Law Enforcement
The League's January 2021 E-Muni
Also read Chief Pileggi's article "20 Years of Changes in Policing" in the
January, The Municipality, pg. 8
Actively listening to individuals and the community is a theme on this month's League Local Perspective. Jerry Deschane, the League's Executive Director sat down virtually to talk about law enforcement in Wisconsin with Ken Pileggi. Chief Pileggi is not only the Chief of the City of Jefferson Police Department, he is also the President of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association. With a law enforcement career spanning 37 years, Chief Pileggi has seen policing change significantly over the years and while community expectations and technology have changed over the years, the Chief emphasizes that what has not changed is the need to listen to people and to be part of the community.
Read these articles in The Municipality online.

A Day in the Life of a Wisconsin Police Officer
January, The Municipality, pg. 4
Dean Smith, Chief of Police, City of Oshkosh - In Collaboration with His Officers

How Small Communities Provide Police Service
January, The Municipality, pg. 6
Steve Roux, Police Chief, City of Rice Lake

All-In-One Innovative Approach to Public Safety
January, The Municipality, pg. 7
James Small, Public Safety Department Director, Village of Palmyra

Additional Resources:

(Check out the League's Classifieds. Note - posting for League members is free.)

A New Way to Look at EMS
January, The Municipality, pg. 12
Jerry Deschane, Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities

Additional Resources
Lexipol Provides New Online Training
January, The Municipality, pg. 9

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance (LWMMI) has partnered with Lexipol to provide self-paced online courses written specifically for local government and public safety professionals. Courses are available on demand.

For our members, the LWMMI University offers all employees access to over 200 online training topics ranging from HR & Management, Safety, Public Works, Law Enforcement, and much more.

For Water and Wastewater, the LWMMI University courses can be used to fulfill required hours of annual training requirements. Wastewater professionals will simply need to submit their certificate of course completion directly to the DNR for training approval.

For law enforcement, the LWMMI Police University can be used to fulfill 8 of the 24 hours of annual training requirements with Department level approval.


Note: Access has already been granted for existing members and account holders. If your community is LWMMI insured but has not received this information and login materials, contact Sandy Hagen at LWMMI at email or 608-833-9595, ext 313.
On November 9, 2020, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) Board met and unanimously voted to grant accreditation status to the Milton Police Department for a three year term, expiring on November 9, 2023. This is the department’s second WILEAG reaccreditation. The department first received accreditation in 2014 and was reaccredited in 2017."  

League President Todd Schmidt Talks with Waunakee Village President Chris Zellmer

We learned that listening to the song "Humble and Kind" is part of Waunakee Village President Chris Zellmer's daily routine. Chris talked with the League's Board President aka Waunakee Village Administrator Todd Schmidt about how he approaches his role as a local elected official.
Todd welcomes your stories of leadership and humility. You can contact him at email. 
Tough State Budgeting Returns
January, The Municipality, pg. 14
Wisconsin Policy Forum

To balance the next two-year state budget, we find the state’s main fund would need to spend down its reserves by nearly $400 million even in the unlikely event that elected officials reject every new spending request from state agencies. The state does have substantial reserves to lean on but also faces massive additional costs for state health programs for those in need. Read the full report.


Legislative Gridlock Presents Opportunities and Challenges
January, The Municipality, pg. 15
Curt Witynski, JD, Deputy Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities
The Most Recent Legislative Bulletin & Capitol Buzz Newsletters

January 26 - Next Vaccine Phase Includes Utility Workers
January 25 - Bill Adjusts Date for Determining CPI for ERP Purposes
January 19 - Senate's COVID Relief Bill Removes Restrictions on Local Health Officers
January 11 - Assembly COVID Relief Bill Restricts Local Health Officers
Why We Feel So Right Doing the Wrong Thing
(and what we can do about it)
January, The Municipality, pg. 20
Eric Giordano, PhD, Executive Director, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, University of Wisconsin System

Why We Feel so Right Doing the Wrong Thing (PDF) January 2021 "Can we overcome this cycle of distrust and begin to reconcile our differences or are we locked into a predestined future of political strife and unrest? Fortunately, there is something we can do about it."

