Mequon Weekly Bulletin - December 27, 2019
Upcoming Meetings
Board of Appeals: January 2 – 6:00 P.M.
Board of Police & Fire Commissioners: January 7 – 8:00 A.M.
Joint Mequon-Thiensville Bike and Pedestrian Way Commission: January 9 – 8:00 A.M.
Planning Commission: January 13 – 6:00 P.M.
Architectural Board: January 13 – 6:30 P.M.
City Office to Close During New Year Holiday
Non-emergency City Offices will be closed starting at noon on Tuesday, December 31, and all day on Wednesday, January 1 in observance of the New Year. Non-emergency City Offices will resume normal hours of operation on Thursday, January 2.
2019 Invasive Weed Control Grant Sees Success
The Department of Public Works (DPW) engaged in a program this past year to help control the spread of invasive weeds within City borders. The program was a collaborative effort between the City, Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The project’s goal was to help municipalities adapt their normal daily efforts to effectively impact the spread of invasive species along road right of ways. The four targeted invasive species were Phragmites, Japanese Knotweed, Teasel, and Wild Parsnip.
In 2011-2013, SEWISC employed the efforts of volunteers to complete roadside inventories of the four targeted species in Sheboygan, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha Counties. From those inventories, it was determined that Mequon had 244 critical locations within the City’s jurisdiction. Due to the large number of locations within the City, roadside mowing was the preferred and the only removal process utilized. For each one of the 244 critical site locations, the EPA and SEWISC designated $253.38 in eligible funding per location treated. The total for the available funds within Mequon’s jurisdiction is $61,824.72.
As part of staff efforts for the summer of 2019, the crews were able to mow/treat 211 critical locations, as part of normal operation efforts. As a result, the City received a total of $58,025.00 in allocated funds due to completed treatments. The changes to routine operations included an adjustment to the timing of the mowing (June 1 to July 14 minimizes the spread of viable seed), the completion of mowing out to City owned right of ways, tracking/recording of mowed locations, and the administrative time for reporting and mapping.
It was estimated that 63 hours of total staff time and approximately 167 gallons of fuel were utilized in the completion of critical invasive control efforts. The cumulative total accounts for in-kind service cost of the project is $4,561.82. Leaving a grand total of $53,463.18 due to the City on behalf of SEWISC and the EPA. Staff feels strongly, that the minimal adjustments to an existing operation has allowed the City to benefit from an opportunity to impact invasive species City-wide.
