Monday, May 11, 2020

Village of Whitefish Bay Official Weekly Newsletter
Message from the
Village President, Julie Siegel

Please see the joint message from the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation and the Village about 4th of July festivities below.

Also, the Whitefish Bay Police Department has released their 2019 annual report. Our Police Department is one of the reasons for the high quality of life in Whitefish Bay. As such, I'm proud to share this report that details their yearly highlights. Check it out below! To subscribe to our newsletter,  click here.
Why Is The Village Hall Phone Ringing?
What is the Refuse and Recycling collection schedule for Memorial Day (May 25)? Refuse and recycling normally picked up on Monday, May 25 will be picked up on Tuesday, May 26.

When is the 3rd and Final Tax Installment Payment Due? The final installment is due Sunday, May 31, 2020.
(May 31 is a Sunday - please plan accordingly.)

Overnight Parking: The suspension of overnight parking enforcement has been extended until May 26. Contact the Police Department for more information at 414-962-3830.
Have a question? Send us an email or give us a call at 414-962-6690.
Village Meeting Agendas:
Last Week's Meetings:

  • Monday, May 4, 6:00 pm, Virtual GoToMeeting

  • Thursday, May 7, 5:30 pm, Virtual GoToMeeting
This Week's Meetings:

  • Tuesday, May 12, 6:15 pm, Virtual GoToMeeting

For other meeting agendas and minutes, please visit the Agenda Center page on the Village Website.
4th of July Festivities Canceled:
To our Whitefish Bay Neighbors and Friends,

With much sadness, we have made the decision to cancel this year’s 4th of July events, including the parade, the festivities at Klode Park, and the fireworks.

Planning started months ago, and needs to ramp up in the coming weeks to put on the event that we’ve all come to know as simply “the best day in The Bay.” While we all hope better, healthier and safer times await us on July 4, the public health situation brought on by COVID-19 means we will be very unlikely to safely host such a mass gathering.

Though we are all disappointed, the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation is taking this opportunity to make an investment in our community. They have awarded a $10,000 grant for the betterment of the Veterans Monument and Memorial Garden at Armory Park. Located on the original site of Whitefish Bay National Guard Armory, this park honors the rich history of men and women who served and fought valiantly for our nation. Their service and sacrifice allows us the independence we enjoy as a nation, and the independence we look forward to celebrating as a community when it is again safe to do so.

Stay safe, be well and know we look forward to the time we can again be together as friends and neighbors.

Sincerely, The Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation & The Village of Whitefish Bay
2019 Police Department Annual Report:
On behalf of the Village of Whitefish Bay Police Department I respectfully present the 2019 Annual Report (click here to view). Working in conjunction with the citizens of Whitefish Bay and the elected officials of Whitefish Bay and the Village Hall staff, we contributed to the high quality of life in our Village. The members of the Police Department gratefully accept the overwhelming support that we receive from our citizens. All of us relish being the Village’s guardians. All of us take our responsibilities to this community very seriously.

In 2019 Officer Eddie Gamez retired after serving the citizens of Whitefish Bay for 25 years. Also in 2019 Officer Michael Kowalski retired after 21.5 years of service. We hired 3 new officers for the Village’s Police Department, Ryan May, Julia Zurfluh and Riley Parker.

2019 saw our crime levels go down significantly from 2018. In 2018 we had 201 part one
crime offenses as defined by the FBI. In 2019 we experienced a 22% drop in crime from 201 incidents in 2018 to 155 incidents in 2019. Our most notable crime reductions occurred in burglary where in 2018 we had 24 burglaries and in 2019 we had 6 burglaries! Our motor vehicle thefts were down significantly as well, from 25 motor vehicle thefts in 2018 to 10 motor vehicle thefts in 2019!

These significant drops occurred because of steps we took in 2018 and continued in 2019. We partnered collaboratively with our surrounding North Shore police departments as well as the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office at focusing on a group of juveniles and young adults that were targeting the North Shore and Milwaukee County to break into homes and steal vehicles. In 2018 and 2019 we continuously messaged our citizens to contact us with anything that looked or sounded out of place in their neighborhood.

