30:10] by the Southern California
[1:30:12] Public Power Authority. So it
[1:30:14] it's not a unique situation.
[1:30:18] It's all across the country
[1:30:18] and there they are. These
[1:30:20] provide both power supply that
[1:30:23] many of them provide additional
[1:30:24] services, whether it be energy
[1:30:27] efficiency programs, it MAY be
[1:30:28] safety training. Get the
[1:30:29] they've certain they provide a
[1:30:32] number of resources to help
[1:30:34] public power utilities provide
[1:30:35] better service to their
[1:30:39] customers. So this wouldn't be
[1:30:39] Milwaukee. Just going it alone.
[1:30:40] Now, there's that we're here
[1:30:41] for you guys that you have like
[1:30:43] 80 staff and your offices in
[1:30:44] Washington that are in the
[1:30:45] Washington area that service
[1:30:46] public power, utilities.
[1:30:50] And so I just want to confirm
[1:30:50] that lake, the level of
[1:30:52] expertise that we energies MAY
[1:30:56] have because of larger size
[1:30:58] couldn't be. We can provide an
[1:30:59] equal support for a public
[1:31:01] power entity in Milwaukee as
[1:31:02] well. Absolutely. In public
[1:31:05] pair utilities higher from the
[1:31:05] same pool of employees and
[1:31:09] individuals that investor owned
[1:31:10] utilities higher from many of
[1:31:12] our the general managers are
[1:31:13] CEOs of our utilities come from
[1:31:15] investor owned utilities and
[1:31:15] vice versa. So there is a
[1:31:20] there's it's not like there's
[1:31:21] just a that employee pool for
[1:31:22] investor owned utilities and
[1:31:25] co-ops and investor unease or
[1:31:28] public care utilities.
[1:31:28] It's everybody. So you're
[1:31:29] pulling from the same workforce
[1:31:32] that we energies is calling
[1:31:32] for, calling from. And then
[1:31:36] like I said before, the public
[1:31:37] power community, there are 2000
[1:31:39] public care utilities in the in
[1:31:42] the U.S. They have over time.
[1:31:44] Over at probably over a
[1:31:44] million. I don't know how many
[1:31:48] employees they have off the top
[1:31:48] of my head. But, you know,
[1:31:50] hundreds of thousands, if not
[1:31:51] more employees, they come to.
[1:31:52] They come together. They
[1:31:55] support one another through
[1:31:55] mutual aid. We have events
[1:31:56] where they come together.
[1:31:58] We have our national conference
[1:32:02] where we have 2000, almost 2000
[1:32:02] people coming this weekend to
[1:32:06] hear from other public power
[1:32:07] utilities network make
[1:32:08] connections so they can call
[1:32:10] each other when there is a
[1:32:13] crisis and or they just need
[1:32:15] help. They have questions and
[1:32:17] ap can can be a convener for
[1:32:18] that. But you also have the
[1:32:20] municipal electric utilities of
[1:32:21] Wisconsin there. And it's those
[1:32:22] state association here in
[1:32:24] Wisconsin that represents the
[1:32:24] Wisconsin utilities. You have
[1:32:26] the joint action agency.
[1:32:28] So there's a really strong
[1:32:30] their work within public power
[1:32:34] for support and resources to
[1:32:35] assist. Thank you so much.
[1:32:36] I MAY have further questions
[1:32:37] come, but I noticed I want to
[1:32:38] other people ask what are the
[1:32:40] questions from members of the
[1:32:41] board before we go to public
[1:32:43] commentary and just a quick
[1:32:44] question, her assault, if we
[1:32:48] go to this model of publicly
[1:32:49] owned utility in Milwaukee
[1:32:51] doesn't mean Milwaukee has to
[1:32:54] build its own power plant,
[1:32:57] right? They can buy on the open
[1:32:58] from And so can you live right
[1:32:59] on that? Because some people
[1:33:00] MAY be scattered. All we have
[1:33:01] to build their own power plant.
[1:33:03] Yeah, absolutely. The vast
[1:33:04] majority of public power
[1:33:05] utilities do not own
[1:33:09] generation. Some of them own
[1:33:12] small peaking units but very
[1:33:12] few own generation themselves.
[1:33:16] They buy it on the open market
[1:33:17] or they work through joint
[1:33:19] action agencies or partner with
[1:33:20] other public power utilities,
[1:33:24] even so definitely you can own
[1:33:24] some generation sometimes
[1:33:27] public power utilities are more
[1:33:28] inclined to maybe have solar
[1:33:32] generation or wind generation
[1:33:33] or renewable generation
[1:33:34] locally. But it really that's
[1:33:35] it's really the decision that
[1:33:36] the community makes on whether
[1:33:37] you have that or whether you
[1:33:40] purchase it on the open market.
[1:33:40] And that's where the
[1:33:41] feasibility study is an
[1:33:43] important part of that. It can
[1:33:46] look at what the options are,
[1:33:49] you know, and what is important
[1:33:51] to you as a community and work
[1:33:51] that into the feasibility
[1:33:52] analysis and determine what
[1:33:55] the costs would be. If you
[1:33:57] chose to.
[1:33:58] Invest in whatever you would
[1:33:59] like to invest in. Yeah, we
[1:34:00] energies has been particularly
[1:34:03] bad. I understand and buying
[1:34:03] renewable energy from
[1:34:07] individuals who has put solar
[1:34:08] panels on the roof. And so with
[1:34:11] this with this model is maybe
[1:34:12] maybe easier have solar panels
[1:34:13] on and housing with we wear
[1:34:16] than this new entity would buy
[1:34:17] it.
[1:34:17] Yeah, that's definitely a
[1:34:19] possibility. Once again, if
[1:34:21] the community wants that,
[1:34:24] that's what to keep the utility
[1:34:25] can do if they choose to.
[1:34:27] And and I believe all on the
[1:34:28] search area believe Alderwoman
[1:34:29] Taylor's on the board also have
[1:34:33] a question in my text messages
[1:34:33] I could ask is well on and so
[1:34:36] that she had issued a question
[1:34:40] or does he
[1:34:40] want to of all the all the
[1:34:44] other euro? Yeah. Hi. Thank you
[1:34:45] so much for letting me ask this
[1:34:48] question. I I guess I am.
[1:34:50] I'm excited about the idea of
[1:34:51] possibility of possibly having
[1:34:54] a public how utility company,
[1:34:57] but
[1:35:02] concern would be that with
[1:35:06] that. But with the everyday
[1:35:08] citizen who is has high deals.
[1:35:11] So that's why this topic would
[1:35:12] be of importance to me
[1:35:13] because here there are houses
[1:35:17] that have outdated, anything
[1:35:22] can run
[1:35:22] furnaces and things like that.
[1:35:24] And until you have high bills
[1:35:27] because of that, and so how
[1:35:31] does having a public power
[1:35:31] utility company
[1:35:37] it helped to make that better
[1:35:38] for for the everyday citizen
[1:35:39] and had the basically because
[1:35:40] they're renting. How does that
[1:35:42] how does that help or how would
[1:35:43] that affect them?
[1:35:44] It once again, it really comes
[1:35:46] down to it. That's an issue
[1:35:48] that's important to the
[1:35:49] community. Then public power,
[1:35:51] utilities all across the
[1:35:53] country offer different
[1:35:54] services every every community
[1:35:56] is different. They MAY have low
[1:35:58] income programs. They MAY have
[1:36:01] programs where they go in and
[1:36:02] renovate
[1:36:06] renovate the hvac or, you know,
[1:36:08] or have contracts with
[1:36:09] companies that can going to do
[1:36:10] that. And that's where each
[1:36:12] community is able to make the
[1:36:16] decision themselves. Obviously,
[1:36:17] a large investor owned utility
[1:36:17] can't customize the services
[1:36:18] for every single community
[1:36:20] serve when they serve multiple
[1:36:21] communities across many states
[1:36:24] often. So that's where public
[1:36:27] pair are really. It allows you
[1:36:27] to decide what you want to
[1:36:28] focus on. And if if that's
[1:36:33] important to the community.
[1:36:34] And you can develop
[1:36:35] those services 2 on for the
[1:36:37] two-year permit community.
[1:36:38] That's exactly what public
[1:36:38] power is. You can customize
[1:36:42] your services to meet the needs
[1:36:44] of your customers.
[1:36:46] Andy. And to be backing them
[1:36:46] are chair for Brian. You've
[1:36:48] participated a lot of these
[1:36:49] dockets before Public Service
[1:36:50] Commission. Can you confirm for
[1:36:52] me that the kind of mechanism
[1:36:54] here like the utility makes
[1:36:55] proposals to the psc and then
[1:36:58] the psc adjudicate those
[1:36:59] proposal. So
[1:37:01] you could. I'm imagining that
[1:37:01] we could make a proposal the
[1:37:02] psc to make it easier and
[1:37:05] better for low-income customers
[1:37:05] to keep the lights on here in
[1:37:07] Milwaukee or potentially even
[1:37:09] have a shot off moratorium,
[1:37:12] like I believe, is being
[1:37:13] practiced in la right now with
[1:37:13] our municipal utility. I mean,
[1:37:14] what you see the ripples, what
[1:37:16] do you see as far as the gamut
[1:37:16] in the possibility that we have
[1:37:17] for proposals? The psc we I
[1:37:18] believe they believe weeks left
[1:37:20] to go through them as a
[1:37:24] municipal utility. Yeah.
[1:37:25] I mean, I think.
[1:37:27] To some of what we were talking
[1:37:27] about earlier, the regulatory
[1:37:29] capture by the investor owned
[1:37:32] utility of the entity that is
[1:37:34] supposed to regulate it is a
[1:37:36] structural problem, right?
[1:37:37] And so you have 4 and the
[1:37:38] Department of Natural Resources
[1:37:39] is is implicated in this as
[1:37:42] well. And of course, the
[1:37:43] Legislature, 80.
[1:37:44] Because they all kind of pass
[1:37:46] the buck, right? They say will.
[1:37:51] And can they do that or if we
[1:37:52] do do that, vote with our like
[1:37:54] with the data and with
[1:37:56] community concern and with
[1:37:58] cetera, they will get fired
[1:38:00] because the legislation, the
[1:38:02] Legislature confirms
[1:38:03] appointments to the Public
[1:38:04] Service commission. So that's
[1:38:06] one problem, right? There's a
[1:38:10] structural issue about the
[1:38:11] regulatory system that just
[1:38:12] confers advantage to people who
[1:38:14] already have power and access.
[1:38:15] So that's a big problem
[1:38:16] specifically to your point
[1:38:17] around that. So what is our
[1:38:20] experience in the dockets ban?
[1:38:21] Well, that's
[1:38:22] was it like that's resistance,
[1:38:23] right? We do not want things to
[1:38:26] happen. Like rate increases.
[1:38:26] So will go argue against that.
[1:38:29] I would say pretty
[1:38:31] compellingly.
[1:38:32] The outcome of that first rate
[1:38:35] case in 20 to 22 win Walnut
[1:38:36] Way held its ground.
[1:38:38] Forced the public Service
[1:38:39] commission to mandate the
[1:38:42] utility we energies and some
[1:38:43] other intervening parties,
[1:38:46] including all the way to enter
[1:38:49] what became a 3 year.
[1:38:50] Conversation. I shouldn't
[1:38:52] downplay it. It was an
[1:38:52] investigative docket around
[1:38:55] affordability. How are we going
[1:38:57] to?
[1:39:00] Collectively negotiate the
[1:39:01] terms of a low-income
[1:39:02] affordability program that
[1:39:04] actually addresses the scale of
[1:39:08] the need of the utilities
[1:39:09] captive customers.
[1:39:12] It's a ridiculous sentence that
[1:39:12] I just said, right? Yeah.
[1:39:15] Okay. So making sure people are
[1:39:16] clocking that.
[1:39:19] Because that then falls back to
[1:39:21] hey. So if resistance is really
[1:39:21] hard, if what Coleman dates
[1:39:22] from that 3 year, nearly
[1:39:24] three-year process is a series
[1:39:27] of recommendations that pse
[1:39:28] staff makes to the
[1:39:29] commissioners. Then we are not
[1:39:32] their bank because people's
[1:39:32] bills aren't getting any less.
[1:39:34] But the people's bills are
[1:39:36] going down. They're only going
[1:39:36] up. So we actually haven't
[1:39:38] accomplished anything in that
[1:39:38] arena except for the
[1:39:39] realization that we need to
[1:39:44] do more than resist. We have to
[1:39:46] build right. So that we're and
[1:39:48] the psc is proactive and
[1:39:50] offering grants for feasibility
[1:39:51] studies around solar generation
[1:39:52] right along the way is going to
[1:39:55] build that some point in the
[1:39:58] short order, a megawatt of
[1:40:00] solar in Lindsay Heights.
[1:40:00] But how do how does that
[1:40:04] translate into immediate relief
[1:40:06] for? Residents of Lindsay
[1:40:08] Heights. That's really
[1:40:09] complicated. Legally. The
[1:40:11] ownership structure is a
[1:40:12] complicated why? Well, again,
[1:40:14] because our political system
[1:40:15] has been held hostage by the
[1:40:16] dictates of private capital.
[1:40:19] And Gail Clapper, you know,
[1:40:21] to, but I guess what I'm what
[1:40:25] I'm positive view is that like
[1:40:25] we could as a municipal
[1:40:27] utility, then make up our own
[1:40:29] positive proposals to the psc.
[1:40:31] You haven't seen anything
[1:40:33] that's blocked a good idea from
[1:40:34] being proposed by utility
[1:40:35] except except the utility
[1:40:36] investors not wanting to make
[1:40:38] of proposals re? Well, I mean,
[1:40:40] because as they say, like the
[1:40:41] system is, the system is so
[1:40:42] ridiculous. It's actually very,
[1:40:44] very brittle, right? It's
[1:40:46] actually not all that
[1:40:48] resilient. If the public knows
[1:40:51] the pressure points, this is a
[1:40:52] really good pressure point.
[1:40:53] Now some people say this is
[1:40:56] this is this doesn't make any
[1:40:58] sense because if we do this,
[1:40:58] then that means despite
[1:40:59] everything in your
[1:41:00] presentation, though, still
[1:41:04] assume conclude prematurely.
[1:41:05] That then that means we're just
[1:41:06] got the contract. We energies
[1:41:07] to operate the whole thing in
[1:41:07] the making charges, whatever
[1:41:11] they want to really lose money.
[1:41:11] And that's some people are
[1:41:14] running that argument right
[1:41:17] now. It lacks imagination.
[1:41:19] It
[1:41:21] also expects so. Yeah. So we
[1:41:21] see it. We can't listen to
[1:41:23] those people, right? We can't
[1:41:24] listen to. People were saying
[1:41:25] like, oh, I don't know what
[1:41:26] we've done this before with
[1:41:27] down the block. They've done it
[1:41:27] successfully for decades.
