TITLE
Commending an Expressing Appreciation to Harley G. Lemkuil, Cross Connection Control Inspector, on his Retirement After 39 Years of Dedicated Service to Madison Water Utility and the City of Madison
BODY
WHEREAS, Harley G. Lemkuil began his permanent employment with the City of Madison Water Utility in November 1987 as a Public Works Maintenance Worker 1; AND
WHEREAS, Harley was successively promoted to Equipment Operator 1 (truck driver for main leaks), Public Works Maintenance Worker 3 (valve turner), Construction Inspector in 1997, Engineering Program Specialist in 2004, and ultimately to Cross Connection Control Inspector, a position he held from 2011 until his retirement in 2026; AND
WHEREAS, in these roles, Harley helped guide the digital transformation away from pencil and paper to electronic recordkeeping, leveraging education and training in cartography and computer-aided drafting (CAD) from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and the Air Force ROTC program; AND
WHEREAS, in each position, Harley served with distinction; a dedication to public service to the City of Madison and Water Utility and their employees, residents, and customers, including acting as a union steward; and a steadfast commitment to the Utility’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water; AND
WHEREAS, as a Cross Connection Control Inspector, Harley performed over 7,000 cross connection surveys at businesses, schools, hotels, churches, apartments, restaurants, industrial facilities, and office and government buildings, enforcing the plumbing code to prevent backflow of potentially hazardous materials into the municipal water supply; AND
WHEREAS, Harley was responsible for updating and digitizing cross connection control records for the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, City of Madison Parks, the Henry Vilas Zoo, the Edgewood College campus, and St. Mary’s Hospital, helping to bring these institutions into compliance for backflow protection; AND
WHEREAS, Harley is an avid outdoors man from a humble upbringing in Cuba City to his rustic getaway in Crivitz, where he enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling; AND
WHEREAS, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Water Utility Board hereby commends and thanks Harley for his nearly 40 years of dedicated service to Madison Water Utility and the City of Madison.