Western Lakes Fire District’s Fire Board or Commission

Western Lakes Fire Board Monthly Board Meeting March 24, 2025 Call to Order • George Morris called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Board members present were George Morris, Jeff Roemer, Mike Tompkins, Kent Lorenz, Bill Riemenschneider, Dan DeBehnke, and Scott Carter. Proof of Notice • Chief Bowen announced that the notice was posted Friday, March 21, 2025, at 11:52 p.m. in accordance with open meeting laws. Pledge of Allegiance • Assistant Chief Ross Gscheidmeier led the Pledge of Allegiance Public Comment • George Morris opened the meeting up to public comment, of which there was none. Consent Agenda • Items listed under the Consent Agenda are considered in one motion unless a Fire Board Member requests that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda o Minutes of February 24, 2025 regular Fire Board Meeting o Payment of bills in the amount of $1,211,322.54. • A motion was made by Jeff Roemer and seconded by Scott Carter to approve the Consent Agenda items including meeting minutes from February 24, 2025 Fire Board meeting and payment of bills in the amount of $1,211,322.54. Motion carried unanimously. Fire Chief’s Report • Chief Bowen covered several key areas, beginning with an organizational restructuring following Assistant Chief Schuetz's retirement, which will move towards a future organizational chart with Operations and Administrative Teams each led by an Assistant Chief, reducing the number of full- time chief officers by one. Updates from the Wisconsin Fire & EMS Legislative Coalition highlighted ongoing discussions on the 2025-2027 state budget, PTSD coverage expansion, shared revenue innovation grants, rehired annuitants, retirement income tax treatment, the No Surprises Act, EMS training and funding, peer support administrative rules, and technical college admissions. The Western Lakes Fire & EMS Association received generous community donations, including $3,000 for mental health/peer support and $5,000 from the Silver Circle Sports Frostbite Scramble for training or water rescue, while the Chili Fest raised over $900 for the Explorers Post. The District is experiencing increased call volume, including a significant number of wildland fires and mutual aid requests in March. Progress on Intermunicipal Agreement updates has been lengthy due to legal review, with a draft expected soon, while agreements with Lac La Belle/Oconomowoc are in final review, and updates with other contract municipalities are underway. The Impact Fee Study RFP took longer than expected to finalize and will be advertised next week. Succession planning and professional development are active, with Lieutenant development sessions, acting Battalion Chief training for Captains Laue and Dorn, and recruitment processes for Assistant Chiefs and firefighter/paramedics commencing, followed by Station/Shift Captain promotions; Chief Officers also attended the Wisconsin Education Chief’s Association spring conference. Finally, the current year-to-date budget is balanced, the 2024 audit is in progress, and budget amendments and carryover resolutions for uncompleted 2024 projects are included in the packet. Page 1 of 3 Chief Officer Reports • George Morris asked if any of the Chief’s had anything to add to their reports, and if the board had any questions. • Deputy Chief Meyer highlighted the upcoming Station Open House at the Stone Bank Station with the Easter Bunny on Sunday, April 13th from 11am until 2pm. Presentation – EMS Bureau Operations, Deputy Chief Kami Warren • DC Warren provided an overview to the Fire Board of the EMS Bureau's operations and activities within the District. She highlighted recurring roles and responsibilities as well as current strategic projects and goals being evaluated by the various EMS Committees, which include staff members of various classifications, licensure levels, and ranks. Discussion/Action – 2024 Budget Amendments • Chief Bowen presented the board with a list of unbudgeted grants and funds received in 2024, recommending budget entries to accommodate the additional revenue and expenses. The proposed year-end budget adjustments include: o Budget Amendment #1**: $218,700 from the Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant for vehicle exhaust systems. o Budget Amendment #2**: Transfer $24,300 of 2024 surplus asset sale revenue to Capital Projects Fund #63011 to cover the grant recipient's share. o Budget Amendment #3**: Use the AFG Grant of $218,700 and an additional $24,300 from account 41400 to cover the grant's share. o Budget Amendment #4**: Transfer $54,790 of 2024 surplus interest revenue to Capital Projects Fund #64510 for increased ambulance costs. • In total, grants received for 2024 include $218,700 from FEMA, along with surplus revenues from interest and asset sales due to delays in the delivery of the aerial ladder truck. • A motion was made by Dan DeBehnke and seconded by Kent Lorenz to approve 2024 budget amendments as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion/Action – 2024 Carryover Resolution • Chief Bowen presented to the board the annual review process, highlighting that each year, as part of our financial closing procedures, the Board evaluates and makes recommendations regarding continuing appropriations. A continuing appropriation facilitates the transfer of budget and spending authority from one fiscal year to the next through a formal resolution. The 2024 budget encompassed provisions for building improvements; however, due to supply chain challenges, the HVAC and maintenance projects at Station 1 remained incomplete. Additionally, the 2024 budget includes funding for one ambulance, which is scheduled for delivery in 2026. The resolution under consideration will authorize the transfer of budget authority from 2024 to 2025 for the specified budget line items. The requests presented this evening pertain to the carryover of funds from 2024 to 2025. These requests encompass a range of items in the amount of $434,622.94, including unfinished projects, outstanding amounts on purchase orders, and specific funding requests. • A motion was made by Mike Tompkins and seconded by Jeff Roemer to Resolution No. 25-001 to carry over funds from 2024 to 2025. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion/Action – Fire and EMS Protection Agreement between WLFD, Village of Lac LaBelle, and Town of Oconomowoc. • Chief Bowen indicated that at this time, no action should be taken by the Fire Board as there is ongoing evaluation and discussion regarding the agreement between Administrator Herrmann and Chief Bowen. A final agreement will be presented as soon as possible. • The Fire Board asked if there are any implications of not having this completed at this time. Chief Bowen shared that all parties are currently operating within the current agreements in place, and Page 2 of 3  this is a house keeping matter due to the attachment of the majority of the Town of Oconomowoc to the Village of Lac LaBelle. Operationally at this time, there are no issues that need to be immediately addressed. • Tim Clark, Village of Lac LaBelle asked about the payment terms in the new agreement. Chief Bowen indicated that the payment terms are being updated to match to new payment terms by municipalities in the Inter-Municipal Agreement. Future Agenda Items and Meetings • Monthly Fire Board Meeting – Monday, May 12, 2025, at 4:00 pm at Station 1. This is a conjoinded meeting of April and May which was approved by the Fire Board due to holidays in each month. Closed Session • George Morris Announced that the Fire Board will convene into closed session pursuant to section 19.85(1)(c), Wisconsin State Statutes, “To consider employment, promotion, compensation, or performance evaluation of the District’s part-time and full-time employees, over which the Fire Board exercises responsibility;” for the following purposes: “Specific compensation, benefits, and performance evaluations related to specific employees.” The Fire Board will not reconvene into open session at the conclusion of the closed session. • A motion was made at 5:16pm to enter into closed session by Dan DeBehnke and seconded by Jeff Roemer. Roll call vote was performed with all in favor. Adjournment • At 6:06 p.m. the meeting ended. Page 3 of 3