[1:41:31] We can't listen to the people
[1:41:32] who say, well, it's not use
[1:41:33] our imagination was not believe
[1:41:35] in the people to think together
[1:41:37] to solve their own problems.
[1:41:37] We're gonna build a megawatt of
[1:41:39] solar in the heights. We're
[1:41:40] going to figure out a way again
[1:41:41] this year point to the Public
[1:41:42] Service Commission got a really
[1:41:45] good idea on how to connect
[1:41:46] that in 2, the current energy
[1:41:49] grid and then because we don't
[1:41:51] have community solar enabling
[1:41:52] legislation because we can't
[1:41:54] with the figure out another
[1:41:56] way to channel a bill credit.
[1:41:57] 2 people who live in the
[1:41:58] Lindsay Heights improvement
[1:41:59] neighborhood improvement,
[1:42:00] District 2. But that's what
[1:42:00] we'll be right will generate
[1:42:04] this power will store some.
[1:42:05] We'll sell. We come back and
[1:42:06] what we make. We then
[1:42:07] distribute as a bill credit to
[1:42:08] the residents living there,
[1:42:11] bringing down people's energy
[1:42:12] right? Also, let's talk about
[1:42:13] comprehensive solutions because
[1:42:14] you can't think about this in
[1:42:16] isolation. The energy system
[1:42:17] dictates. I mean. A friend of
[1:42:18] mine is writing a book about
[1:42:19] energy policy. And if you can
[1:42:22] tell the history of the world
[1:42:25] just through. Looking at the
[1:42:27] oil tankers, Satan.
[1:42:29] Abby Martin just released an
[1:42:30] incredible documentary about
[1:42:31] the United States military
[1:42:35] complex is the largest consumer
[1:42:38] of fossil fuels.
[1:42:39] Watch that. But the
[1:42:41] comprehensive. But this is not
[1:42:42] a comprehensive approach.
[1:42:44] It is going to not be as
[1:42:45] effective as it could be.
[1:42:46] Otherwise. That's why we would
[1:42:47] want to have a city wide
[1:42:48] discussion about this and then
[1:42:50] a citywide utility tonight by
[1:42:51] the county wide discussion to
[1:42:52] Alderman Bauman's point.
[1:42:54] I think it's really salient and
[1:42:56] we MAY we MAY be constructed
[1:42:56] by statute on that because one
[1:42:57] 97 is only for municipalities,
[1:43:01] but I believe one 98, which
[1:43:02] we haven't fully explored.
[1:43:02] But chapter one, 98 provides
[1:43:04] for multiple municipalities
[1:43:06] to join together. Is that
[1:43:06] correct? That is my
[1:43:07] understanding. Yes. So there's
[1:43:11] there are possibilities there
[1:43:12] as well.
[1:43:14] And I love cops aren't sure
[1:43:15] don't know. You're doing fine.
[1:43:18] I'm just saying like if we're
[1:43:20] having this discussion because
[1:43:23] evil corporate actor is making
[1:43:24] lives difficult for everybody,
[1:43:27] workers and everybody remember
[1:43:28] the hands that raise an
[1:43:29] unexpected expense. Then it
[1:43:30] makes sense that we would be
[1:43:33] having this same conversation
[1:43:33] about any other system that
[1:43:37] delivers necessary benefit to
[1:43:39] the public right. So we're
[1:43:39] talking about in terms of
[1:43:40] energy and we energies. Why
[1:43:44] would we not also be talking
[1:43:46] about it? And so I just we've
[1:43:48] got to stress that like all of
[1:43:49] this is connected. And thus
[1:43:49] the problems are systemic and
[1:43:51] we have the power to figure
[1:43:54] out in advance solutions and
[1:43:58] I applaud this as it as it
[1:44:00] really. Encouraging step in
[1:44:03] that direction. Okay. Thank you
[1:44:03] so much
[1:44:08] in that MR. Him that I have
[1:44:08] 2 questions
[1:44:11] does establishing a municipal
[1:44:13] public utility.
[1:44:15] Take you out from under the
[1:44:16] Public Service Commission
[1:44:19] regulation? No, it does not.
[1:44:21] It is still under the psc.
[1:44:23] And as that happened in some
[1:44:25] states, there are only 12
[1:44:26] states that public power
[1:44:27] utilities are regulated by the
[1:44:28] Public Service Commission.
[1:44:29] So it it's unique, but there
[1:44:32] are 11 other states that do
[1:44:34] that as well.
[1:44:34] Thank you. And my other
[1:44:37] question, just out of
[1:44:40] curiosity.
[1:44:43] Have there been any?
[1:44:44] Municipalities that had public
[1:44:45] utilities that have gone the
[1:44:48] other direction that it
[1:44:50] privatized.
[1:44:51] Yeah. And once again, there's
[1:44:51] ownership changes in either
[1:44:53] direction or air. They're
[1:44:57] pretty even. You know, we do
[1:44:57] have it is also very small
[1:44:59] communities that typically have
[1:45:01] not been maintaining their
[1:45:03] system that and they usually
[1:45:04] sell to a rural electric
[1:45:04] cooperative. Actually, they
[1:45:07] very rarely sell to an investor
[1:45:08] owned utility. It's almost
[1:45:10] always a rural electric
[1:45:11] cooperative that surrounds
[1:45:14] them. And there are those small
[1:45:14] communities that have just it's
[1:45:17] easier for them to sell to the
[1:45:20] to the co-op. So that does that
[1:45:21] changes happen in both
[1:45:21] directions. But there's no huge
[1:45:24] movement in either direction.
[1:45:25] To be honest.
[1:45:27] And that it all just offer that
[1:45:28] did happen in Wisconsin.
[1:45:29] We have 82 municipal utility
[1:45:30] went on to 81. It was a rural
[1:45:33] community. I'm forgetting the
[1:45:33] name right now. But there was a
[1:45:34] world community that decided
[1:45:36] it was a town of 600 people and
[1:45:39] they decided why are we doing
[1:45:41] this separately? We have a and
[1:45:42] so they made a decision
[1:45:43] democratically to does all that
[1:45:44] and join. I believe the role
[1:45:45] Co-operative, the I believe was
[1:45:48] dairyland that they joined up
[1:45:49] with. I also add, though, like
[1:45:50] the existence of the public
[1:45:52] service commission and this
[1:45:56] sort of uniqueness of their
[1:45:57] regulating public power.
[1:45:58] It could actually be a real
[1:46:02] advantage to as much as as much
[1:46:02] as I complain about the public
[1:46:03] service commission and the
[1:46:06] valid complaints. They know it.
[1:46:08] They're brilliant. You know, I
[1:46:10] mean, look, they're really,
[1:46:11] really smart, dedicated people
[1:46:15] that, you know, public servants
[1:46:16] that are committed to.
[1:46:17] Doing things correctly, right?
[1:46:20] So like they are rigorous and
[1:46:21] and they will accept good
[1:46:22] ideas, right? I think it's
[1:46:23] again, not about individuals
[1:46:26] working in institutions, but
[1:46:28] rather like the institutions
[1:46:29] themselves just structurally
[1:46:33] don't allow for the best ideas.
[1:46:36] The best methods, the best data
[1:46:37] to prevail. So I think under
[1:46:38] different circumstances and
[1:46:40] different structural
[1:46:41] arrangements that regulatory
[1:46:44] relationship would actually
[1:46:46] be extremely beneficial as
[1:46:47] another layer of oversight and
[1:46:50] regulation on top of the local
[1:46:53] institutions.
[1:46:54] Okay. I think we can go to
[1:46:57] public comment. We're all on
[1:46:57] schedule.
[1:46:59] And MR. Believe a few of our
[1:47:01] experts do need to leave at
[1:47:05] some point. Take a look at what
[1:47:05] the experts are willing to
[1:47:06] welcome to stay for goal,
[1:47:07] whoever your schedules require
[1:47:08] because we will use the
[1:47:09] standing. Mike for public
[1:47:10] comment. So the folks at the
[1:47:13] table can stay at the table if
[1:47:14] they wish to.
[1:47:17] So we were trying to close this
[1:47:20] off
[1:47:21] at noon. So that gives us 65 to
[1:47:22] hear public testimony. I'm
[1:47:25] going to try to restrict full.
[1:47:28] We have 46.
[1:47:29] Forms filled out for public
[1:47:32] testimony. It here, folks have
[1:47:32] the same basic message for us.
[1:47:35] You're you're you're entitled
[1:47:38] to be brief.
[1:47:40] There's no there's no
[1:47:41] requirement that we reinvent
[1:47:44] the wheel every 46 times a week
[1:47:46] testify here. And so we will go
[1:47:46] in the order that they were
[1:47:50] collected and please used to
[1:47:52] standing. Mike and we will jump
[1:47:53] right into again. We will we
[1:47:57] have the time or if we're going
[1:47:58] to try to put folks on a 2
[1:47:59] minute time. Secrets are out of
[1:48:00] respect for everybody. So for
[1:48:03] everybody, almost everybody can
[1:48:05] be heard. What we're trying
[1:48:06] to get the 42 in in 65 minutes.
[1:48:09] So that's a little under 2
[1:48:10] minutes ever change.
[1:48:13] Could we get field glasses out
[1:48:17] there?
[1:48:20] Okay. First up is a morrow
[1:48:23] Aaron.
[1:48:27] MR. Chair. If you read the
[1:48:28] second or 3rd mean to them, a
[1:48:29] couple people can line up in
[1:48:33] John McIntyre after that, Lisa
[1:48:36] Cottrell after that.
[1:48:39] I live in River a tutor.
[1:48:40] I worked for historic theater.
[1:48:43] Every degree in media studies.
[1:48:44] I'm not here with a group lets
[1:48:45] you consider my neighbors or
[1:48:48] friends who can't be here
[1:48:49] because they work 9 to 5.
[1:48:49] It's been a long time since I
[1:48:53] could afford to work one job.
[1:48:54] And one of the things that I
[1:48:58] really struggle with is with
[1:49:01] our bills with we energies,
[1:49:02] we've seen concentrate heights
[1:49:03] rate hikes. Despite 1.6 billion
[1:49:07] dollars in profit. Last I heard
[1:49:09] for we energies. I know the ceo
[1:49:09] has also talked about the $0
[1:49:12] paid in taxes. Please correct
[1:49:13] me if I'm wrong on that.
[1:49:14] And I'm thinking about the
[1:49:16] future. I don't want to beg
[1:49:17] for mercy from we energies when
[1:49:20] it comes to deciding rates.
[1:49:21] We have constant outages,
[1:49:24] constant gas leaks of survive.
[1:49:25] 3 gas leaks at home. Now.
[1:49:26] One of the things we know
[1:49:27] that's happening due to climate
[1:49:31] change. Tornado Alley is
[1:49:32] shifting further east, even in
[1:49:33] Milwaukee, which normally has
[1:49:35] been well protected by the
[1:49:36] lake. We're seeing much more
[1:49:37] common like the large storms,
[1:49:40] damaging trees and
[1:49:41] infrastructure.
[1:49:43] And I do think it's ironic that
[1:49:44] the we energies representative
[1:49:45] talks about the city taking a
[1:49:46] gamble when we energies is
[1:49:48] insisting that we as a city
[1:49:51] allowed data centers to foist
[1:49:52] the risks of data center
[1:49:53] center, credit requirements on
[1:49:53] to regular rate pairs as
[1:49:56] reported by Wisconsin. Watch.
[1:49:58] My background in media studies
[1:50:00] of one of the things that I
[1:50:01] really want to be able to
[1:50:02] communicate. I know I've a
[1:50:04] short amount of time is up to
[1:50:06] speak about the tech bubble.
[1:50:09] Obviously, technology is sort
[1:50:09] of a hot moment right now.
[1:50:11] Commerce is flowing quickly and
[1:50:13] intensely, but it is a volatile
[1:50:13] market. And everybody right now
[1:50:16] is trying to get theirs before
[1:50:18] this bubble bursts. The tech
[1:50:18] comes on quick is funded
[1:50:20] frequently by actors in the
[1:50:23] defense sector. Rarely sees
[1:50:26] widespread adoption. But as
[1:50:27] propped up by the private
[1:50:28] interests. And I just want to
[1:50:31] ask how it can be that we live
[1:50:32] in a time where it's treated
[1:50:32] as an inevitability that the
[1:50:35] infrastructure for data centers
[1:50:36] will be built. But we can't
[1:50:37] imagine building infrastructure
[1:50:40] for publicly owned utilities.
[1:50:46] What I hope for is a stronger
[1:50:47] and more resilient community in
[1:50:49] Milwaukee. I love my neighbors.
[1:50:50] I love this city. I love living
[1:50:53] here and I would love to see
[1:50:54] the wealth and the extraction.
[1:50:55] I don't want this wealth from
[1:50:57] the city to continue to be
[1:50:59] extracted to we energies
[1:50:59] shareholders. There's an
[1:51:02] obvious economic benefit to
[1:51:04] keeping money in the city and
[1:51:06] public goods have value far
[1:51:07] beyond their economic value.
[1:51:09] There's a reason that we value
[1:51:11] public public transit, public
[1:51:13] education, public utilities
[1:51:14] should fall under that same
[1:51:15] value for the what they provide
[1:51:17] to us as a society. I thank you
[1:51:18] so much for your time.
[1:51:24] A few minutes. But go ahead.
[1:51:26] Hi, thanks for the time.
[1:51:27] My name is John McIntyre.
[1:51:29] I'm proud to say that I live in
[1:51:31] the city of Milwaukee. I reside
[1:51:32] at 39. 41 south of 60th Street.
[1:51:33] I'm also really proud to say
[1:51:36] that I'm a licensed electrician
[1:51:40] in the idw. My state license
[1:51:42] number is one to 8, 5, 2, 7,
[1:51:45] 8 Dash j Eaton and my Union
[1:51:49] card number is 4, 7, 4, 3, It's
[1:51:50] 7, 3, 5, But I'm here speaking
[1:51:54] just as myself as a resident,
[1:51:55] the taxpayer and as a member of
[1:51:56] the Milwaukee dsa and as a
[1:51:59] canvas or for the part of
[1:52:00] people campaign.
[1:52:01] I'm here to support. I'm here
[1:52:03] to voice my support in dairy
[1:52:05] say to demand public power for
[1:52:06] the city of Milwaukee. I
[1:52:08] believe the choice for the
[1:52:09] consumer is clear. Let's talk a
[1:52:11] little bit more about the
[1:52:12] impact on the workers. I would
[1:52:14] like to invite my union
[1:52:16] brothers and sisters
[1:52:19] represented by local 21 50 in
[1:52:20] both the outside line work and
[1:52:20] uni sectors. The professional
[1:52:23] and industrial sectors to
[1:52:25] review our plan. And to remain
[1:52:26] open to the opportunity to
[1:52:27] negotiate their well earned
[1:52:30] and well-deserved improvements
[1:52:32] in wages, benefits and working
[1:52:32] conditions with the city rather
[1:52:33] than sitting across the
[1:52:36] bargaining table from a massive
[1:52:38] for profit corporate entity.
