Delafield council debates Lake Country Fire and Rescue funding, authorizes proposal request from Western Lakes

At its July 21 meeting, the City of Delafield Common Council discussed a proposed amendment to the Lake Country Fire and Rescue intermunicipal agreement (IMA) over funding, staffing and governance and directed staff to solicit a written proposal from Western Lakes Fire & Rescue to compare alternatives. The council framed the session around a multi-year staffing plan from Lake Country Fire and Rescue (LCFR) and continuing disagreement among partner municipalities over who bears what share of operating costs.

The issue matters because LCFR’s proposed staffing changes — a multi‑year plan to add several full‑time firefighters annually to replace part‑time positions — would raise operating costs for all partners, and Delafield officials said the city is carrying a disproportionate share of those costs. That raised questions about long‑term affordability, response times and governance for a multi‑municipal service used by thousands of residents.

Council and staff said the current IMA (referred to in discussion as “IMA 7”) binds Delafield to a funding formula and governance structure that several councilors said has produced a steep, uneven cost burden for the city. Council members and the mayor stressed they support LCFR personnel and operational quality but said Delafield’s share had grown to a level the council could not ignore. Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Matt Fenig outlined the countywide mutual‑aid damage assessment program earlier in the meeting and answered budget and staffing questions during the LCFR discussion. Chief Fenig described the county’s damage‑assessment software and said mutual aid helps coordinate resources after major incidents.

Dozens of Delafield residents spoke during the citizen comment period, nearly all urging the council to preserve LCFR. Resident Garrett Nessheim said he supported “Lake Country Fire today.” Matt Lepphardt, Kate Schlesinger and several other residents spoke in favor of maintaining the existing fire and EMS service in Delafield. Lake Country Lieutenant Julie Krivitz, who said she has served with LCFR for more than a decade, told the council: “The lack of renewed cooperative agreement with our partner municipalities, the pursuit of outsourcing somewhere else, and the failure to implement the agreed staffing model are not only disheartening, but they're very dangerous.” Chief Fenig described the proposed IMA amendment as an attempt to address staffing and cost allocation and explained how the county’s damage assessment team works.

After discussion the council voted in a voice vote to ask staff to solicit a proposal from Western Lakes Fire & Rescue so the city could compare written alternatives. The motion passed despite at least one councilmember saying the move was a mistake; the vote was taken by voice and the minutes do not record a roll‑call tally. Council members emphasized this action was a step to collect information, not a commitment to change providers.

Council members and staff said next steps include receiving a formal, attorney‑reviewed IMA amendment draft from LCFR (expected to move through legal review), reviewing any written proposal received from Western Lakes, and continuing local negotiations with LCFR partners. Councilors said they preferred to resolve issues within LCFR but felt an outside proposal was prudent to understand options should negotiations fail.

Delafield’s interest in alternatives follows a year of negotiations and public debate over LCFR’s hiring plan and how partner municipalities share costs; the city has previously used a fire fee and a referendum to fund expanded staffing. Council members asked staff to bring formal proposals and comparative financial analyses back to the council for review before any change in governance or service provider would be considered.