Special Board Meeting Follow-Up...

The special meeting of the village board was convened at 5:35PM with Trustee Zabel absent but expected soon thereafter.

In the audience were news reporters, two members of the MATC staff and two school board members.  It appeared that there were also individuals from both Waste Management and, possibly, from Veolia.

The discussion on MATC secession centered on the desire by some that a 'co-signature' be provided for the village board to assert its approval of the filing.  There was discussion that since the village is one of several taxing entities, if the village were included, the others would need to be, too.  This was settled when Trustee Langer offered a motion to have a supporting letter attached to the filing by the school district.  After the second, that motion passed unanimously (with Zabel absent). 

The discussion on the possibility of a referendum regarding road repairs dealt with debt levies, budget trade-offs, and state gas tax proceeds.  It became apparent that there was no support for a referendum and that trustees felt it was their responsibility to determine how best to handle the issue without incurring more debt.  Trustee Vanderheiden offered a motion that was seconded by Trustee Langer to that effect.  That motion passed nearly unanimously with Trustee Zabel abstaining since he had arrived midway through this discussion.

The discussion concerning Waste Management and the current labor issues as those were impacting the village followed.  While President Kempinski and Administrator Schornack indicated that each had received calls about delayed pick-ups, the other members of the board were either moot or expressed that they had received no calls.  Discussion as to what would constitute sufficient grounds for action against Waste Management went back and forth.  It seemed to be agreed that there was not sufficient cause to proceed at this point.  Trustee Werderman offered a motion, seconded by Trustee Langer, that this topic of discussion be added to the agenda for the regularly scheduled Board meeting to be held on September 15th.  That motion passed unanimously.

President Kempinski gaveled the meeting to adjournment.

Harley 105th Anniversary Impact From The Police' Perspective...

I was curious as to how the police department viewed the 105th anniversary given the thousands of bikes in our area nearly all hours of the day and night.  Chief Pete Hoell indicated that there was one minor injury accident involving a motorcycle.  He mentioned that he had now experienced the 95th, 100th and 105th reunion celebrations and said, "Overall, as far as I'm concerned, this was a great event and we'll be looking forward to the 110th."

He also provided an anecdote that I think provides a great overview of the typical attendees:

"I was off duty with my kids driving east on Holy Hill Rd. in Richfield on Friday.  I was following a couple of Harley bikes eastbound when a high performance bike (crotch rocket) came from the other direction (westbound) and did a short wheelie from the stop sign.  The biker in front of me was wearing colors, long grey curly hair; typical stereotype of a biker one may think of from earlier years.  When he saw the wheelie and as the high performance bike drove by, the Harley biker made his displeasure of this act very clear and scolded him by shaking his arm and pointer finger at him.  It was a really good example how ethical most Harley bikers are, how willing they are to step up regarding the issue of safety and good behavior."

Nuff said!

McCafe?

Have you noticed the newest signage on the side of the McDonald's on Mequon Road?  What is meant by the word "McCafe" I wondered?

Could it be a new look?  Could it be a promo effort of some kind?

Well...Google to the rescue.  Click here.

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Citizen Observer Program:  Still More...

Some overriding thoughts seem to stay with me as I reflect on my ride along.

Our department is good...very good.  The individuals know their business and are very professional in how they approach their business.

They have everything on their side.  If you're thinking you can get away with something, you are, in my opinion, kidding yourself.  I was really making every effort to see things that Cpl. Delmore saw.  A missing headlight was easy.  The blacked out windows escaped me.  I asked him what triggers a stop and he told me there are literally hundreds of reasons for a vehicle stop.

The reason can be as small, to us, as a license plate light not functioning.  Virtually every vehicle that approaches a squad has been 'clocked'.  The places that are more likely to produce violations are known by every member of the department in every region of the village.  Parking in fire lanes is a favorite, as it should be.  Cruising through a motel parking lot looking for vehicles with local registrations is productive so far as underage drinking and drug use.

Particular times during each shift have their own peculiarities.  Work lets out; bars close, games end, etc.

If you've been stopped before, there is a very good chance the officer will remember you, what the stop entailed and when it occurred.  If you're stopped again by a different officer, they have all the records at their fingertips.  We encountered two or three people in one eight hour block who had been ticketed for something within the prior twelve months.