[1:52:40] I suspect that the bargaining
[1:52:42] position and the contractual
[1:52:44] options available improve for
[1:52:45] workers under our plan while
[1:52:48] keeping costs low in improving
[1:52:49] service quality.
[1:52:49] Including shortening the
[1:52:53] duration of service outages.
[1:52:57] I think this makes it a win-win
[1:52:58] situation for both of our
[1:52:58] area's workers and our
[1:52:59] residents. I think the only
[1:53:02] losers in this proposition are
[1:53:03] the executives and
[1:53:06] shareholders. I don't see them
[1:53:07] in this room. So I take
[1:53:09] seriously, this is a little bit
[1:53:11] of a shibboleth for my brother
[1:53:12] who decided to not stay but
[1:53:16] I take seriously my obligation,
[1:53:16] my promise, my agreement to
[1:53:18] further the purposes for which
[1:53:19] the I b w's Institute. It my
[1:53:22] promise to bear true allegiance
[1:53:24] to it and it never sacrifice
[1:53:26] its interests in any manner.
[1:53:28] And I so I see no reason to
[1:53:29] believe that our public power
[1:53:30] plan for the city of Milwaukee
[1:53:30] is contrary to that solemn
[1:53:33] promise. I would not be
[1:53:34] fighting for a plan that sells
[1:53:35] out or sell short by outside up
[1:53:39] and I brothers and sisters of
[1:53:41] the I b w nor the inside and
[1:53:42] of local 4.94 Were employed in
[1:53:45] ongoing generation upgrades
[1:53:47] projects that we energies
[1:53:48] facilities continuing to allow
[1:53:49] we energies to extract profits
[1:53:52] from city residents sell this
[1:53:53] all out for me. The choice is
[1:53:54] clear. The Common Council
[1:53:56] should move urgently towards
[1:53:57] replacing we energies with a
[1:53:59] publicly owned utility provider
[1:54:03] in solidarity.
[1:54:09] We have a couple of folks
[1:54:11] lineup, but Andy Barber and
[1:54:15] Steinberg me down here. Hi,
[1:54:19] good morning. My name is Doctor
[1:54:21] Lisa Cottrell. I'm a Milwaukee
[1:54:23] resident and clinical health.
[1:54:25] Psychologist, you've heard
[1:54:27] today about the greed of we
[1:54:28] energies and the economic in
[1:54:31] service benefits of publicly
[1:54:33] owned utilities. Those include
[1:54:34] more rapid transition to
[1:54:38] renewables, a benefit to public
[1:54:40] health.
[1:54:41] Consider then the grievous and
[1:54:44] even fatal human caused of
[1:54:48] profit driven energy.
[1:54:49] Think of my patient Cora, a car
[1:54:51] had several medical conditions.
[1:54:53] She worked very hard to manage.
[1:54:54] She came to me because she
[1:54:58] still struggled with chronic
[1:54:59] pain and sleep problems as we
[1:55:01] work to improve her sleep.
[1:55:03] I learned that the nighttime
[1:55:05] temperature in her Milwaukee
[1:55:07] home was reaching 90 degrees
[1:55:09] many nights well above the safe
[1:55:11] temperature for healthy adults.
[1:55:14] She had air conditioning.
[1:55:14] She would not use it because
[1:55:18] the cost of running it had
[1:55:20] become too high. But the cost
[1:55:21] to health and well-being from
[1:55:23] sleep deprivation. Their
[1:55:24] results from high night time.
[1:55:28] Temperatures is even greater.
[1:55:29] I've seen many patients whose
[1:55:31] health is damaged as a
[1:55:33] consequence of bills. So high,
[1:55:36] that healthy home environment
[1:55:38] cannot be maintained. This
[1:55:40] incalculable human cost compels
[1:55:43] us to replace the profit
[1:55:44] driven. We energies with a
[1:55:46] public utility and truly serve
[1:55:49] the public good. Thank you.
[1:55:52] Thank you.
[1:55:57] Hi, my name is Andy Barber.
[1:56:01] I'm co-chair of the Milwaukee
[1:56:02] Democratic Socialists of
[1:56:05] America. I want to share some
[1:56:06] more facts and figures from our
[1:56:06] research that we've conducted
[1:56:09] our campaign and most of us are
[1:56:10] familiar with these as
[1:56:12] ratepayers. But we energies was
[1:56:15] granted in late 2020 for a 6.9%
[1:56:19] rate increase that affected
[1:56:20] all customers in 2025. In an
[1:56:23] additional 4.8% increase for
[1:56:26] the year 2026, which is a total
[1:56:27] of 12% in these 2 years.
[1:56:29] And these rate increases as
[1:56:30] well as the year prior. You
[1:56:32] know, unsurprisingly help to
[1:56:34] make Milwaukee the second most
[1:56:36] expensive major U.S. City for
[1:56:38] utilities with average monthly
[1:56:40] monthly bills of more than $580
[1:56:44] a month and over 4,350 a year
[1:56:45] per household. For the past
[1:56:46] several years, we energies
[1:56:50] rates per kilowatt hour have
[1:56:50] been 30 to 40% higher than
[1:56:52] public power rates from
[1:56:54] Wisconsin. Public power,
[1:56:55] utilities and the psc that
[1:56:57] we've been talking about does
[1:57:01] guarantee we energies a profit
[1:57:02] rate of 9.8% And this limit
[1:57:03] doesn't even in practice mean
[1:57:07] that we energies is capped at
[1:57:08] this rate of 9.8% The utility
[1:57:09] provides a yearly estimates
[1:57:12] which the psc reviews and
[1:57:13] approves. And then we energies
[1:57:14] then sets the rates
[1:57:15] accordingly. However, of
[1:57:17] course, in the event that costs
[1:57:18] are lower revenues higher than
[1:57:20] anticipated. The actual rate
[1:57:21] of return is going to be higher
[1:57:26] than that actual target rate of
[1:57:28] 9.8% So the decision makers at
[1:57:30] companies such as we energies
[1:57:31] are still very much
[1:57:31] incentivized to engage in
[1:57:33] profit maximizing behaviors
[1:57:36] despite this, you know, quote,
[1:57:38] unquote, profit limit. And in
[1:57:39] Wisconsin, residents with
[1:57:39] private utilities experience
[1:57:42] 108 minutes of downtime in a
[1:57:43] typical year for says. 48
[1:57:46] minutes a year for those served
[1:57:47] by public utilities in the
[1:57:47] state. I'd last but not least.
[1:57:50] I do want to say that we
[1:57:54] energies has committed to
[1:57:55] eliminating coal usage by 2032
[1:57:57] and is striving to reach carbon
[1:58:00] neutrality by the year 2050,
[1:58:01] which these commitments failed
[1:58:02] to meet. Even the more modest
[1:58:03] target set by the state of
[1:58:04] Wisconsin, which has a goal
[1:58:07] of carbon-free electricity by
[1:58:07] 2050. And of course, are still
[1:58:10] far below the limits that we
[1:58:11] need in order to actually
[1:58:12] meaningfully fight climate
[1:58:14] change in this community.
[1:58:15] So all this to conclude that
[1:58:17] we need Democratic control of
[1:58:18] our utility here in Milwaukee
[1:58:18] and our economy as a whole.
[1:58:21] I would argue. Thanks so much.
[1:58:29] My name is and Steinberg.
[1:58:30] I live in Milwaukee. I didn't
[1:58:32] prepare remarks. But one thing
[1:58:36] I wanted to add that I haven't
[1:58:36] heard is that we energies is
[1:58:39] guaranteed profits for making
[1:58:40] decisions that are bad. I
[1:58:41] watched them build a power
[1:58:43] plant. That was coal powered
[1:58:46] when the communities that they
[1:58:48] didn't want. It was a bad
[1:58:49] economic decision. Now, that
[1:58:51] plant is no longer need is way
[1:58:53] too expensive to use coal and
[1:58:57] the rate payers have to pay
[1:58:58] to keep for their mistakes so
[1:58:58] over and over. They've made
[1:59:00] decisions that were bad for
[1:59:04] our community and they've
[1:59:05] profited from it. And I think
[1:59:07] that's one of the reasons we
[1:59:10] need public control and also
[1:59:12] the psc doesn't listen to
[1:59:13] environmental or health
[1:59:16] concerns. And I think a
[1:59:17] municipal on. Utility would put
[1:59:20] our interests first. So thank
[1:59:24] you. Thank you.
[1:59:32] If a dancer and Brian intense
[1:59:33] key and did you say Madonna,
[1:59:34] you before you get your yeah
[1:59:37] here in the next post. Got it.
[1:59:38] Thanks. So yeah, I'm Amy
[1:59:39] Donahue. My pronouns are they
[1:59:41] Sheehy rolling? I live in the
[1:59:42] River West neighborhood and the
[1:59:43] candidate for public office and
[1:59:45] a member of Citizen action of
[1:59:47] Wisconsin. The Green Party,
[1:59:47] the health care workers,
[1:59:50] organization, healthy Climate,
[1:59:52] Wisconsin, for the month.
[1:59:54] And the Milwaukee dsa today.
[1:59:55] I'm speaking in absolute
[1:59:57] support of the creation of a
[1:59:57] municipal public energy
[1:59:58] utility. I'm speaking as a
[2:00:00] clinical health care worker.
[2:00:00] And as a librarian grounded
[2:00:03] in evidence-based practice.
[2:00:05] What that means is working at
[2:00:08] the intersection of knowledge,
[2:00:09] gained through research,
[2:00:11] expert, opinion and communities
[2:00:13] and individuals with lived
[2:00:13] experience professionally and
[2:00:15] politically. I am an advocate
[2:00:15] for true informed consents
[2:00:17] which includes having choices
[2:00:18] knowing what each choice means
[2:00:21] and having the resources to
[2:00:22] make choices responsibly.
[2:00:24] Everything I've read and
[2:00:26] learned and talked with people
[2:00:26] about tells me that a public
[2:00:30] power utility is evidence based
[2:00:31] solution. We need.
[2:00:34] And informed consent along with
[2:00:34] that of the thousands of
[2:00:35] Milwaukee and to have been
[2:00:36] working for this for years.
[2:00:37] Thanks for the Ptp campaign
[2:00:38] and rest assured. We'll keep
[2:00:42] that up and we'll keep working
[2:00:43] to bring more folks in. In
[2:00:44] addition to my healthcare
[2:00:46] background as a person with
[2:00:47] asthma parents and a community
[2:00:48] organizer. I also bring my
[2:00:50] personal perspective, an
[2:00:51] argument that a public power
[2:00:52] utility is what we need to
[2:00:55] democratically indirectly built
[2:00:55] clean energy in support of
[2:00:56] public health, emergency
[2:00:58] preparedness and response.
[2:00:59] That is knowledgeable and
[2:01:02] responsible to our community
[2:01:04] and keep costs affordable and
[2:01:06] transparent. Change can be hard
[2:01:07] and even scary. But the people
[2:01:10] of this community has was being
[2:01:11] brought up as after I read,
[2:01:12] these are ready to support each
[2:01:14] other, including the we
[2:01:15] energies records who could be
[2:01:16] impacted and the democratically
[2:01:17] elected leaders who are from
[2:01:20] our communities and accountable
[2:01:21] to us. So thank you to the many
[2:01:22] people who work to get us in
[2:01:25] this room together to the
[2:01:26] members of this board. So the
[2:01:27] experts who showed up today and
[2:01:30] to all the working class people
[2:01:32] who are here in person and in
[2:01:32] spirit, the power of the people
[2:01:34] in stop. And I'm so grateful to
[2:01:36] be a tiny part of this work
[2:01:37] demonstrates what that phrase
[2:01:38] means and tried to commit to
[2:01:41] continuing whatever comes next.
[2:01:53] Coming up after police.
[2:01:59] Who's up next? The Bryan
[2:02:02] intensity. Please.
[2:02:04] All right. You're going to live
[2:02:11] right by the U.S. Hi. My name
[2:02:13] is Ava. I'm a uwm student and
[2:02:13] I wanted to talk about my
[2:02:17] experience with we energies as
[2:02:19] a college student
[2:02:22] when I was in my old apartment,
[2:02:24] i had 4 other roommates.
[2:02:27] And during the winter time I
[2:02:28] was wearing sweaters and
[2:02:29] multiple layers of sweat pants
[2:02:33] every night because it was
[2:02:33] freezing in my apartment.
[2:02:36] We found out that my landlord
[2:02:36] had let a broken window.
[2:02:40] Stay open throughout the
[2:02:41] duration of winter and our
[2:02:43] electric bill because of this
[2:02:48] broken window was $600 a month
[2:02:49] split between us
[2:02:53] this is more so a matter of
[2:02:53] bringing up the point of
[2:02:57] autonomy in our ability to
[2:02:58] live.
[2:03:00] My landlord told us to stay
[2:03:03] warm when we tried to address
[2:03:06] it and we didn't have a pathway
[2:03:07] to actually bring up the
[2:03:09] problem again or to lower the
[2:03:13] price of electricity. So I
[2:03:15] guess.
[2:03:17] The point I'm trying to make is
[2:03:18] that this is autonomy that all
[2:03:19] of us in this room, one to gain
[2:03:21] and this is the path way of
[2:03:24] doing it. Yeah. Thank. Thank
[2:03:27] you.
[2:03:32] A tense key will have submit
[2:03:35] Mendoza. My pronounced in
[2:03:36] Maine.
[2:03:37] Handwriting is not completely
[2:03:38] clear to me, but thank all
[2:03:39] right. He knows who he is.
[2:03:40] All right. And that autumn
[2:03:40] Pickett and after that q#
[2:03:41] #
[2:03:41] #
[2:03:46] Gorton.
[2:03:49] Yep. PRESIDENT And members of
[2:03:52] the Council. My name is Brian.
[2:03:56] That and ski or key homeowner
[2:03:56] and we
[2:03:58] energies customer. And I want
[2:04:02] to give you a personal account
[2:04:05] of what happens when you try
[2:04:07] to move to
[2:04:09] renewable resources and
[2:04:10] extricate yourself from we
[2:04:13] energies monopoly. So 7 months
[2:04:17] ago.
[2:04:17] DECEMBER I had solar panels
[2:04:19] professionally installed on
[2:04:21] my roof by a licensed company.
[2:04:23] The work was done correctly.
[2:04:26] The panels are installed safe
[2:04:30] and ready. And they've produced
[2:04:32] nothing. So not one kilowatt
[2:04:36] hour. The only thing between
[2:04:38] me and my own. Like getting
[2:04:39] energy from from my solar
[2:04:42] panels is we energies approval?
[2:04:43] Que?
