Mayor's Community Update - 02/01/2019
Greetings! A safe community is essential to promote a strong quality of life. As needs in the community change, we continue to see increased demands on our public safety resources, including higher call volumes for police, fire and emergency management services. Recognizing these changes, the Common Council made safety a priority when our current Strategic Plan was compiled. This document has been used to direct policy and spending to ensure staff has the tools needed to meet our goals and objectives. Investments in hiring the right staff and providing ongoing training and resources for those individuals are essential to achieving our stated goals. I’m proud to say that our work is paying off. Waupun was recently named one of the safest cities in Wisconsin according to the National Council for Home Safety and Security which shows Waupun ranked 9th in the state, up from 14th the year prior. To identify the safest cities in Wisconsin, the Council reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics. A total of 7,639 cities were factored into this ranking with populations ranging from 7,639 to 4,007,147. I want to take this time to recognize the dedication and commitment of our staff that are charged with implementing plans to increase safety within the community.
As I stated back in August following the storm, the daily work this team does to plan and train is essential to ensure a proactive and comprehensive response to both daily and emergency response needs. As I write this, our latest threat is coming from extreme winter weather conditions. Please know that this situation has given our team yet another reason to review our emergency response protocols to ensure safety for all. Through teamwork, we have fostered stronger collaboration and strengthened response protocols. Please know that we are working hard to ensure a strong and safe quality of life for all residents. I ask that you extend congratulations to our staff for a job well done when you see them around the community.
Around town, the annual Empty Bowls event that was scheduled for Wednesday, January 30, 2019 has been postponed until Wednesday, February 13, 2019 due to the extreme cold. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit REACH Waupun and the Waupun Food Pantry. Also, the Waupun Public Library has been doing some innovative programming and will be bringing a Windowsill Herb class to the public on Tuesday, February 5, at 6 p.m. Master Gardener Carol Shirk will offer tips on growing herbs and recipes that use fresh herbs. As part of the class you’ll be able to plant an herb to take home. I hope to see you there!
