The Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission faced an unusual question Tuesday night during its meeting at city hall.
The issue proved so unique, one commissioner even joked about writing Dear Abby for advice.
The PFC managed to reach a conclusion to its conundrum, but not before grappling with a few moral, and financial, considerations.
At the heart of the matter was an $840 invoice from Meriter Hospital in Madison. During cases involving suspected sexual assault, victims are driven to Meriter Hospital in order to undergo an exam by a specially trained SANE nurse.
The Sex Assault Nurse Exam is a crucial part of the chain of evidence that may be used when prosecuting a sexual assault case. Police Chief Dale Boldt said his department is required to utilize SANE nurses in such cases and that Beaver Dam Community Hospital currently does not have one.
“Let’s put it this way, it would not look good in a felony case of sexual assault if you didn’t use a trained nurse when one’s available,” deputy police chief Dan Schubert said.
Meriter charges police departments $280 for the evidentiary portion of the exam, while the state picks up the rest of the costs.
The Beaver Dam Police Department has already paid for three exams in 2009, but Schubert heard through the grapevine that there may be a way to avoid these costs.
“I was at a school recently where the discussion came up, and an agency tipped us off,” Schubert said. “I was told ‘you don’t have to pay for this.’ I looked into it, talked to a lot of people and was advised by the nurses at Meriter that even though everyone is billed for the exam, not everyone pays. And when exams are not paid for, Meriter doesn’t pursue it.
“So I was implored to ask this committee about whether or not we should pay the invoice.”
Mayor Tom Kennedy was the first to weigh in on the topic, saying that since there was already a precedent of other communities not paying, he would follow suit.
“I’m not one to waste taxpayers’ money, but at the same time, it is a bill,” Police Chief Dale Boldt replied.
Commissioner Kris Boucher, meanwhile, also had concerns about neglecting the invoice.
“Right now Meriter is saying that collection is optional, but what happens if we go down there with a victim and they say, ‘hey, you don’t pay your bills?’” Boucher said. “You pay your bill, we’ll treat your victim.”
But in the end, the commission, which was missing members Nancy Conley and Rodney Kreitzman, voted to ignore the Meriter invoice.
“I think Meriter probably has a bigger budget than we do, so I say if they aren’t going to pursue it, my position would be to let it go,” commissioner Casey Carney said. “If they come back at some point and press the issue, we’ll have to revisit it and try and find the money for it. If they’re not pursuing anyone who’s not paying then it sounds more like a suggestion than a billing. Clearly it’s not significant enough in their eyes to pursue it.”
Carney, Boucher and Gary Spielman voted unanimously against paying the $840 bill.
dbaulch@capitalnewspapers.com