[2:04:47] I meet are sat in the same spot
[2:04:50] for years. The moment I tried
[2:04:51] to generate my own power,
[2:04:53] though we energies decided that
[2:04:58] that location wasn't acceptable
[2:04:59] and demanded. I move it, which
[2:05:01] triggered a new poll, a new
[2:05:04] line, a fresh round of
[2:05:05] approvals and the obstacle
[2:05:06] appeared exactly when I stopped
[2:05:07] being a pure customer and
[2:05:10] started competing with their
[2:05:12] sales.
[2:05:13] I installer could do the
[2:05:16] physical work in 3 days.
[2:05:19] They told me the other 7 months
[2:05:22] sits on the desk of we energies
[2:05:24] with no deadline, no
[2:05:25] consequences. They burned my
[2:05:28] entire peak season and it's
[2:05:31] given me nothing. And when they
[2:05:33] finally pay me for my excess
[2:05:34] power, it'll be $0.04 a
[2:05:36] kilowatt hour. I've heard now
[2:05:40] $0.03 It's moving down to while
[2:05:41] they sell it to my neighbors
[2:05:45] for 17 and or $0.18 caught out.
[2:05:49] And not only that, but if you
[2:05:51] know anything about the solar
[2:05:53] panels and efficiency, the
[2:05:55] aggravation over its time
[2:05:57] period that 7 months that my
[2:06:00] panels have been sitting there
[2:06:02] up in the sunlight.
[2:06:03] Degrading their power
[2:06:03] efficiency. And I haven't even
[2:06:06] yet been able to start using
[2:06:08] it.
[2:06:10] So this is what a monopoly with
[2:06:12] no reason to hurry. Looks like
[2:06:15] and chapter one. 97 is how we
[2:06:16] take that timeline back.
[2:06:19] Please support it. Thank you.
[2:06:29] Good morning. My name is I
[2:06:30] mean, I suppose just recently
[2:06:32] moved to city Milwaukee about
[2:06:32] a year and a half. But before
[2:06:35] that, I was living in the city
[2:06:36] of Los Angeles, have 9 years of
[2:06:39] experience working for the city
[2:06:40] of Public works. 5 of them
[2:06:40] specifically for its
[2:06:43] construction inspection.
[2:06:49] But the rest of that with the
[2:06:50] street lighting and street
[2:06:51] tree maintenance. So I am
[2:06:52] pretty familiar with the way
[2:06:54] that Los Angeles Department of
[2:06:58] Water and Power work basically
[2:07:00] they are about 12,000 employees
[2:07:01] in that department, which is
[2:07:06] about 20% of the city of the
[2:07:09] entire city employee
[2:07:10] departments and basically their
[2:07:10] whole model working is
[2:07:14] basically they work everything
[2:07:15] in-house. They have. They're
[2:07:18] very specific tree trimmers.
[2:07:19] There's specific maintenance
[2:07:21] workers, equipment, operators,
[2:07:23] equipment, maintenance
[2:07:24] operators, steelworkers,
[2:07:25] welders, cement finishers.
[2:07:28] Basically everything that they
[2:07:28] do is They're completely
[2:07:30] responsible with what they do
[2:07:32] and they're paid very well
[2:07:33] because a lot of that comes
[2:07:37] with the risk of working around
[2:07:37] high voltage lines and just
[2:07:38] other hazardous issues. And
[2:07:41] also they provide a lot of
[2:07:42] training for people who have
[2:07:43] enough experience to get
[2:07:47] started, but not enough to work
[2:07:48] on their own. So.
[2:07:51] The issue of it affecting the
[2:07:54] employees from we energies is
[2:07:56] basically nonexistent.
[2:07:58] The most the most paid
[2:08:00] employees for the city are
[2:08:02] people who worked to the lead
[2:08:03] up. I've had the opportunity to
[2:08:04] work for them, but I knew that
[2:08:07] if I did end up taking a job
[2:08:08] with led
[2:08:09] to bp, I probably wouldn't have
[2:08:11] moved to moved out of that
[2:08:14] department. Did not came up to
[2:08:17] the city inspectors. So
[2:08:17] basically.
[2:08:20] The employees are pretty much
[2:08:22] safe to be.
[2:08:22] Working in-house and also
[2:08:24] improve in their skills and
[2:08:28] also bring in more people who
[2:08:30] can share with their who can
[2:08:31] increase their experiences.
[2:08:34] They think, yeah, yes, they are
[2:08:36] actually know. We work with The
[2:08:37] m o u a Memorandum of
[2:08:39] Understanding that. Do you have
[2:08:43] kind of like a a group of
[2:08:46] members who
[2:08:47] negotiate with
[2:08:50] the c departments. But
[2:08:51] basically there are chances
[2:08:53] where if the if then will, you
[2:08:57] does not meet the standards
[2:08:58] of what the employees are.
[2:08:59] Employee reps are asking for
[2:09:00] their pensions. There have been
[2:09:03] times where there have been
[2:09:07] a strike than that has not.
[2:09:07] That has led to
[2:09:08] very contentious problems with
[2:09:12] the city. So usually those gets
[2:09:14] resolved very quickly.
[2:09:16] Thank you, MISTER. Just to just
[2:09:17] to clarify, we do have time to
[2:09:18] seeing that there's multiple
[2:09:19] locals that represent,
[2:09:20] including ibew, local 11.
[2:09:21] The represents thousands of
[2:09:23] civil service workers in l a
[2:09:25] as part of their department
[2:09:26] what was the name of it.
[2:09:29] Again, the Department of Water
[2:09:30] and Power. Yeah, okay. Yes,
[2:09:31] they're there and they're all
[2:09:31] there are. There are union
[2:09:32] locals that represent the
[2:09:33] multiple see department.
[2:09:36] Thank you for the correction
[2:09:39] Lent. You can thank you.
[2:09:46] They all names. Adam, take it.
[2:09:47] I and one of the other co
[2:09:54] chairs of the essay. Also,
[2:09:54] So click raise of hands.
[2:09:57] If you are a dsa member in this
[2:09:58] room. Take a look around.
[2:10:02] Thank you. Thank you all for
[2:10:04] showing out the real issue here
[2:10:05] that I think it's kind of
[2:10:06] fundamental is democracy has
[2:10:08] eroded across this country.
[2:10:11] We feel it in our everyday
[2:10:12] life. And we're talking about
[2:10:14] a public, you know, in this
[2:10:15] position here, it's just proven
[2:10:16] across the board that you get
[2:10:18] lower rates, you get a matter
[2:10:21] of time. We're actually able to
[2:10:23] take care of our workers right?
[2:10:24] And so why aren't we doing
[2:10:26] this? You know why? Why has
[2:10:26] this not happened? We have
[2:10:30] 15,000 people have signed on to
[2:10:31] petitions across the city
[2:10:32] and and then another quick
[2:10:33] check. Do we have anybody from
[2:10:36] we energies in this room right
[2:10:38] now? Anybody he planned to
[2:10:39] testify? They don't believe
[2:10:41] that they need to be in the
[2:10:45] room with us. They can by the
[2:10:46] politicians on their own time
[2:10:46] that they've gone to Tara Reid
[2:10:48] has done probably what they've
[2:10:49] done with Kelda Roys who have
[2:10:51] all received money from we
[2:10:52] energies. They don't believe
[2:10:53] they need to be here in the
[2:10:54] room where democracy actually
[2:10:58] happens because they don't
[2:10:58] believe in democracy. They have
[2:10:59] a board of directors that is
[2:11:03] not elected with guaranteed
[2:11:04] profits right? So it's a
[2:11:05] monopoly without say. And where
[2:11:07] what like 10 days away or so
[2:11:09] from the America's 250 per se
[2:11:13] talk about taxation without
[2:11:16] representation. Yeah.
[2:11:21] So we're on on this core
[2:11:22] principle of democracy trying
[2:11:23] to rebuild something in this
[2:11:25] here locally and from the
[2:11:28] ground up across the country.
[2:11:30] If you if you saw the news this
[2:11:31] morning are elected in New
[2:11:34] York, one across the board,
[2:11:37] Democratic Socialist.
[2:11:42] A democratic socialist are
[2:11:45] winning across this country and
[2:11:46] it's not just this pop-up
[2:11:47] movement. It's because people
[2:11:47] realize that something
[2:11:48] fundamentally has to change.
[2:11:49] We're feeling in our bones and
[2:11:53] organizing it day to day.
[2:11:54] The Petro dollar
[2:11:55] is dying. Climate refugees are
[2:11:56] happening. We've talked about,
[2:11:59] you know, folks from us from La
[2:12:00] having to move out in the midst
[2:12:04] of fires started by other, you
[2:12:07] know, a
[2:12:08] utility companies. And and
[2:12:08] meanwhile, we energies is
[2:12:11] building more natural gas
[2:12:12] plants.
[2:12:13] They have 2 more on the slate
[2:12:16] right now. And they're trying
[2:12:19] to have us pay for for their
[2:12:22] increased rates with the data
[2:12:22] centers. And so we have a
[2:12:23] limited amount of of direct
[2:12:25] oversight that we can get with
[2:12:26] the psc. But ultimately we need
[2:12:28] to take it back. We need to
[2:12:29] rebuild democracy in this
[2:12:32] country. And this is how we
[2:12:35] start today. Thank you.
[2:12:41] Once again, everybody. There's
[2:12:43] no requirement that you use all
[2:12:44] 2 minutes. We're trying to get
[2:12:45] everybody in by noon. And
[2:12:49] that's 40 minutes from now.
[2:12:52] So all right, hello. Good
[2:12:53] morning. I'm Quinn and I ms of
[2:12:54] the student and member of tsa
[2:12:57] and why tsa tsa's youth wing.
[2:13:02] Well that her son I live off
[2:13:05] campus not too far from here.
[2:13:06] I rode my bike here this
[2:13:07] morning in JANUARY, as I'm sure
[2:13:10] you all remember Milwaukee face
[2:13:11] an Arctic blast. The drop temps
[2:13:13] down to minimum of negative
[2:13:17] 13 degrees negative. 42 with
[2:13:18] wind chill. This blast was so
[2:13:20] bad that Ms Louise campus shut
[2:13:21] down for several days. If you
[2:13:25] know msa we that doesn't happen
[2:13:26] very often. I remain. I bundle
[2:13:28] mostly stuck to our ce our
[2:13:31] rooms on the second floor.
[2:13:33] Heat rises after all. Still to
[2:13:35] come, the first at around 68
[2:13:39] degrees electric bill for that
[2:13:41] month was $350.
[2:13:43] I sought surely that can't be
[2:13:44] right. I was concerned. My
[2:13:46] roommate was running a server
[2:13:47] in their bedroom or something.
[2:13:48] There are computer They do
[2:13:53] stuff like that. But I asked
[2:13:56] then I emailed we energies
[2:13:57] thinking that there was a meter
[2:14:00] issue and the support Tech said
[2:14:00] that there was no way that
[2:14:03] could be the Ears are remotely
[2:14:04] reported. That can be a
[2:14:06] problem. They offered to send
[2:14:10] me a energy efficiency kit and
[2:14:11] I said sure sounds great.
[2:14:13] In the kit were to led light
[2:14:14] bulbs, smart, plug some window
[2:14:18] film we energies branded night
[2:14:22] How was a night late? Supposed
[2:14:25] to help me with my high
[2:14:26] heating bills and we have faced
[2:14:26] extravagant heating bills and
[2:14:29] I'm sure everyone in this room
[2:14:32] hats. And what is we energies
[2:14:34] doing with that money? Pride in
[2:14:36] our elected officials
[2:14:36] apparently according to
[2:14:39] Milwaukee Courier, Lieutenant
[2:14:40] Governor and governor candidate
[2:14:41] Sarah Rodriguez was one of 4
[2:14:43] Democrats to vote yes on a b
[2:14:46] one. 91 a bill to repeal
[2:14:47] personal property taxes.
[2:14:48] That was later blocked by
[2:14:50] Governor Evers in part because
[2:14:51] it could exempt utility
[2:14:53] companies for millions of
[2:14:55] dollars in taxes on their
[2:14:56] infrastructure. After the vote,
[2:14:59] Rodriguez received a donation
[2:15:00] of almost $1300. No thoughts
[2:15:04] are not searching $113,000 from
[2:15:05] wc energy use wc reported
[2:15:07] income of over 8 billion
[2:15:09] dollars last year and currently
[2:15:10] pays their executives over
[2:15:13] 32 million dollars. Total
[2:15:14] wrapped-up can do
[2:15:16] as a great pain says. And I
[2:15:17] urge the Common Council to
[2:15:18] replace them with a public
[2:15:19] utility that operates for the
[2:15:23] good of the people, not for
[2:15:26] profits. Thank you.
[2:15:31] Except he's a representative.
[2:15:35] Ryan Clancy following him is
[2:15:35] Tim Schaeffer from Ed Gary and
[2:15:37] Medicines Office and following
[2:15:40] that is Brian's of Paris.
[2:15:44] Bryson cares.
[2:15:47] Coming up, right? Yeah.
[2:15:52] I'm Ryan Clancy, representative
[2:15:54] to Wisconsin's 19th Assembly
[2:15:55] district. I'm here to call for
[2:15:56] a publicly own democratically
[2:15:59] run utility in Milwaukee and an
[2:16:00] ends to we energies and I am
[2:16:02] beyond grateful to see so many
[2:16:02] people show up in favor of
[2:16:04] this. Today. I was looking
[2:16:07] through my pictures this
[2:16:08] morning and I found one of my
[2:16:10] then 7 year-old and I surveying
[2:16:12] our neighbors back in 2021.
[2:16:13] For the power of the people
[2:16:14] campaign. A lot has changed.
[2:16:18] Since then. My child is now
[2:16:19] 12 years old. They're in a
[2:16:20] different school. They have a
[2:16:22] much different fashion sense
[2:16:23] than they did several years ago
[2:16:26] of a lot is not. They're still
[2:16:27] in favor of public power are
[2:16:28] both very excited to see public
[2:16:32] power gain traction with this
[2:16:33] hearing here today. The
[2:16:34] clipboard they were holding in
[2:16:35] that picture 5 years ago noted
[2:16:36] that the person that we talked
[2:16:39] to had a, quote, very negative
[2:16:39] view of we energies that is
[2:16:42] certainly not changed in the
[2:16:43] last half decade because we
[2:16:46] energies is built to fail.
[2:16:47] The people of Milwaukee we can
[2:16:48] be for Mitt be could force it
[2:16:49] to do its job a little bit
[2:16:52] better. That is still an
[2:16:52] investor owned utility design
[2:16:53] not to deliver power to the
[2:16:56] people that profits to
[2:16:57] investors.
[2:16:59] Investor owned utilities, have
[2:17:00] a built-in profit motive and
[2:17:02] are driven to maximize profits
[2:17:04] for their shareholders over
[2:17:05] affordability. Sustainability
[2:17:09] and the actual urgent needs
[2:17:12] of people.
[2:17:12] That makes them as bad as any
[2:17:14] monopolistic corporation.
