Ann McCullough McKaig, Shorewood Village President

04/06/2026

Public Comment vs. Community Engagement vs. Vote No.

Public comment is required for hearings, otherwise it is the discretion of the Chair. It is one data set to consider when approaching a policy decision.

Community engagement is a process to gather input on an upcoming decision, project or initiative. Community engagement can take many forms - sometimes it is clearly defined within a policy, other times it is quite broad. TIF Policy 40 requires that applicant submit a community engagement plan with application for subsidy. The Village Board can accept the plan as presented or ask for specific activities to be included. The purpose of the engagement is to provide information about the proposed project so that surrounding residents and business owners can learn how it might impact them and where they can direct comments and questions. At no time is community engagement a proxy vote on the project. At no time is the Village or a developer obligated to confirm that every neighbor is contacted directly.

Vote No campaigns are coordinated efforts to influence a particular outcome that a group believes is right. Vote No campaigns become about one outcome - preventing something from happening.

Historically, the ability for one group of individuals to prevent development, or any change for that matter, has resulted in present disparities. Housing covenants being an extreme example. Preference for single family homes and less diverse communities has resulted in the national housing crisis. Parking requirements has become a policy that receives a lot of debate in this generation.

On a local level, there has been opposition to every major decision. The vote to incorporate (become Shorewood) was a debate over sidewalks and roads vs muddy paths. There was opposition to incorporating in order to pave roads and sidewalks. If opposition to development had been successful over the past century, many of the homes we live in would not be here. The high school would definitely not have been built if opposition was successful.

04/05/2026

The Village Board voted to negotiate terms for a development agreement with Spoerl Commercial, LLC, 5-2 on 3/16/26.
This action comes only after the extensive due diligence and previous votes on the matter, required by TIF Policy 40, WI Statute 66.1105 and the 1986 Tax Reform Act, Section 42 which created a program utilizing tax credits to increase inventory of affordable housing in the United States.
The previous votes related to this project include:
-Creating TID 1 in the 1990’s to increase the inventory of desirable spaces and tax base in the commercial district.
- Voting to extend the life of TID 1 to create funds to subsidize affordable housing. (2020)
- Issuing an RFP to identify opportunities for building affordable housing project on a Village owned parking lot. (2024)
-At the close of the RFP, reviewing proposals and inviting Mr. Spoerl to submit a Phase I application after evaluating the proposals received in response to the 2024 RFP.
- Approving the Phase I application package, code compliance review results, financial analysis, and $1.6M subsidy. (2025)
-Approval of a negotiated option to purchase agreement required to pursue WHEDA LIHTC financing to secure 19 units reserved for residents meeting the income criteria. The agreement sets a sale price of $300,000 if the project receives subsequent approvals, financing, and is completed according to plan. If those conditions are not met, the Village assumes ownership of the land and recovers all of the subsidy, with interest if applicable. (2025)

Phase I and Phase II due diligence included an independent financial analysis conducted by Baker Tilly Municipal Financial Advisors on behalf of the Village as their sole client. TIF Policy 40 provides that the cost of all review and analysis is covered by the application fees paid to the Village by the developer/applicant. This does not make the developer a client of Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, rather he and his proposal are the subject of a managerial and financial review.

Baker Tilly also operates a housing advisory division for developers who wish to pursue LIHTC under Section 42 of the 1996 Tax Reform Act. These are separate entities under the umbrella of Baker Tilly and do not share information. Spoerl Commercial, LLC is a client of the housing advisory division which contributes to his successful applications for projects in Whitefish Bay and Sturgeon Bay.

The Village Board will review the negotiated terms of development sometime in the next 3-4 months.

Each of these steps have committed the Village and developer to terms and conditions, and have provided transparent opportunities for each party to conduct the necessary due diligence. Previous decisions will NOT be reconsidered UNLESS there is sufficient evidence that terms or conditions have been violated or a significant change in the project is presented.

The use of TIF and financing for affordable housing are both highly regulated by state and federal policy. The developer assumes all financial risk, while the Village can recover funds and land ownership if the project is not successfully completed according to terms.

The project would add 19 units of newly constructed, affordable housing for people who qualify and an increased tax base to generate additional tax revenue for Village and Schools, in perpetuity. The revenue generated by the current off-street parking permits will continue as vehicle owners purchase permits for on-street parking privileges. Anyone who qualifies for the housing can apply and join the waiting list.

Each member of the Village Board has demonstrated care and consideration of the material and public comments presented, and has come to an independent conclusion before voting yes or no at each step of this process.

All the information can be found starting on p. 275:

03/15/2026

I don’t usually post about Village Board meetings, but the 3/16/26 agenda features many informative matters. In addition to considering the Phase II application for 4448-4450 N. Oakland Ave, the Public Works Committee will consider a change to Ordinance No. 3082 Chapter 220 Municipal Code: Brush, Grass, Weeds. Aka natural lawn care policy.

