Milwaukee Department of Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke

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Photo by Tom Jenz

Jerrel Kruschke MDPW Commissioner

Milwaukee Department of Public Works Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke

You wake up in the morning and take a shower. The water comes courtesy of the Milwaukee Department of Public Works (MDPW). You walk down the sidewalk, passing the streetlights, which shine thanks to MPDW. You drive a road, cross a speed bump and head through a traffic light, the maintenance by MPDW. Throughout your day, you deal with drinking water, garbage, recycling, water mains, human waste, potholes and city parks. Again, cared for by MPDW. If you're like most residents, you probably take these benefits for granted, but they all influence your daily life. 

Let me introduce you to the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, probably the least publicized but most impactful part of the city’s responsibilities. MDPW is charged with the design, maintenance, and operation of streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, sewers, water mains, underground conduit, telecommunications services, traffic signals, and street lighting for a city that covers more than 95 square miles, 221 city buildings, a fleet of over 1,500 vehicles, 476 acres of boulevards and green space, and 200,000 street trees. In other words, it contributes to the quality of life and economic development.

The department has an annual operating budget of nearly $520 million. More than 2,000 employees work in four divisions: Administrative Services, Infrastructure Services, Operations, and Water (Milwaukee Water Works).

The Man in Charge

A Milwaukee native, MDPW Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke grew up in Greenfield and went to Greenfield High School. His dad was a carpenter by trade, his mother a factory worker. Out of high school, he worked full time as a carpenter in the private sector, and attended night school at UWM, earning his college degree in Civil Engineering over a 10-year period. “I was interested in bridge design,” he said. In 2007, there was an opening in the city for bridge design. Kruschke was hired as a structural engineer. 

“My first project was Humboldt Bridge on the East Side,” he said. “Then, the Forest Home bridge on the South Side, and later I worked on 20 of the moveable bridges in the city. In 2014, I was hired as the manager of the Central Drafting and Engineering Division. We did the right of ways, sewer and waterway design, roads and bridges. In 2016, I moved up as the structural design manager and did that job for three years. Next, I became the street maintenance manager, major street repair. 120 employees in that division. I was known as “the pothole king of Milwaukee.” (laughing). Then, I became the city coordination manager, dealing with private developers, business improvement districts.”

Kruschke worked with the private developers on right of way, street architecture and lighting, stoplight issues and sewers. He made sure the street work was in place. By 2021 he became the city engineer, a cabinet position. In October of 2022, he was appointed to his present position, Commissioner of Public Works.

How does the DPW Work?

To hear more about this prodigious responsibility, I met MDPW Commissioner Kruschke in the vast conference room of the Henry Maier Municipal Building across from City Hall. Banks of tall windows cast natural lighting over the lengthy conference table where the common council often meets.

Commissioner for three years, Kruschke is ideally suited for the job. For the past 18 years, he has done almost all the jobs in the department. Trim and fit, dressed in a sports jacket, and checked shirt over a T shirt, he seems like a guy you’d trust to fix anything in your house.

You are the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works and have an immense job. Your employees are responsible for the design, maintenance, and operation of almost everything that is public in terms of maintenance. What is the hardest part of your job?

Great question because ours is a very large department. We are broken into four divisions: one, Operations unit: garbage and sanitation. Two, Infrastructure division: local road construction, multimodal transportation, the city parks, street lighting, environmental engineering and facilities management for city properties including City Hall. Three, Water Utility: drinking water. Four, Administration: human resources, accounting and payroll. I like to keep the communication channels open. The more efficiently we operate, the less questions the public asks, and then it is easier for everyone who lives here. 

I interviewed Mayor Johnson a short while ago. He mentioned the ongoing brightening of street lighting with LED lamps, which make the streets safer. How is that going?

The city infrastructure is old. When I took over three years ago, 67% of the city street lighting was converted into modernized multiple circuits. The other 33% was in series, meaning if one light goes out, they all go out, similar to Christmas tree lights. Our goal is to convert all those over to multiple circuits, and we hope to have that all done by 2027. That means streets are brighter and safer. The second goal is to convert high pressure sodium lights into LED. Those are the two ways we are getting our street lighting into modernization. 