[2:17:16] But even worse, they do have
[2:17:18] a guaranteed nearly 10% rate of
[2:17:19] return on what they billed.
[2:17:21] That's why they want more data
[2:17:22] centers, more giant gas plants
[2:17:22] to power them. That's why
[2:17:26] they'll never invest in their
[2:17:27] own. Infants instructor to
[2:17:27] increase up time and keep many
[2:17:30] neighborhoods from having
[2:17:31] constant power outages. That's
[2:17:31] why they'll never make
[2:17:34] decisions that prioritize the
[2:17:35] environment over dollars.
[2:17:36] The profit motive is why they
[2:17:38] don't care if the decisions
[2:17:40] they make are in our long-term
[2:17:41] interest. That's what every few
[2:17:42] years they push for.
[2:17:45] Disproportionate increases to
[2:17:46] residential rates. Because
[2:17:47] right now you and me and every
[2:17:50] other we energies customer pays
[2:17:51] for their perpetual expansion
[2:17:53] and inefficiency, whether it's
[2:17:54] needed or not, the public
[2:17:56] ownership would replace the
[2:17:57] pursuit of profits. But
[2:17:59] Democratic oversight and
[2:18:04] liability and affordability.
[2:18:04] This isn't hypothetical.
[2:18:05] 81 municipalities, Ms Constand
[2:18:06] already used this model to see
[2:18:07] lower bills and enjoy better
[2:18:09] more reliable service. We have
[2:18:12] the tools to do this. We know
[2:18:13] how it works and we know what
[2:18:15] works in places with even fewer
[2:18:17] resources than here in
[2:18:18] Milwaukee. And the good news is
[2:18:20] this we energies does not have
[2:18:23] the legal power to stay a
[2:18:23] damaging private entity
[2:18:25] forever. Chapter one 97 in
[2:18:27] existing Wisconsin state law
[2:18:29] allows the municipality to buy
[2:18:30] and operate their local
[2:18:31] utilities. We just need the
[2:18:32] courage and action from people
[2:18:34] with the power to do it.
[2:18:37] That's all of you. For our part
[2:18:39] of the state. We're committed
[2:18:40] to codifying the end of Act 10
[2:18:44] in ensuring that a public
[2:18:49] utility. And employee.
[2:18:50] An employee and fairly
[2:18:51] compensate public union
[2:18:52] employees. That could certainly
[2:18:55] happen after the creation of a
[2:18:56] co-op or 3rd party entity.
[2:18:56] I'm a Democratic socialist.
[2:18:59] The way know that at least some
[2:19:00] people in this room aren't
[2:19:02] public ownership and control
[2:19:02] of public goods is core to
[2:19:07] socialism, but also court to
[2:19:08] Milwaukee's history. And it's
[2:19:09] like Democratic socialism is an
[2:19:10] increasingly popular and
[2:19:11] powerful alternative to the
[2:19:14] obvious failures of the status
[2:19:15] quo. Like we energies. I
[2:19:16] welcome you to be our ally on
[2:19:19] this critical and clearly
[2:19:22] popular issue.
[2:19:23] I ask you to listen to the
[2:19:24] overwhelming testimony in favor
[2:19:26] of the public utility today.
[2:19:28] And to give honest
[2:19:29] consideration to this practical
[2:19:30] and efficient idea, I'm very
[2:19:33] happy to stand with the
[2:19:33] Milwaukee dsa. They're
[2:19:34] dedicated organizers for power
[2:19:35] to the people and everyone else
[2:19:38] stepping up for public power
[2:19:41] today. Thank you.
[2:19:48] Thanks for Plan, My name is
[2:19:51] Tim Schafer. I'm the director
[2:19:52] of communications and
[2:19:52] constituent services for
[2:19:55] Representative Darren Madison.
[2:19:56] Intense Assembly district,
[2:19:56] including parts of Milwaukee
[2:19:58] already suffering under study
[2:20:00] increasingly high energy costs
[2:20:02] often on affordably high energy
[2:20:04] costs and unreliable service.
[2:20:05] I'm excited and honored to
[2:20:08] share this testimony on behalf
[2:20:09] of Representative Madison.
[2:20:11] Milwaukee in the entire state
[2:20:13] of Wisconsin are facing a clear
[2:20:15] present and mounting energy
[2:20:16] crisis. Many of my constituents
[2:20:17] are severe the energy burden,
[2:20:18] which means they're paying at
[2:20:20] least 10% but up to 20% and
[2:20:24] even more of their income for
[2:20:25] utilities alone with many
[2:20:26] others, forces survive on low
[2:20:27] or utility usage because they
[2:20:29] cannot afford to safely
[2:20:31] comfortably heat or cool their
[2:20:32] homes even worse. Their
[2:20:34] constituents of mine that have
[2:20:36] that had their energy shut off
[2:20:37] entirely and some of experience
[2:20:37] long and frequent blackouts
[2:20:40] gonna neighborhoods through no
[2:20:42] fault of their own. Meanwhile,
[2:20:43] we energies refuses to
[2:20:44] transition to renewable clean
[2:20:46] energy at the pace and scale
[2:20:48] our climate crisis demands.
[2:20:48] This is deepening our energy
[2:20:50] crisis and entrenching our
[2:20:52] commitment to dirty energy
[2:20:53] sources. None of my
[2:20:54] constituents or yours can
[2:20:55] afford to lose the environment
[2:20:56] where they work live and play.
[2:20:59] And these are the stakes were
[2:21:01] talking about today.
[2:21:01] So let me be very clear.
[2:21:03] Every resident of Milwaukee
[2:21:05] deserves guaranteed access to a
[2:21:05] democratically controlled,
[2:21:08] affordable, reliable and clean
[2:21:10] energy system. But as a
[2:21:10] for-profit investor owned
[2:21:11] utility, we energies is
[2:21:14] incompatible with that vision.
[2:21:16] We energies has failed to
[2:21:18] deliver on its promises of
[2:21:19] clean, affordable energy and it
[2:21:20] will continue to fail to get
[2:21:22] his son. It is simply not built
[2:21:24] to meet. Those needs. It is
[2:21:26] instead an undemocratic
[2:21:28] monopoly, a for-profit model
[2:21:29] that still incentivizes mass
[2:21:30] scale, fossil fuel, energy
[2:21:33] generation and distribution, as
[2:21:33] others have noted it currently
[2:21:36] provides only 6% of its energy
[2:21:38] from renewables while charging
[2:21:40] rates that are 30 to 40% more
[2:21:41] than you to utilities already
[2:21:42] working for Wisconsin. Public
[2:21:46] utilities already working for
[2:21:48] Wisconsin. So while we energies
[2:21:49] gets in almost 10% profit
[2:21:51] guarantee and most of its new
[2:21:53] infrastructure, as others have
[2:21:55] noted to its shareholders, sole
[2:21:55] benefit. The residents of
[2:21:57] Milwaukee are left paying the
[2:21:59] financial health and
[2:22:00] environmental costs and we'll
[2:22:00] be paying for outdated dirty
[2:22:02] new of new fossil fuel
[2:22:03] infrastructure for decades with
[2:22:07] that cost felt for centuries.
[2:22:10] Energy system does not have
[2:22:11] to work this way. 81
[2:22:12] municipalities all across
[2:22:12] Wisconsin already have public
[2:22:13] power and that already leads to
[2:22:16] cheaper energy rates and more
[2:22:18] reliable service.
[2:22:20] The I hope these public power
[2:22:21] utilities right now provide
[2:22:21] 11% of Wisconsin energy
[2:22:25] powering over 300,000 homes
[2:22:27] and businesses. Milwaukee can
[2:22:28] prioritize our workers,
[2:22:28] community and environment over
[2:22:31] corporate profits by embracing
[2:22:31] public power. And I look
[2:22:32] forward to working with the
[2:22:33] city of Milwaukee to make this
[2:22:36] idea a reality. Thank you all.
[2:22:43] And the next group of
[2:22:46] Cleopatra, White and Olivia
[2:22:48] McDowell.
[2:22:49] Thank you so much. Members of
[2:22:51] the review board as well as
[2:22:54] everyone else for being here
[2:22:55] today. My name is Bree Second.
[2:22:56] Rice. I media say member and
[2:22:59] the secretary of the power to
[2:23:02] the people campaign.
[2:23:03] I'm a teacher and most
[2:23:04] importantly, I am also
[2:23:06] concerned resident of this
[2:23:07] community.
[2:23:08] One thing that's been rolling
[2:23:11] around in my head as we've been
[2:23:12] hearing a lot of really
[2:23:14] wonderful, both professional
[2:23:17] and public testimony about why
[2:23:18] chapter one 97 needs to be used
[2:23:20] to replace we energies with a
[2:23:24] public utility. It's been a
[2:23:25] quote from one of our most
[2:23:25] prominent public figures in the
[2:23:28] city's history, which is Mayor
[2:23:32] Daniel Home. When faced with
[2:23:33] the Great Depression, the stock
[2:23:36] market failing people losing
[2:23:37] jobs, businesses going simply
[2:23:38] under. Daniel Haun issued one
[2:23:39] main quote That's been sticking
[2:23:42] with me and I think is more
[2:23:44] pertinent today than ever has
[2:23:45] been. It's that businesses MAY
[2:23:48] quit your government can't.
[2:23:54] With that. I'm here to tell
[2:23:56] you that business has already
[2:23:58] quit. And that is we energies
[2:23:59] and the people who make
[2:24:00] decisions for we energies
[2:24:01] because they have quit caring
[2:24:04] about the people of Milwaukee.
[2:24:09] I don't need to go to further
[2:24:11] into the profit motive of the
[2:24:14] 9.8% minimum guaranteed profit
[2:24:15] for this company. But I do want
[2:24:19] to incentivize that 9.8% of
[2:24:21] your bill. My bill help our
[2:24:24] bills is guaranteed to not go
[2:24:25] to infrastructure improvements.
[2:24:29] It's guaranteed to not go to
[2:24:31] renewable energy programs and
[2:24:33] it is guaranteed not to go to
[2:24:34] the workers that are actually
[2:24:35] out there and doing all of
[2:24:38] these line improvements or
[2:24:41] keeping the lights on because
[2:24:43] that 9.8% is guaranteed.
[2:24:45] And this is a minimum guarantee
[2:24:48] is guaranteed to line the
[2:24:48] pockets of some board room that
[2:24:51] is not even caring about us in
[2:24:53] this room.
[2:24:57] They don't see you me or any of
[2:24:58] us as anything other than a
[2:25:01] simply account number, kept it
[2:25:03] up right there for I am simply
[2:25:03] asking that we use Chapter one.
[2:25:05] 97 once again. Thank you for
[2:25:08] your time. And it is time for
[2:25:11] we energies to go.
[2:25:21] Hello. My name is Cleopatra.
[2:25:21] Light. I'm just a regular
[2:25:22] middle-class home owner of the
[2:25:26] Milwaukee resident representing
[2:25:27] the Southgate site. I am here
[2:25:29] to just show my full support to
[2:25:32] a new energy infrastructure.
[2:25:33] Its power community support
[2:25:36] accountability and profits to
[2:25:38] be approved and manage by the
[2:25:40] people. I believe this is not a
[2:25:43] political party request for
[2:25:44] movement. It's simply humanity.
[2:25:46] Every family and taxpayer
[2:25:47] deserves the right to have
[2:25:48] options. The control of the
[2:25:52] utilities and to be and to put
[2:25:54] the best interests savings
[2:25:56] programs, all infrastructure to
[2:25:57] the people over and said of the
[2:25:58] annual increase guarantee
[2:26:01] profits of we energies,
[2:26:03] investors. I live on a block
[2:26:06] where street lights are almost
[2:26:10] out on a daily. I have been in
[2:26:12] my neighborhood now for 6 years
[2:26:14] and I've seen and felt the
[2:26:15] financial squeeze and pressure
[2:26:16] burden as well as I'm sure
[2:26:20] everyone else he has. I am just
[2:26:22] a working class. Single mother
[2:26:24] and with trying to juggle all
[2:26:24] my monthly expenses, I
[2:26:25] shouldn't have to choose
[2:26:28] between putting putting food on
[2:26:31] the table for my family are
[2:26:32] keeping the lights on. It's
[2:26:34] becoming more and more of a
[2:26:37] financial burden. So at this
[2:26:39] point, this is needed in the
[2:26:39] city of Milwaukee. And this is
[2:26:43] needed to be ran by the public.
[2:26:46] Thank you.
[2:26:53] Hello. My name is Lydia
[2:26:54] McDowell and I am a resident
[2:26:58] of Milwaukee's East side.
[2:26:59] I have lived here now for 6
[2:27:00] years and I adore the city of
[2:27:03] Milwaukee. And that is exactly
[2:27:04] why I'm here today.
[2:27:07] So it was referenced earlier.
[2:27:09] But when we faced serious cold
[2:27:11] fronts this past JANUARY, my
[2:27:11] home, which I do not own I
[2:27:15] rent, I don't have control over
[2:27:15] the insulation got so cold that
[2:27:18] my damp laundry froze to the
[2:27:22] floor.
[2:27:23] I had to pry it off of my
[2:27:24] floor. And when a call we
[2:27:25] energies about the astronomical
[2:27:28] bill. I got shortly after
[2:27:28] losing my job.
[2:27:29] Their solution is well put some
[2:27:32] cling wrap over your windows
[2:27:36] I need a system that protects
[2:27:40] me my own. And that cares for
[2:27:42] my community. I
[2:27:42] am calling for transparency
[2:27:46] and prices because I am tired
[2:27:48] of paying over what led what
[2:27:50] money my husband and I can
[2:27:51] scrounge together every month
[2:27:52] towards a corporation that does
[2:27:52] not care for me and has
[2:27:56] multiple times in my life
[2:27:57] turned off my lights.
[2:27:58] I am just ready for better
[2:28:00] representation from the
[2:28:03] government. And I call on you
[2:28:06] to do your job and to be
[2:28:09] pulled.
[2:28:21] A kbo Leon.
[2:28:24] And after that is Katie.
[2:28:27] Kate Ward. And then after that
[2:28:30] is.
[2:28:33] Lou Pelican. We've got that
[2:28:35] correct. Okay.
[2:28:37] High winds are coming on and
[2:28:40] the student, the un and also
[2:28:41] the co-chair of the Young
[2:28:44] Democrats of America at you.
[2:28:49] Do you know?
[2:28:50] I mean, I've lived in college
[2:28:53] housing and apartments et have.
[2:28:56] Not a good insulation and of
[2:28:57] all set to be the one there
[2:28:59] who has their name down for the
[2:29:01] We energies account and
[2:29:06] monthly. It was not fun to get
[2:29:11] that in I think that's it for
[2:29:11] so many of
[2:29:14] my peers who are struggling who
[2:29:15] have to worry about being able
[2:29:20] to pay loans after they get
[2:29:21] out school. I think it's
[2:29:22] disgusting for we energies to
[2:29:27] profit off of us as we're just
[2:29:27] trying to further our lives
[2:29:30] and improve ourselves and our
[2:29:33] future prospects. I also think
[2:29:35] that coming from the young
[2:29:36] generation who is going to have
[2:29:40] to face the effects of the
[2:29:43] climate crisis in full that we
[2:29:43] need to move to renewable
[2:29:47] energy and we energies is not
[2:29:48] going to do that for us.
