Waunakee trustees debate fire department governance and intergovernmental agreements; no immediate action

Village counsel and trustees spent an extended portion of the meeting reviewing legal memoranda and the governance status of the Waunakee Area Fire Department. The discussion centered on whether fire services are being provided through an intergovernmental agreement that requires a statutory fire commission, or instead are provided by a statutory fire company that would not require a commission.

Village attorney Brian Kleinmeyer summarized his reading of the documents and statutory framework and said he concluded the materials lack the clarity the village needs. “I come out at a different end,” Kleinmeyer said, noting he believes the arrangement is an intergovernmental service that would require a fire commission; he contrasted that view with a memorandum prepared by the fire…