West Allis council reviews draft term sheet for joint fire department with Wauwatosa; action postponed to Dec. 9
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Summary
City officials reviewed a draft intergovernmental term sheet describing governance, budget and performance metrics for a proposed joint fire department with Wauwatosa; the council postponed formal action to Dec. 9 to allow further review before an intergovernmental agreement is prepared for Jan. 20 approval.
West Allis city officials on Nov. 11 reviewed a draft term sheet proposing a joint fire department with neighboring Wauwatosa but took no final action, voting instead to postpone consideration until Dec. 9.
Administrator Aaron Hearn presented the draft intergovernmental outline, saying the proposal would form a two‑tier governance structure and ask the two cities to create an intergovernmental entity that would be incorporated before negotiations on labor and operations began. "If it's approved at that time, then we will put together an inter governmental agreement, which will be reviewed and and asked for approval on the January 20," Hearn said.
Under the draft, an initial 10‑year contract term would automatically renew for six years; budget costs would be split 50/50 between the two cities. The term sheet proposes capping budget increases at 2.84% for the first five years to meet innovation‑grant requirements, then allowing automatic increases of up to 4% or CPI plus 2%, whichever is lower. The term sheet also proposes that newly purchased assets be split equally if the arrangement dissolves.
City Attorney Cale Decker described the proposed legal structure and the separation of powers between governance and operational oversight. "The proposed idea is to create a chapter 181 nonstock corporation, and the mayors, council presidents, and city administrators from each community total of 6 people who form the board of directors of that corporation," Decker said, and he added that a separate fire commission would remain in charge of hiring, discipline and training rather than finances.
Council members pressed for clarifications on several operational points. Alderman McKean asked whether the dispatch review would consider effects on police dispatch; Hearn replied that consultants were interviewing both dispatch centers to evaluate call processing and response times. McKean also asked who would decide not to renew after the initial term; Hearn said that would likely fall to the new board of directors.
The term sheet calls for performance metrics aligned with industry standards (CFI/ISO/NFPA), a dispatch facility evaluation expected to take about six months, and a multi‑phase implementation plan that includes governance/planning, organizational design, station optimization and ongoing monitoring and strategy. Hearn noted meeting the grant application deadline is critical: the intergovernmental agreement and articles of incorporation must be in place before the grant submission due March 31.
After discussion, Alderman House moved to postpone formal action until the council's Dec. 9 meeting; the motion was seconded and carried. The council will revisit the term sheet on Dec. 9; if approved then, staff will prepare the intergovernmental agreement for council consideration on Jan. 20.
Votes at a glance: the council discharged item 21 to the floor for discussion and then voted to postpone the resolution directing staff to prepare the intergovernmental documentation until Dec. 9 (voice vote recorded as "Aye").