If you're going to repeat, you're going to get caught.  It is just that simple.  The officers are not there to make your lives miserable; they are there to keep the rest of the citizens safe.

Some repeaters seemed to believe that they were simply in the "wrong place at the wrong time".  Or, they were "hanging with the wrong group at work".  In reality, they were doing a wrong thing again...and they got caught...again.  There are, unfortunately, people who think they can continue down the path without paying a price...or they're impaired to the point that they simply don't think at all. 

I have a better understanding of the technology available to our police officers and I know that only a fool would try to beat "the system".  You might get lucky once in awhile...but you'll lose sooner or later.  With any 'luck' when that happens it won't involve someone else who really was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fire Department Gear...

The subject of replacement firefighter equipment that was approved and forwarded to the Board for consideration was on the agenda for last night.  The equipment request was nearly scuttled when the Fire Chief, asked if this could be postponed until next year, said yes.  As was indicated in the Village Buzz on August 7th, this equipment was agreed to in return for an ambulance that was able to be postponed.  The department determined that the need for the equipment was more important than the need for another new ambulance at this time.

Trustee Langer, as a former firefighter, initiated a discussion that probably turned the tide and the result was a unanimous vote of approval by the Board.

I am not a firefighter...but it is difficult for me to understand why the chief wasn't more adamant about protecting the safety of the men and women who fight the fires.  To simply roll over in the face of a question seems inappropriate to me.  I would, if I were a firefighter, be very concerned about the leadership displayed.  I am, as a citizen, happy that the people who may someday need to save me will be properly equipped.

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Citizen Observer Program: Yet More Thoughts...

I had indicated that I wouldn't identify the officer with whom I rode but he has indicated that he doesn't mind if I do so.  My assigned 'keeper' was Corporal Dan Delmore, a twelve year veteran of the Germantown Police Department.  He graduated with an Associate degree, found a part-time job as an officer for two different small communities in NE Wisconsin while he tried to find his break.  That came in the form of the Germantown department.

Since then, Cpl. Delmore has completed his Bachelor's degree and has just been awarded his Master's degree in Police Science.  This is an example of the professionalism in our department as well as amongst our police officers.  I confess that I grew up in a world where the local policeman might well have had to take the job because it was all he could find.  His training, if any, was rudimentary.  It is not that way at all anymore...(If it ever was; maybe my recollections have become blurred over the years)....and that is great for you and me.

We were engaged in supporting another officer in a Disorderly Conduct incident during my ride along.  This resulted in me being able to see the process of booking up close.  The person involved was not disruptive and had been through the process before.  I was the only 'newbie' in the booking room.  The photos were taken, the prints were taken (electronically now...not using ink), and the complaint was completed (also electronic).  The accused was permitted to make calls to try to arrange for bail money.  That looked promising early on but it fell apart after the booking was completed.  We learned that after returning to the squad and resuming patrol when a message was received from the arresting officer that he was en route to the Washington County jail.

As I reflect on these experiences, I am amazed that our officers don't become jaded by everything to which they're exposed.  It must be very difficult to avoid seeing the entire community through the prism of illegal conduct.  I was surprised that the officers who were on the scene in this incident were able to defuse a tense situation without any significant force being used.  The tempers were calmed.  The players seemed to have accepted their individual roles in the situation and were resigned to the situation that resulted.  The presence of authority, the knowledge that force was a possibility and the professionalism of the police officers made this something survivable for all the participants. 

I asked Cpl. Delmore about the thought of not surviving another day.  He told me that he is aware of that every time he leaves the Police station.  I guess you need to understand your vulnerabilities so that you're able to guard against complacency.  This is, after all, a matter of life and death.

It is not just a 'ride along' as it was for me.

Village Investments...

I sought out some information from Kim Rath, Germantown's Director of Finance and Treasurer based on the article I read in the August 14th column in the Community Now newspaper.  That mentioned that the village had some $25 million in invested funds and I was curious.  That seemed like a lot of money for a community fighting through tax issues, and so on.

Ms. Rath was more than helpful, even responding when she wasn't in the office.  She advised that the $25 million was the amount that the village had on hand on that date.  It included current operating cash as well as the total of all funds.  Those funds included the general fund, utilities, impact fees, special revenue funds, TIF funds and capital project (borrowed) funds.

