The Daily Telegram
SOLON SPRINGS, Wis. — The Solon Springs Fire Commission took additional steps Thursday in closed session against former Solon Springs Fire Chief Mike Brostowitz.
“The committee decided the best thing to do was remove him from the department,” said Gene Risler, secretary and treasurer for the commission, which represents both the village and town of Solon Springs.
At a public hearing last month, Brostowitz resigned his post as chief of the Solon Springs Volunteer Fire Department. The commission reviewed formal charges against Brostowitz, but took no action due to the resignation. In addition, Brostowitz was allowed to remain on the department.
As a condition of the resignation, the former fire chief was to turn over fire department items in his possession — including two computers, a cell phone, pager and files.
“Some things did start appearing back at the fire hall,” Risler said, but not everything was returned by the agreed-upon date of Oct. 27. In addition, the computers that were turned in were blank.
“We’re thinking there were files there we could use,” Risler said. “There had to have been stuff on the computers.”
Because Brostowitz did not live up to his end of the agreement, he said, the committee took action.
“Hopefully now we are done with the issue and can go on from there,” Risler said. Assistant Fire Chief John Walt is currently acting as interim fire chief.
The commission expects a recommendation from Solon Springs firefighters next month as to who they would like to be chief. Taking that under advisement, the commission will then name a new chief.
Copyright 2009 The Daily Telegram