Greenbush board reviews fire-department maintenance, considers draft fee ordinance and approves event licenses

Chairman Michael Limberg called the Town of Greenbush Board to order at 7:34 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2026. The board approved the clerk's and treasurer's reports and then heard a written update from Greenbush Fire Chief Steve Dickman.

Dickman provided the department's February financial statement and thanked the community for support of the annual soup supper. He reported that North Star Emergency Services completed annual maintenance on the fire trucks but that Engine No. 1 requires further service at Truck Country and may need new tires in the near future. The minutes also record that annual inspections of all fire extinguishers were completed and that woodchips were delivered to the playground by contracted tree trimmers.

The board discussed a draft ordinance to establish fire-department fees. Clerk/Treasurer Miller reported that Associated Appraisal provided two alternate cost estimates for preparing the fee schedule: $300 to $500 to base fees on assessed value, and $1,000 to $1,200 to base fees on building square footage and acreage. Board members raised a question about the legality of charging state-owned land and properties of the Wisconsin Historical Society; the board referred that legal question to the town attorney for review.

Chairman Limberg and Supervisor Wagner reported on work with Shufflebotham Tree Service to clear brush and trim trees; much of the work is complete and the contractor will return in about two months to finish Division Road and other areas. The board approved a Special Class B Retailers License for Greenbush Kettle Moraine Snowmobile Club (GKMT Corp.) for a March 1 event (motion Shaw/Wagner) and approved an operator's license for Diane Kabat (motion Shaw/Wagner). The board also approved building permits, bills presented for payment (motion Kracht/Wagner) and adjourned the meeting at 8:28 p.m.

Next steps: the town attorney will be asked to review whether the proposed fee ordinance can be applied to state-owned parcels and to the Wisconsin Historical Society; staff will return with a recommended fee-schedule method after that review and any necessary appraisal work.