Amended Police and Fire Commission

POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION MINUTES April 25, 2024 at 5:30 PM 303 Mansion Street Mauston, WI 1. Call to Order/Roll Call- The Police and Fire Commission met at a special meeting on April 25, 2024, in the Council Chambers of Mauston City Hall. Chair McGuire called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Members present were Jack Hammer, Brian McGuire, Gary Purvis, and Katie Gruman. Absent was Bill Jones. Also present were Assistant Fire Chief Brent Lenorud, Police Chief Mike Zilisch, and City Administrator Daron Haugh. 2. Minutes- Gruman/Purvis to approve the Minutes of the 3/28/2024, 4/1/2024, and 4/18/2024 meetings. Motion carried by voice vote. 3. Financial Report- Purvis/Gruman to approve the Financial Report as presented. Motion carried by voice vote. 4. Fire Department Report Hiring the new Fire Chief- McGuire/Hammer to hire Brent Lenorud as the new Fire Chief for the City of Mauston. The motion carried on a 4-0 roll call vote. The PFC thanked Chief Lenorud for his willingness to serve as the Chief and for his continued service to Mauston and the surrounding areas. His swearing-in will be at the City Council meeting on May 14, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. a. Fire Department Report a. The calls for service in March 2024 were reviewed and explained. b. The PFC reviewed a progress update report prepared by Gerald Kudek from McMahon Associates. c. Chief Lenorud reported to the PFC that in the past month, there has been some hose testing, and a partial controlled burn (until winds picked up), officers are sharing the report writing duties, and committees responsible for various activities within the Fire Dept. are being formed. d. Hammer/McGuire to approve the Fire Department report. Motion carried on a voice vote. 5. Fire Department open house possibility for recruitment- Discussion and action relating to Fire Department Open House possibility for recruitment. Because of the number of vacancies for firefighters, Haugh asked about the possibility of holding an Open House at the Fire Dept. to allow the public to tour the Fire Station and act as a recruiting event for firefighter applicants. Purvis/Gruman motion to allow Haugh to move forward with the planning for a public Open House held at the Fire Station. Motion carried on voice vote. 6. Fire Chief pay hourly or salary- The PFC discussed whether to continue to compensate the Fire Chief via a salary vs. an hourly pay rate. Fire Chief Lenorud offered that the salary model would  be fair and easier for now. The PFC came to a consensus to maintain the current salary model of compensation and will revisit the topic in 6 months. 7. Fire Fighter hiring process- The PFC discussed the process for hiring firefighters in order to standardize a process and develop a protocol. The PFC reached a consensus that at this time, Chief Lenorud would review applications, form a hiring committee to interview qualified candidates, and then, after a successful interview, be able to offer the position to qualified candidates. Upon acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, the candidate would then undergo a drug screening, background check, and physical examination. Chief Lenorud would then inform the PFC who was hired. Additionally, Chief Lenorud will appoint Officers and inform the PFC of the appointments. 8. Retaining McMahon on a per-call basis- Discussion and action relating to retaining McMahon Associates on a per-call basis. To assist Fire Chief Lenorud as he transitions into his new role, there was a motion by McGuire/Purvis to make McMahon Associates available on a per-call basis as needed for professional services. Motion carried on a voice vote. 10. Police Chief's Report • The March 2024 statistical reports were reviewed and explained. The total calls for service in March 2024 was 1206 while in March 2023, there were 1230. Last month, there were 1084 calls. • Chief Zilisch reported that the Mauston PD would be participating in the National Night Out activities in Necedah on August 6. He also informed the PFC that National Police Week is May 12-18. He also reported that the PD had gotten a state grant for new scanners and that he was researching the Code Red communication system for the City of Mauston. The Mauston PD had training in March on the new tasers. Finally, he informed the PFC that the patrol position was still open. • The PFC reached a consensus to allow Chief Zilisch to proceed with the purchasing process of a 2025 SUV squad car. • Hammer/McGuire to approve the Police Chief’s report. Motion carried by voice vote. 11. Adjourn- McGuire/Gruman to adjourn – motion carried by voice vote – meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m. ________________________________ _________________________ Chair Date