City of Eau Claire residents, staff, and Council Members,

Here’s some news from around the City for this week. As a reminder, prior updates can be found here, and people can sign up for updates here. Feel free to send me feedback.

You can view the update online here as well, which may help for anyone whose email program does not download pictures: News | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (eauclairewi.gov)

SPECIAL NOTICE

Search Underway: UPDATE: **LOCATED** Colin has been found and he is safe. Thank you all for your assistance. We can always count on Eau Claire! We thank our residents and the numerous agencies that assisted us in finding Colin. 
This situation has been fluid and rapidly evolving. When we are able, we will provide further details. Until then, we are thankful for Colin’s safe return. Eau Claire Police Department Post

**

The Eau Claire Police Department has shared a notice about an effort to locate a 16-year-old in Eau Claire, including this recent update: “In a continued effort to keep the community informed, we are now able to share the following. The Eau Claire Police Department (ECPD) is attempting to locate 16-year-old Colin T. Robaidek. On April 17th, Colin’s parents contacted police after Colin had not gone to school or returned home. During the investigation, it was discovered Colin left a note stating his intention to voluntarily leave home. According to his parents, this behavior is uncharacteristic, and they are also concerned about Colin’s recent statements of unease over stress he was experiencing. He was observed on video surveillance leaving his residence in the 2200 block of Windsong Court, alone on his bicycle, at 12:52PM. This is in the Shawtown area of Eau Claire. He was last observed on business security cameras on American Boulevard at 12:58PM headed East. Colin has not been in contact with family or friends since. 

Colin is 6'01" and 190 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and he was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black North Face backpack, and riding a dark gray Trek bicycle.

As a part of this investigation, the ECPD has utilized many avenues to bring Colin home safely. These include:

• Interviews of friends and family
• Repeated phone pings to ascertain location
• Searches of social media accounts
• Reviewing business security surveillance video
• Multiple drone searches with infrared and thermal imaging
• Public assistance messaging

With the assistance of Wings of Hope, advanced searches of our bike trails, wooded areas, and waters have been done in the area. Also assisting with efforts are the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, Altoona Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Northstar Search and Rescue, and the Eau Claire Area School District.

Additional efforts will include: canine tracking with assistance from Northstar Search and Rescue, aerial observation from a Wisconsin State Patrol air unit, continued drone searches, and further review of social media accounts. 

We are aware of numerous residents and neighborhood associations offering assistance with search efforts. We are thankful for public support. At this time, there is no specific geographic area to focus on, so we ask all community members to be vigilant and report information. One way to help is to review your home security video. If you do conduct a search of your neighborhood, please respect others’ private property, do not search alone, carry your phone, and be cautious when conducting those searches, as your safety is important. 

Bringing Colin home safely is our priority. Please continue to contact our police department at (715) 839-4972 if you have any information about Colin's whereabouts.” Follow updates here.

We are holding this young man and his family and friends and all who know and love him in our thoughts and our prayers as the search continues.

CITY UPDATES:

Intruder Alert Drill: Monday was an in-service day for the Eau Claire Area School District, and the Eau Claire Police Department facilitated intruder alert training exercises. The exercises were held at North High School, and they were carried out in coordination with partners from the Fire Department, the School District, and other regional public safety agencies.

I had a chance to attend the exercise, and here’s what I observed and learned as the simulation unfolded:

• Before the morning: When we arrived, I learned that one set of ECPD staff planned the drill, based on information from other communities about the most likely events that would transpire in an active shooter emergency. Below is a sign reading "Warning Police Training in Progress".

• Day of the event: At least 100 people gathered at North, including volunteers, police officers, paramedics, and school district staff. At about 9AM, they moved out to the parking lot. Lieutenant Jesse Henning was designated as the morning exercise’s incident commander. This means that, even though many different agencies arrived to provide mutual aid, Lt. Henning was that morning’s decision maker. Jesse explained to me that a core concept of policing is that command response needs to be carefully coordinated but also decentralized, with smaller units able to make decisions with the information that they gain. With the exception of those who planned the exercise and the person playing the role of the shooter, no one knew the details of what would happen. The goal was for the responding officers to receive information in the same way that they would in the event of an actual active shooter situation and then make rapid decisions based on the information. Participants are pictured here exiting North to the Parking Lot.

