By Emily Winter
The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin)
Copyright 2006 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
OREGON, Wis. — The Village Board voted Monday to withdraw a letter stating it would cease using Oregon Area Fire/EMS services.
The board had qualms about using the service because the village gets 40 percent of the vote on the Fire/EMS Commission but pays 60 percent of the operating costs.
Additionally, board President Jerry Luebke said he thinks a lower budget could result from a village-run fire department instead of Oregon Area Fire/EMS, which is a private organization.
Though other trustees voiced concerns about the current system, all but Luebke voted to rescind the letter Monday, showing they are willing stay with the department.
“I’m sure that this is the wrong direction for the village,” Luebke said. “We can budget better. We can reduce costs.”
Trustees said they hope to come to a compromise with the department, and the first step is giving Fire/EMS the assurance that the village won’t stop using its services.
“For right now, I think there’s going to be a healing process going on,” trustee Phil Harms said.
The letter announcing the village would leave the department was dated Dec. 22, 2005, and stated it would take action by Dec. 31, 2006. In March, however, a study found the village could not afford its own Fire/EMS department.
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Eithun pays legal fees: The board voted to accept a check for more than $2,000 from former trustee Tom Eithun, who recently resigned from the board.
The $2,303 check is for legal fees incurred when the village attorney looked into whether Eithun having a seat on the board and serving as fire captain for Oregon Area Fire/EMS was a conflict of interest.
The attorney concluded serving in both roles would be a conflict of interest because Eithun would have influence of his own salary.
Though Eithun disagreed, he offered to pay the legal fees, which would have otherwise been paid by the village.