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Village of Hartland approves countywide damage-assessment MOU with Waukesha County, pending legal sign-off
Summary
The Village of Hartland Board of Trustees approved a memorandum of understanding to join a Waukesha County damage-assessment mutual aid group; the board required a written sign-off from village legal counsel before the agreement is executed.
The Village of Hartland Board of Trustees voted to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to join Waukesha County's countywide damage assessment group, with the condition that village legal counsel review the document and provide written approval.
The MOU would make Hartland part of a mutual-assistance team that conducts post-disaster damage assessments and helps member municipalities assemble paperwork required by state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs to secure disaster funding. Under the arrangement, Hartland personnel could be asked to assist other member communities after a major incident, and member communities would likewise provide personnel to Hartland if needed.
Village staff described the arrangement as primarily an operational agreement rather than a financial commitment. The village would supply staff time and payroll for personnel who respond to a neighboring community's incident; those personnel costs would be eligible for reimbursement under FEMA rules, county staff said. The county's draft MOU was circulated to municipal attorneys and Waukesha County's legal team before coming to the village.
Trustees asked whether membership in the group is limited to communities that sign the MOU and whether membership carries direct costs. Village staff and the chief clarified that communities must sign the MOU to be part of the mutual-assistance network and that the agreement itself imposes no charge for participation; normal payroll costs for personnel who respond would be reimbursable through FEMA when applicable.
Multiple trustees requested explicit legal review before final execution. The board attached that condition to the motion: the MOU will be approved contingent on receiving a written confirmation from the village's legal counsel that the agreement contains no objectionable provisions.
The motion to approve the MOU, pending legal sign-off, was moved, seconded and carried on a voice vote.
Community members and municipal staff who described the program said the group has been under development for roughly a year and includes multiple municipalities in Waukesha County. Village staff said there is not an immediate rush to sign but that it would be preferable to have the village included during the current calendar year.
What happens next: village staff said they will forward the MOU to the village attorney and seek written clearance; staff will coordinate with Waukesha County once the village counsel issues a sign-off.