I had also asked about the reserves carried by the village.  She advised that, in round numbers, there is an estimated $1.5 million in general fund reserves, approximately $1.5 million in the water utility fund and about $5.4 million in the sewer utility fund.

I wondered how these amounts were invested, other than the cash accounts.  Ms. Rath advised that the new organization, RBC would be managing some $3 million that was comprised of some general fund monies, impact fees, special revenue funds (canine and asset forfeitures), water and sewer utility funds and the health and dental plan funds.  The current operating funds are held in the State Trust fund and by Associated Bank.

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Citizen Observer Program:  More Thoughts...

I related a few of the things that happened in the first hour of my ride along.   The accident required a significant amount of time for the gathering of witness information, photographs depicting the damage to both vehicles, diagramming of the scene for future reference, checking of driver's license and vehicle registrations, etc., etc.  The team of officers that were on the scene seemed to understand what the officer in charge needed in terms of assistance.  The fire and EMT crews operated virtually independently of the police team assuring that any injuries were dealt with quickly, and assisting with any spills, etc. that might have been present. 

As soon as this was over, we were back on patrol.  The officer to whom I had been assigned knew his area very well.  If there were likely areas for speeding, he knew them.  He predicted that we'd see a speeder after pulling off to the side of the road, and there couldn't have been more than a two minute time period elapsed before it happened.  A young man came over a rise and was immediately tagged at something in the range of twenty miles per hour over the limit.  He reacted almost instantly as he passed the squad and recognized it as a squad.  By the time the officer had turned to go back in that direction, the truck was pulling over.  As a matter of fact, there was no hesitation on the part of any of the drivers stopped during this tour.  Everyone seemed to realize that he or she was the intended target of the flashing lights.

My observations of each incident was made from a few feet behind the officer as he interviewed the occupants, tried to make determinations about the presence of alcohol, etc.  Several of the incidents involved people with prior records that were less than 12 months old.  Several involved alcohol use by a person between the ages of 18 and 21.  Several involved people driving with suspended licenses.  I was quite surprised at the numbers and the officer confirmed that what I was seeing was more the norm than an exception.

We returned to the police building at about 10:00PM where the third shift roll call was being conducted.  At the beginning of each duty shift, the officers are briefed on the things that have already happened on the preceding shift as well as any other special situations that may be important to them.

Each officer is assigned a patrol area, checks the assigned squad vehicle extensively to assure everything is in order, verifies the calibration of the onboard 'radar' system, etc.  The trunk of a squad car is full of equipment including a GPS unit so that the dispatcher and other officers are aware of where each unit is at a given time.  Laptop computers are found in each squad.  There was a system 'bug' that evening and we were without the computer until the time of the accident when the Captain brought a plug-in air card with him.  That worked well through the rest of the ride.  The dispatchers were on top of their games as well.  Requested data was relayed quickly using both plain language and the '10' language I grew up with when watching Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford (how's that for dating one's self?)

It is a very effective team that responds well under pressure.

More to come in the next day or two.

Citizen Observer Program: Initial Observations...

I have always thought that 'someday' I'd love to be able to spend a little time with a police officer during duty hours.  That seemed like a good way to gather information about how they function, what they encounter, and about our community.

Well, the Citizen Observer role was mine during the period from 6:00PM on Saturday through 2:00AM on Sunday.  I was assigned to one of the officers who would be out and about.  I would love to name the officer, but they are a team and I would only be able, in that manner, to call out a single person.  This team is composed of those who handle incoming calls and dispatch officers to situations.  It involves the leadership team in place for every shift; they are sometimes seen at various locations and other times are largely behind the scenes.  It involves those officers who walk into the situation having to be prepared for any eventuality.  And, it involves the support people back in the headquarters location.

My intent is to do a series of Village Buzz editions that discuss our public safety arena.  I will tell you up front that I am a solid booster for Chief Pete Hoell and his team.  They do a lot that most of us never know about, but those are the things that need to be taken care of to give us the peace of mind we enjoy in our community.  They are the reason I can go to bed each night without worrying about my safety and that of my loved ones.