In 2019 we had 8,494 calls for service and in 2018 we had 7,468 calls for service, a nearly 14% increase. The increase in calls can be attributed to two factors; more citizen calls and an increase in traffic stops, (24% more than 2018) based on our department actively patrolling our village as well as taking part in traffic safety grants throughout the year. These traffic enforcement activities resulted in our lowest accident total in at least 5 years, we had only 106 accidents in 2019 as opposed to 2018 when we had 126 accidents.

Our Department is committed to its citizens and we look forward to improving the quality of life in Whitefish Bay which is enjoyed by both residents and visitors. We look forward to maintaining the safe community that we all enjoy and we look forward to working with the citizens and the other entities of Whitefish Bay in 2020. - Thank you, Chief Young
Weekly North Shore Health Department Update:
COVID-19: May 8, 2020 UPDATE:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WI DHS) and the North Shore Health Department (NSHD), along with other local health departments are responding to the COVID-19 disease outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus.

We are currently monitoring 18 active cases in the North Shore, and we are also providing active monitoring for high-risk contacts of confirmed cases. We have triaged and processed over 1,471 suspect cases and/or contacts and performed several large contact investigations. We are also managing several active cases in Milwaukee to assist the Milwaukee Health Department.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, testing is now available at the Milwaukee Community Health Centers: Click Here for more information.

Safe Business Practices: Governor Evers announced new best practice and safety guidelines for Wisconsin businesses as many prepare to reopen. The guidelines include general recommendations for all businesses to follow as well as industry-specific advice, such as for restaurants, retailers, manufacturers, professional offices, farmers, manufacturers, builders, hotel and motel operators, barbers, personal care services and other fields.

Best Practices and Safety Guidelines for Wisconsin Businesses developed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC): Click Here. Other resources for businesses are available on our website: Click Here

Waukesha County drive-thru testing is available starting this weekend: Wisconsin residents that are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can receive drive-thru testing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following days: Saturday, May 9; Monday, May 11; and Tuesday, May 12. You must register in advance to receive testing by calling 262-548-7626. The registration hotline will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Monday, May 8-11. For more information: Waukesha County Press Release.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and we encourage you to frequently monitor the DHS website for updates, as well as the NSHD website. Additional information on COVID-19 can be found on the CDC website.

This graph below displays the total number of positive and negative test results received per day in the North Shore, as well as the percent of test results that were positive (3 day rolling average):
Professional Municipal Clerks Week:
Last week was Professional Municipal Clerks Week! Professional Municipal Clerks provide essential support in the administration of elections, often preparing ballots, training election officials, and tabulating and certifying election results.

They also serve as the official record keepers of their respective municipalities and are tasked with ensuring transparency and communication.

Clerks strive to always be impartial in handling their official duties, guided by the overarching goal of providing equal treatment to all Wisconsinites.

A big shout out to our Deputy Clerk Caren for her hard work and dedication to Whitefish Bay!
Whitefish Bay Traffic Accident Data:
From 2015 to 2019, the Village experienced a 39% reduction in vehicular accidents. Year-to-year accident totals can vary for many reasons, but it's a great sign to see totals trend down over a period of time. Click here for the full accident data summary sheet.

With that said, the summary sheet highlight in yellow areas for future improvement, including:
  • Leading crash pattern - Right-angle/rear-end crashes
  • Bicycle/pedestrian crashes (21 total in 5 years)
  • Failure to yield a reason in 30% of crashes

The Village looks to continue this downward trend with the completion of the Lake Drive Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project this spring/summer. More information on the Lake Drive project can be found here.
Updates from Village Hall:
Whitefish Bay Extends Declared Public Health Emergency through July 13, 2020:

Last Monday, the Whitefish Bay Village Board extended the local public health emergency through July 13, 2020 (Resolution #3071). From a local perspective, an extension will enable the Village to utilize emergency management authority that enables flexibility in the interest of public safety. Please note - that this resolution primarily relates to how Village operations are conducted (i.e. reassigning employees, expediting purchases, etc). It does not supersede or alter State of Wisconsin Emergency Orders.
Complete the Census:

