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As wildfires rage in southern California, Scripps News spoke with Dr. Omer Awan, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about the health risks involved for those nearby. (Scripps News)
TOWN OF WATERFORD — The Town Board on Wednesday appointed two town supervisors and two residents to the joint town-village police committee.
Supervisors Doug Schwartz and Robert Ulander will serve on the committee representing town government. Rick Rens and Mark Thompson will represent town residents.
The board approved the appointments with a 4-1 vote. Tim Szeklinski voted against the appointments, saying he did not think Ulander should serve on the committee because Ulander had expressed a preference for contracting with the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.
“He’s stated here in the meetings many times on how he feels that we should go forward with the Sheriff’s (Office),” Szeklinski said. “That’s not going to help working with the Village of Waterford.”
Ulander admitted that he has been in favor of contracting with RCSO, but said he is willing to listen to arguments in favor of keeping the local police department.
Prior to the final vote, the board also voted 3-2 against the initial resident appointments. Town Chairwoman Teri Jendusa-Nicolai had proposed Jim Fillicetti as a resident member of the committee, but supervisors Szeklinski, Dale Gauerke and Doug Schwartz disagreed.
Schwartz proposed appointing Thompson to the board, which passed.
Trustees for the Village of Waterford also will select two village trustees and two village residents to serve on the committee.
The town board approved the creation of the committee at its Dec. 30 meeting with to further discussion of a long-term plan for policing.
Additionally, the town board approved an amendment to the town-village police services contract that allows for just one full-time WPD officer to patrol the village and one to patrol the town while the town searches to fill vacancies in the police department.
The Waterford Village Board also is scheduled to vote on the amendment, according to Waterford Village President Don Houston.
