Reflections for the Week of May 22-26

Police Admin:

• Meetings: Terrawe, Polis, FirstNet, Metis, IACP.

Police Communications/Intelligence:

• Coordinated 688 calls for service.

• Completed 3 report requests.

• 3 firearm permit issued.

Police Operations:

• 0 K9 deployments.

• 4 accidents.

• 1 DUI.

• 3 Building Checks.

• 22 Community Contacts/Business Checks.

• 10 Child Welfare Investigations.

• 3 Traffic Stops.

• 0 Vacation House Checks.

• 19 Active Investigations.

• 15 Cases Resolved.

PAARI:

• 47 Calls for service YTD.

• 19 Offers for service YTD.

• 25 Active Service YTD.

• 18 Medical Service Referrals YTD.

• 13 Financial Service Referrals YTD.

• 15 Employment Coaching YTD.

• 2 Graduates YTD.

• 0 Known relapses YTD.

Animal Control:

• 22 Animal Calls.

• 4 Dog Impounds. 0 dogs currently in the shelter.

• 2 Cat Impounds. 0 cats currently in the shelter.

Code Enforcement:

• 40 Code enforcement issues.

Notable Service:

• Satisfaction rating 91.1%.

Finance:

• Attended leadership workshop.

• Final Entity registration completed and approved.

• Transit reimbursement request submitted to NDOT.

• Budget work-research for anticipated capital projects.

• Collaborated with APD to provide documents for FOIA request.

• Attended EAC meeting.

Electric:

• The outage on Sunday went well with all power restored in just over 6 hours, the work performed by WAPA is a major improvement on system reliability, while the outage was occurring we performed work at Parker Plant tap pole, at the intersection of Kansas street and CR 60 and at the 10th street substation. Monday morning we switched all of the electric system back to “normal” feeds.

• Replaced a pole in the Flack/Hudson 1100 block alley.

• Installed two new cabinets and a new transformer in Lakefield Addition as part of our underground preventative maintenance program.

• Changed out several older porcelain cutouts on overhead system.

• Assisted Senior Center by helping unload a semi of food.

• Assisted INAlert with cable installation on Toluca water tower.

• Replaced transformer and upgraded service in A row of Meadows Trailer Court.

• Repaired/replaced numerous streetlights.

• Performed maintenance on lighting system and underground transformers at Softball Complex.

Fire:

• Weekly department training was live fire training along with search and rescue techniques at our fire training facility.

• Staff assisted with retrieving parts off the Bank of the West Flag Pole utilizing Aerial 350 so that contractors in the future could make repairs.

• Department members placed flags on departed fire department members’ headstones at the cemeteries for Memorial Day.

Human Resources:

• Priority for Human Resources over the past three weeks has been the hiring of Seasonal Employees. This has included Payroll and HR account setup, contacting and meeting with each new hire, and mandatory reporting and processing of all 60 individual positions filled so far (14 scheduled to start between 5/22-5/30).

• HR has also completed the hiring of our newest Full Time Public Safety Dispatcher, Donovan Robles. Welcome, Donovan!

• Interviews and pre-employment conditions are pending for three new full time hires with additional applications being processed and applicant testing scheduled for completion.

• HR continues administering and coordinating benefit enrollment for full and designated part time employees, including medical/dental/vision/life insurance and retirement.

• Applications are being accepted for Full Time Police Officer, Street Maintenance Worker, Landfill Heavy Equipment Operator, Electric Department Secretary. Also accepting applications for the part-time position of Public Transit Driver that includes part-time benefits and Nutrition Site Delivery Driver.

Water/Sewer:

• Ran APUs for Power outage.

• Ran pivots to trouble shoot problems, changed flat tire on south pivot.

• Tore apart pumps 1 and 3 A station removed debris from both pumps.

• Weekly water samples. Tested chlorine residuals.

• Worked on chlorine pumps at swimming pool.

• Cleaned 8200 feet of sewer line.

• Moved Penny Press to Carhenge. Moved paper for Utility Office.

• 8 Work orders completed.

• Completed 48 utility locates.

Public Transit:

• 570 riders.

• Running medical only on Monday, May 29th.

Knight Museum:

• The museum provided a room for the Highland Workshop. This will be a weekly ongoing training through June.

• They have welcomed many out of town visitors.

• Reliable Painting from Chadron is also giving the museum a facelift. The building and supporting beams are now being painted.

• The Nebraska Artists Paintings are still on display.

• Two Red Cross CPR Training classes were held.

• Becci provided two guided school tours to out of town schools.

• Staff is prepping for Memorial Day at the Alliance Cemetery. Museum employees will be available on Friday from 2-4 pm. Staff will also be present on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 9 am to 5 pm weather permitting, to assist visitors with questions and grave locations. Friday from 2-4 includes a witching demonstration, instructions on using the Kiosk and some interesting history on the beginning of the cemetery.

Parks:

• The fountain has been cleaned, filled and is now running.

• Staff trimmed and mowed the cemetery for Memorial Day. They also cleaned off headstones and straightened the ones that needed it. They filled sunken graves and holes and replaced sod.

• Grass clippings were removed.

• The pool is balanced and pumps are running for opening day on May 27th, weather permitting.

• Staff also mowed the ballfields twice this week as well as Laing Park, Bower Park and the dog park.

CLS:

• Flowers have arrived and will be planted downtown and at various locations.

• Carhenge was repainted and the autograph car is ready for new signatures. The gift shop is open and stocked with fun souvenirs. New signage has been ordered and will be installed soon.

Library:

• Registration for the library’s Farmer’s Market is in full swing! The first market is planned for Thursday, June 15 from 5-7PM. All vendors who make or grow their items are invited to apply! Please call or stop in the library for more information.

• Adult Services Librarian Nalani Stewart hosted a discussion on “The Wife Upstairs” at the APL Book Club and also conducted a book club meeting at Highland Park Care Center. She created a new “Road Trip Reads” display, added a new game item to the collection, and shelf read with Technical Services Librarian Emily Nelson.

• Children’s Librarian Cynthia Horn continued registration for the “All Together Now” Summer Reading Program which features weekly prizes from local restaurants and the Nebraska State Fair, as well as special prize drawings for those who complete all five weeks of reading. The first event this week is a Sharing & Caring Story Time featuring special guests, Christa Fulk and Danielle Walters, plus music and an outdoor adventure with sidewalk chalk art. Cynthia has also been distributing photos and crafts left by children during the 2022-2023 story time season and preparing features for the Wiggleworm feature on the library’s website.

• Technical Services Librarian Emily Nelson updated the website, created slides for the summer reading events, and updated other programming information. She also made the weekly Book Mobile deliveries, processed Interlibrary Loans, and assisted patrons on the computers.

• Library Clerks Pam Becker and Kris Wilder have been processing summer reading materials and helping develop some new and exciting things to come for the library!