The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works will offer new opportunities for community based organizations (CBOs) and small businesses to participate in contract removal of grass and sidewalk snow from private property.

In an effort to create job opportunities for Milwaukee residents to maintain neighborhood properties, the Neighborhood Improvement Jobs Opportunity Program will make it easier for local contractors and community-based organizations to obtain contracts with the city, according to Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II.

Local contractors and organizations that are interested in contract work maintaining neighborhood properties must attend an information session at 1:00 p.m. on April 5 at the Center Street Library branch, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Avenue.

“Cutting grass and shoveling sidewalks at properties where help is needed is an excellent opportunity for local entrepreneurs and nonprofits to grow their businesses and their workforces,” Alderman Stamper said. “But when these smaller groups attempted to obtain contracts for this work from the city, they would get bogged down in a complicated bidding process that favors big corporations with RFP experience.”

In order to make such opportunities more accessible to those in need of employment, Alderman Stamper said he worked with city departments to create a fixed-price contract system. Qualifying participants must be registered and incorporated in the State of Wisconsin, maintain a principal office in the City of Milwaukee, procure a minimum amount of insurance and attend an information session.

Eligible CBOs and small businesses must have:

  • Federal and State registration and incorporation as a non-profit 501(c)(3) – CBOs only
  • Registration and incorporation in State of Wisconsin – S Corp, LLC, etc.
  • Principal office in City of Milwaukee
  • $10,000 payment bond or irrevocable letter of credit at time of contract
  • Worker’s Compensation & general liability insurance
  • Attended Information Session to participate in work
“As participants demonstrate they are able to uphold their end of the contracts, they can qualify for additional work with the city,” Alderman Stamper said. “This is a big step toward putting Milwaukee residents back to work, and I’m especially grateful to the city’s Forestry Division for their help in creating these new opportunities.”