Kettle Moraine Fire Board — Minutes

KETTLE MORAINE FIRE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Approved March 26, 2026 Call to Order: President C. Mommaerts called the meeting to order at 6:30pm on March 26, 2026, at the Eagle Municipal Building at 820 E. Main St, Eagle, WI. Roll Call: C. Mommaerts, J. Davis, G. Planning, A. Shird, R. Spurrell, C. Wood, and D. Miresse were all present. Pledge of Allegiance: C. Mommaerts led the Pledge of Allegiance. Announcement of possible closed session pursuant to WI State Statute §19.85(1)(f) and WI State Statue §19.85(1) (g) for consultation with legal counsel concerning preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to or involved in such problems. Discussion/action as necessary to approve minutes from February 26, 2026: Motion by C. Wood to approve the minutes as submitted. Motion seconded by J. Davis. No further discussion. All in favor. Motion carried. Citizen comments/concerns: no action will be taken on any items brought forward: Julie Krivitz, 205 Woodfield Dr, Eagle addressed the fire board. She stated that the firefighters and EMT’s deserved an apology and should not be used as pawns in a political process. She expressed concerns that department members have been placed in a position of uncertainty and instability while still being expected to continue serving the communities. Julie also raised operational concerns related to the IMA including equipment appraisal and sale requirements, lack of guaranteed retention of equipment by the municipalities, and potential gaps in operational readiness due to long apparatus delivery timelines. She questioned whether meaningful conversations had taken place with the Chief prior to these decisions being made. Julie stated under the IMA, the Chief is to serve as a liaison between the Fire Board and the Fire Department, and in her opinion, lack of communication reflects a failure of leadership and governance. She expressed concerns that instability discourages quality staff, micromanagement delays critical staffing and operational polices, decisions are being made without the understanding of modern fire and EMS challenges and there is an overall lack of respect and trust in leadership. She concluded by emphasizing the importance of clear communication, respect for staff, strong leadership relationships, and realistic forward-thinking planning, stating that success should be measured by those serving in the field and the citizens who rely on them. Chuck Wood thanked Julie for her comments and stated that he first became aware of the situation after reading it in the Waukesha Freeman. Donna Samuels, Trustee on the Village of North Prairie board, stated she agreed with the comments made by Julie and Chuck. Donna expressed frustration regarding the lack of communication among the municipalities, the Fire Board and the Fire Chief and that this situation came as a surprise. She voiced her concern for the individuals working within the district and stated that, in her opinion, communication and direction from the Fire Board has been inadequate. Debbie Hall, Trustee on the Village of North Prairie board echoed Donna’s concerns. She stated that the Village of North Prairie has repeatedly expressed their commitment to the fire district and over the last 12- 14 months they have tried on a municipal level to deal with the Village and the Town of Eagle so we can start moving in a positive direction. She stated these efforts were met with repeated refusals and expressed disappointment in the current situation we are in not only as a board member, but as a citizen. Matt Leppard, 205 Main St, Eagle addressed the Board regarding DOT inspection concerns and alleged legal violations and wrongdoings that were brough to him, which he stated had been communicated to both the Fire Board and the Village of Eagle board. Shelly Elmblad, 818 Melbourne Rd, Eagle, a resident and a newly elected member of the Village of Eagle board. She commented that the chief should not have been surprised and finds it hard to believe that Steve does not report back to the chief since he has been to all the Village Board meetings. Duane Domagalski, County Rd ZZ stated that according to the Village of North Prairie agendas they may not be 100% committed to the agreement since they have reached out to Western Lakes and Mukwonago. Discussion/action as necessary to approve the financial report and monthly account payables: Motion by J. Davis to approve the financial report and monthly account payables as presented. Motion seconded by C. Wood. No further discussion. All in favor. Motion carried. Report from Administrative Assistant: C. Cliffgard reported that 2022 audit documentation had been submitted to the auditor. She also followed up on a previous question from J. Davis and confirmed that Wendi does