Manitowoc Police and Fire Commission Meeting - July 15, 2026
Manitowoc Police and Fire Commission Meeting - July 15, 2026
The Police and Fire Commission met on July 15, 2026, at the Public Safety Building Lower Level (with remote Zoom access) to review monthly reports, approve departmental minutes, and act on eligibility lists for fire and police promotions. All five commissioners were present: Vander Bloomen, Sauer, Zigmunt, Wellner, and Schema. No public comment was offered.
Consent Calendar
- June 2026 Police and Fire Commission Minutes – Approved without correction.
- June 2026 Police Department Monthly Report – Commissioner noted a decline in calls for service: roughly 300–400 fewer compared to June 2025, and about 500 fewer year-to-date. Charges year-to-date were nearly identical (136 in June 2025, 135 in June 2026). OWI arrests totaled 7 in the month.
- June 2026 Fire Rescue Department Monthly Report – Total call volume was slightly up from the prior year; fire calls increased modestly. Overall activity described as a “steady incline.”
- 2025 Fire Rescue Department Annual Report – Accepted as part of the consent block.
- May and June 2026 Building Inspection Monthly Reports – Permits and project values are up during construction season, with notable projects including a $3.581 million credit union development at Waldo and Bay Shore Drive, a storage unit project on Nash Avenue, and a remodel of the former Office Max building (expected to be split for PetSmart and Five Below).
- The consent agenda was approved unanimously (5–0) on a motion by Vander Bloomen, seconded by Zigmunt.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comment was made, either in person or via Zoom.
Discussion Items
- Brush fires near rail lines – A commissioner noted approximately half a dozen brush/vegetation fires on the West Custer area, possibly sparked by trains during the dry season. The fire chief confirmed they are not believed to be intentionally set and are reported quickly.
- Fire Rescue Department Lieutenant Eligibility List – The fire chief reported completion of a promotional testing process (written test, assessment center, tactical scenarios, interviews, presentation, and command review). Three candidates passed. Because the last list was exhausted early due to two lieutenant retirements, the chief requested the list remain valid for 18 months to align with the next scheduled test in spring 2027. The commission approved the list for 18 months (5–0) on a motion by Zigmunt, seconded by Sauer.
- Police Department Patrol Officer Eligibility List – The police chief requested adding two names (Kelly and Lucas Kumbala) to the eligibility list to fill a vacancy, with a validity period of 12 months. The commission approved the list for 12 months (5–0) on a motion by Schema, seconded by Sauer.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved 5–0.
- Fire lieutenant eligibility list approved for 18 months (5–0).
- Police patrol officer eligibility list approved for 12 months (5–0).
- Meeting adjourned at 4:38 p.m. Central (motion by Vander Bloomen, seconded by Zigmunt, unanimous 5–0).
Meeting Transcript
All right. Roll call. We have all commissioners present. Public comment. There's nobody here, nobody online. Consent agenda. Are there any corrections to the minutes at all? No. Okay. Then we have the police department monthly report. Yeah, so I reviewed the uh the monthly reports. Um a little bit of uh fall in calls for service uh from June 25 compared to June 26. Uh we're roughly three, three, four hundred down, um, as well as calls for service. Um, we're right around, let's say 500 uh below we what we were at in 2025 at this point of the year. Uh charges year to date, um, very consistent. 136 in June of 25, 135 in June of 26. Uh OWIs last month, we had a total of seven. Uh are there any other questions or concerns that you gentlemen have? Fire department. Um, yeah, in reviewing ours. Uh we're pretty much right on uh pace with where we are last year. Um nothing jumps out. Um fire calls are up a little bit last month. Um total call volume is also up just a little bit from the prior year if you compare the uh uh months, um, but it's nothing that uh either way that jumps up at us. So it's always just a steady incline that we're uh getting a little busier every year as far as that goes. Sure, yes. Um so building inspection uh in reviewing that data that was put out obviously this time of year is construction time, so I know permits and uh projects are up over the last month or two. And uh I know I reviewed this a couple we'll say a week ago, but it also looks like um our uh more on pace, I guess, when it comes to those statistics to potentially uh be a little bit busier or a little bit more we'll call it value as well as projects, maybe a little bit further ahead than last year. Um but it all depends on how the rest of the year goes. So they started at um date for the credit community meeting. Yes, all you're talking out on the end of Waldo and kind of Bay Shore Drive. Yep, yep. Yeah, the uh credit union. So yeah, that started that is let's see once I believe that's in here what the value of that was. Um 3 mil 581 grand. Yep. So that's that's a big project. Um otherwise on the Nash Avenue, there's another uh storage unit going up there. Um and I think like another big one that just came across our bigger project is the remodel of the old uh office max building. So let's go. Um two, they're actually gonna be splitting the building. Um it is going to be, I think, pet smart and five five below, I was gonna say five under, five below, which is like uh Dollar General type uh yeah type uh store, I guess. Oh, is how it was explained to me. Appreciate it. How many dollars otherwise? Yeah, yeah, whatever. Whatever. Um read someplace that there's been several um like brush fires that seem to be caused by fire uh train. So um yeah, we've had we've had uh um I couldn't give you the exact number, but I know probably approaching half a dozen because it's been a dry year out on that West Custer area where I don't know if you ever heard of extra tech plastics, um kind of where Jagaman stamping, things like that. The rail line runs through there, and I know they've had some uh uh grass fires, vegetation type fires after a train goes through there.
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