Bimonthly department reports are in for the end of February.
Accepted March 2 in the bimonthly administrator’s report with motion by Wards 1 and 8 Alderperson Mark Fitzsimmons and seconded by Wards 4 to 7 and 9 Alderperson Laurie Foster, these are the department updates for Stanley city government.

Clerk’s Office
Starting with the Clerk’s Office, City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Nicole Pilgrim reported work on several items, including accounts payable, payroll, bank reconciliation and fund totals work, detailed fund balancing and research, and the Personnel Committee Meeting. Pilgrim also reported receiving Community Endowment Fund applications and meeting scheduling, along with a 3-year community center cost comparison, meeting minutes, a library reimbursement request, and fielding of customer concerns. There were no operator license approvals.

Police
Writing in the police chief’s report, Stanley Police Chief Lance Weiland shared that the pre-employment background check was still ongoing, with Weiland hoping to have things wrapped up within a week, leading to the medical, vision, drug screening portion of the hiring process.
Also in the police chief’s report, Weiland reported that Officer Andrew Holty had recently attended the Active Threat Integrate Response Conference at Wisconsin Dells from Feb. 18 to 20, while Officer Tyler Lewien and Officer Johnson had attended the AR-15 Advanced Armorer Course at CVTC in Eau Claire from Feb. 23 to 24. “It will be great to have staff in-house that we can rely on to ensure our equipment is safe and operating as it should and allows for routine maintenance as needed to prevent potential issues,” Weiland wrote the council.
In news of planned training meanwhile Weiland shared that Chippewa County law enforcement would be participating in annual active response training from March 10 to 12 at Bloomer High School. The scenario-based training put on by firearms instructors is now in its fourth year and rotates to a new school each year, allowing law enforcement to train for situations involving an active threat.
Weiland reported that the department is currently working with entities to conduct room and building clearing exercises along with officers throughout the county, allowing officers to refine their skills while also familiarizing with locations within the city that they may be called at some point, with building schematics deemed “very beneficial.” The exercises will be conducted when buildings are closed and do not interfere with day to day operations, requiring prior approval and coordination from the owner or entity involved.
Also reported by Weiland meanwhile was a series of court proceedings for March, with officers scheduled for presence at preliminary hearings, court trials, and a jury trial. “Often court proceedings get cancelled at the last minute due to some type of settlement agreement between the defense and prosecution, but we always prepare as needed as if the matter will proceed as scheduled,” Weiland wrote of court matters.
Shared to Facebook after the council meeting was suspension of winter parking hours in both Stanley and Boyd, with residents asked to move their cars off street if a winter storm intervenes between now and April.

Fire
Writing in the fire chief’s report, Stanley Fire Chief Ron Patten reported one carbon monoxide call and seven EMS calls, as well requesting 30 training hours each for Travis Alger, Jody Halterman and Hunter Brandt on ICS 300 at the Chippewa Falls Fire Department from April 24 to 26.
As for work completed in the past two weeks Patten reported normal office work, minor upkeep of equipment and trucks, monthly truck checks, ladder truck training for firefighters on Feb. 23, and EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) training with Boyd-Edson-Delmar EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians).
As for work planned, Patten reported office work, updating of records, weekly SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and PASS Alarm checks. Normal monthly trainings are planned as well.

Water
Contained in the water report under work done, water operator Ben Blair reported normal plant operations, February samples and testing, working with Duane on plant operation, finding and fixing a Trailer Park main leak, and a spiral crack in the line from Well 3 to the central treatment plant.
Under work planned the next two weeks, Blair reported a hydrant rebuild on Pine Street, normal plant operations, testing, additional ozone tank cleaning, a compressor replacement at Well 3, and DNR reporting. Blair closed his report by reporting planned training attendance at the Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) on March 2, March 4, and April 1.
Wastewater
Contained in the wastewater report under work done, sewer operator Jake Lukes reported normal plant operations along with TSS, PH, BOD, DO, and P04 testing on industries and influent and effluent. Lukes further reported continuing optimization to consistently meet the state imposed phosphorous limit of 0.075, adjusting of waste levels to maintain biological phosphorous removal, pressing and hauling of sludge, mowing of reed beds, and a DMR Report for DNR for February. Lukes closed out work done by reporting that Crane Engineering had accessed the fine screen at the Main Lift Station, and that Korenuk’s Heating had looked at the heater at the main lift station.
As for work planned at the wastewater department, Lukes reported daily plant operations, sludge pumping and hauling, continued maintenance work and Crane Engineering coming to remove the fine screen, as well as plans for an online wastewater treatment class.

Streets, Grounds, and Cemetery
Closing out department reports with the Streets, Grounds, and Cemetery department, Streets and Grounds foreman Joe Schmitt reported several items. Listed among them were snowplowing and sanding the streets, trash pickup throughout the city, feed and watering of the elk herd and a street floods on Madison and Dodge Streets Feb. 18. The floods caused by frozen storm drains were dealt with by chiseling ice away from the roads and catch basin on Madison, while Dodge will require a plan to go in and fix as there were drainage issues with an improperly installed outlet pipe. Schmitt also reported an after hours call from the police department for an elk calf stuck on ice and unable to get off as well as several calls to the city on the Feb. 24 regarding brown and dirty water, resulting in four city employees working to chase down the cause. the problem in the region of Broadway and McKnight Street cleared up over a few hours, with ADM found to have done a rapid flush involving around 500 gallons during the time in question.
Also in work done, Schmitt reported new campsite number signs at the campground, along with serving of city machinery and installation of new LED lights under the highway bridge. Christmas lights are in the process of being taken down, with the campground next for light removal.
As for work planned, Schmitt listed snowplowing and sanding of the streets along with other routine items, as well as plans to put roof steel on the salt and sand shed and finish up trim work. Pothole filling is in order as weather permits, with Schmitt sharing plans to service two of the city’s old zero turn mower and purchase of more round bales for the elk.
“Due to the crazy chilly weather we have went through a shed of hay this year,” he wrote. The grader recently sold at Swiderski’s bringing the machine outlay revenue to $127,000, while Schmitt reported “a lot of time” invested in the water department over the last two weeks, Dave Mendoza having 25 hours towards water and Schmitt having 31.