[2:29:49] They have their goal set for
[2:29:53] 2050, which is much too late.
[2:29:55] We need to move now. So that's
[2:29:58] a people of my generation have.
[2:30:00] Holmes comfortable home
[2:30:04] Sullivan in the future. Thank
[2:30:07] you very much. Thank you.
[2:30:15] I excuse me. My name is Kate
[2:30:15] Allard. I used to live in
[2:30:18] Madison and I moved here about
[2:30:20] 3 years ago.
[2:30:22] After moving here, I found the
[2:30:23] wages were much lower. Yet the
[2:30:23] rent is higher. Prices are
[2:30:26] higher and my energy bill is
[2:30:28] going up every year. My energy
[2:30:30] bill is already uncomfortably
[2:30:31] high. And I think most
[2:30:33] Milwaukee residents agree that
[2:30:34] we don't need higher utility
[2:30:35] bills. 12 shareholder strip,
[2:30:37] our natural resources and line
[2:30:39] their pockets. We energies is
[2:30:40] known for making the wrong
[2:30:41] decisions in our community and
[2:30:43] then has us pay for their
[2:30:44] failures. It should be our
[2:30:46] right to choose what our
[2:30:48] utility spend our money on.
[2:30:49] I strongly urge you to fight
[2:30:50] for a public utility in
[2:30:52] Milwaukee. Don't that we
[2:30:55] energies leave us in the dark.
[2:30:58] Find the courage to do it.
[2:31:07] Hi, my name is blue public and
[2:31:08] I am a dsa member and volunteer
[2:31:09] with Alex Powers Office as well
[2:31:12] currently laid off electrician.
[2:31:15] I want to talk to you about.
[2:31:17] What our money is actually
[2:31:19] going towards because right now
[2:31:20] we energies ceo on his own is
[2:31:24] making over 11 million dollars.
[2:31:25] Meanwhile. There are multiple
[2:31:27] neighborhoods within this city
[2:31:28] that experience regular
[2:31:30] blackouts, especially during
[2:31:31] storms. We have no
[2:31:32] infrastructure that can
[2:31:35] withstand a basic need Western
[2:31:36] storm in very many different
[2:31:37] neighborhoods. The fact that
[2:31:38] their ceo is making that much
[2:31:40] money, but they can't invest
[2:31:42] the money to make sure that
[2:31:44] our people have stable strong,
[2:31:47] reliable service. It's a
[2:31:50] travesty. And we all know at
[2:31:53] least. Me and my comrades, I
[2:31:54] know that the reason for that,
[2:31:57] it's because it is based on a
[2:31:58] profit. Motive is a for-profit
[2:32:00] organization managing our
[2:32:05] utilities.
[2:32:06] You can you can't have. Sorry.
[2:32:07] I got tripped up there a little
[2:32:10] bit. You can't have a profit
[2:32:12] motive.
[2:32:15] Company that also working for
[2:32:15] the actual interest of the
[2:32:18] people because that's they're
[2:32:20] just not compatible. We need to
[2:32:22] take control of our public
[2:32:23] utilities and not just power,
[2:32:25] water, Internet sewer systems,
[2:32:28] trash, all of that. This is
[2:32:31] just the first step. It's white
[2:32:32] or g today that.
[2:32:34] Was bill, the organization that
[2:32:35] actually works on our
[2:32:36] infrastructure and actually
[2:32:39] built a system that works.
[2:32:42] Next up is.
[2:32:49] Was that an ok after that would
[2:32:51] be Jason?
[2:32:55] And after that would be Sarah.
[2:33:08] Darling. That possible k.
[2:33:11] Of Sarah rolling.
[2:33:16] Is Ophelia Lehman.
[2:33:19] 25. 0, 5 North Frederick.
[2:33:21] We get no requirement that you
[2:33:22] use 2 minutes. We're trying to
[2:33:25] get everybody accommodated
[2:33:28] there.
[2:33:28] Hello. Hello. My name is
[2:33:30] Ophelia. I'm a student at the
[2:33:31] university, Wisconsin,
[2:33:32] Milwaukee and also a proud
[2:33:34] member of the youth wing of the
[2:33:35] Milwaukee Democratic Socialism.
[2:33:40] Erica, clapping out required
[2:33:42] I wanted to talk a little bit
[2:33:47] more about the student impacts
[2:33:48] of we energies, but not over
[2:33:51] over the power in the city.
[2:33:54] Waukee
[2:33:58] the enrollment rates at Uwm
[2:34:01] are continuously and currently
[2:34:02] and more importantly and more
[2:34:03] rapidly. The rates of black and
[2:34:05] brown enrollment are putting
[2:34:08] as well. Uwm is an important,
[2:34:11] very important pillar of the
[2:34:13] Milwaukee community.
[2:34:14] That's where we get, you know,
[2:34:20] a lot of our party just for
[2:34:22] MPs, for instance, or
[2:34:23] our doctors or many other jobs
[2:34:27] that you see in the city of
[2:34:29] Milwaukee walking needs uw
[2:34:31] Milwaukee and you have needs
[2:34:34] Milwaukee with the increasing.
[2:34:39] Greatly increasing. We energy
[2:34:40] power bills and increasing over
[2:34:41] the years. And as I experienced
[2:34:44] while working on the part of
[2:34:46] people campaign
[2:34:48] have a lot of students out of
[2:34:51] going to uw Milwaukee, which
[2:34:51] is supposed to be one of the
[2:34:55] more affordable schools in the
[2:34:56] in the system
[2:34:58] contributing to this, you know,
[2:35:01] greatly greatly decreasing
[2:35:04] enrollment rate and I think now
[2:35:05] more
[2:35:05] than ever, it's what has the
[2:35:08] time to Institute of Public
[2:35:08] Utility to lower those rates
[2:35:11] for not just to give students
[2:35:16] citizens all across the city
[2:35:17] of Milwaukee as
[2:35:20] no fight to live affordably
[2:35:23] that's not even to mention the
[2:35:24] climate crisis that we energies
[2:35:27] is not taking appropriate
[2:35:30] action to thank you out.
[2:35:38] Hello, I'm Sarah Darling.
[2:35:39] I am here we energies
[2:35:40] customers, single mother and
[2:35:42] community advocate and someone
[2:35:44] who aspires to live in
[2:35:45] Milwaukee. The reason why it
[2:35:46] can't just because a high rent,
[2:35:47] which is a whole other
[2:35:49] discussion. But I'd want to
[2:35:53] just say that I'm very thankful
[2:35:54] to you for having this
[2:35:54] discussion and considering this
[2:35:56] because it's really very
[2:36:00] important and long overdue.
[2:36:01] I'm also happy to see your
[2:36:02] continued commitment to safety
[2:36:03] and protection for your
[2:36:05] community. The first time I
[2:36:06] spoke here was in 2015 about
[2:36:10] the oil trains with you yet.
[2:36:13] So keeper move in. I just want
[2:36:13] to say a few things. I think
[2:36:15] it's 2 plus 2 equals 4. That
[2:36:17] the only reason why renewable
[2:36:18] energy isn't further advanced
[2:36:19] is because simply oil and gas
[2:36:21] and utility companies don't
[2:36:23] want it.
[2:36:24] I work with a woman from 3rd
[2:36:27] act. Wisconsin. Who does solar
[2:36:30] tours of her home in Madison.
[2:36:32] And she said that one summer
[2:36:35] and JULY her utility bill was
[2:36:38] -13 dollars. So your community
[2:36:39] solar programs, public power
[2:36:42] programs, they do rooftop
[2:36:43] solar. It does work. The
[2:36:44] utility companies just simply
[2:36:45] don't want that because it
[2:36:48] doesn't align with their profit
[2:36:50] driven incentives. So now that
[2:36:53] we have that out of the way,
[2:36:53] I've also spoken at recent psc
[2:36:57] hearings about we energies rate
[2:36:58] increase cases. It's very easy.
[2:36:59] If you just want to do the math
[2:37:00] over what you've been paying
[2:37:02] your bills over the last few
[2:37:04] years, they have done 3 rate
[2:37:06] increases in 3 years in a row.
[2:37:08] And then you look at the
[2:37:09] profits of we energies and
[2:37:13] their executives in tandem.
[2:37:17] And you can see. That. You
[2:37:18] know, do the math and it's just
[2:37:20] obvious that they are looking
[2:37:21] out for us and that they really
[2:37:22] don't care about powering our
[2:37:25] world shutting off people's
[2:37:26] powers, inhumane.
[2:37:26] And I have yes, thank you.
[2:37:32] And I've I've helped to
[2:37:33] support. The energy burden
[2:37:34] movement here. I want to thank
[2:37:37] Brian with the Web. If you
[2:37:38] notice my fantastic with no
[2:37:39] look here, they're doing really
[2:37:40] wonderful work. I are. And I
[2:37:43] urge all of you to continue
[2:37:44] supporting them. And please,
[2:37:47] let's do the right thing.
[2:37:52] Keep this moving. Okay.
[2:37:56] Under a hail after that.
[2:37:56] Allison. Talk with police.
[2:37:59] And after that, Ian Huntley.
[2:38:09] All right, everybody. My name
[2:38:13] is Andre hail of I am or was
[2:38:13] one of the lead canvassers
[2:38:15] leads of the field organizers
[2:38:17] for the power to the people
[2:38:18] campaign. I've let a ton of the
[2:38:21] canvas is a lot of people in
[2:38:23] this room have come to a canvas
[2:38:24] that I have led. And I really
[2:38:24] appreciate all the work and
[2:38:27] support the development doing
[2:38:28] for this campaign. Now I am
[2:38:31] the communications officer for
[2:38:33] Milwaukee dsa.
[2:38:34] And of but I kind of want to
[2:38:35] talk about of before all of
[2:38:39] that. I moved here with my wife
[2:38:40] and my son like 3 years ago.
[2:38:40] And one of the things we first
[2:38:42] noticed was how high the bills
[2:38:48] where? And in Arkansas where
[2:38:49] I'm from, we had everything.
[2:38:49] Bundle together, sewer, water,
[2:38:52] electricity, internet, all of
[2:38:53] that together.
[2:38:56] And that cost me about $1000 a
[2:38:56] month for we energies alone.
[2:38:59] My bill that usually comes out
[2:39:00] to about 1000 or 1100 a month.
[2:39:01] So and that's just for my my
[2:39:07] tiny little house in
[2:39:07] Greenfield. So like this
[2:39:08] campaign is one of the first
[2:39:09] things that I latched on to
[2:39:12] immediately when moving here.
[2:39:16] And I just want to say that the
[2:39:22] the ability to get this done
[2:39:23] is there. We have
[2:39:26] legal work all outlined with
[2:39:29] Chapter one. 97.
[2:39:31] There's a huge amount of people
[2:39:35] here who support this campaign
[2:39:38] and of them. Honestly, we just
[2:39:39] need the will power to do it.
[2:39:45] Similarly to in New York City
[2:39:47] with Dani. He was able to pass
[2:39:48] of free childcare for 2
[2:39:49] year-olds as well as completely
[2:39:51] balance the budget without
[2:39:53] raising any property taxes or
[2:39:56] digging into any rainy day
[2:39:57] funds. The money is there.
[2:39:59] The model is there for how to
[2:40:01] do this. We just have to have
[2:40:02] the will power to do it.
[2:40:03] And I just want to say the
[2:40:06] people United will never be
[2:40:10] defeated. Let's do this.
[2:40:18] Well, listen, I was.
[2:40:21] Good morning or good afternoon.
[2:40:24] My name's housing. Hope that
[2:40:25] I'm an organizer.
[2:40:29] I was an organizer with the aft
[2:40:30] local 2 to 3 Madison.
[2:40:34] Coal unions. Now I'm I'm back
[2:40:37] to Milwaukee. I'm a educator
[2:40:39] in Milwaukee.
[2:40:39] Public schools and a member of
[2:40:44] mta. Now that I am eligible
[2:40:47] so gay unions, but I'm here
[2:40:48] as an educator, many years of
[2:40:50] experience in an advanced
[2:40:52] degree in leadership. Just to
[2:40:55] remind everybody about the
[2:40:59] importance of like buying and
[2:41:01] stakeholder relations and that
[2:41:02] to some this might seem like
[2:41:02] this is a harebrained idea.
[2:41:06] Like what are these like crazy
[2:41:09] kids and their socialism
[2:41:11] but this is a good idea that
[2:41:11] the future is now like the
[2:41:12] climate crisis is already
[2:41:13] happening right now. We have
[2:41:16] refugees from the West Coast in
[2:41:16] the East Coast coming to fresh
[2:41:21] water, Great Lakes regions for
[2:41:26] a reason. And we should protect
[2:41:26] that. So from my perspective as
[2:41:28] it from the perspective, like
[2:41:31] strategic thinking and like
[2:41:32] systems thinking.
[2:41:33] Think about it like it's it
[2:41:36] makes sense. It's not. It's
[2:41:37] not crazy. It's logical and
[2:41:43] it's needed. And it's the right
[2:41:44] thing to do. So follow
[2:41:44] your hearts. But think about
[2:41:45] like why this is a good idea
[2:41:49] because it really, truly is
[2:41:59] many is in doubt Resident of
[2:42:00] the River, West neighborhood
[2:42:02] and an officer with walking tsa
[2:42:03] labor working group. And today
[2:42:04] as PRESIDENT Of my Union
[2:42:05] speaking on behalf of the
[2:42:06] American Federation of State
[2:42:10] County and Municipal Employees,
[2:42:10] local 47. We represent the city
[2:42:11] of Milwaukee workers in the
[2:42:13] departments of Neighborhood
[2:42:14] Services, City Development,
[2:42:15] the assessor's office and the
[2:42:16] Milwaukee Water works or
[2:42:17] publicly owned water utility
[2:42:19] work. I work as an electrical
[2:42:21] engineer.
[2:42:22] Last month or union membership.
[2:42:22] After have d#
[2:42:22] #
[2:42:23] #
[2:42:23] consideration
[2:42:24] decided unanimously to endorse
[2:42:27] a part of the people campaign.
[2:42:29] Our members want a public
[2:42:29] energy utility because as
[2:42:30] public utility workers, we
[2:42:32] carry our love for the city
[2:42:33] every day and are more than
[2:42:34] capable of handling the task
[2:42:37] competently efficiently
[2:42:38] sustainably and reliably.
[2:42:40] I want to highlight that there
[2:42:40] was a time when the labor
[2:42:43] movement stood united for
[2:42:44] what's best in our city.
