Protective Services — Minutes

Meeting Minutes PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, April 8th, 2026, 5:00 PM TOWN CONFERENCE ROOM W3728 Franklin Walsh St. Zenda, WI. 53195 1. Call to Order – 5:00pm 2. Roll call: Weiss, Zimmerman, Palmer, Pillman (absent) 3. Approve minutes of previous meeting – March 4, 2026: Supervisor M. Zimmerman offered the following corrections to the March 4th: - Page 2, Roll Call: Remove “Maloney”; he is not a member of this committee. - Page 3, Parking Ordinances, fourth paragraph: Change “Supervisor Pillman” to “Mr. Pillman.” - Page 4, Squad Car Auction, second paragraph: The motion was seconded by Supervisor Palmer, not as originally written. - Administrator-Treasurer Zimmerman will make the corrections. - Supervisor Zimmerman motioned to approve. Mr. Palmer seconded. All voted, Aye. Motion carried. 4. Comments from the Public: - No comments were made from the in-person or online attendees. 5. Police Profit & Loss Statement – March 2026 Administrator-Treasurer David Zimmerman presented. Highlights: - Police investigations are at 52% of budget; immunizations/screenings and background check expenses relate to new hire Tom Friedbacher. - Salaries are on track after the first quarter. - The annual Pro Phoenix/Officer Safety subscription has been fully expensed. - Police outlay (79%) reflects upfitting of the new vehicle purchased last year. - Mr. Palmer inquired about the timing of payments to the Lake Geneva Law Enforcement Agency and Water Safety Patrol. Chairman Weiss indicated they are usually paid quarterly but staff will verify last year’s schedule. - Supervisor Zimmerman motioned to approve the minutes as corrected. Seconded by Mr. Palmer. All voted Aye. Motion carried. 6. Fire Department Profit & Loss Statement – March 2026 Administrator-Treasurer Zimmerman presented. - The first‑quarter invoice for Lake Geneva staffing is expected shortly after April 15. The audit is progressing; once the quality review team approves, certain expenses will be moved back to 2025. - The current statement shows $701,470 for Lake Geneva Staffing. $701,470 represents Q3 and Q4 2025 invoices. 2026 expenses should reflect $0 as we are still awaiting Q1 invoice. - Mr. Palmer motioned to approve the minutes as corrected. Seconded by Supervisor Zimmerman. All voted Aye. Motion carried. 7. Police Department – all items for discussion/possible action a) Monthly Police Report: Lt. Gunyon and Detective Strohm presented several notable incidents from the past month rather than a high‑level summary: - March 3 – A pursuit that began in Richmond, IL, ended when the suspect vehicle struck a house on South Lake Shore Drive. The driver, who had rammed a squad car and committed battery to law enforcement, was arrested on multiple felonies. An infant in the vehicle was treated for minor injuries. - March 8 – A reported structure fire on Hillside Road was an oven fire. Officer Ryan ensured all occupants were out, and a skid steer was used by the property owner to remove the burning oven, likely saving the house. - March 9 – New Officer Tom Friedbacher, a certified Drug Recognition Expert (one of only 365 in the state), assisted the Sheriff’s Office with a DRE evaluation that resulted in an OWI arrest. The Town is reimbursed for his overtime by the state. - March 16 – During a heavy snowstorm, a vehicle wanted in connection with a suicidal‑ideation call and an earlier crash in Illinois was stopped on South Lake Shore Drive. Officer Rowe successfully deployed stop sticks; the vehicle came to rest in a ditch and the driver was taken into custody. The slow‑speed (35 mph) incident is classified as a vehicle pursuit. - March 27 – Officer Rowe clocked a vehicle on County B at Swamp Angel Road traveling 41 mph. The vehicle drove into the officer’s lane, nearly causing a head‑on collision, then fled into Illinois. Officer Rowe terminated the pursuit for public safety but later identified the driver; charges were referred to the District Attorney and a warrant has been issued. - A manure‑runoff incident on South Lake Shore Drive required a temporary road closure due to semi‑trucks blocking the roadway. Chief Dekowski proactively offered barricades, which was appreciated. b) Report – Police Department check book activity - Reviewed. No discussion. c) Report – Squad Mileage. Lt. Gunyon presented simplified mileage data. - Squad 4 has just been rotated into service with very low miles. - Squad 2 showed a noticeable mileage increase because it was used while Squad 1 was down for new tires, an alignment, and other maintenance. - Squad 3 had warranty work completed. - The old Squad 4 will be sent to auction on Friday, April 10. d) Parking Ordinance Changes Lt. Gunyon and Det. Strohm distributed a red‑lined draft ordinance based on research of neighboring jurisdictions’ codes. - The draft encompasses overnight parking at boat launches, trailers parked across multiple stalls, and boats with trailers. - Obsolete road names and confusing legal descriptions were cleaned up. The proposed language relies on proper signage, making the rules enforceable without repeated board action. - Chairman Weiss directed that the draft be sent to the Town Attorney for review, and that police staff audit the current signage at all launch sites. The item will return to the committee next month. No formal action was taken. e) Outside Employment Policy Changes Lt. Gunyon shared policies from Fontana, Lake Geneva, and Williams Bay. - All allow off‑duty security work with Chief’s permission. The red‑lined policy drafted by former Chief Albrecht, which requires entities to contract directly with the Town for private security services, was previously shared with the Town’s insurance carrier. - Because the exact expectations of the carrier are unclear, the committee agreed that Administrator Zimmerman and Lt. Gunyon will contact the insurance provider to clarify any concerns before any policy changes are adopted. - No action was taken. f) Command College Training Request - Lt. Gunyon requested approval to attend the Wisconsin Command College, a six‑week (spread over about one year) residential program that culminates in a Certified Public Manager credential from UW‑Madison. - The total program cost is $2,000 and is covered by the existing training budget. - Supervisor Zimmerman motioned to authorize the expenditure and attendance. Seconded by Mr. Palmer. All voted Aye. g) Walworth County Traffic Grant Program - Lt. Gunyon reported that, per Sgt. Frome of the Sheriff’s Office, no agency participating in the traffic grant program is willing to accept mutual‑aid targeted enforcement from another agency. - Therefore, only the Sheriff’s Office would perform targeted enforcement in the Town, alleviating earlier concerns about outside agencies writing citations locally. - The Traffic Safety Commission meeting has been rescheduled to April 29. 8. Fire/EMS Department a) Calls for Service - Fire Chief Peters reported a quiet month. Responses included six fire alarms, an ambulance call, a small brush fire caused by leaves igniting, the oven fire on Hillside Road, and a car‑vs.‑gas‑meter incident on Civil Lane. Call volume is already ramping up for the summer season. b) Monthly Report - The department continues to operate with a month‑behind reporting cycle due to Pro Phoenix RMS limitations; a search for a new system is underway. - February call volume averaged about 200 calls, on pace to exceed last year. - Two recent structure fires were traced to home lithium‑battery chargers. - The department will conduct public education on battery safety and on the dangers of leaving golf carts plugged in for extended periods. - Routine maintenance is underway. The technical rescue trailer is being prepared for return to service. Pump testing and hose testing are being performed this month to ensure readiness for summer. - During the prior night’s severe storms, one mooring line on the fire boat broke. The rear of the boat struck the pier, breaking a weld on the engine mount and cracking the engine cowling. Damage is cosmetic only; the boat remains in service. The department has replaced all lines with larger natural‑fiber rope, added criss‑cross mooring lines, and retrained personnel on proper tie‑down procedures. c) Fire/EMS Donated Funds Report - The Donated Funds balance stands at $53,341.93. - The $2,000 donation from the Big Foot Lions Club, used to purchase cold‑water rescue suits, will be formally approved at the next Town Board meeting as previously directed. 9. Adjournment: Supervisor Zimmerman motioned/Mr. Palmer Seconded. - All voted, Aye. – 5:50pm