Port Washington borders right up to Lake Michigan, making marina access a vital part of the community. The Port Washington Marina season is from April 1 to November 1, and offers seasonal and daily launch fee prices. Public restrooms and Internet access are available, and private accommodations are provided for tenants. Boaters can even park for free for several hours to grab lunch. You may want to call ahead to make sure that accommodations will be available that day.
The Ozaukee County Register of Deeds office offers access to real estate, birth, marriage and death records as well as information on area land and mapping. The Register of Deeds is located on the first floor of the Administration Building, in room 1210.
The City Clerk is responsible for record-keeping, issuing licenses, attending and recording public meetings - including those of the Common Council - filing and receiving reports and overseeing elections in the town of Wauwatosa. The government office is also the first stop for residents in need of civic information or those who are unsure of where to go for specific needs. The office is located at City Hall on the upper floor of the civic building.
The Menomonee Falls Fire Department was founded in 1894 and is currently led by Fire Chief Jeffrey Hevey, who has been with the department since 2009. The fire department is operated by a mixture of full-time, part-time, standby and reserve members.
The four-station department provides fire protection for the 33-square-mile village, and firefighters responded to more than 2,600 calls in 2010 as compared to 882 in 1979.
The fire department is headquartered in Station 3, which was formerly the home of North Hills School. Station 3 is one of two stations in the department that is staffed 24 hours a day.
Through the Wauwatosa Water Department, headquartered at City Hall, the city provides residents and businesses with an ample supply of high quality water for public health and sanitation. The utility meets citywide water demands by regular evaluations of utility assets, effective loss prevention and maintenance programs and daily operational efficiency.
Since a 1963 agreement with the Milwaukee Water Works, the city has used treated Lake Michigan water. Previously, the utility used groundwater as its source. In addition to providing water for daily residential, commercial and industrial use, the Water Department also maintains more than 2,000 public fire hydrants for fire protection throughout the water distribution system.
One of the city's largest service divisions, the Public Works Department of Wauwatosa is split into five divisions: Engineering, Fleet Maintenance, Operations, Parks and Forestry and Traffic and Electrical. The department employs more than 100 staff members, including many seasonal employees. To cover its operating costs, the department has a 12 million dollar yearly budget and a 3.5 million dollars annual capital budget. The Public Works Department's administrative offices are located in City Hall.