Macomb City Council’s committee of the whole session Monday focused on quarterly updates from city department heads covering May through July.
Police Chief Jeff Hamer highlighted National Night Out on August 5 as a successful community event involving more than 50 social service agencies. During the quarter, the department responded to 4,631 calls for service, made 468 criminal arrests and 134 traffic arrests. Reported incidents included 57 thefts, 11 burglaries, and 79 vehicle collisions.
Hamer said officers conducted 31 mental health evaluations and handled 12 suicidal subjects. Tasers were deployed twice, and staff spent over 100 hours reviewing body camera footage. The police earned $16,680 from vehicle impoundment fees and auctioned 20 vehicles. Staffing remains a challenge, with two patrol officer vacancies. Officer Eli Gerard is set to begin police academy training soon, while Officer Gabbie Stotts is finishing field training. Officer Korby Foxall received a commendation for his role in a financial fraud case involving theft exceeding $11,000. K-9 Jax participated in four deployments, making seven narcotic alerts leading to one seizure and one arrest. The department also recorded its first all-female shift during the quarter.
Fire Chief Dan Meyer reported 805 calls for service, including 526 emergency medical responses. Fire crews fought 12 fires and completed 84 building inspections, including 13 at Western Illinois University. The department toured all Macomb school buildings and the Goldfarb Performing Arts Center at WIU.
Public Works Director Alice Ohrtmann said the sewer plant treated 210 million gallons of water and the water plant pumped 192 million gallons during the quarter, managing seven water main breaks. Street crews logged 606 hours on repairs, 316 hours on city forestry, 285 hours on storm sewer maintenance, and 270 hours on water main repairs. Oakwood Cemetery conducted seven burials and 12 cremations.
Community Development Director Miranda Lambert reported 400 code enforcement violations and 199 citations for tall grass. The department conducted 218 rental inspections and collected $36,486 in building fees from 523 payments.
Finance Director Melissa Worley said 16,505 residences were billed for utilities. Top business utility users included Western Illinois University, the city of Colchester, and NTN Bower. Vendor payments totaled $4 million, with leading vendors being Laverdiere Construction, Leander Construction, Waste Management, and Maurer Stutz Engineering. The city employs 119 full-time and 67 part-time workers.
Marketing and Downtown Development Director Savannah Ballard said downtown occupancy reached 95 percent, with businesses investing $36,687 in facade improvements. The new community events calendar logged 1,301 events since May, attracting over 14,000 site visitors. The city’s Facebook page followers increased by 20 percent.
City Attorney Lisa Scalf reported prosecuting 270 court cases during the quarter. She said 90 percent of future cases will be adjudicated at Macomb City Hall rather than in court.
City grant writer Jessica Biddenstadt announced the city received 17 grants totaling $1.8 million and has applied for an additional $14 million in grants.
