Council Recap: Waukesha Police, Fire Memorial Approved & More

WAUKESHA, WI —The Waukesha Common Council approved financial assistance for Habitat for Humanity to build six homes and a $80,000 police and fire memorial during Tuesday's meeting. Both items were listed under the consent agenda and no discussion was held.

Habitat for Humanity requested tax increment financing funding, which is public financing used as a subsidy for redevelopment and infrastructure.

The proposal would include the city contributing $220,000 as a forgivable TIF loan. The city would forgive $36,667 for each residential unit at the development site that is occupied before 2025. If all six residential units have not been occupied by Dec. 31, 2024, the developer would repay the remaining unforgiven portion of the loan with 1 percent interest, according to city documents.

Habitat for Humanity owns a parcel along White Rock Avenue and the six housing units would be built on it, the documents said.

The police and fire memorial, detailed in the city documents, includes building three duplexes on the property.

The Waukesha Police and Fire Departments proposed creating the joint memorial to be erected along the west side of Waukesha City Hall, according to city documents.

The money for the project would come from the police station remodel or the Buchner Pool construction project which came in under budget, the documents said.

The granite tablet memorial will be inscribed with the names of police officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty with additional names added as needed.

Both departments plan on fundraising $20,000 for additional artwork, lighting, and site development.

Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Hoffman told Patch the three firefighters who died and will be honored on the memorial are Albert Mevis, who died on Sept. 15, 1891 and Bernard McCaffery and Frank O'Brien, both of whom died on May 11, 1934.

Waukesha Police Lt. Kevin Rice said the two officers who died and will be honored on the memorial are Captain James Lutz, who died on April 29, 1994 and Detective George Schmidling, who died on June 11, 1961.

Rice said Wednesday he was pleased with the approval from the Council and thanked them for its continued support.

Police and fire department workgroups were created to review art, lighting and layout of the project.

A big component of the project, according to Rice, will be community involvement through donations and personal inscriptions on paver blocks and benches at the memorial site.

“This will be a great way for individuals and businesses to show their support for the everyday heroes, the guardians of the community, the police and fire departments,” Rice said.