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Council hears police, fire and parks updates; longtime firefighter retires
Summary
Police and fire chiefs reported staffing updates and seasonal activity; the fire chief announced Dennis Schwarz’s retirement after 46 years. The park board reported festival planning, bench and playground proposals (bench program ~ $4,000; moving a climbing structure ~ $10,000) and asked staff to address trash and vendor layout concerns for homecoming.
Council received routine departmental reports from police, fire and parks representatives and heard several operational items and proposals.
Officer Adam (Officer Adam D) summarized May public‑safety activity: 372 calls taken in May, 50 cases opened and 79 code‑enforcement contacts. He said the town typically sees more driving‑related incidents in summer and noted a modest uptick in thefts and burglaries. Council members asked staff to review a signal timing/no‑turn issue at a busy intersection to reduce stacking and improve safety.
The fire chief reported 87 calls in May, that a firefighter‑paramedic will begin onboarding on June 30 and that three new part‑time hires will start in July. The chief also said the department’s communications tower is back in service. The chief announced that Dennis Schwarz retired on June 1 after 46 years of service and the council offered public thanks.
Park board member Linda reported that the board lacked a quorum at its last meeting but shared updates: a successful summer‑reading kickoff event, ongoing trash challenges during busy weekends (the board is considering overtime pay for staff to address cleanup), a proposal to purchase six heavy benches with an estimated total cost of about $4,000, and a proposal to move a climbing structure (estimated cost about $10,000) to reduce mulch on the splash pad. Linda also raised vendor spacing for homecoming events and suggested moving trucks back several feet so lines do not block sidewalks; she said the homecoming committee will be engaged on that issue.
Council accepted the reports and asked staff to continue monitoring public‑safety trends, to bring options on trash‑cleanup budgeting and to return with firm quotes and placement recommendations for the park projects.
