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Board to vote on food access task force legislation
Milwaukee leaders will take up legislation Thursday aimed at fighting the food desert crisis.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors are expected to vote Thursday, May 28 on legislation to expand access to fresh food in the county and flooding prevention.
The meeting will begin at noon at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Food desert crisis
What we know:
On Thursday afternoon, Milwaukee County leaders will consider a resolution that would establish a joint task force on food access between the city and county.
According to the county board chairwoman, they would have six months to map out where the biggest gaps are and build a clear roadmap for action.
The goal is to deliver real, measurable actions for local governments to take to address access to affordable and fresh food.
It comes after at least seven full-service grocery stores have closed across Milwaukee County over the past year, including three on Milwaukee's north side.
That's not the only item related to food access on the agenda Thursday. We're also expected to hear from the Department of Health and Human Services about funding to address the food desert crisis and recommendations on how to address it.
Milwaukee 'food desert' crisis, city leaders move topic to new committee
Milwaukee leaders were supposed to discuss steps to address the city's "food desert" crisis, but that ended up not happening on Thursday.
Flooding prevention
What we know:
Milwaukee County leaders are also expected to vote on legislation to prevent flooding. The resolution also calls for a better approach to preparing community members for possible flooding.
The new approach comes after historic floods slammed southeastern Wisconsin in August 2025 and again in April 2026.
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The county board will also vote on a proposed resolution which aims to shift the focus from reactive cleanup to proactive prevention.
The plan directs the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management to team up with cities to clear storm drains before severe weather hits.
This plan would also include more of an aggressive push for state and federal funding to protect infrastructure.
Milwaukee Flood Mitigation Task Force; plan for flooding safety work
Leaders in metropolitan Milwaukee announced on Friday, April 17, the formation of a Flood Mitigation Task Force, which would plan for both short-term and long-term flooding safety work.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Milwaukee County officials.