Our 'tour of duty' involved young cyclists being praised for wearing their helmets while being reminded to always ride on the side of the roadway.  That earned them a couple of free McDonald's cones and probably a little higher heart rate than they'd had just before their encounter.  I saw a very compassionate and caring officer who was thinking about them, about the reputation of the force and about the community.

A pizza delivery person enjoyed a little break while he learned that one of his headlights was out.  Two young people were in a vehicle that had 'blacked out' windows which were beyond the permissible level.  One of them proved to have been consuming alcohol while under the legal age.  Another call involved an auto accident that, thankfully, didn't seem to result in serious injury although the fire department EMT team succeeded in having the young female driver taken to Community Memorial just to be sure there were no concealed problems of which she was unaware.

Interestingly enough, that call actually occupied every available squad, a fire engine and an ambulance.  We were critically short of response capability during that episode.  Had a fire, ambulance or accident call (or combination) hit during that period, the overall response would have been challenging to say the least.  These are things we don't think much about except when village budget time rolls around and we try to find ways to cut costs.  Or when we are the ones waiting for help.  Some cuts hit muscle and not fat.

The things mentioned above occurred in the first hour of my full shift 'ride along'.  As I was reminded, this was way before the closing time for bars and taverns when the police and fire team often finds itself very gainfully employed.

My overall initial observations were these:  Our police department is operating in a lean manner.  It has space issues even with the old library building having been in use for some time.  We need to find a way to accommodate more space at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.  The patrol force has not been expanded in numbers for years even though our population has been increasing on a regular basis.  Paper work still is a signifcant time consumer even with computers, etc.  An upgrade to the current system hoped to be accomplished in the next year will see printers in each squad to eliminate the actual hand writing of every ticket.  (And no, there isn't a 'quota' of tickets for the officer.  That is against the law.)  Morale appears to be very high; the team seems quite functional while permitting some individual flexibility in how the officer pursues his or her shift.  This strikes me as a professional unit and that comes from the top all the way down the depth chart.

I feel proud of them as a citizen and taxpayer.

Zero Increase Budget...

The Village Trustees met to begin discussions about the coming budget process this past Wednesday evening.  The Village President has expressed his desire to see a 'no hiring' policy to cover the next five years.  Others have begun to talk about layoffs of existing village employees; shortened work weeks; service reductions, and so on.

This comes against the back-drop of discussions about a referendum on road repairs and tax increases to support that to the tune of $1 to $2 million dollars per year.  Short of that, the money would be borrowed and the costs of pay-back and interest would be added to the budget.

All this is a bit premature given the fact that we don't have a clue as to what the final figures from the State of Wisconsin will be and won't until mid-August or beyond.

My concern is very simple.  I would hope that we don't permit ourselves to get so focused on a zero increase budget to the exclusion of things we ought not be cutting.  There must be a balance between taxing and services.  Some services, such as police and fire seem to be about as thin today as would be prudent.  Fuel costs obviously will drive up the police budget; does that mean the police department should be cut in order to maintain a 'zero' budget increase?  I think that would be the rough equivalent of tossing the baby out with the bath water.

That is but one example.

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MATC Board Question Response...

I have received no response since sending the email requesting information as to the status of the Director position that former superintendent Victor Rossetti held for the past months. 

It may be that MATC simply has not had time to respond.  It may be that their 'non-response' is the response.

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Traffic Signals At Mequon & Legend...

Given that today is August 1st, it looks unlikely to me, as a layperson, that the intersection will have signals installed prior to the opening of the new Sendik's location.  My recollection was that it was scheduled to open in early-September...and, I don't doubt that they'll hit that target, if not open sooner, given the huge level of activity apparent.

I received several emails that provided some additional information and thoughts on the subject of the intersection at Mequon and Wausaukee Roads at the very east edge of the village.

Trustee Wolter was kind enough to send an email covering a meeting held at the Germantown Library on Thursday afternoon, April 24th.  The City of Mequon and Village of Germantown were represented, Senator Darling and Representatives Ott and Jeskewitz attended and several Department of Transportation representatives were present.

The topic was the intersection in question and DOT was seeking a 'compromise' for the signalization of the intersection.  The plan that was in process of implementation at that time was for two straight through lanes, dedicated left turn lanes with islands, and dedicated right turn lanes on Mequon with a single straight through lane traveling north and south on Wausaukee Road.

