Public Safety Committee - July 8, 2026

The Public Safety Committee meeting held on July 8, 2026, focused primarily on community safety concerns, emergency services updates, and upcoming capital improvement projects. A resident raised issues about pedestrian safety near Alt Street and the park driveway, highlighting the need for a walkway and traffic calming measures. The police department reported on a major transition to a cloud-based 911 dispatch system with AI-enhanced call handling, and noted trends in traffic stops and arrests. Fire and EMS departments discussed increased call volumes, staffing challenges, and ongoing training efforts. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the fire and EMS levy proposals, including a 1.5 mill renewal with a 1 million mill reduction for fire services and a 1 million mill increase for EMS, with detailed projections on revenue, capital equipment needs, and staffing expansions planned for 2028 and beyond. The committee also discussed the potential installation of speed tables on West Street as a traffic calming measure. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, but plans for further council work sessions and special meetings to advance levy legislation were mentioned.