Recapping Tuesday’s Council Meeting: Police Accreditation, Community Block Grants, Sidewalks

Our police department does things the right way.

But don’t take my word for it. Ask its peers.

The department received its prestigious police department accreditation award from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting. The three-year accreditation comes after an exhaustive review of the department by the group earlier this year.

To receive the award, the department must comply with 238 wide-ranging standards, and it apparently did so with distinction.

West Allis Police Chief Mike Jungbluth presented South Milwaukee Chief Ann Wellens with the award, calling the department “exceptional” and saying “this agency walks the talk.” I can’t agree more. Congratulations to Chief Wellens and the entire department!

Among the other news coming out of Tuesday’s council meeting …

• The council approved allocating $54,608 in Community Development Block Grant funds to Human Concerns ($15,000), Interfaith ($6,000), the South Milwaukee School District ($21,608) and the city ($12,000) for various projects and other needs. The school district funds are for a project to upgrade the playground at Lakeview Elementary School, and Human Concerns plans to use $10,000 of its money for a new fire alarm system and outdoor sign. The city’s project is to improve our handicap door openers and sensors.
• We also approved spending more money on ongoing sidewalk improvements (up to $300,000 for the year) throughout the city (although mostly in the first, second and third districts). We originally approved a contract of $181,925 for this work earlier this year, but we want to take advantage of low concrete costs to get as much work done as we can. This work is overdue, and I consider this a sound investment in our city’s infrastructure.
• Former Mayor Chet Grobschmidt also presented an impressive plaque honoring Bucyrus International’s legacy that will be placed at Heritage Park on 10th and Milwaukee Avenues. Oddly enough, the plaque was made before Caterpillar announced that it was dropping the Bucyrus name last week. Now it looks like that plaque will be one of the few physical reminders Bucyrus even existed.