Wauwatosa committee backs staff to draft written assurances for firefighters amid proposed merger with West Allis

The Wauwatosa government affairs committee voted Dec. 16 to ask staff to draft resolution language and a letter-of-intent-style document recording four assurances for current firefighters as the city explores a proposed merger of its fire department with West Allis.

Jim Archambault, identified in the meeting as the city administrator, told the committee the city faces long-term fiscal constraints under state levy limits that have forced staffing reductions and left an apparatus at Station 53 operating short-staffed much of the year. Archambault said a merged department could eliminate duplicative administrative roles and expensive duplicate equipment while improving the city's ability to recruit and retain personnel; he warned that current collective bargaining agreements remain in effect until a new department and bargaining unit are created and that the city cannot lawfully bargain on behalf of a merged entity that does not yet exist.

The committee heard from…