Burlington Spotlight
June 2005

FIRE RESPONSE AND ARSON INVESTIGATION

Kudos to the many participants for a job well done!

On Sunday, April 17, 2005, downtown Burlington was obscured by thick black smoke for several hours. Emergency Service members from the City of Burlington and several surrounding municipalities responded to a large fire at the Adelita's Grocery Store located at 161 E. Chestnut (the corner of Chestnut and Dodge streets). The fire was first reported just past 7:00 am. Fire fighters responded quickly and had it under control by 10:30 a.m. Though the building was ultimately a total loss, the fire was contained to just that location. It was completely extinguished by 2:00 p.m. but fire fighters and fire investigators remained on scene until late that evening. The fire was determined to be the result of arson. After 10 days of intense investigation, the Burlington Police Department arrested a suspect in the arson. He was subsequently charged with the crime and is awaiting trial. According to the State Fire Marshall's office only 23% of arson's in the State are solved which shows what a spectacular job the multi-agency investigative team has provided for the community.

This was an example of tremendous cooperation between city agencies and our neighboring municipalities. More than 60 members of the City Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene. The Burlington Rescue Squad responded and provided medical support. Members of the Street Department, led by Larry Gobel, responded to divert traffic and make sure that the streets around the fire scene remained clear. Members of the Water Utility, led by Connie Wilson, responded to ensure that there was enough water flow to handle the incredible amount of water needed to fight the fire. Mayor Claude Lois responded to monitor the situation. The "Mutual Aid Box Alarm System" (MABAS) was activated and brought five different fire departments to the area, some to fight the fire and some to ensure that the rest of the city still had fire-fighting service available. Neighboring agencies sent investigators (including members of the Racine County Fire Investigation Task Force) and patrol personnel. The Racine Fire Bells responded to provide nourishment. And Burlington residents and visitors followed traffic detours and delays without complaint. It was a shining example of teamwork.

The City of Burlington has spent years developing an Emergency Government system. Department leaders meet monthly to discuss issues related to incidents just like the Adelita's fire. Emergency Government meetings and exercises help to prepare city staff for major incidents or disasters. We all must work together during major events. Burlington is well served by a responsive network of municipal service agencies and a flexible citizenry. The Adelita's fire brought that into sharp focus.

 

WATER YOUR LAWN AND SAVE

The Sewer Irrigation Allowance for water usage during the summer quarter will soon be in effect. During this period, there is more outdoor water usage (watering lawns/landscape, washing vehicles, and filling pools), which does not flow through the sewer. Therefore, during this quarter only, the sewer charge is NOT calculated based on the amount of water volume metered. Instead, the sewer rate for the summer quarter is calculated based on the customer's First Quarter (December - March) usage or the Second Quarter (March - June) usage, whichever amount is lower.

The Sewer Irrigation Allowance is for single-family residential customers only and is for water usage from approximately June 13th through September 12th. If you fill your pool prior to June 13th, please call the Water Utility for instruction on how to account for this savings. The customer will receive this water/sewer bill the first part of October 2005. Any questions relating to the Sewer Irrigation Allowance may be directed to the Burlington Water Utility at 262-342-1173.

 

UPCOMING LIBRARY ACTIVIIES

Upcoming Adult Library Programs

June 4th - Maria Kinsey will do a program about the Office of Strategic Services on Saturday June 4 at 2:00 p.m. Maria, a Burlington resident whose father was a member of the OSS during World War II, will talk about her father's experience and the role of the OSS during the war.

June 9th - David HB Drake, resident musician for Wisconsin's three-mast schooner Denis Sullivan, will present his Schooner Schoolbag program on Thursday, June 9 at 6:30.

David portrays a saltwater seaman working on the Lakes and presents songs, stories and firsthand insights drawn from his years of working on tall ships. This program is sponsored by the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

June 21st - Signup for the adult summer reading program begins June 21st; Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds is the theme.

June 27th - Join the Public Library at 7:00 p.m. for a discussion of the book My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information about any of these programs call 262-763-7623, visit our website at www.burlingtonlibrary.com.

Summer Library Youth Activities

Summer is fast approaching, and you don't want to be left out of all the fun, prizes and activities at the library! We'll be doing a Reader's Theater, having storytellers, doing crafts, preschool story hours, book clubs, writing club and handing out prizes (just for reading!) from June until August. Stop by the library for brochures and details. And, as always, visit our website: www.burlingtonlibrary.com/youth

 

PARK IMPROVEMENTS

McCanna Park Improvements

Located next to Rockland Lake along E. State Street (Hwy 11), McCanna Park is undergoing some capital improvements this year. Long used for picnics, and by fishermen enjoying the lake, some new facilities are being added this year to enhance the park's use. Presently construction of restroom facilities is underway thanks to the Burlington Lion's Club that is donating the funds and overseeing the construction of this new facility. As with most other park restroom facilities this new facility will be open annually from May 1st through October 31st, and will close in the colder weather to avoid freezing pipes in the unheated building.

The City's Park Board has allocated funds collected from residential developers for the installation of new playground equipment, which also will be installed this year. With parking available at this park, accessible from McCanna Parkway, the new restroom facility, and the new playground equipment, McCanna Park will be even more enjoyable for families this year. Watch for the completion of these projects during this construction season.

 

VEHICLES FOR SALE

The City of Burlington, Department of Public Works, has two (2) pick up trucks and one (1) van for sale.

Vehicles being offered are:

1987 Chevy 1/2 Ton Pick Up Truck with 65,122 miles.
1989 E150 Ford Econoline Van with 62,218 miles.
1986 Chevy 3/4 Ton Pick Up Truck with 98,731 miles.

All vehicles are being sold as is and with no warranties.

Any person interested should contact Larry Gobel, DPW Supervisor at the Department of Public Works at 763-2060.

 

CITY'S CDA RATED A- BY S&P

As part of an effort to save the City's taxpayers over $400,000 in interest payments for our TIF funded projects over the next fifteen years the CDA and City Council decided to refinance $11.81 million of the TIF debt. As part of the refunding process the City's financial advisors approached Standard & Poor's to obtain a credit rating for a bond refinancing. S & P reviewed the City's financial history and crediting the City's deep local economy, with access to the Racine-Milwaukee markets, the City's average wealth and income, and our strong financial performance, mitigated by the Tax Increment District debt and debt service, issued an A- rating to the CDA. S & P found that the City's "stable outlook reflects the expectation of continued economic growth and that the city will maintain its stable financial position".

The A- rating is very good recognizing that our local economy is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories (AA and AAA). However, our capacity to meet the financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. For comparison a recent obligation of the State was issued a AA- rating.