Top Stories, October 6th

BDPFC Advances Police and Fire Budgets

10/6/10 - The Beaver Dam police department’s 2011 operating budget will have to accommodate never-before-seen expenses related to the new police station, which is slated to open by this time next year. The Police and Fire Commission last night approved the department’s preliminary budget, which now goes to the Administrative Committee. City leaders had asked department heads to try and limit their year-to-year increase to no more than three percent. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says the police department now has to pay for its own electricity, water and maintenance person, and the new expenses bring the proposed increase to 4.15%. He budged $37,000 for to cover costs in the final quarter of next year. The department is also seeking to purchase an electronic Evidence Management System at a cost of $25,000. Schubert says right now everything is handwritten and the entire evidence room needs to be inventoried for the move to the new facility. The PFC also signed-off on the fire departments budget with a 5.76% increase. Chief Alan Mannel says calls for service have doubled since 1997, which is the last time there was a staffing increase. He is asking for an additional firefighter/ paramedic to work during their busiest times and help reduce overtime.

BDFD Interfacility Transport Revenue Down

10/6/10 - Revenue from the Beaver Dam Fire Department’s Interfacility Transport Program is down for the year by around $100,000. The program was established by former Fire Chief George Sheets in mid-2007 to generate revenue by transporting patients between hospitals. Current Fire Chief Alan Mannel says increased competition in the private sector and a lack of qualified part time personnel is eating into the profit margin. Interfacility transport revenue for the current year was estimated to be $300,000, based on projections from previous years. That was before three private ambulance services took root in Beaver Dam and the Community Hospital implemented a policy to use all four on a rotating basis. As of August, the program has only generated $127,000 and based on the collection rate Mannel is projecting revenue of $200,000 by years end. Conversely, the city’s recently-implemented Paramedic program is exceeding revenue projections. The paramedic program is an upgrade to city ambulance service and is not intended as a revenue-generator, but Mannel says it is basically paying for itself. As of August, the department has collected $362,000, which is just shy of the $383,000 that was projected for the entire year. At this rate, Mannel is anticipating gross revenue from the paramedic-level ambulance calls to top a half million dollars. Chief Mannel will be our guest on WBEV’s Community Comment this afternoon.

Waupun Loses $400K To Open Enrollment

10/6/10 - Enrollment numbers for the Waupun School District are down about 2.75-percent over last year. That’s the word from Business Director John Stellmacher, who says there are 1,976 kids of school age in the district. That includes the 127 students that have opted out, and the 12 students that have opted into the district through open enrollment. The enrollment figures are part of the formula used by the state to determine financial aid to districts. Waupun Superintendent Don Childs says the kids leaving the district result in a loss of about $400,000 in revenue. That’s one reason the district has shown support of a movement to bring the percentage of kids that can open enroll from a district from 10-percent back to the 3-percent that was originally allowed under state statute. Childs says the proposed resolution may be brought up for a vote at the yearly meeting of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. If it were approved there it would possibly move on to the state legislature.

Utility Assistance Need Projected To Increase

10/6/10 - About 10-percent more Wisconsinites are expected to get government assistance to heat their homes this winter. State officials expect 237-thousand low-income households to receive heating aid, about 21-thousand more than last winter. A year ago, 28-percent more people received assistance after the state changed its criteria for getting it. Families must now make less than 60-percent of the state’s median income, instead of 150-percent of the federal poverty level. The state says a family-of-four can be eligible if it makes about 47-thousand dollars or less. The aid is funded by federal tax dollars and charges on utility bills. Brian Manthey of We Energies, which represents the southern half and far eastern parts Dodge County, says those who’ve lost their jobs might be eligible even if they exceed the full year’s income limits. He said people in hard economic situations – even if they happened just recently – should check into getting heating assistance.

No Shortage Of Electricity in Wisconsin

Wisconsinites are paying more for their electricity than folks in other Midwest states – but they won’t be running out of it any time soon. That’s according to the latest Strategic Energy Assessment put out every two years by the state’s utility regulating agency. The Public Service Commission says Wisconsin has more than enough juice to meet its electric needs through at least 2016. And for the next four years, the state will have at least 24-percent more power than it needs, thanks to the building of new power plants and the impact from the recession. The P-S-C said the demand for power will grow at about one-percent a year. That’s a slower rate over the next seven years than before the recession began. The report said Wisconsin utilities could find a better opportunity to export power to other states. It says the market is still evolving, but there’s a chance for excess power sales to benefit utility customers. Also, the commission is trying to determine if older power plants should be retired or moth-balled as a result of the power surplus.

DNR Offers Flood Damage Advice

10/6/10 - If you have to replace a culvert or a small bridge after the recent floods, the state D-N-R wants you to call them for advice. Officials say hasty-and-incorrect repairs can cause wash-outs in the next floods. And the D-N-R says a phone call would provide immediate tips on the sizing of culverts and other concerns. Officials say anyone who needs to replace bridges and culverts more than two-feet long should call the agency.