Village wants Grafton fire chief to help out

Grafton Fire Chief Bill Rice would essentially serve as the Saukville fire chief until next April under an agreement approved last week by the Saukville Village Board.

Rice would provide oversight to the department that has been without a fire chief since Thad Trinko resigned from that post in July. 

Under the terms of the agreement, which has not yet been approved by the Grafton Village Board, Saukville would pay $300 a month for “administrative oversight and operational assistance,” plus $51 per hour for time spent in excess of six hours in a single week.

In addition, mileage incurred, other than that related to mutual-aid calls, would be reimbursed.

Services to be provided include oversight of personnel, training, budget, incident command and daily operations, according to an intergovernmental agency agreement approved last week by Saukville trustees.

“It will largely be administrative oversight, but not limited to that,” Rice said in an interview. “We’ll work together. Ultimately, I will be responsible.”

Rice said he expects Grafton village trustees to vote on the agreement when they meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19.

Saukville Village President Barb Dickmann said Rice “would supervise, administer and mentor on an as-needed basis.”

At the same meeting, Saukville trustees approved amending the fire department compensation schedule, changing Assistant Chief Jason Laabs’ title to assistant/deputy fire chief and adjusting his salary from $2,798 per year to $2,100 but paying him an additional $500 per month stipend from July through December.

Dickmann said the stipend was meant to compensate Laabs for leading the department following Trinko’s resignation.

Trinko moved to the area from Arizona after he was hired in November 2019 to replace longtime chief Gilly Schultz, who retired the previous September.

He moved back to Arizona following his resignation.

A study completed by a consultant for the village before Trinko’s hiring concluded the department was top heavy, with more officers than usual for a department its size.

The study also concluded that the department has a high degree of dedication and pride but that improvements were needed in personnel policy development and training of administrative staff.

Rice and Dickmann said the agreement could be a foreshadowing of the possible consolidation of Ozaukee County fire departments.

“Maybe we could be an example of how things would look,” Dickmann said.

“We’re opening doors to opportunities,” Rice said. “What those are going to be I don’t know.

“But we’re definitely moving in the right direction. What we’re doing kind of jump starts that situation.”

The Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Policy Forum is collecting data from each of the nine Ozaukee County fire departments —  including operating and capital budgets, service call histories, staffing levels and employee policies — according to a memorandum of understanding between the Policy Forum and the participating departments.

The Policy Forum will use the data to present service sharing or consolidation options, their potential fiscal and governance  impacts and possible next steps. 

Its conclusions are expected to be presented to the communities by the end of the year.