Public Safety Committee - October 28, 2026

The Monona Public Safety Committee meeting on October 28, 2026, focused on police and fire/EMS staffing, ambulance rates, and a proposed drone ordinance. Police representatives described rising call volumes, minimum staffing, officer-safety and overtime concerns, and asked for staffing and call-volume data to support discussion with the Common Council. The fire chief reported a 39% increase in calls since 2014, discussed budgeted staffing and overtime pressures, and said the department was exploring a more frequent second ambulance deployment. The fire/EMS budget under consideration was just over $1 million; no staffing-budget action was taken by the committee. Members also discussed a possible public-safety impact fee and a drone-first-responder program, but no funding or purchasing decision was made on those items. A new fire engine has been completed and is awaiting delivery; no cost or vendor was stated.

The committee voted to recommend 2027 ambulance-rate increases to the Common Council. The proposed typical BLS transport rate was $1,950, intended to keep Monona near the median of area agencies and projected to generate about $25,000–$26,000 in additional revenue from commercial insurance at current volume. The committee also approved recommending a proposed ordinance regulating drone use in specified circumstances, including at certain events and where privacy or safety concerns apply. No contract award, vendor selection, or other procurement approval was identified.