West Bend council names city dispatch wireless 911 PSAP, approves Creekside rezoning, traffic changes and $3,000 Walmart grant; moves to closed session

The West Bend Common Council on May 19 unanimously approved designating the City of West Bend dispatch center as the wireless 911 public safety answering point (PSAP) for calls generated inside the city, adopted zoning and land‑use changes for the Creekside subdivision, approved several traffic‑safety amendments to the city traffic manual, accepted a $3,000 Walmart Spark Good Grant and confirmed multiple appointments and license renewals before adjourning into a closed session to review candidates for the city administrator position.

The PSAP designation was presented as part of the city's Next Generation 9-1-1 transition. Chief Gearing said Washington County will remain a secondary answering point and that Captain Grinwald and city IT staff have been working with carriers and consultants to implement the system. "We are hoping May 21 is our target date," Chief Gearing said. Council members were told the transition was funded in part by a 2022 grant from the governor's office and by city appropriations the council previously approved.

Why it matters: the change routes wireless 911 calls generated within the city directly to West Bend dispatch, rather than first to the county, which officials said will reduce triage delays and improve response times for incidents in city limits.

Council action and details

- Next Generation 9-1-1 / PSAP designation: The council…