The US Census Bureau reminds you that it’s not too late to respond to the 2020 Census while being safe and practicing social distancing at home. Once you have responded, please encourage your family, friends, and loved ones to complete the census, too! As a community that prides itself on its various demographics, it is important that we all reach out to households that are traditionally “hard to count.” Those households include renters, young families and senior residents
Curbside Pickup at the Library (Updated):
The library is offering curbside pickup. Per the Governor’s Safer at Home order, curbside pickup is allowed, but with certain limitations. Because of these limitations, it will take some time to meet demand. We thank you for your patience as we move forward with this process.
  • Pickups must be scheduled.
  • No patron/library staff face to face interaction.
  • Library staff must follow social distancing rules while in the library thus limiting the number of curbside pickup time slots due to limited staffing.
  • Requests may be placed with us over the telephone or through this online form.
  • We are not receiving delivery from other libraries so hold requests will only be taken for items found in the Whitefish Bay Public Library. You can search the catalog for WFB items at: https://countycat.mcfls.org/. If an item says "Check Shelves" at WFB you may request it when you call us by phone or via our online form.
  • A maximum number of 5 items may be held on each library card.

Scheduling, Pickup, and Return Times (Please note the updated hours) :
Pickup times will be scheduled every 15 minutes.  If you miss your scheduled pick up time, your items will be removed from your account and returned to the shelf. Calls are answered and pickups will be available during these hours: 
  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
  • Returning Items: The library will have specially marked return bins in front of the book drop slots outside of the library during our curbside service hours. You may return items from any Milwaukee County Library.  Please do not leave returns or donations outside of the library at other times. You will be responsible for damaged or stolen items not returned in the marked bins.

NOTE:  If you have a fever or are not feeling well, please do not come to the library to pick up your holds.  Contact the Whitefish Bay Public library at 414-964-4380 to let us know you cannot make your pick up.
Events from the Whitefish Bay Public Library:
Live Virtual Storytime: Missing Storytime? We are too! Visit the Whitefish Bay Library Facebook page each Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 am with Miss Katie or Miss Valerie for a live storytime.

Did you miss last week's Live Virtual Storytime? We've got you covered!
Community Spotlight:
Bay Bridge Food Drive: The Whitefish Bay food drive continues for Milwaukee County families affected by COVID-19. Please bring nonperishable items like canned soup, boxes of cereal, jars of peanut butter and bags of pasta to Cahill Square or Fox Bay Cinema Grill. Over 2000 lbs have been collected to date and volunteers check the bins and deliver to the food bank each and every day. Thank you for your ongoing contributions to help alleviate food insecurity.
Whitefish Bay Grad Grams: It’s that time of year again. Time for Grad Grams! And this year we are asking that an extra special effort be made in getting the word out. Who do you know that is graduating from Whitefish Bay High School this year?...Your neighbor, sitter, favorite Sendik’s bagger, or a kid you coached in soccer years ago?

Send them each a sweet Grad Gram message! The WFBHS Parent Association is taking orders for Grad Grams now through May 31, 2020.

For $1.00 each, you can send a quick note to a senior that will be bound in a personalized book for each student. Your words of congratulations, best wishes and memories are very meaningful to the graduates and will truly have an impact on them, perhaps this year more than ever. Please help us spread the word about this WFBHS tradition.  Please see the attached order form.
North Shore Health Department Highlights 5/5/20: May is National Mental Health Month and Resilient Wisconsin Month. Mental health involves emotional, social and psychological well-being. All of these things are especially vulnerable during this time of uncertainty and isolation. We hope to provide support to all of our North Shore residents to promote mental health both during this time and always. Positive mental health allows people to:
  • Realize their full potential
  • Cope with the stresses of life
  • Work productively
  • Make meaningful contributions to their communities
  • Live an overall healthy and fulfilling life

Tips to nurture your mental health:
  • Create a healthy routine.
  • Get the three goods: good-for-you foods, a good night’s sleep, and a good amount of exercise.
  • Take some time to get outside and enjoy the spring weather and get some exercise!
  • Connect with friends and family virtually.
  • Plan small things to look forward to in your day, such as an at home spa day or a special meal.
  • Take a break from technology and find other ways to stimulate your mind. Try reading a book, playing a board game with family, or channeling your artistic abilities!

If your mental health is particularly suffering at this time, it is important to talk with your primary care doctor, another health professional, or other trusted resource in your community.  Call 211 to find a mental health treatment provider in your community. Visit redgen.org for mental health resources for children and young adults in the North Shore.
Tips for coping with the Safer at Home: Click Here .
Other Community Links:
Village of Whitefish Bay | Phone: 414-962-6690 | Fax: 414-962-5651