Flood-damaged Milwaukee hospital ready for wrecking ball (UPDATE)

Milwaukee ordinance would promote minority contractor consideration

Published: October 10, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, common council, Emerging Business Enterprise Program, Milwaukee, Ossie Kendrix

A proposed Milwaukee ordinance would include race and gender among the city’s goals for hiring contractors.

Milwaukee’s bid preference questioned

Published: July 21, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, bid preference, Grant Langley, Jim Bohl, Kathryn Block, local preference, Richard Wanta, Robin Vos, Scott Maly, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association

A Milwaukee lobbyist is accusing the city of violating the spirit of a new state law that bans local bid preferences.

Local preference alive in Milwaukee market

Published: July 20, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, bid preference, Jim Bohl, Joe Dudzik, Kathy Block, LBE, local preference, Milwaukee, Rhonda Kelsey

Milwaukee officials plan to continue enforcing local bid preferences on some contracts despite a new state law that bans the policy.

State budget threatens local contracting laws

Published: June 27, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, budget, Dick Wanta, Fabishak, local preference, MORE Ordinance, prevailing wage, Scott Walker, Tom Miller, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association, WUCA
Comments: 1

By James Briggs The 2011-13 state budget has cast uncertainty over Milwaukee ordinances that subject some public works projects to prevailing wage and geographical bid preference requirements. The budget, signed into law Sunday by Gov. Scott Walker, includes language that “prohibits local governments from administering current ordinances with prevailing wage provisions” and also mandates that [...]

State budget targets Milwaukee prevailing wage, local preference laws

Published: June 24, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, budget, local preference, prevailing wage, Scott Walker, Tom Barrett

When Gov. Scott Walker signs the 2011-13 state budget into law Sunday in Green Bay, it may contain a repeal of Milwaukee’s law requiring prevailing wages on private projects that get financial support from the city. Milwaukee officials on Friday asked Walker to veto a portion of the budget that eliminates the prevailing wage law, [...]

Alderman considers leaving commission over Marriott debate

Published: January 24, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, Bauman, H. Russell Zimmerman, Historic Preservation Commission, Marriott, Marriott Hotel, Richard Moe

By Marie Rohde Notably absent from last week‘s special meeting on the future of the Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission was Alderman Robert Bauman, the commission’s most outspoken member. The alderman said he is considering whether he should continue to serve on the commission. “There’s no sense in staying if the commission ceases to perform its [...]

Contractor quick pay: Will it compute?

Published: January 24, 2011
Tags: Ashanti Hamilton, blog, Hot Topics, minority contractor, Ossie Kendrix, Rohde

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Everybody wants to be paid promptly. For some subcontractors, especially smaller businesses, it can be a life or death issue.

Milwaukee may force primes to pay faster (UPDATE)

Published: January 18, 2011
Tags: African American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Milwaukee, AGC, American Subcontractors Association of Wisconsin, Ashanti Hamilton, Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee, Beiriger, Curtiss Harris, DBE, disadvantaged business enterprises, Fabishak, minority contractor, Witkowiak

By Marie Rohde Milwaukee can take its first step toward race and gender equity on projects simply by requiring prime contractors pay subcontractors more quickly, according to an alderman backing the payment change. “This is one of the easiest things we can do,” said Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, whose proposal goes before the Common Council on [...]

Milwaukee preps for minority contracting preference

Published: January 10, 2011
Tags: American Indian Chamber of Commerce, Ashanti Hamilton, Craig Anderson, D. Wilson Consulting Group, DBE, Marvin Pratt, minority contracts, Ossie Kendrix, preference, Rhonda Kelsey, Wanta, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association, WUCA

By Marie Rohde Milwaukee is cautiously building toward a law that would direct more public contract money toward women- and minority-owned companies. The caution stems from a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established lawmakers must prove past or present discrimination before creating a race-based program. Furthermore, according to the ruling, those programs must be [...]