Hartland,Town of Delafield, out of fire talks

Village of Nashotah - Lake Country Fire and Rescue (LCFR) officials decided tonight to break off fire department consolidation discussions with the Town of Delafield and the Village of Hartland so they could focus on  merger discussions with the City of Oconomowoc fire department.

The decision was announced following a one hour closed session by a committee of representatives of the City of Delafield and the villages of Chenequa and Nashotah, the communities that finance, and are served by, the regional fire and emergency medical response agency.

Committee Chairman Rich Lartz, president of the Village of Nashotah, said the committee decided that LCFR would be in danger of growing too fast and too big if it absorbed the Oconomowoc, Town of Delafield and Hartland fire departments at the same time.

Lartz said City of Oconomowoc officials have said they are prepared to begin consolidation discussions immediately while officials from the Town of Delafield and the Village of Hartland have been hesistant about committing to a consolidation with LCFR.

Oconomowoc, the Town of Delafield and the Village of Hartland indicated late last year they might be interested in consolidating with Lake Country Fire and Rescue. Consolidation discussions were held in August, September and February.

Meanwhile, Town of Delafield resident Edward T. Kranick said he may file a complaint with the Waukesha County District Attorney's office that tonight's meeting at the Nashotah Village Hall violated the state's open meeting law. Kranich said it was unnecessary for the meeting to be conducted in closed session.

Two members of the committee, Julie Swenson of Nashotah and Alderman Gerald MacDougall of the City of Delafield,  voted against the closed session. Swenson and Delafield Mayor Ed McAleer had previously said they did not think the closed session was necessary. McAleer was unable to attend the meeting because of an illness.