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Delafield council moves to closed session as residents press for Lake Country Fire staffing commitments
Summary
After public comments urging action on brownouts and station closures, the Delafield Common Council convened in closed session June 16 to negotiate proposed amendments to the Lake Country Fire and Rescue intermunicipal agreement, citing bargaining reasons under state law.
Delafield — The Delafield Common Council voted June 16 to convene in closed session to negotiate proposed amendments to the Lake Country Fire and Rescue intermunicipal agreement, after residents and neighboring officials urged the council to press for firm staffing commitments to end station brownouts.
The move came after public comment from Edward Kranick, town chair of the Town of Delafield, who told the council the local service interruptions were worsening: “The town Station 31 was closed this last weekend and was closed 18 in the month of May, for 42% of the time,” he said. Kranick called for “a formal commitment that the staffing plan gets implemented to properly staff the LCFR stations that ends the practice of brownouts.”
The council’s motion to convene closed session cited Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(e), the exemption for deliberating or negotiating when competitive or bargaining reasons require secrecy; the roll call vote to enter closed session was recorded as unanimous.
Why it matters: Lake Country Fire and Rescue provides emergency services for Delafield and six partner municipalities. Council members and speakers at the meeting framed the item as a public-safety priority tied to funding and governance changes in the intermunicipal agreement, with residents urging transparency and firm commitments.
Details of public comment and council discussion
Mary Daniel of 309 Wisconsin Avenue told the council she supported efforts to protect emergency services across the LCFR municipalities and urged leaders to “find that answer” about funding. Kranick pressed for governance changes in addition to staffing commitments so the board could act more transparently, saying it was “time for this body to stop putting politics above public safety.”
Council discussion that preceded the closed session motion emphasized that amendments under consideration include changes to the cost-sharing formula and governance provisions, and that negotiations are in progress across member municipalities. City staff scheduled additional municipal-leaders meetings and a larger joint meeting in early July to continue talks.
Legal context and procedure
City Attorney Catherine Gutenkist gave an informational presentation at the same meeting on the narrow statutory standards for taking municipal business into closed session, referencing Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(e) and recent case law (Adzinger v. City of Marinette) about when closed sessions are legally required. Gutenkist advised that closed sessions are appropriate “when there is no other option” because public disclosure would harm bargaining strategy, and that formal actions should generally be taken in open session after strategic negotiation is complete.
What the council did
The council voted to convene in closed session to discuss negotiating proposed amendments to the LCFR intermunicipal agreement, including the cost-sharing formula and other terms, and then reconvened in open session and adjourned. Council members indicated they would continue intergovernmental discussions and report back at future meetings.
Next steps
Officials said staff will continue intermunicipal coordination and return to the council with any formal proposals. A joint municipal meeting on the topic is tentatively scheduled for early July.
