Police & Fire Commission

Police and Fire Commission Regular Meeting Minutes July 7, 2026 Attendance: Deb Rice, Nathan Manwiller, Will LeSuer, Council Liaison Kathy Kopp, Fire Chief Ryan Simmons, Chief of Police Josh Grabandt. Vikki Peterson and Jason Thompson were absent. • The meeting was called to order at 5:06 p.m. • Jason Thompson was nominated as president, Nathan Manwiller as Secretary, and Deb Rice as Vice President of the Police and Fire Commission. Approved unanimously (motion by LeSuer, second by Manwiller). • The meeting minutes for the June 9th regular meeting were approved unanimously (motion by Manwiller, second by Rice). • There were no citizen comments or observations. • Fire Department Update: Membership Update • Last month we discussed we had some members leave us due to graduation and others who just did not have the time to volunteer anymore due to life changes, and that we were currently at 45 volunteers. Since the last meeting, we have had 4 new volunteers go through the application process that will be coming on later this month. 2 of the 4 new volunteers already have their fire training and have been members of other volunteer fire departments for a few years. Report of Calls for Service • The fire department responded to 23 incidents in June. FD response summary for June is as follows: Fires ...................................... 6 Vehicle Crashes..................... 2 Gas Odor/CO Alarms ............. 0 Alarm System Activation ........ 7 EMS Lift Assist ....................... 0 Other ..................................... 8 Information Updates • Fire Station Project Update – The bioretention pond is in the process of being finished. The water retention pond will be completed as the final site grading occurs. The site will be seeded and have straw added to ensure grass develops properly. Landscaping work begins the first week of July with plantings to be installed by the end of the week. Trees on the site will not be planted until this fall.  Ceiling tiles are completed in most areas. The ceiling contractor is waiting for the remaining ceiling tiles to arrive before they can complete the ceilings and expect the tiles to arrive mid-July. The mechanical contractors have been on site starting up building systems and ensuring they are functioning properly. Equipment subcontractors have begun their work to include appliance install, audio/video installs, and furniture. These are expected to be completed by July 24th. Building cleaners will be arriving on July 13th to begin cleaning the building top to bottom in preparation for final inspection. We continue to be pleased with the progress being made and Kraemer Brothers anticipates the building being substantially completed by the end of July allowing the fire department to begin moving in August/ September 2026 with a grand opening/ribbon cutting and open house planned to occur on Monday, October 5, 2026 @ 4:00pm. On Saturday, October 10th from 11:00am – 3:00pm, an open house will occur for a second opportunity for community members to view the new facility. • County Paging and Radio System – We continue to work with Grant County and Racom to resolve some issues with the new county paging and radio systems. We are still experiencing a decline in paging coverage as well as radio coverage. The new county radio system has also impacted our local radio channel and repeater as it is co-located on the county’s Platteville tower and shares much of the same antenna infrastructure. We continue to experience very large/drastic decrease in our radio repeater power output. As a result of this, we are having coverage issues and are unable to have clear radio communications in much of our rural coverage and within commercial properties within the city. There is no current solution to these issues, but we are continuing to work with our partners to find a resolution. Police Department Update: • Continued work on updating departmental policies to improve operational efficiency and reflect current best practices. • Advanced ordinance revisions for Council consideration, including updates to enforcement authority and fire prevention regulations. • Continued implementation planning for the Department of Military Affairs interoperable communications grant, including procurement of new portable and mobile radios. • Met with City Manager to discuss departmental priorities, staffing needs, organizational goals, and future budget planning. • Continued evaluating long-term dispatch operations and regional communications opportunities. • Began developing a multi-year replacement plan for aging TASER equipment to ensure officer safety and equipment reliability. • Continued planning for the department's 2027 budget, with emphasis on staffing, technology, and capital equipment needs. • Supported regional public safety partnerships, including providing a letter of support for a human trafficking training opportunity. • Began the process of exploring the development of a K9 program, which is aligned with the City Strategic Plan A motion by LeSuer and a second by Manwiller was made to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously at 6:03pm. Respectfully Submitted, Josh Grabandt Chief of Police