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Fire department keeps ISO2 rating; committee hears sheriff statistics and mayor’s-court citation concerns
Summary
The assistant fire chief reported the Woodlon Fire Department maintained an ISO2 rating and described inspection activity and access problems on narrow streets; Sergeant Ken Coup presented arrest and traffic statistics and confirmed that traffic citations are being sent downtown to county court, prompting committee concerns about lost revenue and contract terms with the sheriff’s office.
The committee heard two public-safety updates on April 6 that covered fire operations, department ratings and law-enforcement activity.
Jonathan Jenkins, assistant fire chief for the Woodlon Fire Department, described December–March incident counts, training and inspections. Jenkins said the department recently completed an ISO review and "maintained ISO2 status," and that the department was "four points away from an ISO1"—a rating Jenkins said is rare and would make commercial insurance rates more favorable. He explained inspections were reduced in winter months and resumed in February; the report enumerated 12 inspections in Woodlon and three in Lincoln Heights for the month noted. Jenkins also flagged street-access constraints and offered to follow up on specific addresses; he recommended painting curb setback/no-parking areas on narrow dead-end streets to improve maneuverability and response times.
Sergeant Ken Coup of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office presented monthly law-enforcement statistics for November through March, covering misdemeanor and warrant arrests, stolen-vehicle recoveries, medical and noncriminal reports, and traffic enforcement (citations and warnings). When asked whether traffic citations are adjudicated in the village mayor’s court, Coup said those citations are being sent downtown: "They all get sent downtown," he said, and he offered to follow up with detail on when and why the practice began.
Council members and staff flagged that routing citations to the county reduces village revenue and recommended reviewing contract terms with the sheriff’s office. The village manager said contract negotiations with the sheriff and with the Woodlon Fire Department are scheduled to be addressed before the contracts expire at the end of the year and that staff will initiate negotiations following committee guidance.
Next steps: staff will follow up to identify which streets present access challenges, provide the requested inspection/address list and begin contract discussions with the sheriff’s office to determine whether citation handling and related revenue-sharing can be changed.
