Police and Fire Commission

POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION MINUTES March 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM 303 Mansion Street Mauston, WI 1. Call to Order/Roll Call: The Police and Fire Commission meet on March 27, 2025, in the Council Chambers of Mauston City Hall. Chair Brian McGuire called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. The members present were Katie Gruman (acting secretary), Brian McGuire, and Deborah Shuman. Absent was Gary Purvis and Jack Hammer. Police Chief Mike Zilisch, Fire Chief Brent Lenorud, and City Administrator Daron Haugh were also present. 2. Minutes: Motion made by McGuire, seconded by Shuman to approve the minutes of February 27, 2025. Motion carried. 3. Financial Report: Motion made by Gruman, seconded by McGuire to approve the February financial report. Motion carried. 4. Fire Chief's Report: a. Calls for service were reviewed and discussed. The committee also addressed concerns regarding members with minimal or no activity year to date and their current status within the department. Additionally, there was discussion about the costs associated with outfitting a firefighter with necessary gear. It was noted that the Technical College will be offering Officer Training, and multiple departments plan to send participants. The City of Mauston will serve as the host location for this training. Motion made by McGuire, seconded by Shuman to approve the Fire Chief's report. Motion carried. b. Ambulance and Fire Department paged to every call: Gruman provided an overview of the factors that led to the consideration of a reciprocity. City Administrator Haugh and Chief Zilisch will work together to analyze and clarify statistical data related to service calls, call-offs, and overall service demand. The discussion was tabled. No action was taken at this time. 5. Police Chief's Report: a. A review of calls for service for February was completed. Year-to-date, there have been 1,359 calls for service in 2025, compared to 1,084 calls during the same period in 2024. The "You Are Not Alone" (YANA) program recorded 53 contacts for the month of February 2025; there were no contacts reported in 2024. Welfare checks totaled 18 in February 2025, compared to 19 in 2024. Traffic stops increased to 320 in 2025, up from 225 in 2024. There were no complaints or training updates noted.The Emergency Replacement Fund has been replenished through savings identified in other budget areas.  Additionally, the Chief was able to secure an electronic message reader board to assist with public road notifications. The board measures 8 feet by 4 feet and will be available for use by multiple city departments. Motion made by Shuman, seconded by McGuire to approve the Police Chief's report. Motion carried. 6. Adjourn: Motion made by McGuire, seconded by Shuman to adjourn. Motion carried at 6:23 p.m. _________________________________ ________________________________ Chair Date