Shorewood’s Smokescreen Misleads Residents About $20+Million Deal

This summer, smoke from wildfires in northern Minnesota has settled over the Milwaukee area. A different kind of smokescreen appears to be settling over Shorewood, masking how far discussions with Glendale have progressed regarding a proposed new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility.

The Village has told residents it merely “seeks to explore” future DPW facilities on several Glendale-owned parcels in the 4100 block of N. Hubbard Street.* It has also stated that its agreement with Glendale “does not commit either municipality to a project or predetermine future land use decisions.”

But the facts suggest the process may be further along.

Shorewood and Glendale signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July 2026 stating that the parties intend to collaborate on a public facility, transfer station and cold storage facility for public works equipment. The proposed facility is estimated to cost $20 million which likely does not include the cost of land and interest expense.** With the US Census reporting 6,619 households, that’s more than $3,000 per household.

The MOU was first made public on July 30, buried in a 274-page meeting agenda. Just four days later, on August 3, trustees publicly discussed the agreement for the first time and voted within approximately five minutes to affirm it. Compressed timelines effectively keep the public from becoming involved.

At that meeting, Shorewood Village Manager Rebecca Ewald stated, “. . . you can expect an offer to purchase the site later this year.” If an offer is already anticipated, residents have a reasonable question: Is the Village still merely exploring the idea, or is a transaction already in process?

Glendale Property Prepared for Sale to Shorewood

Glendale Common Council minutes provide additional evidence that the property is moving toward a future sale to Shorewood.*** On July 13, 2026, the City accepted ownership from its Community Development Agency of parcels at 4100, 4172 and 4182 N. Hubbard Street and an unnumbered parcel on East Reindl Way. The conveyance was specifically made to facilitate the sale to Shorewood. The motions involving the MOU and conveyance of the property passed without objection.

Affordable Shorewood believes the Glendale property has been discussed during closed-door meetings for much of 2026 and that residents deserve to know how long the proposal has been under consideration and what decisions have already been made. The City Attorney for Glendale and the Village Attorney for Shorewood are listed as the same person at the official websites.
 
Millions in Taxpayer Costs

Shorewood has said for years that its 3.24-acre DPW site on North Morris Boulevard is inadequate. The Village intends to redevelop the existing site for housing rather than renovate the current facility or fully explore shared services with neighboring communities. A recent survey of residents found that nearly 70% supported exploring shared road-maintenance services with other communities.****

Affordable Shorewood believes those alternatives deserve serious consideration before the Village commits what could be its largest-ever single public expenditure. The future of the existing DPW property and the substantial cost of relocation should also be subject to meaningful public discussion, including a Village referendum to approve the big expenditure.

Affordable Shorewood Calls for Transparency

Wisconsin law strictly limits the circumstances under which public bodies may meet behind closed doors.***** One permitted exception involves negotiating the purchase of public property when competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.

Affordable Shorewood questions whether repeated closed-door discussions are appropriate when the other party to the proposed transaction is another public entity. Public property and potentially millions of dollars in taxpayer funds should not be negotiated behind a veil of secrecy. Affordable Shorewood calls on the Village to provide a full accounting of its negotiations with Glendale and, to the extent permitted by law, release records or transcripts of closed sessions in which the proposed transaction was discussed.

“The Village seems to believe it has already gained resident approval for moving Shorewood’s public works site across the river to a neighboring city,” said Jay Sorensen, a volunteer and advocate with Affordable Shorewood. “Someone has told the City of Glendale that the sale is so very certain, that deeds can be changed to convey the property to Shorewood. Once again, Shorewood’s village manager and trustees are treating its residents as mere obstacles as they pursue their own agendas.”

Endnotes:
* Village of Shorewood Facebook post 13 July 2026.
** Village of Shorewood Long Range Financial Plan 2026-2035, Appendix A, Future Facilities DPW.
*** City of Glendale, City Administrator Memo for the July 13, 2026 Common Council Meeting.
**** 2026 Shorewood Community Survey, page 25.
***** “The Open Meetings Law” Information Memorandum, Wisconsin Legislative Council.