Residents call for new EMS board representative, ask for separate EMS Q&A after public safety presentation
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Summary
Multiple residents addressed the Village Board during public comment urging changes to how the EMS district is governed and asking for more public outreach and a dedicated EMS meeting; one speaker urged replacing the village’s EMS board representative and alleged unilateral actions and brinksmanship by that representative.
Three residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to press the Village Board for more transparency and a different approach to the EMS district’s governance after a recent public safety presentation.
CJ Robinson told the board that at a prior public safety meeting the village’s EMS arrangements were characterized by one board member’s repeated proposals and what Robinson called “brinksmanship” — including references to a conceptual April 2024 proposal to shift back-office HR and finance duties to the village and to change how member municipalities approve the EMS budget. Robinson said formal proposals had not been presented to the EMS board, that suggested changes (equalized value payment formulas and greater municipal oversight of budget requests) had not been formally proposed to the EMS board, and that the village had not been given papers to review. Robinson concluded by asking the Village Board to replace the village’s representative on the EMS district board.
Another commenter, Linda Niebert, apologized for an earlier, emotional public comment and said the village’s presentation at a recent Legion Hall meeting helped her better understand EMS issues; she urged the board to work toward agreement and to ensure residents have both sides of information. Jessica Bouchard, joining remotely, suggested the village convene a separate public meeting dedicated to EMS so EMS personnel and municipal representatives could answer questions in a back-and-forth forum and recommended including representatives and residents from all towns the EMS district serves.
At the meeting the village’s staff announced a community EMS meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at the fire station; staff also flagged that the village received a presentation on EMS at the previous public safety meeting and that some questions raised there remain unresolved.
This article distinguishes between public comment and any formal board action: the board did not take a formal vote on governance changes at this meeting and instead heard residents’ requests and announced the Sept. 16 community meeting. Quotations and attributions are drawn only from the speakers recorded in the public-comment segment of the meeting.