Mayor Anissa Welch and City Administrator Al Hulick provided highlights on the 2021 budget, the goals that drove the 2021 budget development process, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact future budgets.

We Are Milton

Tell Me About the 2021 Budget

Police Chief Scott Marquardt provided information about the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) accreditation process. The Milton Police Department first received accreditation in 2014, and is currently working through their second reaccreditation. Departments need to go through reaccreditation every 3 years. The accreditation process requires a public comment period, which will take place in October. Watch the City's website (www.milton-wi.gov) and social media for more information in the coming weeks. The Milton Police Department has also started making their policies available on the City's website for the community to review (www.milton-wi.gov/537/Policies).

Accreditation: A Building Block for Trust

On this episode of We Are Milton, we spoke with Mayor Anissa Welch and City Administrator Al Hulick about the development process for the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. They explained what a strategic plan is and why it’s important to the Milton community. Community members are encouraged to be involved in the process by completing the Community Survey and applying to participate in the Community Workshop or High School Student Focus Group. The survey and the applications are available on the City’s website (www.milton-wi.gov/StrategicPlan). Do you have an idea for a future topic for the We Are Milton podcast? Contact Administrative Services Director Inga Cushman at (608) 868-6900 ext. 5 or by email at icushman@milton-wi.gov.

Strategizing for Milton’s Future

For this episode, we spoke with Police Chief Scott Marquardt about the events taking place over the 4th of July weekend in Milton and tips on staying safe this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some events are cancelled while others look different. We also spoke about personal use of fireworks and things to consider when planning a family gathering while COVID-19 is still a concern. Do you have an idea for a future topic? Contact Administrative Services Director Inga Cushman at (608) 868-6900 ext. 5 or by email at icushman@milton-wi.gov.

Stay Safe This 4th of July

On this episode of We Are Milton we spoke with Barb Braun from the One Apple Lunch Bunch. The One Apple Lunch Bunch is offering meals to students in the Milton School District again this summer for free. Any student in the Milton School District is able to sign up online (https://tinyurl.com/ycxkao3r). Learn more about the program and how the One Apple Lunch Bunch name was selected by listening to this episode. Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Contact Administrative Services Director Inga Cushman at (608) 868-6900 ext. 5 or by email at icushman@milton-wi.gov.

Milton's One Apple Lunch Bunch

We spoke with Derek Henze, Milton's 4th of July Parade Coordinator, about the alternative 4th of July Community Parade he is coordinating in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residences and businesses are invited to decorate their homes for the 4th of July using the theme "The Heart of Milton." Community members are invited to drive around the community and see the decorated homes and businesses between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the 4th of July. The top three decorated homes and businesses will receive awards, and one location will receive the "People's Choice Award." Regular parade entrants who still want to participate in some type of parade are invited to drive an established parade loop around the City between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the 4th of July. There is not a designated starting time or starting location. All those who choose to drive the parade loop must obey all rules of the road because streets will not be closed for the event. More information about expectations is available on the City’s website: www.milton-wi.gov/362/4th-of-July.

Milton's 4th of July Community Parade

The focus of this episode is COVID-19 or coronavirus and the Reopening Phased Plan created by Rock County, Wisconsin. City Administrator Al Hulick and Administrative Services Director Inga Cushman discuss the plan, how it was developed, and how the plan relates to City of Milton, Wisconsin operations. The City of Milton is located in Rock County in south central Wisconsin.

Rock County's Reopening Plan and Milton

We spoke with Bill Wilson, who is currently serving as an Alderperson on our Common Council, about why he chose to make Milton his home. Ald. Wilson has since retired, but previously owned a business with his wife focused on library consulting. Milton was an ideal place for them to locate their business for a variety of reasons including competitive advantage over their competition and quality of life. Their business worked with libraries in 45 different states, and they estimate they were in approximately 1,000 libraries throughout the country. Hear more of Ald. Wilson's "Why Milton" story in this podcast.

Ald. Wilson's "Why Milton" Story

For the seventh episode of "We Are Milton," we spoke with Ron Jongetjes from Johns Disposal, the City of Milton's contracted refuse and recycling collector, about recycling in Milton. We discuss the process of collecting the recycling and sorting the truck loads at the Johns Disposal facility in Whitewater. We also answer some questions about what to recycle.

Milton Recycles

For the sixth episode of "We Are Milton", we spoke with Police Chief Scott Marquardt about Halloween and safety tips for community members while trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treat hours in Milton are always on Halloween, October 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Chief Marquardt reminds us if you see something, say something. In cases of an emergency, call 911. For non-emergencies, call the Rock County Communications Center at (608) 757-2244 to have an officer dispatched.

Trick-or-Treat in Milton

It’s October, a time when stories about the weird and unusual start to appear in our favorite television shows and we begin making our Halloween plans. We decided this was the perfect time to also highlight some of Milton’s more unusual stories. We spoke with Kari Klebba, executive director for the Milton House Museum / Milton Historical Society and interim program coordinator for the Milton College Preservation Society, about three of Milton's more unusual stories from the community's history.

Unusual Milton Stories

We spoke with Dave Bendlin, retired biology and environmental sciences teacher at Milton High School (Wisconsin), about the native prairies in our community. He describes the typical characteristics of a prairie, including what animals, insects, and plants you will see on a prairie. We also discussed two upcoming prairie seed collections in the City of Milton on October 19 in Crossridge Park and on October 12 at Tower Hill Park.

Life on the Prairie

In our third episode, we spoke with City Administrator Al Hulick about the form of government Milton utilizes, which is Mayor-Council. Administrator Hulick discussed the role the Mayor and Administrator play in the business of local government and how changes are made to the Administrator position. We also discussed the difference between towns and cities and how to determine what municipality you call home.

Building Blocks of Local Government

We spoke with City Administrator Al Hulick about major street and utility projects happening in the community and more minor pavement improvements taking place. Administrator Hulick also discussed the funding of these projects.

Paving the Way in Milton

For our first episode, we talk with City Administrator Al Hulick about the City of Milton's Tax Incremental Financing Districts (TIF or TID) and developments happening in the community. At the end, Kari Klebba, executive director for the Milton House Museum / Milton Historical Society, joins us to talk about the Milton House Museum exterior improvements, the upcoming Twilight Tours on September 21, and why Milton was named Milton.