I’m sure you hear complaints about snow plowing in the winter. I will say that after a snow plowing notice goes into effect, I see many cars still parked on side streets and not being moved. What should residents do prior to a snowplowing notice?

We try to put a lot of social media notices out there as to when and where we will be plowing and to pay attention to the roadway signs. For instance, which sides of the streets residents can park on. Generally, snow plowing takes place between December 1 and March 1. On the narrower streets, we usually cannot plow if cars are parked on both sides of those streets.

Do you have enough snowplow drivers?

This past year, we did a great job of hiring drivers, and we have a full complement of drivers, which is usually about 104. We did not have a shortage of snowplow drivers.

Are those drivers freelance or regular employees?

Good question. Most of our snowplow drivers have other jobs with the department, such as those from street maintenance, sanitation or forestry. But they are required to have a commercial driver’s’ license.  

Can your department do anything about reckless driving, for instance, bump outs, bike lanes or speed bumps?

One of our major focuses has been trying to make our roadways safer. We are doing all those modifications you mentioned. We are also installing raised crosswalks near schools and parks where pedestrians are frequent. Data shows our efforts have reduced average speeds from 45 mph to 35 mph. The city has over 5,000 lane miles we deal with, and we focus on high-risk areas. Our leaders call city safety efforts “the three Es: Enforcement, Education and Engineering.” We handle the engineering. But we all work as a team.

I’ve heard that Milwaukee has the cleanest, safest water in the country. Is that true? If so, how come? 

Cleanest water, yes. That’s how I feel, mainly because our city is located adjacent to freshwater Lake Michigan. No need to tap into the ground for water.

What does the water treatment consist of?

We have a pipeline that runs more than a mile out into Lake Michigan, and we pump water through that. We have two treatment plants, one north of Bradford Beach and the other in the south section near Sixth and Howard. We serve customers in more than just the city, for instance, Greenfield, West Allis, and Waukesha County.

What is the annual MPWD budget and how is it funded? Is it enough funding to get the jobs done?

We are doing about $520 million of work this year. That budget income comes from tax levies, permitting, water utility bills, solid waste, stormwater, and snow and ice fees. We also get grants from the state and federal governments. Also, some money from WE Energies, and some from the wheel tax fee.

How do you work with WE Energies?

Just like the public, we get WE Energies bills, but at a reduced rate. 

But you have to work with them on certain street projects. For instance, the construction of the recent apartment building, the 27-story Couture near the Discovery Center.

Yes, we work with all utilities including the cable TV companies. That might include adjusting streets, utilities, pipelines, and so on.  

How many employees work for MDPW?

We have budgeted for over 2,100 employees for 2025. Currently, I have about 1,900 of those jobs filled, with 200 more to go. Three years ago, we needed 500 jobs to be filled, but we have been emphasizing field training and classes, especially for commercial drivers.  

Do you have a large turnover of employees, for instance, truck drivers?

We used to, especially during the Covid era when we lost a number of drivers. But in the past year and a half, our retention has skyrocketed. Seventy-five to 80% are staying with us. The City of Milwaukee is a great place to work—good wages, stability and a strong pension plan. As a starting wage, drivers make over $28 per hour.

Is the MDPW involved in the removal of invasive species?

No, because we handle only the trees that grow on city boulevards and public right of ways, but we did handle the emerald ash borer issue. We try to diversify our trees to avoid contamination. 

What is one thing you’d like city residents to know about the Public Works Department?

To realize how important the Public Works Department is, how many different jobs we are responsible for—water, traffic lights, streets, sidewalks, garbage, recycling and sewers. Our department includes accountants and general laborers. Eighty percent of our employees live in the city. The irony is we think of ourselves as the “silent department,” because if there is nothing wrong, you will never hear from us. Yet, we do need to hear from the public. In other words, if a resident sees a problem, call us. If you do not call, we won’t know about the problem.

Residents can request city services by calling (414) 286-2489 or online at Click4Action (milwaukee.gov/click4action) or use the MKE Mobile Action app, free on their smartphone’s app store.