By Amy Nixon
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
BIG BEND, Wis. — In the wake of a decision by the Vernon Town Board to dissolve the joint Big Bend-Vernon Fire Department, the Village of Big Bend is left wondering how best to provide fire protection services to its residents after Dec. 31, 2010, the date when the joint department will cease to exist.
“We know for a fact that neither the Village of Big Bend nor the Town of Vernon will be able to support a paramedic program on their own,” the village wrote in a Dec. 30 letter to residents. “The call volume for each community cannot support it,” the letter states. It also states that Big Bend’s residential and commercial property insurance will increase due to the split.
“In the end, the village and town are required by Wisconsin state law to provide fire service,” the letter reads. “The village will look at all options and will get a plan in place as soon as possible to ensure you that when you dial 911, help will come to your home if and when you need it.”
The village will discuss and possibly act on the development of the Big Bend Fire Department, contracting with another community for fire services or merging with another community for fire services at its Jan. 7 meeting at 7 p.m.
The letter notes that the Village Board “would rather keep the BBVFD together if possible.”
The town and village boards had until Dec. 15 to approve the intermunicipal agreement; however, no such agreement could be made and, therefore, according to state law, the department will continue until Dec. 31, 2010, when it will dissolve.
According to the letter sent out to Big Bend residents, the Vernon Town Board unanimously voted to dissolve the intermunicipal agreement between the village and the town for fire and rescue services at 12:15 a.m. Dec. 18.
“This will end almost 47 years of service by the BBVFD to residents of the Village of Big Bend and the Town of Vernon,” the letter reads. “It appears that the Vernon Town Board has already made the decision that they are starting their own Fire Department. The village, however, will need to look at several options, including contracting with another fire department, joining with another community or starting our own.”
According to the letter, the village started its own department in 1952 and asked the Town of Vernon to join in 1963.
The letter then scans back over the past several months, citing minutes from multiple town and village meetings. The issue of legal fees, which would eventually lead to the department’s dissolution, was first brought up March 4, when the village and town met with the Fire Board and Fire Commission. According to the letter, the minutes from the Town of Vernon regarding that meeting state, “The boards agreed for the next budget, the Fire Department, Fire Board and Fire Commission are to add a line item for legal counsel. Fire Board President Gauger asked for a minimum amount of legal fees, example: $2,500, to be used and once the amount will supersede the minimum amount then the board would come to the village and town for approval due to the amount of legal fees that would be incurred.”
On Sept. 21, 2009, the Fire Department included $2,000 in legal fees in its budget, as did the Fire Board. The Village and Town boards passed the Fire Commission budget but tabled the Fire Department budget and Fire Board budget due to questions on legal fees, personnel, insurance, equipment and supplies, according to the letter. The Village Board passed the Fire Board and Fire Department budgets as it was presented to the village and town, which included a zero-percent increase in their budgets and $2,000 in legal fees in each of their budgets as a line item on Oct. 1, 2009; however, on Oct. 7, 2009, the Vernon board passed both budgets and removed the $2,000 line items.
The village and town met Oct. 12, but after 2 1/2 hours of discussions, the meeting was adjourned, with no agreement reached.
The letter states that an Oct. 15 letter from Town of Vernon Chairman Fred Michalek noted that although the town and village had “differences of opinion,” it was his opinion that these are “resolvable issues.”
Village President James Soneberg sent a letter of compromise to the town Nov. 17, stating he was “willing to propose that the village take out the $2,000 in legal fees for the Fire Department,” and that “the $1,700 for the insurance costs that the Town Board has removed?remain in the Fire Department budget and go to help with the workman’s compensation insurance costs?I would propose that we take the $2,000 in legal fees proposed for the fire department and put that toward the insurance costs as well.”
Although the Village Board passed the compromise, the Town of Vernon voted Nov. 17 not to accept the offer.
According to the letter from the Big Bend board, Big Bend would prefer to keep the joint department because it is more cost-effective and can provide better service.
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