Committee Recommends New Operator for Sewerage District
Current operator, French company Veolia, is competing with Dallas-based Jacobs for the contract. By Graham Kilmer – Aug 18th, 2026 06:33 am A committee of former sewerage district commissioners is recommending the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) change the private operator running its two wastewater plants. The current operator, Veolia Water Milwaukee, is embroiled in […]
News Coverage: Spectrum News: MMSD Committee recommends Jacobs Solutions to oversee its wastewater facilities moving forward
By Rachel Ryan and Blake Dietz PUBLISHED 11:53 AM ET Aug. 17, 2026 MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Committee on Monday recommended moving forward with Jacobs Solutions to oversee its wastewater facilities for its next 10-year contract. It comes after many have expressed concerns over the entity’s future, especially with its current private […]
News Coverage: WUWM: MMSD committee recommends Jacobs replace Veolia as wastewater treatment contractor
WUWM 89.7 FM | By Susan Bence Susan Bence The management of the Milwaukee region’s two wastewater treatment plants has been under scrutiny for months. Whistleblowers have raised concerns about Veolia, the company that has run the plants for 18 years. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District needs to decide whether to renew Veolia’s contract, […]
Press Release: David Tomblin Defies Court Order, Attempts to Collect Rent from Tenants
Originally released July 2nd, 2026 David Tomblin is a thief and a fraudster who preys on poor people. In defiance of a judge’s order he has tried to collect rent from his former tenants. Common Ground has been receiving calls from several tenants, whom Tomblin and his staff are approaching asking for July rent. This […]
News Coverage: FOX6: Nuisance properties in Milwaukee, police to review monthly call data
By Bill Miston, FOX6 News Milwaukee Published June 8, 2026 5:18 PM CDT Milwaukee reviews call data to identify nuisance properties The Milwaukee Police Department says it will do monthly reviews of call data to identify nuisance properties. The Brief MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department says it will do monthly reviews of call data to […]
Press Release: CG Releases Report With 20 Whistleblowers’ Allegations, Calls for Pause in the MMSD Contract Process
June 11, 2026 Over 60 Common Ground leaders packed Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s public meeting room to present their own report, containing the allegations of 20 whistleblowers—all of whom are current or former Veolia or MMSD employees. “Listen to the employees if you want to know how our wastewater treatment plants are being run,” urged […]
News Coverage: Urban Milwaukee: Police Chief Promises to Focus More on Nuisance Properties, Landlords
‘Sometimes you take your eye off the ball.’ Chief admits decline in activity. By Jeramey Jannene – Jun 10th, 2026 04:25 pm Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. Photo by Jeramey Jeannene Less than two months after going public with its southside safety plan, Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin has scored what its lead organizer said is […]
News Roundup: MPD commits to track nuisances
On Monday, after pressure from Common Ground and the Common Council, MPD committed to tracking 80-10 nuisance properties each month citywide. 55 CG leaders packed City Hall to advance Point #4 (Policy Reform) of our 5-Point South Side Safety Plan, announced in April. Our message: Use and improve the 80-10 Nuisance Ordinance—MPD’s powerful tool to financially […]
News Coverage: Urban Milwaukee: Judge Gives Receiver Control of One-Third of Embattled Landlord’s Homes
Common Ground says ruling is a win for tenants. See what happens next. By Jeramey Jannene – Jun 10th, 2026 01:24 pm A failing ceiling at a Highgrove Holdings property. Photo by Sophie Bolich. It was a major slap-down for embattled landlord David Tomblin and his firm, Highgrove Holdings. On Wednesday, Judge Michael Hanrahan granted […]
News Roundup: Highgrove Holdings loses ⅓ of its portfolio
On June 10th, David Tomblin and his company Highgrove Holdings LLC lost ⅓ of his portfolio. Common Ground, Tenants United, and City Attorney Evan Goyke supported US Bank in their effort to put nearly 90 Highgrove properties into receivership. Highgrove owes US Bank over $8.5 million. Read press coverage here: Urban Milwaukee TMJ4 WUWM FOX6 […]