• Simulation Starts: Just after 9AM, the person posing as the assailant came into the main office, and then broke through to the North Commons. An instructor alert was activated, sending a signal to the Communications Center which then dispatched officers and paramedics. An announcement over the loudspeaker also told teachers and students to go into classrooms and lock the doors, as they have been trained to do during regularly scheduled drills. In the simulation, the assailant was able to injure a number of people in the reception area and the Commons. Then he traveled down hallways, however, all classroom doors were securely locked.
• Response: Within minutes, the first wave of police officers (those who would’ve been on duty on an average day) went into the school and followed a careful protocol to locate the shooter. Their response was based on the information they were able to gather from witnesses (volunteers posing as students and teachers) and from other evidence, such as shell casings. They quickly found the assailant and took them into custody. Officers are pictured below scanning the hallways.

• Coordination of Calls: During the response process for an intruder alert, the Communications Center tracks responders and incident information updates in CAD and coordinates responses with surrounding agencies through mutual aid for law enforcement and EMS responders. They also receive and process phone calls from victims, witnesses, responders, and community members. They maintain contact, situational awareness, and communication with all responders throughout. In this simulation, the Communications Center carried out all these steps. In the event of an actual emergency, there would likely be a huge flood of calls, making the situation particularly challenging.
• Next Response: Soon after the first group arrived, additional officers arrived after being summoned through a mutual aid call. Those officers did two things. One group searched the building, securing and clearing room one by one. Where possible, they helped civilians exit the building safely. The other group accompanied paramedics who came in to treat and transport the “victims”. This activity is pictured here, with two officers protecting the work of a paramedic who is examining a role-playing victim.

• Debrief: This part is ongoing! Staff at all levels experienced important lessons, and groups will be meeting to document and learn from insights gained. I was honored to be part of the exercise and to participate in the learning process. The experience gave me a sense of peace that our first responders will be able to manage and address all the aspects that they can control. This kind of practice builds muscle memory, helping them work together or on their own to make split-second decisions that will save lives.

Council Member Emily Anderson attended and shared this thank you, which I full agree with: “Thanks so much for inviting the Council to attend the event this morning. I learned so much and gained a stronger appreciation for the roles of police and fire and how you can work together to prepare for a catastrophic event.” I could not be prouder to be connected with these amazing organizations and the brave people who are part of them.

Telecommunicator Week: And speaking of the Communications Center, which plays a critical role in any kind of big or small emergency, we were happy to celebrate our Communications Center staff this week in different ways.

The Police Department shared this tribute: “You all are truly the unsung heroes! You have the ability to assess each situation that comes across a phone line to quickly make sense of chaos situations and relay valuable information to the appropriate response team to ensure that help arrives swiftly. We recognize that each call can be emotionally taxing, as well as gratifying. You carry the weight of someone’s worst day and respond by being the calm voice of hope on the other side of the line. Your role is more than just answering calls. You are the vital link between their chaos and help. Our community is safer by having such dedicated individuals such as yourselves. Thank you for all you do!”

The Communications Center will be recognizing Telecommunicators in a new, additional way for their display of professionalism, dedication, empathy, and expertise. Pictured here is a newly added “Tree of Life” mural. It was painted by Sarah Williams (mother to Comm Center Supervisor Benny Williams!) in the hallway of the Police Department, adjacent to the Comm Center entrance. The Tree is meant to symbolize lives and display the magnitude and greatness of the work performed in the Comm Center. The underlying theme is recognizing actions taken by Telecommunicators that greatly improve the quality of life for residents, callers, or members of agencies we serve. Over time, “leaves” will be attached to the tree with the recognized Telecommunicator’s name and the associated call number.

As Telecommunicators are formerly recognized for their excellent work, leaves will continue to be added to the tree. Last week, we recognized the March recipients, Telecommunicators Megan Kitchner and Tiffany Siverling, with the addition of two leaves for the incidents described below:

• Megan Kitchner: Megan took a 911 call from a female who was concerned for her 53-year-old boyfriend who was not feeling well. During the call, his consciousness declined and the caller said she could hear him snoring. Megan recognized the severity of the situation and gave the caller CPR instructions. The caller continued CPR until officers arrived at which point the officers took over providing CPR until paramedics arrived. Paramedics were able to observe the return of a sustained heart rhythm on the way to the hospital thanks to the effective CPR of all involved. Without the effective CPR of the caller, coached by Megan, the patient's outcome would have most likely been much worse.

• Tiffany Siverling: Tiffany received a call from a male who said he saw a Snapchat of a female and was concerned about her overdosing but only knew basic information about her. Tiffany spent over an hour trying to determine the female's name and location. Using multiple resources, Tiffany eventually located an address and sent officers to check on her. They found her face down on the carpet overdosing near her indifferent boyfriend. She was transported by EMS to a local hospital where she spent several days in CCU. Without Tiffany's perseverance, this woman most certainly would have died.

