Nasewaupee Planning for New Fire Department

With Nasewaupee planning to split from the Southern Door Fire Department (SDFD) next year and form its own department, the town board agreed Oct. 20 to have its attorney handle the paperwork for the new department rather than hire a consultant.

Town chair Steven Sullivan said it would cost $2,500-$5,000 for the town attorney, Tyler Pluff, to set up the paperwork, if the town got help from firefighters. 

Sullivan said another option would be for the town to spend about $40,000 to hire a consulting firm, McMahon Associates, to help set up the department, but board members found that approach too expensive. The board could later elect to use a consulting firm if the town “hit a bump in a couple of months,” Sullivan said.

Last month, the town gave the SDFD’s board notice that it intends to split from the other three municipalities in it – the Village of Forestville and the towns of Forestville and Clay Banks – effective with the fire board’s 2023 annual meeting. 

Fire Department Donations

Sullivan said he’s learned of people who want to donate money and equipment to Nasewaupee’s new fire department.

“If they want to bring some donations forward, I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “I asked them not to go advertising and start asking people. If some people want to come in and give money, we don’t care.”

Sullivan said the donations would need to go to the Town of Nasewaupee until the new fire department is created.

“We’ve got the money to do it, but I’ve got no problem with donations from somebody,” he said. 

Along with leaving the SDFD, the town is planning to purchase the department’s assets that are located in the fire station in Nasewaupee.

Based on the operating agreement that formed the SDFD with the four municipalities in 1980, Nasewaupee officials are planning to pay the other three municipalities 30% of what those assets are now worth.

Fire Board Vacancy

The eight-member SDFD board, which has two seats per municipality, now has a vacancy for a Nasewaupee member after the fire board voted 6-2 last month not to seat Bill Krueger for a new term. 

Krueger was at odds with fire board chair Loren Uecker, a Town of Forestville representative, who made the motion not to seat him.

Sullivan said Nasewaupee is looking to fill the vacancy, and anyone who’s interested in being on the fire board should let someone on the town board know.

Krueger, who was present for the Oct. 20 town board meeting, said he appreciated the opportunity to serve on the fire board for the past two years.