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Council approves 10-year joint fire-department agreement with West Allis after members press for safeguards
Summary
Wauwatosa City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement to create a joint fire department with West Allis, amid council questions about governance, member appointments and whether the 10-year term would allow other municipalities to join later.
The Common Council approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to establish a joint fire department between West Allis and Wauwatosa.
Council discussion focused on governance mechanics and term length. A councilmember asked the city attorney whether the 10-year agreement would prevent another municipality from later becoming a member; staff replied that adding a new member would require both councils to approve an amended or rewritten agreement. The city attorney explained that the current IGA establishes two members initially but does not permanently foreclose the possibility of additional members.
One councilmember said internal appointment mechanisms for board members will need to be established by the councils in the future. Another expressed concern about service protections and the 10-year term, urging that the agreement should include safeguards against possible reductions in service for residents. The city staff response was that those protections would be a matter for future agreement language and council oversight.
The IGA passed on a 12-2 vote. The record shows multiple questions and a brief exchange about board appointment terms and the relationship between the IGA and a five-year "innovation grant" referenced by staff.
Next steps: the agreement will be implemented according to the IGA terms and each city will establish its board-appointment mechanics and oversight as called for under the agreement.