At 7:30pm, a Presentation on Future State of the County and the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. This information that represents hours of hard work by many and will serve us for years to come.

It will not be practical to take agenda items out of order, please join and depart the meeting quietly if you cannot attend for the entirety. There is always a Zoom option, technology willing. The link is in the packet linked HERE:
https://www.villageofshorewood.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03162026-2603

Re: 4448-4450 N. Oakland Ave. See pg. 275 of the meeting packet. The memo links to all the relevant information of the preceding 6 years. At this time, the VB is being asked to consider negotiating the terms of a development agreement with Spoerl Commercial, LLC. If that motion passes, we will discuss terms in Closed Session, pursuant to statute. The agreement will come back for approval at a later date.

Public Comment will be taken before the Village Board deliberates. Each person will be offered 3 minutes to speak. It may be helpful to know that public comment is one data set to consider along with all the other information related to the policy decision. It is not conclusive nor does it act as a referendum.

Public Comment is best suited for:
- opinions on the matter that can be shared in 3 minutes or less.
- One- way communication TO the Village Board.

If you find yourself with:
- More than 3 minutes worth of comment,
- Information that has not been reviewed by staff and board,
- Concerns about something you heard or read,
- Questions for individual board members or staff,
- Strong feelings that may tempt you to speak unkindly,
- Statements pertaining to previous board action,
- A need for a full explanation of the past 6 years of effort on this initiative;
reading all the material and sending an email by noon on Monday may be more productive than only speaking at the meeting.

Unless information is emailed to us directly, we may not be aware of it. Nonetheless, we want your participation and interest. My intention is to conduct business efficiently and thoroughly to make the best use of everyone’s time and talent. [email protected].

03/14/2026

Our State Rep doing the good work.

03/12/2026

There is a great summary of our lead service line replacement program on p.4: how it works, how it relates to water main replacement, and why water utility rates will increase to cover the cost of this essential initiative. Our job is to ensure safe, clean water to all properties in Shorewood at the lowest cost. Careful planning, excellent engineering and leadership have helped us manage the cost in a fair and transparent way. Doing nothing and responding to water main breaks is more costly, more wasteful and less transparent because those costs aren’t planned for and bid at the most competitive time in the season.

Welcome to Issuu’s blog: home to product news, tips, resources, interviews (and more) related to content marketing and publishing.

03/07/2026

US Representative Gwen S. Moore continues to witness and work for us. In my annual meeting with her she said, “Nothing is normal in Washington right now….” And then we talked about what is important: moving communities forward, working together, telling the truth. Over and over again.

03/05/2026

Governor Tony Evers and Senator Dora Drake visited Shorewood to talk about what it takes to make elections run smoothly. They came to the right place, because Clerk Toya Harrell is doing it right and known all over the State for it. Stop by and say thank you to Toya!

02/14/2026

Thank you Shorewood Public Library

Feeling a little cooped up as we inch toward spring? Shake off the cabin fever with one of our awesome Attraction Passes! Stop by the library and check out passes to visit great spots like the Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee Art Museum, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Harley-Davidson Museum, and more! ✨✨✨

Thanks to the Friends of Shorewood Public Library for helping to make these passes available to our community!

02/02/2026

Celebrating Black History and Black Presence is not a one month thing- but the tradition of focusing on this in February is upon us. Locally, mark your calendars for the Black History Celebration produced by Youth Rising Up at Shorewood High School, February 26, 7pm. And watch for other events to inspire an ever widening view of justice.

01/31/2026

Resource share. The Village does not offer training but the ACLU does.

Our digital footprint is constantly growing, containing more and more data about the most intimate aspects of our lives.

That is why it is as important as ever to Know Your Rights when it comes to YOUR privacy — we hope to see you in community with one another on February 12th!

https://www.aclu-wi.org/event/know-your-rights-webinar-surveillance-privacy-and-technology/

01/26/2026

The loss of life, injury, and lasting trauma being caused by the tactics of federal officers is unacceptable. I want it to stop everywhere. Many constituents are asking what local officials can do to take a stand. There is no policy action we can take to limit the powers of federal agents that are deployed for a US Government operation within our jurisdiction.

Congresswoman Gwen S. Moore raised questions at the Minnesota Field Hearing with Kelly McCarthy, Chief of Police at the Mendota Heights Police Department, where she asked if the department could protect citizens from ICE or if they must stand down when ICE makes arrests.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/3_cDSxXworA?si=nNzFTKxVWIHe84sy

Should the State of Wisconsin issue additional guidance, I will engage the Village Board accordingly.

What community can do:
- Seek assistance if you are directly impacted- community action FB groups are providing a lot of good information.
- Check on your neighbors - Take care of yourselves and others.
- Participate in Know Your Rights and Observer training.
- Educate yourself and practice scenarios to protect your safety and those around you.
- Study the roots of violence in this country and the strategies to transform that history into a non-violent future.

Looking Forward.

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