During the Public Safety portion of the Committees on Committees meeting for the Village of Blanchardville Assistant Chief Kevin Jayne mentioned on how the EMS department is struggling to fill calls.
Jayne told the committee that they have received 24 calls so far this year and they have missed over five where they were not able to get a full crew. He understood the village approved the additional budget for the EMS to hire part time employees. Those employees were to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the rest of the time would be covered by the rest of the EMS squad. The staff during the week hours are having a hard time sitting at the EMS building when the village doesn’t have that large of call volume. But the EMS department has missed calls on evening and weekends as well.
“We are now in a staffing crisis as we are unable to consistently staff the ambulance for when a citizen calls 911,” Jayne said.
They are continuing to look for alternative solutions and trying to get additional people in the department.
They have entered into an agreement with Belleville EMS out of New Glarus (they are a full time EMS). They will be paged at the same time as Blanchardville under mutual aid agreement. If Blanchardville is able to get a crew then Belleville EMS will disregard. This agreement would not cost the village anything.
“We want to take care of the community,” Jayne said.
He added that this is only an interim solution but is the best option for the EMS department in the village.
They have talked to the Lafayette County EMS department and well and are hoping for some solutions between either Belleville and Lafayette County.
“To us this is the right way to get coverage,” Jayne said.
It was asked if New Glarus is aware of this situation between Blanchardville and Belleville EMS. Belleville EMS recently took over the village of New Glarus as a full time staffed EMS. Tensions between the take over have been running high and committee members were worried on how the New Glarus board would like it if Blanchardville would now be taking an ambulance away from them.
Jayne said there will be communication with their board but it was Belleville EMS that would be taking care of the communication.
Mark Emberson asked why not having help from Argyle or Hollandale. Jayne stated that Argyle is having the same coverage issues and Hollandale is only a first responder crew. Jayne was also told that Argyle didn’t want to share with Blanchardville. It was suggested that Jayne speak with Heidi Ganshert as she has suggested they are interested in some sort of collaboration.
The Blanchardville EMS squad lost four members last year. They have six current EMTs and four EMRs. The committee members argued that the increased budget was suppose to solve this issue. Jayne stated that they can’t find anyone to cover the shifts because of the call volume is so low the people are sitting around all day doing nothing.
Fire Chief Rolly McGowan commented that this is only a bandaid solution and nothing permanent. This issue is not only happening in Blanchardville but state wide. It was suggested that EMS chiefs from Argyle, Blanchardville and Hollandale need to get together to see what they can do to work together. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue created the Innovation Grant which is to help support counties, municipalities, or tribes with funds to completely transfer one or more allowable services/duties to another county, municipality, tribe, nonprofit organization, or private entity. Emergency services is one of the many allowable services, which means that funds are available if the municipalities in question should want to combine their EMS departments into one department covering the entire area.
Jayne said that what they are doing now is not ideal but they are trying to protect the residents they cover.
“We are doing this because our people need it. It is not ideal but it needs to be done for now,” Jayne said.
Outlet signs
Resident at 500 Railroad Street talked to the Public Safety Committee about significant traffic increase in the area of W. Olson, Railroad, and Pine Street over the years. Not only is it vehicle traffic but ATV traffic. She stated that at the corner of W. Olson and Railroad streets, it is a busy intersection with limited view. She requested that around her home, on Railroad and on W. Olson, there should be no parking to allow for easier views around the corner. She also talked about the workers at the Cheese Pirates facility parking on the street and making it difficult to drive on W. Olson Street. She asked if those people working could park in the gravel area that once was the Trumpy Cheese building, where that space is half owned by the Blanchardville Co-op Oil Association and half by the Cheese Pirates. That would be something to discuss with Cheese Pirates. She suggested adding a no outlet sign at W. Olson and Railroad streets so the ATVs don’t use those roads thinking they can get out onto the designated road trail, County F.
The committee decided to add no outlet signs around Pine Street and Railroad Street to try and get the ATVers to use Locust Street to get back to County F.
Surveyor for W. Elm Street
This argument between land owners on W. Elm Street has continued to plague the committee and village board meetings. Landowners Lyric Ozburn and Lanny Gilbertson have been arguing over a fence that Ozburn put up over 30 years ago that is supposedly on Gilbertson’s property. The village recently placed a raze order on Ozburn’s property at 114 W. Elm Street and that building has been torn down. There was a fence on that property that was on village property but that has been dealt with. To finally get the correct details of the property line issue settled, the committee recommended hiring a surveyor to survey Ozburn’s property to determine the exact property lines.
This discussion was again discussed during the village board meeting on Monday, March 2. The village’s attorney Mark Hazelbaker stated that the village has the right to hire a surveyor to survey Ozburn’s property as the village is the “judge of fences”, according to the state statute. Hazelbaker also stated that this should be done to finally resolve this issue.
Gilbertson has recused himself from this situation as village president and is only being part of this issue as a landowner. The village will be paying for the surveyor. Hazelbaker doesn’t believe this will be a formal survey. Village workers have found the boundary markers so that makes it easier for the surveyor to get the correct property lines.
Brian Nutter made the motion to hire the surveyor with Joe Cockroft seconding. The motion passed 5-1 with Mark Emberson against.
Public Safety
Additional items on the Public Safety committee agenda was approving the recommendation to add “grass and leaves” to the Ordinance Chapter 262-1: not depositing any mud, glass, refuse or waste, filth or other litter upon the streets, highways, alleys, parks or other property of the Village … “. There will be warnings and cost of violations also added.
They discussed repairing the sidewalk on Elm Street between River Bend Cafe and Kiss My Mutt, near the property owned by Saether Funeral Service. The committee felt that instead of taking it out and repairing it in pieces, the crews working on the road construction can take it all out and replace it all in one piece.
The Catholic church hasn’t received any paperwork on them purchasing a piece of land behind Calgary cemetery. The village approved selling land to them last year but the paperwork never was completed. They also sold land to Ron Krause. The committee tabled that information until the paperwork has been completed.
Chief of Police Ryan Kumor reported that cameras around town and in the park are up and running.
Park Committee
The sign at the playground was donated by Gene Kolb. He just charged the park for the materials used. Peter Emery donated the concrete slab.
The Community Antique Tractor Pullers are looking to put on another tractor pull in Blanchardville on July 18. This topic was not on the board agenda so it will be discussed at the next committee meeting.
The trees in the upper park have been removed.
Holes in the bridge have been patched up. There is still a lot more work that needs to be done on the bridge but it is safer to cross now.
Lifeguard job posting closes March 14. The committee recommended that the village pay for the $600 license/training fee for the pond specific swim instructor license for Amy Rindy, with the caveat that she returns to the same position next year. This was approved at the village board meeting.
Public Works committee
The wastewater treatment plant is looking to have a new parking lot put in and got quotes from Maddrell Excavation since they are in town. The highest bid was for $74,262 but was stated it could be $25,000 less. WWTP Operator Nate Dammen was hoping to use the rest of the funds from Rural Development to pay for the parking lot. At the board meeting, Nick Bubolz from Town and Country Engineering stated that the about $63,000 left over from Rural Development would not be used for the parking lot as Rural Development has taken a drastic cut in funding so they are limiting the amount of change orders for projects and is taking that money back. The village tabled the decision on the parking lot until they know where the money to pay for the parking lot is coming from since it was not budgeted in the 2026 budget.