As with the intruder alert drill, we are so proud to work amongst these heroes whose every day work makes a life-changing difference.

Passing the Torches: I have had a chance to reflect these past few weeks on some wonderful staff and contributors who are retiring or moving on to their next chapters. As they depart, new awesome people are coming up behind them. Here are a few of those transitions:

• Police Changes: The Police Department celebrated Sergeant Andy Falk, who retired recently after 27 years of dedicated service. Sergeant Falk has demonstrated selfless acts of courage and commitment for the residents of Eau Claire. His leadership, guidance, and mentorship through the years helped build on the foundation of our core values, mission, and vision and helped make the Eau Claire Police Department the very well-regarded organization that it is today. And a new person, whose name may already be familiar to you, recently joined the Police Department. WQOW’s Shannon Hoyt is currently transitioning out of her anchor role into the Police Department’s Public Information Officer role. Shannon started at WQOW as an intern in August 2017, and then shifted to become a full-time multi-media journalist,  weekend anchor, the Daybreak anchor, and then eventually the evening broadcast anchor. We are really excited about the expertise that Shannon will bring to our organization. Sergeant Falk is pictured below, and Shannon is pictured here at the Monday simulation training.

• Human Resources Changes: This month, we bid farewell and happy retirement to long-time employee Colleen Schian. Colleen worked with the City for 17 years and she carried the weight of many, many responsibilities. She was a determined and fierce advocate for Risk Management in the City. Being in charge of Risk Management means she was the person who was worrying day in and day out about how the City could avoid and prevent employee and resident injuries and other types of harm. Colleen was famous for being both kind and caring and very assertive. Colleen stepped into the HR Director role when it became vacant and worked hard to invest in this critical department. In anticipation of Colleen’s retirement, we have been striving to fill a LOT of different areas that Colleen had been covering. As mentioned in a prior newsletter, Carrie Riepl, has stepped int the HR Director Role. Jasmine Dutton has taken over Colleen’s Risk Management. And then this week, we promoted Kelly Shea to HR Manager. Kelly has been an integral part of the HR team, consistently demonstrating leadership, dedication, and a strong commitment to the City’s values. I believe that this powerhouse group of people will make Colleen proud as they carry out her tradition of kindness and caring, with a pretty good dose of toughness and tenacity! Pictured here is Colleen imparting risk management wisdom to Jasmine.

• Management Analyst Changes: This Friday, we are saying farewell to the City Manager’s Office amazing management analyst, Danya Morman. Danya has been supporting our performance management program, which is called EauStat, while also working on a grant-funded initiative focused on teen mental health. Danya has been an absolute awesome presence bringing brainpower, positive attitude, wise perspectives, and support to our team. Danya heads to graduate school for a PhD in Political Science. They applied to graduate schools, got into every single one (which was no surprise to us), and picked University of Michigan. We are so excited for Danya and can’t wait to see what they do in their life. We are also happy that we have two other grant-funded analysts joining us. May Jagodzinski and Eric Cheng will be working with the City and the Health Department to continue projects related to performance management and teen mental health. Pictured here is Danya sharing their work with May.

• City Council Changes: This past year was the swearing in and organizational meeting for the City Council. It’s my favorite meeting, and the best part of the meeting is the picking of seats at the horseshoe out of a hat. We are saying goodbye to Jill Christopherson and Jeremy Gragert, who have been incredibly diligent, thoughtful, determined, and collegial Council Members. We welcome two additions – Aaron Brewster and Clara Serrano! Pictured here are Jill and Clara at a Randall Park Neighborhood meeting, and also pictured is the ceremonial choosing of the horseshoe seats. We look forward to seeing how the new Council evolves.

Finally, I have already mentioned that Kristina Kuzma is the new City Clerk. I was happy to capture Kristina getting insights from BOTH Carrie Riepl and Nick Koerner recently. Since it’s such a niche position, it’s not every day that we can see three City Clerks together in one place! We are fortunate that we have kept Carrie and Nick in City Hall. It’s great to see how as people shift between departments they build on their knowledge and then see the big picture more clearly, allowing them to contribute to the City even more as they grow in their careers.

Two Fires: The Fire Department responded to two fires this week, as follows:

• Garage Fire: On Tuesday April 16th, at about 3:30 AM, the Eau Claire Fire Department responded to 1211 State Street for a report of fire and smoke in a building. Engine 2 was the first arriving fire unit and found a detached garage behind the apartment with heavy smoke showing. Crews had to force entry into the garage and were quickly able to locate and extinguish the fire while additional crews performed search and ventilation. Three Engines, one Ladder Truck, two Ambulances and two Chiefs responded to the call. No injuries were reported at the time of this report. The cause of was accidental and identified as recreational camp fire container that had not been properly extinguished. The Fire Department was assisted by the Eau Claire Police Department and the Eau Claire Communication Center.
• Brush Fire: Engine 10, Engine 9, Brush 1, and Battalion 1 made quick work of a grass fire in the Princeton Valley area this week. The crew responding are pictured here. As Lt. Phillips said: “Over 107 years of experience in this picture -- The grass fire didn’t stand a chance!”