[2:42:45] They formed a political
[2:42:47] movement that we now know of a
[2:42:47] summer social us the sewer
[2:42:48] socialist turned our government
[2:42:49] into a leading powerful
[2:42:51] operation that deeply
[2:42:52] considered the wait of every
[2:42:54] single tax dollar to get the
[2:42:55] most for our residents, the
[2:42:56] transformational change that
[2:42:58] they made for city seen in our
[2:42:59] parks and infrastructure.
[2:43:01] That infrastructure MAY be in a
[2:43:03] rough state today due to the
[2:43:05] new liberal and Republican
[2:43:06] cutbacks. But the fact that it
[2:43:06] has lasted over 100 years as a
[2:43:08] testament to the ambition of
[2:43:10] their vision for Milwaukee.
[2:43:12] We can and I believe we will
[2:43:14] rise again to make that happen
[2:43:16] so that every person prospers,
[2:43:17] including Oliver ibew, Union
[2:43:19] siblings, we deserve addressed
[2:43:21] and trans equitable transition
[2:43:22] to keep all they fought for in
[2:43:24] their contracts and more
[2:43:26] including the status in the
[2:43:27] union. That is possible because
[2:43:28] as a democracy, we can make it
[2:43:31] happen. We want what's best for
[2:43:33] all workers and not one step
[2:43:34] back. And I reclaimed the word
[2:43:35] we from we energies because it
[2:43:39] will take all of us to stand up
[2:43:39] against this injustice. We need
[2:43:40] every person viewing this to
[2:43:43] talk to your coworkers about
[2:43:44] forming or joining a union user
[2:43:45] labor power to stand up for
[2:43:47] what's right and our politics
[2:43:48] and our economy. That is where
[2:43:50] our people's power truly fights
[2:43:53] and wins. Thank you, Soledad.
[2:44:05] Adam Otis.
[2:44:08] Excellent. And after that, Joel
[2:44:10] Cole, I believe.
[2:44:13] 24 East Chambers. And after
[2:44:14] and a slur.
[2:44:17] Hi, my name is Rita Manteo to
[2:44:17] some a Milwaukee resident and
[2:44:18] also I'm with the great
[2:44:20] Milwaukee Green Party, which is
[2:44:20] a coalition partner on the
[2:44:23] power to the people campaign.
[2:44:24] And we've helped gather the
[2:44:24] petitions, the thousands of
[2:44:25] petitions that have been
[2:44:27] delivered to the Common
[2:44:29] Council. And I'm so excited
[2:44:31] that this is happening today.
[2:44:35] I wanted to say that one of our
[2:44:36] late members, Bruce Hank, for
[2:44:36] us lived in a column a walk
[2:44:41] which has a public utility.
[2:44:45] And I they are members of wpp.
[2:44:47] I which buys eu which buys
[2:44:48] power through competitive
[2:44:50] pricing and his wife, Karen,
[2:44:52] who was an engineer. She's a
[2:44:54] retired engineer from we
[2:44:57] energies. She said that
[2:44:58] Oconomowoc gets better rates.
[2:45:00] Then residents of the city of
[2:45:04] Milwaukee. Just being part of
[2:45:05] that public utility
[2:45:05] collaborative. Also, I wanted
[2:45:07] to say that when I woke up this
[2:45:09] morning and turn on the radio,
[2:45:11] wtmj was laughing about this
[2:45:15] very hearing making jokes about
[2:45:15] how silly this is and how is
[2:45:19] never work. It's just going to
[2:45:21] be too expensive. They didn't
[2:45:21] mention that. You know, when
[2:45:24] they're rolling blackouts in
[2:45:27] California. Guess what? City
[2:45:29] didn't have any problem.
[2:45:32] La because they had a public
[2:45:33] utility. So there are 2200
[2:45:35] public utilities in communities
[2:45:36] around this country. And I hope
[2:45:39] the Milwaukee be will be next.
[2:45:42] Thank you.
[2:45:47] Let everyone on this board.
[2:45:50] My name is Joe Cole and I live
[2:45:52] here in Milwaukee, climate
[2:45:56] activists and artists. The site
[2:45:57] is to be public. Utilities were
[2:45:58] invented in this country nearly
[2:45:59] 150 years ago to bring reliable
[2:46:02] affordable services to the
[2:46:03] people in their community.
[2:46:05] A key provision was to prevent
[2:46:06] price gouging.
[2:46:10] At its best public powers, not
[2:46:10] for profit at its best. It's
[2:46:13] local people working together
[2:46:14] to meet local needs. We are
[2:46:16] not at her best with we
[2:46:18] energies. They have shown that
[2:46:20] they're motivated by profit,
[2:46:21] not by their customers and
[2:46:23] certainly not their customers,
[2:46:23] financial health or physical
[2:46:26] health. And that is because
[2:46:27] they are for profit motivated
[2:46:30] by creating share value for
[2:46:30] the shareholders. They are no
[2:46:31] longer the public utility.
[2:46:35] They were founded as in 18 96.
[2:46:37] People across the city are
[2:46:38] struggling. Everything is more
[2:46:39] expensive. This is a big
[2:46:43] opportunity to bring some
[2:46:46] needed relief to everyone.
[2:46:53] Hello, my name is Amanda
[2:46:56] Eisler. I bought a duplex in
[2:46:57] Riverwest 8 years ago. And at
[2:46:58] that time I could afford all of
[2:47:01] my bills on my own without a
[2:47:03] tenant.
[2:47:05] I live in one unit and rent the
[2:47:06] other as a landlord, I'm now
[2:47:06] forced to raise the rent
[2:47:09] substantially to be able to
[2:47:10] cover all my bills. I cannot
[2:47:14] afford my bills anymore.
[2:47:17] Otherwise. Reason being is when
[2:47:17] I moved in 8 years ago, my we
[2:47:20] energies Bill was to 202 to
[2:47:24] 50 per month and water was $30
[2:47:25] a month. Now we energies is
[2:47:29] over $400 a month and water
[2:47:30] is $100 a month. I've concern
[2:47:32] I've confirmed multiple times
[2:47:33] with we energies that my usage
[2:47:36] is accurate with inspections.
[2:47:39] If I'm in the middle class
[2:47:40] struggling, I can't imagine how
[2:47:42] much lower classes are
[2:47:43] struggling, especially
[2:47:46] disenfranchised communities.
[2:47:49] Thank you so much.
[2:47:55] After David. It'll be Jim
[2:48:01] Harris. And after that time has
[2:48:12] David MAY have left.
[2:48:15] Good afternoon, I think is is
[2:48:17] about what time is it? Take
[2:48:20] this, which we energy back to
[2:48:24] Wisconsin electorate.
[2:48:26] We need to cheat kids in high
[2:48:28] school to take over energy
[2:48:31] efficiency of Wisconsin.
[2:48:35] Number one. This is a park
[2:48:38] crime. It like Alaska and can
[2:48:38] which we energy overlooked by
[2:48:45] Perry being Pirates put energy.
[2:48:46] They took away 2 bills that was
[2:48:49] separate and putting together
[2:48:52] to make more and with a look of
[2:48:52] suffering for your energy use
[2:48:53] to be able to peek, believe
[2:48:57] your lights on or he hate took
[2:49:00] that away. We have been
[2:49:01] practicing on climate areas
[2:49:05] that need substantial energy
[2:49:06] and prey on. There should be
[2:49:09] all that we issue should be
[2:49:11] owned by the public. Okay.
[2:49:14] We should have more. Then one
[2:49:19] in efficiency provider. For
[2:49:25] backup. And also. There should
[2:49:26] be a task to look into research
[2:49:30] by this been a cold climate.
[2:49:32] They each home
[2:49:34] should have a generator by this
[2:49:38] climate being as it is because
[2:49:38] if d#
[2:49:38] #
[2:49:38] #
[2:49:39] we energies shes now,
[2:49:40] how many people are being
[2:49:43] counted? This becoming sick
[2:49:47] or die from these issues here
[2:49:49] in Wisconsin and Alaska.
[2:49:53] They pay all the residents of
[2:49:54] $1000 to 2000. I was just
[2:49:54] because they respect that they
[2:49:58] have economy is trying to grow
[2:50:01] in a cold climate. We have a
[2:50:04] let pirates come here
[2:50:04] and take elders home where
[2:50:06] their utilities are way higher
[2:50:09] due to a home know this should
[2:50:11] not be no way in the world.
[2:50:14] The utility said because suit
[2:50:15] thousands of dollars over the
[2:50:18] winter time and looking for it
[2:50:19] to happen. Air preseason.
[2:50:23] No. And this give out credit
[2:50:24] for the energy
[2:50:26] is hogwash bars with energy
[2:50:28] assistance now it's only want
[2:50:31] pay all for the winter. That's
[2:50:33] hogwash. We have to get our own
[2:50:36] energy facility to facility
[2:50:37] Ys back in control, where we
[2:50:39] teach kids about this crime.
[2:50:43] A Tory up north in life where
[2:50:44] we don't have
[2:50:44] predator people. Kami from down
[2:50:47] south to the West Classic.
[2:50:50] Thank you.
[2:50:57] Sheskey. I believe after that,
[2:51:00] Tyler.
[2:51:03] Koeppen Coachman. And after
[2:51:06] that, she was Sanchez.
[2:51:07] My name is Tom. Hans Berger, a
[2:51:10] proud resident of Milwaukee
[2:51:12] live down in Bay View and also
[2:51:14] a proud member of the Milwaukee
[2:51:15] Democratic Socialists of
[2:51:15] America. And I have the
[2:51:20] privilege to serve the essay.
[2:51:22] As an organizer working with
[2:51:22] many chapters across the
[2:51:25] Midwest to expand on Zohran
[2:51:26] Mamdani is movement.
[2:51:30] And one thing I wanted to add
[2:51:31] here. In addition to everything
[2:51:32] else that's been said is the
[2:51:35] context in this moment across
[2:51:37] the country. We're seeing new
[2:51:40] technology developing around ai
[2:51:42] electric cars. We're seeing
[2:51:44] data storage flock cameras,
[2:51:46] all of these new technologies,
[2:51:48] the way that they're being
[2:51:50] implemented are currently being
[2:51:50] used to automate workers, jobs
[2:51:54] leading to mass layoffs.
[2:51:55] They're being used to collect
[2:51:57] surveillance data on poor
[2:51:58] communities and marginalized
[2:52:03] communities. They are being
[2:52:04] used to profit and against the
[2:52:05] interests of ordinary citizens
[2:52:09] of ordinary working people.
[2:52:11] What this proposal would do to
[2:52:13] invoke charter one 97 and to
[2:52:14] replace we energies with a
[2:52:18] public utility is to give you
[2:52:20] all the power to push back on
[2:52:22] those bad incentives. What it
[2:52:23] does is it gives us the ability
[2:52:26] as the people of Milwaukee to
[2:52:28] govern ourselves and to prevent
[2:52:29] a lot of those incentives,
[2:52:30] which are also contributing to
[2:52:31] democratic backsliding that
[2:52:34] we've seen with the current
[2:52:36] authoritarian movement in
[2:52:38] Washington, D.C. So it's very
[2:52:38] important for the people of
[2:52:41] Milwaukee and for our ability
[2:52:42] to govern ourselves that we
[2:52:43] make sure these new
[2:52:46] technologies are implemented
[2:52:47] for the people, not for profit
[2:52:50] and to protect our democracy.
[2:52:53] Thank you. Think.
[2:53:01] My name is more. My name is
[2:53:01] Tyler Coachman. I am a
[2:53:02] Wisconsin part and Wisconsin
[2:53:03] bar licensed for practice as an
[2:53:03] attorney and I'm a resident of
[2:53:06] the Kilbourn town neighborhood
[2:53:09] of Milwaukee. And a member of
[2:53:10] the Milwaukee County Young
[2:53:10] Democrats. The group which
[2:53:11] supports the power to the
[2:53:11] people campaign. And I'm
[2:53:14] speaking today in my personal
[2:53:17] capacity.
[2:53:18] As an individual as a pre few
[2:53:20] speaker noted while many here
[2:53:21] today are members. There are
[2:53:21] also individuals here to
[2:53:24] support this who are not
[2:53:26] socialists.
[2:53:27] I would like to lend myself as
[2:53:28] a face to that claim. I'm not a
[2:53:29] socialist and I stand shoulder
[2:53:32] to shoulder in support of this
[2:53:34] reform.
[2:53:36] Making our power a public
[2:53:36] utility. Me is a reform well in
[2:53:37] line with the greatest utility
[2:53:40] reforms that were championed by
[2:53:42] 20th century progressives, that
[2:53:43] is that progressive era, which
[2:53:46] Wisconsin most boldly lived up
[2:53:47] to its great state's motto
[2:53:48] forward. It's time for
[2:53:50] Milwaukee to reclaim our city's
[2:53:52] tradition as a national leader
[2:53:54] in resident first policy,
[2:53:55] public control over utility
[2:53:56] provides a vehicle for
[2:53:57] government and our citizens
[2:53:59] to address many of the local
[2:54:02] quality of life issues impacted
[2:54:03] by air power utility. I urge
[2:54:04] all there is one the finalized
[2:54:07] version of this appears for of
[2:54:09] up before you deferred to the
[2:54:09] people, allow us our vote in a
[2:54:11] referendum requisite to enable
[2:54:15] the U.S. Trust us. We the
[2:54:18] people of Milwaukee.
[2:54:21] If you have an individual on
[2:54:22] the big board met for Sheskey,
[2:54:24] we didn't forget you. You've
[2:54:25] been patiently waiting for the
[2:54:25] better part of the whole
[2:54:28] meeting. So at the floor is
[2:54:31] yours.
[2:54:40] It yourself.
[2:54:46] We'll get back to Matt. Let's
[2:54:48] go on to issue it. She was
[2:54:49] tensions. Yeah, I think you
[2:54:50] saw I'm sure the Sanchez I live
[2:54:52] in Walker's point and I am a
[2:54:54] member of Milwaukee dsa.
[2:54:56] I want to talk about energy
[2:54:57] sources. So we all know that
[2:55:00] fossil fuels poison the water
[2:55:02] in the air. A study from last
[2:55:04] year says that burning fossil
[2:55:05] fuels leads to 91,000
[2:55:08] additional premature deaths in
[2:55:09] the U.S. Every year over
[2:55:10] 200,000 additional cases of
[2:55:14] childhood asthma every year
[2:55:14] in the country. There's one
[2:55:15] study that says actually
[2:55:18] multiple studies that say that
[2:55:21] burning coal releases 100 times
[2:55:22] more radioactivity, then
[2:55:23] nuclear power plants because
[2:55:24] you're digging radioactive
[2:55:24] material out of the earth and
[2:55:25] then you just throw it into the
[2:55:28] air in the water. You don't,
[2:55:30] you know, contain it. And
[2:55:32] that's not to mention the that
[2:55:33] catastrophic impacts of climate
[2:55:35] change caused by greenhouse
[2:55:37] gases from burning fossil
[2:55:38] fuels. So thankfully, in the
[2:55:39] past few decades, there's been
[2:55:42] really enormous advances in
[2:55:44] clean energy technology.