not currently have a backup contact or additional staff assisting with the audit. Discussion/action regarding parameters for fire district facility maintenance/emergencies/projects defined by Fire Board policy creation: Motion by R. Spurrell to table. Motion seconded by C. Wood. No further discussion. All in favor. Motion carried. Discussion regarding the Village of Eagle and Town of Eagle opting to withdrawal from the Kettle Moraine Fire District: R. Spurrell requested this to be put on the agenda. He expressed concerns over the decision by the two municipalities to terminate the agreement with no plan in place and he does not think the people voting on this understood what the action truly means. He emphasized that according to the agreement it is the job of the Fire Board to decide the day-to-day operations of the district not the municipal boards. R. Spurrell stated he voted against terminating the agreement, in his opinion the Village of Eagle and Town of Eagle made a mistake, and he is all for having a discussion on revising the agreement to make the department better, but that is not what was voted on. He is concerned about staffing retention while the boards are trying to figure this out. D. Miresse noted recent progress including approval of the staffing policy and establishment of a fire fee committee and expressed concern that the dissolution would be fiscally irresponsible. J. Davis stated he would like these municipalities to reconsider changing their motions to revising the agreement as opposed to disbanding it. R. Spurrell stated that it would have to be done at the next meeting and the motion needs to be made by someone who voted in favor of it. C. Wood listed the following fire departments that are longer in existence: Butler, Lannon, Lisbon, North Lake, Nashotah, Stone Bank, Delafield, Dousman, Wales-Genesse, Town of Mukwonago, and Elm Grove. C. Mommaerts shared newspaper articles from other municipalities experiencing Fire/EMS funding challenges and stated that fire fees may be the only viable option. G. Planning expressed support for continuing the district and appreciation for department personnel. R. Spurrell apologized to Chief Nottling for not contacting him earlier. Chief Nottling shared with the board an email from an employee regarding the termination of the agreement. Chief’s Monthly Report: Chief Nottling summarized his written report. He stated that as of March 26th we are at 110 calls, all apparatus are back in service after repairs and the new staffing policy has been implemented. Chief Nottling reported that the Fire Fee Research Committee held meetings in February and March, including a presentation from James Small with WI Department of Rural Health Services which was highly informational, the Chief sent a copy of the power point to the board members. The committee voted to suspend future meetings until they get further direction from the municipalities and the Fire Board regarding the future of KMFD. Chief Nottling expressed appreciation for the department staff and how each one of them makes a positive impact on the people they serve each time they respond to a call or pick up a shift. C. Wood asked Chief Nottling if there were any updates on tires. A discussion followed regarding apparatus tires and compliance with NFPA standards. The Chief indicated that the department is proceeding with replacing the remaining tires to get into compliance. Motion to enter closed session pursuant to WI State Statute §19.85(1)(f) and WI State Statue §19.85(1)(g) for consultation with legal counsel concerning preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to or involved in such problems: Motion by J. Davis to enter closed session pursuant to WI State Statute §19.85(1)(f) and WI State Statue §19.85(1)(g) for consultation with legal counsel concerning preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to or involved in such problems. Motion seconded by G. Planning. Roll Call Vote: C. Mommaerts – yes, J. Davis – yes, G. Planning – yes, A. Shird – yes, R. Spurrell – yes, C. Wood – no, D. Miresse -yes Closed session: Closed session at 7:23pm. Motion to reconvene into open session: Motion by R. Spurrell to reconvene into open session. Motion seconded by D. Miresse. No further discussion. All in favor. Motion carried. Open session: Open session at 9:10pm. Discussion/action regarding any closed session item if needed: No discussion/action will be needed. Upcoming Meeting: The next regular Fire Board meeting is Thursday April 23rd at 6:30pm at the North Prairie Municipal Building. C. Mommaerts made an announcement that Dan Miresse will be the Fire Board President starting in April. Motion to Adjourn: Motion by D. Miresse to adjourn. Motion seconded by G. Planning. All in favor. Motion carried. C. Mommaerts adjourned the meeting 9:12pm