Library Programming Survey:  The Library invites the community to share their insights and preferences through a brief survey aimed at shaping future events and programs. As advocates for lifelong learning, the Library recognizes its role as more than just a repository for books and information services. It serves as a vibrant hub for community engagement and connection, offering a diverse range of events and programs to foster learning and enrich lives. The survey, accessible through Tuesday, April 30th, invites participants to share their opinions on the types of programs they would like to see at the library, what days and times work best, and what barriers might exist for people. Different survey questions are available for adults, teens, and parents. The survey can be found online at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/eventsurvey and paper copies are available near the library’s main customer service desk. For other Library information, contact Information & Reference by calling 715-839-5004, emailing librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or visiting the Library’s website at www.ecpubliclibrary.info.

Basketball Court Upgrades: The basketball courts at Demmler and Grover Park are being replaced as part of the CIP Court Improvement Program. Both of these courts were ranked the two poorest condition courts in the City. Once the courts are replaced, City staff will be painting the lines for the courts, HopScotch, and Four Square as the weather warms up. The remaining CIP Funds will be used to repaint and repair the tennis courts in Carson Park that had fire damages over the winter. Below is a picture of the work underway at Demmler.

Chippewa River Trail Underpass Repair: A section of the Chippewa River Trail will be closed between Oxford Avenue and Fulton Street beginning April 18th to repair the 5th Avenue underpass. Work is expected to be completed within a week. Those who use this section of the Chippewa River Trail should adjust their route accordingly.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Government Center Farmers Market: A small farmers market will be set up outside the Eau Claire County Government Center, on the lower level off Lake Street, from June through September. It will occur from 11:30AM to 3:30PM. All are welcome to shop at the market.  

Earth Week: Earth Week is April coming up, and from April 22nd-27th you can ride Eau Claire Transit free thanks to ATU Local 1310, JONAH-Environmental Task Force, and Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance. Plan your trips by visiting ECBus.org . See more Earth Week events here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=734028005553502&set=a.393472532942386

Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail Ribbon Cutting: Final reminder that the City of Eau Claire invites you to attend a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to officially open the Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail connecting Carson Park and Rod & Gun Park on Saturday, April 20th at 9AM. The ceremony will take place behind the John & Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center at 1260 Menomonie St., adjacent to the trail and Half Moon Lake. The completion of the Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail reflects years of input from community members, guidance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the dedication of City staff and management. This trail project consists of two main components: a concrete trail connecting Carson Park and Rod & Gun Park and a series of three raised boardwalk trails highlighting the beauty of Half Moon Lake and the Braun’s Bay wetland area.

While the trail itself is complete, City Staff will continue working to replace the invasive buckthorn that was removed for the project with native prairie grasses and local pollinator favorites. Staff will also be planting 95 trees around the trail area in the coming months. The Half Moon Lake Boardwalk Trail will be maintained by the Parks Division of the Community Services Department as part of the City’s 45-mile network of trails.

Here are some points about the new trail:

• ADA-Compliant and fully accessible for mobility devices and strollers
• Three elevated boardwalk trails with bumpers to prevent people from leaving the trail
• Handrails in areas for safety and accessibility
• Trail length: 1,800’ concrete trail with three branching boardwalk trails
• Adjustable footing designed to withstand wet conditions and flooding

QUESTION & ANSWER: Feel free to share your question here and we will work on answering it: Service Request Form - City Manager | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (eauclairewi.gov) Send questions or comments to the City Council via this form: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-members/city-council-contact

Four Way Stops Downtown

Question: “Has it ever been considered to make all four-way intersections on Barstow into four-way stops?”

Answer: Engineering Director Leah Ness shared: “Thanks for asking, this is a logical and good question. Stop sign traffic control, similar to signal control, needs to meet certain warrants to be placed. This is outlined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which the City of Eau Claire, along with most municipalities and counties, follow throughout the nation. We consider the amount of traffic, pedestrian and vehicular, look at intersection safety, sight distances, land use and other factors when determining control. If there is a specific location of concern, we can add it to our list. If it’s an area, we can add it to potential study areas, but it may take time before we get to an entire area.”

