Trustee rankled by firefighters’ criticism

Grafton Village Trustee Susan Meinecke wrote in a recent email to Village President Jim Brunnquell and Village Administrator Jesse Thyes that she was “shocked at the level of unprofessional behavior” displayed by firefighters when they criticized her and her husband at a Village Board meeting last month.

Meinecke sent the email a day after the March 18 meeting, asking officials if there would be consequences against the fire department members.

“Last night was a spectacle. The group showed up in uniform, some possibly on duty, and felt empowered to launch a verbal attack. It was a very coordinated effort,” Meinecke wrote.

“What is your expectation for their behavior? What are the consequences for their actions?”

During the meeting, several firefighters accused Meinecke and her husband John Meinecke — a candidate in Tuesday’s Village Board election — of trying to “cripple” and “destroy” their department due to a lawsuit Mrs. Meinecke filed against Thyes and Fire Chief Bill Rice over unreleased open records she sought. 

Meinecke believes those records will reveal Thyes and Rice conspired against her in her bid during last year’s election.

“This (the fire department) is an organization Sue and John Meinecke are trying to destroy,” firefighter Paul Riegel, one of more than 30 department members who attended the meeting, told the board.

“Do they have a personal vendetta against the chief? I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Riegel and two other firefighters spoke during the public-comments portion of the meeting.

In his reply to Meinecke’s email, which was sent to all Village Board members, Brunnquell said the fire department members were exercising their First Amendment right to speak at the meeting and there will be no punishment for their actions.

Brunnquell also sent a legal response from the village’s law firm that stated, “The individuals were speaking on a matter of public concern — the safety of village residents — and in their capacity as private citizens.”

In her email, Meinecke said that a “gag order” was issued to police department employees last year prohibiting them from speaking about the controversial decision to transfer emergency dispatching services to the Ozaukee County’s Sheriff’s Office in December.

Thyes denied a gag order was ever issued to prevent village employees from speaking about the matter.      

In a memo sent to department heads last April titled “Expectations following recent dispatching services policy decision,” Thyes stated: “There is no intention to prohibit the expression of individual opinions. However, when offering opinions and comments it is expected that it will be done in a respectful and constructive manner.”

In an interview, Meinecke said she disagrees with Thyes and Brunnquell’s opinions and believes police department employees would have been reprimanded if they spoke out against the consolidation of dispatching services. She said the firefighters who spoke were in direct violation of the village’s employee handbook.

“They are village employees paid by tax dollars. It’s clear as day. The truth will come out,” Meinecke said. 

Meinecke also said she believes the fire department employees shouldn’t be reprimanded, but situations like these should not happen again.

“They are absolutely entitled to free speech, but as village employees they need to be very careful with how they do it. They are entitled to their opinions,” Meinecke said.

“It’s not that my feelings are hurt. It’s just they were representing themselves as village employees.”