Weekly Report
Weekly Report 6/15/12
City Water Utility Working with Marquette University and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Researchers on "Smart" Water Meter Project
Police Department Accreditation Team to Visit Next Week
City and University Unveil Parking Plan for Prince and Prairie Streets
Retired City Manager to Assist During Upcoming Transition
Whitewater Has Three of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel 2012 Top Twenty-Five Workplaces
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Walworth County; City Set to Activate Emerald Ash Borer Plan
City Water Utility Working with Marquette University and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Researchers on “Smart” Water Meter Project
Last year, the City Water Utility implemented a new automated meter reading (AMR) system. Wisconsin-based Badger Meter was the City’s selected vendor for this project which has been very well received by our customers.
As part of the implementation of the AMR system, the Whitewater Water Utility is working with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Marquette University (provider of the H2OScore.com dashboard) on examining the impact of the City’s “smart” metering system on meter usage.
In the next week or so, random water utility residential customers will be chosen to participate in this research project and will receive a letter in the US Mail with detailed instructions on how to participate. These selected random customers will have access to the web-based H2OScore.com dashboard that will allow them to see and monitor their water usage. With this system, customers will be able to track water usage on a daily basis rather than only once per month. Additionally, there will be the ability to compare usage to previous months and with average users throughout the city.
This pilot project will occur from June, 2012 until June of next year and will assist in customer access of these new water metering technologies.
You can learn more about the project and the H2OScore.com tool at: Http://facstaff.uww.edu/compas/water
Police Department Accreditation Team to Visit Next Week
The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) will be sending a team to Whitewater next week to assess the Whitewater Police Department. The team of assessors will conduct their assessment of our department from next Wednesday, June 20th, through Friday, June 22nd. As part of its on-site assessment, the WILEAG accreditation team is inviting members of the community to offer their comments about the Whitewater Police Department at a public information session that will be held next Thursday, June 22nd starting at 6:00 p.m. This session will be held in the Community Room of the Municipal Building. If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session and would still like to provide comment, they may do so by telephone. The public may call (262)473-1377 on Friday, June 22nd, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to leave a message.
Also, persons wishing to offer written comments about the Whitewater Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write to the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group, c/o Tim Kriz, Program Manager, 2720 Boles Circle, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495.
City and University Unveil Parking Plan for Prairie and Prince Streets
Earlier this year, the City and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for reconstruction of Prince Street and the repaving of Prairie Street. Both streets are adjacent to the UW-Whitewater campus. As part of that MOU, the University and the City agreed to study ways to make on-street parking be part of the University parking system.
Last week, the Common Council approved another agreement between the City and the University regarding parking on these two public streets. This agreement provides that the City will lease portions of both Prince and Prairie Streets adjacent to the University for use for parking purposes only (the City will retain responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the leased parking spaces and adjacent street driving surfaces including street surface repair, pavement marking and snow/ice removal).
In exchange for leasing these parking spaces, the University will pay the City a sum of $40,000 annually beginning in September of 2012. This amount will increase to $45,000 in 2017 until the term of the agreement ends in 2022. These funds will be used for future City street repair and maintenance purposes.
Pursuant to the original MOU between the two parties, the on-street parking will be consistent with current University parking fees and procedures. The University is looking at a combination of metered and permit parking along these two city streets. The University will also be responsible for parking violation enforcement.
Special thanks to Chancellor Richard Telfer and Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Jeff Arnold for their work on negotiating these two agreements with the City.
Retired City Manager to Assist During Upcoming Transition
As most of you know, I have resigned my position as City Manager effective next Friday, June 22nd and current Assistant City Manager, Cameron Clapper, will be serving as interim City Manager after I depart. At its meeting last Thursday, the Common Council approved hiring retired city manager Ed Madere, who lives in Janesville, to assist Cameron during the upcoming transition period.
Mr. Madere received his undergraduate degree from UW- Whitewater in 1969 as well as a Master of Arts in Public Affairs from Northern Illinois University in 1974. He subsequently served in local government management positions for the next 35 years, including stints in Homewood, Illinois; Brighton, Michigan; West Windsor Township, New Jersey; Shorewood, Wisconsin; and Warrenton, Oregon. He also served as interim City Administrator for the City of Waupun in 2009-2010.
Madere will be serving as a limited term part time employee and will work at the direction of Cameron Clapper. He will be focusing on budget and economic development issues.
Whitewater Has Three of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel 2012 Top Twenty-Five Workplaces
Recently, the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel released its rankings of the top workplaces in southeastern Wisconsin. Whitewater is very fortunate to have three of the top 25 large organization (100+ employees) workplaces: 13th – HUSCO International; 22nd – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; and 23rd – Generac Power Systems.
Kudos to HUSCO, UW-Whitewater and Generac Power Systems for being acknowledged as such great places to work!
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Walworth County; City Set to Activate Emerald Ash Borer Plan
An adult Emerald Ash Borer Beetle (EAB) was collected last Thursday, June 7th, near a tree that displayed signs of EAB infestation on a private woodlot in southern Walworth County. The location is roughly ten miles southwest of Lake Geneva and about thirty-five miles southeast of Whitewater. EAB surveyors with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection were notified of the possible infestation by a colleague with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The specimen was sent to federal identifiers and subsequently confirmed as EAB on Monday, June 11, 2012.
The tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer has been discovered so far in ten Wisconsin counties including the recent addition of Walworth County. The other counties are Brown, Crawford, Kenosha, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Vernon and Washington. Walworth County will be quarantined soon. Neighboring counties may be added to the quarantine pending further review. The City of Whitewater has an Emerald Ash Borer plan in place and it is available for public review on the City website as well as other information on Whitewater urban forestry. Residents of the city should contact City Forester Nass, a certified arborist or other tree care professionals for help in determining if their ash trees are at risk and a course of action to undertake if warranted. Information about the EAB can be found on the website at www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov.
Quote for the Week
“Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph: a beginning, a struggle, and a victory.” Mahatma Gandhi