By: Connie Wilson,
Utility Manager
 |
Effective with the 2008, first quarter water and
sewer billing, residents will see an increase of 7%
on their sewer rates. This increase is necessary to
keep pace with the rising cost of energy, equipment
replacement cost, negotiated labor increases, and
health care costs. The City's last sewer rate
increase was in 1992. |
The average customer's water and sewer bill will
show an increase of $4.20 per quarter in 2008.
Even with this increase, the City of Burlington's
rates are low compared to a significant number of
municipalities in the State of Wisconsin.
As always, if you have any questions or comments,
please contact me at 262-539-3646.
By: John R. Niederer,
Burlington Fire Inspector
It's a cold winter night. You decide
to use a space heater, or perhaps light a fire in
the fireplace, to save on the heating bill.
Comfortable from its warmth as bedtime approaches
you think, "What harm could it cause to leave it on
overnight?"
 |
Think again. While these heating
devices may help you feel cozy and warm, they can
become extremely dangerous if not used properly.
Home heating equipment was involved in an estimated
62,000 home fires in 2005 (16% of all fires),
according to the non-profit National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA). The cost of these fires is more
than just property damage. The cost includes roughly
700 lives and roughly 1,500 injuries, with about
$909 million in direct property damage. |
Home heating fires are largely
preventable when you know the rules. City of
Burlington Fire Department's goal is to reduce the
number of home-heating fires in our community. But
we need your help. We are urging Burlington families
to use extra caution this winter when heating your
home. The majority of heating fire deaths are caused
by space heaters (73%), while most heating fires are
caused by creosote build-up in the chimney (36%).
To help keep our community safe and
warm this season, the City of Burlington Fire
Department recommends that you follow these
guidelines:
-
Space heaters need space. Keep all things that
can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture,
at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
-
Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or
leave the room.
-
Plug power cords only into outlets with
sufficient capacity and never into an extension
cord.
-
Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or
loose connections. Replace before using.
-
Have your chimney inspected each year and
cleaned if necessary.
-
Use
a sturdy fireplace screen.
-
Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of
ashes in a metal container.
-
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside
each sleeping area and on every level of the
home. For the best protection interconnect all
smoke alarms throughout the home - when one
sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at
least once a month.
-
Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in
a central location outside each sleeping area.
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Never use an oven to heat your home.
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For fuel assistance, contact the
National Fuel Funds Network at 1-202-824-0660.
With simple precautions, help us
meet our goal of decreasing home-heating fires this
winter.
By: Carole Rybarczyk,
Circulation Supervisor
The Burlington
Public Library Adult Book Discussion Group begins their
2008 schedule on Monday, January 28 at 7:00pm. We kick off
the new year with a "manly" tale. The men in our group
often suffer through tales of female bonding and
friendship, so we picked a title on male bonding and
friendship to see if the sexes are really so different.
FIVE SKIES by Ron Carlson brings together three very
different men high in the desert plains of southern
Idaho, an aging rancher; a nineteen-year-old fleeing
both family and law; and an engineer whose career is
built on precision but whose brother died in a poorly
planned stunt gather for a summer of hard work. The job:
construct a motorcycle ramp that will launch a daredevil
across a gorge. As the men work and talk from late
spring through summer, their wounds come slowly to light
and begin healing. There is no registration for this
lively discussion group and books and audio are
available at the library.
Watch for
announcements regarding Story Times in January.
By: Debra Rintamaki, Administrative Assistant,
DPW
 |
The City of
Burlington will be picking up Christmas trees
beginning January 3, 2008 through January 10, 2008.
It is not necessary to call for a pick up. Trees
should be placed in the parkway. Trees may also be
dropped off at anytime at the City's compost area
located on Maryland Avenue. Whether for pick-up or
drop-off, all materials such as lights, garland,
ornaments or any metal objects should be removed
from trees. Any questions regarding tree disposal
should be directed to the Department of Public Works
at 763-2060. |
By Debra Rintamaki, Administrative Assistant, DPW
The City of Burlington Parks
Department will be accepting PARK RESERVATIONS for
the upcoming year beginning January 3, 2008.
Reservation Fees:
City Residents - $35.00
Non-Residents - $75.00
Security Deposit Required by All
- $100.00
Reservations are made on a first
come first serve basis. Reservation fees are
non-refundable. Security Deposits will be returned
after the event is over if the area is left in a
clean and orderly condition.
The Burlington Park Board
reserves the right to limit the size and type of
event to be held in any of the Parks, and may
require your group to use another Park if they deem
necessary, due to stress on any of the Parks.
Questions regarding Park Reservations should be
directed to the Department of Public Works at
763-2060.
By: John R. Niederer, Burlington Fire Inspector
The winter months are on the way. As the mercury
begins to dip, some families, struggling to pay
their heating bills, will turn on the kitchen stove
burners and the oven in an effort to take the chill
off of their home. What these families don't realize
is how dangerous this practice can be. A gas oven or
range top should never be used for heating. A fire
could start and poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) fumes
could fill the home. Any fuel-burning heating
equipment (fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters,
space or portable heaters), generators and chimneys
can produce carbon monoxide.
According to the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) there is an increased risk of
dying in a home fire during the winter season.
December, January and February are generally the
deadliest months for fire.
Also, hundreds of people die each year from
unintentional CO poisoning. Fire departments
responded to an estimated 61,000 CO incidents in
2005, a 9% increase from 2004. (This excludes
incidents where a fire was present.) Close to 90% of
CO incidents occur in the home.
Often called a silent killer, CO is an invisible,
odorless, colorless gas created when fuels, such as
gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil and
methane, burn incompletely. CO enters the body
through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with
flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses.
Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea,
dizziness, light headedness or headaches.
Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but infants,
pregnant women and people with physical conditions
that limit their ability to use oxygen, such as
emphysema, asthma or heart disease, can be more
severely affected by low concentrations of CO than
healthy adults. High levels of CO can be fatal for
anyone, causing death within minutes.
 |
The goal of the City of Burlington Fire Department
is to reduce the number of carbon monoxide incidents
in Burlington and discourage anyone from using the
range or oven to heat their home. Install CO alarms
inside your home to provide early warning of
accumulating CO. Have your heating equipment
inspected by a professional every year before cold
weather sets in. |
-
CO alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms.
Know the difference between the sound of smoke
alarms and CO alarms.
-
Test CO alarms at least once a month.
-
If your CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a
fresh air location and call for help. Remain at the
fresh air location until emergency personnel say it
is okay.
-
If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for
low batteries or other trouble indicators.
The City of Burlington Fire Department wants
everyone to be warm and safe this winter. Make sure
your home has carbon monoxide alarms.
By: Connie Wilson, Utility Manager