City of Mequon officials thought this was 'overkill' since they consider the area to be rural, and their planning supports that it will remain rural in their eyes.  They preferred the roundabout solution and were pushing for that as the outcome of this meeting.  Germantown officials wanted the intersection to stay as the DOT had designed and based this on the increased traffic due to Waste Management trucks and the increase in auto traffic east and west during weekday commute periods.  They also foresaw an increase in traffic as building in TIF 4 increased.  The DOT was looking out 20 years so far as design and capacity.

The 'compromise' that came from this meeting was this: a single straight through lane east and west on Mequon along with dedicated left hand and right hand turn lanes while Wausaukee stayed as designed with a single lane in both directions.  The provision was that something might need to be rebuilt if traffic projections were to be reached in the next ten years.

Conversations I have had indicate that some are concerned about the village being required to pick up the future cost while the DOT is now paying 100% of the costs for the construction.  Others have voiced the opinion that a roundabout was their preference, as well, and cited the thought that we may have been able to forego all construction if enforcement were to be stepped up in that area.  Still others questioned the need for any change suggesting that there were single digit accidents per year from their observations.

So, there is apparently a compromise in place. Maybe this will stay in place since all the 'official' parties were at this table.  As is customary, some of the 'unofficial' parties will continue to disagree.  That is among the reasons we hold elections every few years.

President Kempinski has made his committee assignments for the coming year and the Board has approved those assignments.

Notable, and laudable, is the fact that Trustee Langer is no longer Chair of the Public Safety Committee and does not sit on that committee any longer.  Given Trustee Langer's former role as a POC firefighter for the Germantown department, this removes any appearance that might have suggested a personal agenda present in decisions made on that committee.

President Kempinski is to be thanked for this action to assure good governance and to reassure the community at large that local affairs will be decided without obvious biases. 

The new Chairman is Trustee Dean Wolter and the committee has a new member in the person of Trustee Jeff Werderman, newly elected as a trustee.

This committee deals with serious issues that affect our public safety: the police and fire departments and public safety in general.  These are among the most visible services provided by Germantown for its citizens, and are certainly among those services that impact life itself more than most other village functions.  Our firefighters and EMTs and our police officers are, in my opinion, doing a great job.  If there are ways in which the two departments might be improved, Trustee Wolter will likely work in those directions.  His service to this point has been very solid and there is no reason to believe that will change during this term in office.

Again, thanks to President Kempinski for this decision.

The Journal Sentinel reported this morning that the two suspects, aged 23 and 22, in the robbery of the Guaranty Bank branch in the Germantown Pick 'n Save are nicely ensconced in the Washington County Jail.

This whole incident showcases the cooperation and professionalism of both the Germantown Police Department and the Menomonee Falls Police Department.  Germantown's Police Chief Pete Hoell said that in his posting to my earlier Blog on the idea of banks in stores.  And, during an entirely unrelated meeting with Menomonee Falls Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald this morning, he mentioned the same thing about the two Departments.  Both communities have every right to be proud, and we all can feel very safe knowing that this level of inter-Departmental cooperation will exist in every similar occurrence in the future.

This also showcases just how dumb criminals can be.  The two were room mates in a Falls apartment.  Each was spending the 'loot' within less than an hour of the robbery, and one was caught on tape doing so at the Wal-Mart on Appleton Avenue in Germantown.  One, the driver, was arrested at the apartment just under one and one-half hours after the robbery.  The other was arrested at the same apartment some fourteen hours after the robbery and after the apprehension of his 'roomie'.  Darwin could have done an entire study with these two suspects.

The robber has been implicated in the January 30th robbery of another Guaranty Bank branch in the Falls Pick 'n Save; police also suspect that he may be tied to one or more earlier bank hold-ups.

Still, I have concerns about bank branches inside stores with little or no physical separation between the bank and the other facilities.  It simply seems to beg for serious consequences at some point or another in the future.  The teller was reported as saying she feared there was a gun in the robber's left hand pocket since he kept that hand in his pocket and since his note suggested that he was armed.  If he were to have 'flipped' imagine the things we might be discussing today.