Watch "Two Bald Guys" on the WiPPS Facebook page live at noon on Fridays. January 29 they will discuss how the United States can bridge social and political divides.
Reducing Leaf Litter Contributions of Phosphorus and Nitrogen to Urban Stormwater through Municipal Leaf Collection and Street Cleaning Practices
January, The Municipality, pg. 23
William Selbig, Research Hydrologist, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, U.S Geological Survey and Jim Bachhuber

Learn more:


Leaf-Free Street Outreach for Clean Waters
January, The Municipalty, pg. 24
Christal Campbell, Stormwater Education Coordinator, Dane County Land and Water Resources Dept./Madison Area Municipal Stormwater Partnership (MAMSWaP)


Municipal Forestry Funding Source Survey
January, The Municipality, pg. 25
Curt Witynski, JD, Deputy Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities

"The League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry Team conducted a survey of municipalities in September and October of 2020 to learn more about how cities and villages pay for their forestry programs and activities." Read the magazine online.
Flood Resilience Scorecard
January, The Municipality, pg. 26
Erika Kluetmeier, Climate and Health Program, Department of Health Services

What is the Flood Resilience Scorecard?

The Flood Resilience Scorecard is a comprehensive, whole community-approach focused tool that can be used to evaluate flood vulnerability through three different lenses: environmental (Module 1), institutional (Module 2) and social (Module 3). Public officials are encouraged to complete all three modules; however, each can be considered independently if only certain portions are of interest. Each module is broken into five sections comprised of a series of multiple-choice questions. Based on responses to these questions, the scorecard provides a set of recommendations for decision-makers that could help improve community flood resilience as well as provide other local benefits.
Women in the Legislature
When the Wisconsin State Legislature convened in January 2021, women will hold 41 of the 132 total legislative seats (31%), setting a new Wisconsin record.

Learn more thanks to the Wisconsin Women's Council
Legal Articles
Qualified Immunity Acknowledges Legal Realities 
January, The Municipality, pg. 27
Kail Decker, City Attorney and Patrick Mitchell, Chief of Police, City of West Allis

Liability 438 Editorial by West Allis City Attorney Kail Decker and West Allis Police Chief
Patrick Mitchell provides a brief overview of qualified immunity and its importance to law enforcement, and explains why eliminating qualified immunity would be detrimental to communities. Read the article.
Remote Work
December, The Municipality, pg. 28
Elizabeth (Kazda) Yanke, MBA, Project Manager, League of Wisconsin Municipalities 

Since March 2020, municipalities had to quickly make decisions on which roles are essential for in-person operations
and which can be done remotely. It was the only way forward at the time. With the pandemic well under way and the finish line hopefully near, municipalities may be wondering what the next steps should be for their remote workers. This article will focus on remote work policies, fostering a productive and connected culture, and creating a plan to return to the office. Read the column. (PDF)

All HR Matters columns are posted to their own page on the League's website for reference.
BONUS
 Note - if you work for a League member municipality and previously shared a magazine with colleagues but would now like your own, please send an email with your mailing address to [email protected]   There is no additional cost.
I Love Wisconsin. Red and Pink Hearts Pattern Map of Wisconsin Isolated on White Background.
Janesville's Covid-19 Positive Employee Process Map & Quarantine Timelines
November, The Municipality, pg. 8


Join Us!
Chief Executives Special Winter Workshop
February 25, 2021 from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm via Zoom
  • Crisis Leadership; a local perspective
  • Alternative Revenue Sources 
  • Tips for high-performing legislative bodies

Please thank our sponsor! League Mutual Insurance
Local Government 101:
For New & Experienced Local Officials and Staff
May 7, May 21 and June 4 via Zoom

$70 - All online & may attend any LG 101 Webinar(s)

Take one, take a part, take all. Sign up now for the online webinar version and have the option to take the course all in one day or mix and match the four different modules during any of the webinars over a 12 month period following your registration. In addition to the online training, participants have the option of receiving a workbook in hard copy or as a USB. (More dates may follow in the second half of 2021.) Register NOW

Please thank our sponsors!
Clerks, Treasurers & Finance Officers Institute 
June 9-11, 2021 via Zoom
2021 Agenda (PDF)

Thank you to the CLERKS, TREASURERS & FINANCE OFFICERS INSTITUTE
COMMITTEE OFFICERS for putting together a great agenda.

$100 member; $125 non-member


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Reminder - League Virtual Roundtables
For Local Officials and Staff ONLY

Join us for our regular Roundtable Call - the 2nd Tuesday of every month
from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 12:00 to 1:00 pm