[2:55:45] In 2011 for the first time new
[2:55:46] wind farms were cheaper to
[2:55:48] construct the new coal-fired
[2:55:50] power plants in 2013 new solar
[2:55:53] plants were cheaper than coal
[2:55:57] in 2016. Both became cheaper
[2:55:58] natural gas plants. So we have
[2:55:58] the technology. We've had it
[2:56:02] for more than a decade now to
[2:56:03] switch to clean energy. But
[2:56:04] private energy companies have
[2:56:06] not been pursuing this at the
[2:56:08] rate that they they should be.
[2:56:10] So if we look at we energies
[2:56:12] in 2011, we energies announced
[2:56:15] a 30 year extension to creek.
[2:56:17] Coal fired plants. It was
[2:56:18] already clear in 2011. That
[2:56:19] call was not going to be an
[2:56:22] economically viable energy
[2:56:24] source for 30 years. But they
[2:56:26] spent that money keeping cool
[2:56:26] running in Twenty-twenty.
[2:56:27] They announced they would start
[2:56:31] shutting down some of their
[2:56:32] coal-fired plants. But they
[2:56:33] have done several lifetime
[2:56:34] extensions on their plans.
[2:56:36] So, you know, they they've
[2:56:38] pushed back the shutdown date
[2:56:41] from 2024. To 2025. 2026.
[2:56:42] Now they're saying 2027.
[2:56:43] We'll see. They're now is
[2:56:44] they've announced that 2032,
[2:56:45] they're going to completely end
[2:56:50] using coal. We'll see if they
[2:56:51] commit to that 2025, they
[2:56:51] announced that they're building
[2:56:54] a 1.5 billion dollar new
[2:56:55] natural gas plants.
[2:56:56] When they could have been
[2:56:59] spending that money on solar
[2:57:00] and on wind. And, you know, the
[2:57:02] biggest motivator for these
[2:57:03] fossil fuel plants is that they
[2:57:04] get to charge us the rate
[2:57:05] payers for the construction
[2:57:07] costs and they get guaranteed
[2:57:08] profits from that. So the more
[2:57:09] money they spend on fossil fuel
[2:57:13] plants, the more money they
[2:57:16] make right. So the alternative
[2:57:17] is solar and we energies,
[2:57:18] regrettably, they've been
[2:57:18] fighting solar. Every chance
[2:57:20] that they get, it's more than a
[2:57:24] decade now that they've been
[2:57:25] fighting residential solar
[2:57:27] rooftop, solar where the panels
[2:57:30] are paid for by people who live
[2:57:31] on the panel's regular people.
[2:57:32] But they are, you know, we
[2:57:33] energies is trying to block
[2:57:34] that energy getting back on
[2:57:34] the grid. I think we had a
[2:57:37] previous speaker mentioned
[2:57:38] that.
[2:57:41] Right? I was it. They're
[2:57:45] they're paying you $0.03
[2:57:47] I have my house for 7 months
[2:57:50] that I'm not yeah to use that
[2:57:50] right. So its 3 sense that the
[2:57:51] individual customer would be
[2:57:53] paid for that solar energy and
[2:57:57] then they charge $0.17 to give
[2:57:59] it to someone else. Right?
[2:58:00] The 2019 we energies fought the
[2:58:02] city and trying to put a few
[2:58:04] solar panels up on libraries.
[2:58:07] Right? So they've been fighting
[2:58:10] solar for over a decade.
[2:58:12] If we had a publicly owned
[2:58:13] power utility with 0 profit
[2:58:14] motive, then you know, we
[2:58:16] wouldn't be worried about how
[2:58:16] much money we can make on
[2:58:17] building new fossil fuel
[2:58:19] plants. We be building as much
[2:58:20] solar and wind as we could.
[2:58:23] And, you know, we would be able
[2:58:24] to do what cities all over the
[2:58:25] world are doing right now,
[2:58:27] which is putting solar panels
[2:58:27] on top of homes on top of
[2:58:31] warehouses on top of factories,
[2:58:32] on city buildings and over
[2:58:33] parking. Lots. And we would
[2:58:35] finally be able to generate
[2:58:36] clean energy for the people of
[2:58:37] Milwaukee. So I encourage you
[2:58:40] to support this this report.
[2:58:43] Thank you.
[2:58:46] One more call out the map.
[2:58:49] The Mets available. This is
[2:58:52] your shot. O Co, right, Matt,
[2:58:55] you're on.
[2:59:00] But man, if you're speaking,
[2:59:03] we're not able to hear you
[2:59:07] right now.
[2:59:09] Michael looks on.
[2:59:11] And you and your audio and Mike
[2:59:16] shedding light. That the
[2:59:20] properly. Assessed.
[2:59:20] On the right hand corner.
[2:59:23] Well, in a select the right.
[2:59:31] Okay. We're sorry, Matt, we've
[2:59:36] got to move on to the next and
[2:59:39] last speaker. Sam Michael.
[2:59:43] Hi, thank you very much.
[2:59:46] I am a teacher and a member of
[2:59:50] the dsa.
[2:59:51] Now given that we've had
[2:59:53] unanimous agreements, pretty
[2:59:54] much unanimous agreement on
[2:59:58] the We energies. If there's
[2:59:59] any semblance of democracy
[3:00:00] left, then the Common Council
[3:00:03] will do the right thing.
[3:00:04] I hope they do. But one thing I
[3:00:07] want to talk about is I want to
[3:00:08] make sure that I would like to
[3:00:12] ask the Common Council to add
[3:00:13] a provision to ensure that
[3:00:16] private corporations like we
[3:00:19] energies cannot
[3:00:20] crawl back after this. We
[3:00:23] energies is public. So, for
[3:00:25] example, if by the Common
[3:00:28] Council buys out, we energies,
[3:00:29] I want to make sure that
[3:00:30] another corporation isn't
[3:00:30] sprawl long and screw over
[3:00:31] workers and destroy the
[3:00:33] environment and everything like
[3:00:33] that. So that's one thing that
[3:00:36] I want. That's just one concern
[3:00:38] that I have. I think that this
[3:00:40] measure should definitely pass
[3:00:41] and we should look at other
[3:00:44] ways that we can actually make
[3:00:44] the stronger and make sure that
[3:00:46] these corporations don't find a
[3:00:48] way to score over everyone.
[3:00:49] So I'll just end with that
[3:00:53] little piece of advice. Thank
[3:00:56] you, Sam.
[3:01:01] Morning. Any closing comments
[3:01:03] by any members of the panel up
[3:01:05] here all the way to Ridge.
[3:01:06] Thank you. I'm not on the
[3:01:07] panel, Alderwoman Marina
[3:01:08] Demetria that I see a lot of
[3:01:09] friendly faces and neighbors
[3:01:11] from a district just want to
[3:01:12] make sure. I said hello and let
[3:01:15] you know that we're listening.
[3:01:16] We hear you again. I'm on the
[3:01:19] panel, but wanted to listen to
[3:01:21] your testimony and it was quite
[3:01:22] powerful. So thank you. We love
[3:01:23] having you at City Hall.
[3:01:24] This is the People's House.
[3:01:25] So thank you for being here
[3:01:28] and your testimony noted.
[3:01:31] Thank you.
[3:01:34] Include by saying this has been
[3:01:35] very informative, public
[3:01:39] hearing your witness testimony
[3:01:40] was very concise, a very
[3:01:41] moving, very persuasive.
[3:01:43] I appreciate you all being very
[3:01:45] organizes sticking more to the
[3:01:48] time. And I just want the
[3:01:48] record to reflect that. The
[3:01:51] Allman Brower head of suggest a
[3:01:55] schedule that we would end at
[3:01:55] 12:00:08pm, and it is now
[3:01:57] 12:00:09pm, when MR. At me as
[3:01:58] if you are one of the worst
[3:01:58] of all. Thank you so much.
[3:01:59] And I want to thank the other
[3:02:01] owners are being hurt.
[3:02:02] Alderwoman Taylor's on the on
[3:02:02] the board and Alderman
[3:02:03] Speicher. Thank you so much for
[3:02:04] hearing everything as and the
[3:02:06] tree of its. Thank you all and
[3:02:09] thanks to everybody who came
[3:02:12] out here today. You know, we
[3:02:14] are on we're in such trying
[3:02:16] times. And so with everything
[3:02:16] going on and all and everybody
[3:02:17] that helped you guys all have
[3:02:18] either different roles in the
[3:02:19] city are extremely demanding or
[3:02:20] time or another units of
[3:02:21] government. And so really
[3:02:23] appreciate all of you taking
[3:02:24] the time. You know, the more
[3:02:26] than 3 hours now to hear from
[3:02:27] the public. And here I'm here.
[3:02:29] These experts that we brought
[3:02:31] here today, this is the start
[3:02:32] of what I believe will be a
[3:02:35] serious conversation about how
[3:02:35] we can transform the city,
[3:02:39] right. And and we can use this
[3:02:40] campaign and this effort as a
[3:02:40] way to transform are part of
[3:02:41] city government. I do want to
[3:02:44] just note really quickly that
[3:02:45] no, there's going to be out
[3:02:48] there this this piece of well,
[3:02:49] the city, I can't even insert
[3:02:52] problem here. Why can we expect
[3:02:52] them to, you know, operate the
[3:02:53] power company, right? The city
[3:02:54] can't rake might leaves.
[3:02:55] How can we expect them to
[3:02:58] operate the power company?
[3:02:59] I really think that that it's a
[3:03:01] very reductionist view of what
[3:03:02] is possible here, but to
[3:03:02] directly address that and I
[3:03:04] think the PRESIDENT Should be
[3:03:07] addressed is that is that the
[3:03:08] city right now? We're under a
[3:03:10] lot of constraints with funding
[3:03:10] from the state are roads.
[3:03:14] We don't charge user fees for
[3:03:16] the roads. So that's not a self
[3:03:18] funding apparatus. Liquor
[3:03:19] waterworks is or like this
[3:03:20] utility would be. We would
[3:03:21] charge rates that would
[3:03:22] maintain the infrastructure.
[3:03:24] So there is a possibility both
[3:03:27] to have this conundrum that
[3:03:28] we're in with state funding
[3:03:29] and a well operated a utility
[3:03:31] as well. But I really
[3:03:33] appreciate the moment here to
[3:03:34] have us have the vision of
[3:03:36] expanding the democracy and
[3:03:37] the well-being of every single
[3:03:39] person. I'm here in Milwaukee
[3:03:41] by doing this. And frankly,
[3:03:42] to challenge the power and
[3:03:44] authority which we haven't done
[3:03:47] in the in in this building
[3:03:48] census or socialist. We're
[3:03:50] here. You have challenged the
[3:03:51] power and authority of one of
[3:03:55] the worst corporate actors in
[3:03:56] this city. One of things that
[3:03:57] was criticized about this event
[3:03:57] today was that we didn't have
[3:03:59] we energies here, but this is
[3:04:02] the start of the conversation.
[3:04:03] I would invite we energies to
[3:04:03] come to this committee or
[3:04:04] public works were set up a
[3:04:07] meeting with any of us to make
[3:04:07] their case about why they think
[3:04:08] they should be here and make
[3:04:10] your case to the public.
[3:04:11] Please. I challenge we
[3:04:11] energies. I'm with him. But of
[3:04:12] course, you know, they're a
[3:04:14] company that is exercising so
[3:04:16] much. Huber, U.S. Right now.
[3:04:17] But I don't even think they can
[3:04:17] step down to our level to
[3:04:19] explain why they should still
[3:04:20] even be our utility provider.
[3:04:21] But I just really want to
[3:04:23] sincerely thank everyone and
[3:04:24] MISTER Chair. Thank you so much
[3:04:27] for holding this hearing today.
[3:04:36] I know it is very interesting
[3:04:39] discussion and the question I
[3:04:39] have now is what are the next
[3:04:43] steps? Where does this proposal
[3:04:43] go from here? Well, as I
[3:04:44] mentioned at the outset, I
[3:04:46] think the next steps would be
[3:04:49] the formation of a a more
[3:04:50] formalized task force involving
[3:04:51] members of the council and
[3:04:54] members of the administration.
[3:04:54] Certainly Department of Public
[3:04:59] Works comptroller's office,
[3:05:01] perhaps. And where have you
[3:05:02] toward putting together a
[3:05:04] perhaps request for
[3:05:05] qualifications for a
[3:05:06] feasibility study, get the
[3:05:10] proposals from qualified firms
[3:05:11] as was indicated by first alert
[3:05:14] earlier and then the council
[3:05:17] would have to make the hard
[3:05:18] choice as to how to fund that
[3:05:19] feasibility study, which could
[3:05:20] be in the several hundreds of
[3:05:20] thousands of dollars. So I
[3:05:23] think that would be the next
[3:05:26] step.
[3:05:27] Also MARCH air you know, the
[3:05:28] next step, Stewart, a
[3:05:29] continuum, people mobilize and
[3:05:30] have conversations and agenda
[3:05:31] be a part of the public
[3:05:34] conversation that's going on.
[3:05:35] I think one of these that are
[3:05:35] still a mentor to me, but I
[3:05:37] don't believe she got a chance
[3:05:38] to mention today was that that
[3:05:40] this these fights are there's
[3:05:41] that there is a technical piece
[3:05:41] with the revenue bonds and the
[3:05:44] infrastructure. There's very
[3:05:44] much a technical concern.
[3:05:46] But the bigger concern, 90% of
[3:05:48] the concern is the political
[3:05:49] will. So it is also offer
[3:05:50] thought your question we have
[3:05:51] to build the political will to
[3:05:52] make this happen. You're
[3:05:53] walking. And that is that is a
[3:05:54] there is some tech companies.
[3:05:55] There's a I want to get on
[3:05:56] board with the idea of a task
[3:05:59] force or a feasibility study
[3:06:00] be conducted. We have to the
[3:06:01] build, the political will no
[3:06:02] matter what the feasibility
[3:06:05] study says we energies will
[3:06:05] has the legal right.
[3:06:07] Unfortunately under our
[3:06:10] campaign finance laws when the
[3:06:10] referendum hits the voters to
[3:06:11] spend almost an unlimited
[3:06:13] amount from the Treasury on the
[3:06:13] vote. No campaign. So we have
[3:06:15] to be well informed and
[3:06:19] fortified as a as a public to
[3:06:21] be able to withstand them Blatt
[3:06:22] with every other commercial
[3:06:22] being about why are Jews?
[3:06:25] We energies is the greatest
[3:06:25] thing in the history of the
[3:06:26] when that when that when that
[3:06:27] does happen. So I think that's
[3:06:29] another piece of it as well as
[3:06:30] chair. Thank you. Thank you.
[3:06:31] All right. With that big, no