Phone Number for Neighborhood Services

Question: “You've probably gone back and forth on this a bunch, but: what do you think about having dept phone numbers available on the Neighborhood Service Request page? https://www.eauclairewi.gov/online-services/service-request”

Answer: Staff shared: “We are working to balance our workload, as we get many calls for information and service. We encourage people to submit requests via the linked service request. We can then direct it to the right office to tackle the issue. We hope to create something like a 311 system so that people could call anytime and have their questions answered by staff dedicated to the task, but until we’re able to afford and implement something like that, we try to balance personal service while respecting all the other tasks our admins have. We are currently hiring an Administrative Support person that will split their time between the City Manager’s Office and the Department of Neighborhood Services (interested people should apply here! Administrative Associate IV (Neighborhood Services) - 2024.04 (eauclairewi.gov)) This new role will help with calls and also help us design a more streamlined customer service model citywide.”

Placing Bags in Bins

Question: “Can you find out if it is okay to walk in your neighborhood and if you have a dog poop bag you can drop it into anyone’s garbage container?”

Answer: Please refer to City code 8.32.120 D.2. “No person shall deposit any refuse or yard waste on the lawn, dumpster, refuse container located in or upon commercial or residential property without the express permission of the property owner or lessee of said property.”

Development by Cannery Park

Question: “What is the development adjacent to the Cannery Park is going to be?”

Answer: Community Development Director Aaron White shared: “The development across the street on the west side of Oxford Ave is the first phase of a mixed-use development that will include 10,000 sf of retail space and over 260 apartments in total.  There is also a proposed development for the small space on the south end of the park (east of Oxford Ave) that will be 24 units of live/work space.  The target market for these are artists/crafters that can work and sell their creations in their same living space. That space is still under negotiations with the RDA.” 

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTS: We have the best employees! Get to know one of them this week. (And submit your suggestion for an employee to spotlight here…)

Today we highlight Tim Pluth. Co-workers shared these quotes about Tim: “We appreciate your dedication to the City, as 25 years working for the same agency is almost unheard of today in the Engineering world. What a milestone! In November of 1998, Tim started his career within the Engineering Department as a Technician II.  He was quickly promoted to a Project Engineer. Tim has also held Civil Engineer III position before he took his current position of Deputy City Engineer. Tim’s knowledge, expertise, and ability to lead are shown daily in the Engineering Department. As issues arise, Tim’s logic and ability to directly address problems and find solutions keeps our projects moving forward. His attention to detail shows through not only in plan designs and impressive spreadsheets, but also when leading construction meetings and responding to public related questions. Tim has the ability to explain processes to staff and residents in a way that they understand and feel comfortable with the response. Tim’s dedication to improving our community’s infrastructure through street, utility and parks projects, impacts everyone within the City on a daily basis. He is a great leader, Engineering team member, and if you didn’t know, has some pretty good Dad jokes as well.’

Here’s a bit more about Tim:

• Your Job: “Deputy City Engineer – Oversee CIP projects and construction.”
• Something People May Not Know: “I have two daughters, aged 15 and 12, who both keep us very busy with volleyball, softball and whatever else comes our way. My wife and I enjoy watching and practicing with them whenever we get the opportunity.”
• Activity you Love: “I have many hobbies and enjoy various activities, and when I’m not enjoying time with my family, I most enjoy building and creating things, most notably woodworking.”
• Best Part about Working for City: “Definitely the wide variety of great people throughout the City. I like that you can always count on others to help solve problems or get someone’s question answered in a timely manner. This makes coming to work a great experience every day.”
• Life Philosophy: “Family and friends are treasures and should be treated as such. Be kind, respectful, and dependable, and others will treasure you the same.”
• Anything Else: “I grew up in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, but have enjoyed living with my family in the Chippewa Valley immensely. Working for the City has been a fantastic experience! I’ve seen so much positive change in the community, and it’s a great feeling to know I’ve been a part of those changes.”

COUNCIL CALENDAR (Tentative – Please see: City Calendar | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (eauclairewi.gov) for most complete and up-to-date list of public meetings)

• CANCELLED: Monday, April 22nd, 7PM, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night
• Tuesday, April 23rd, 4PM, Council Chambers: Council Meeting
• Monday, April 29th, 4PM, Council Administrative Meeting
• Monday, May 13th, 7PM*, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night (*The Council may vote to shift the Monday hearing time to 6PM on an ongoing basis)
• Tuesday, May 14th, 4PM, Council Chambers: Council Meeting
• TO BE CANCELLED: Monday, May 27th, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night
• Tuesday, May 28th, 4PM, Council Chambers: Council Meeting