City of Mequon Weekly Bulletin - January 5, 2018
Upcoming Meetings
Architectural Board: January 8 – 6:30 p.m. (Agenda)
Public Welfare Committee: January 9 – 6:00 p.m. (Agenda)
Finance-Personnel Committee: January 9 – 6:45 p.m. (Agenda)
Public Works Committee: January 9 – 7:15 p.m. (Agenda)
Common Council: January 9 – 7:30 p.m. (Agenda)
Planning Commission: January 15 – 7:00 p.m.
Park and Open Space Board: January 17 – 6:30 p.m.
Fire Department Responds to New Year’s Day Fire
At 11:40 p.m. on January 1, the Fire Department responded to a house fire. The residents were sleeping at the time and woke to the smoke detector sounding in the home. The residents found heavy smoke coming from their basement. They evacuated the home and called 911. The first engine on scene extended a fire hose into the basement and extinguished the fire. Mutual aid was requested from surrounding communities and crews were rotated to avoid exposure to the cold. There were no injuries. The fire was started by a dehumidifier in basement. Residents should be aware of a recall of dehumidifiers that have caused fires. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission has details on its website at https://goo.gl/wUX59Z.
Tip411 Service Ends in 2018
The contract that the Mequon Police Department had with Tip411, the service that allows callers to send anonymous tips to the Police Department, expires today (January 5th). According to Chief Graff, many of the tips received were helpful, but some were not real and were sent to intentionally waste officers’ time. The service cost about $2,800 per year and was not included in the 2018 budget.
Christmas Tree Pick-up
The City’s Public Works Department will be picking up Christmas trees throughout the month of January. The last scheduled pick-up day is Friday, February 2. Residents can place trees on the roadside next to their mailbox and staff will collect the trees.
Record Year in the Books for the Fire Department
The Mequon Fire Department ended the year with a record number of calls for service. The Department responded to 2,179 Fire and EMS calls in 2017; a 69% increase from five years ago. December also set a record month for 2017 with most Fire and EMS calls received in one month. This included three resuscitated pulseless nonbreathing patients and two structure fires. Two of the three patients who were resuscitated walked out of hospital within a week. The two structure fires in Mequon were both caused by prefabricated fireplaces. Both fires extended into the chimney chases and to the second floor of the homes. In both instances, the homeowners were home at the time of the fire and the damage caused the residents to be displaced. One of the fires occurred at 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.
City Earns Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
This week the City received notice from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) that the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal year 2016 has received the Association’s Certificate of Achievement. The Certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and this is now the fifth consecutive year that the City has won the award. Please see the attached letter from GFOA Technical Services Center Director Michele Mark Levine for more information.
Prepare for Storms of Ice, Snow and Bitter Cold
With winter in full swing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released an updated How to Prepare for a Winter Storm Guide. The guide includes a preparedness checklist, tips to stay healthy and warm, and a winter weather check for your car. There is also information on protecting your home and reducing property damage from winter storms. View the How to Prepare for a Winter Storm Guide on the City’s website by going to https://goo.gl/YaTx4r.
