The understatement of the year may have been Fire Commissioner Jim Coffin’s when he said last January that they “would probably take a lot of heat” for assigning and funding the assistant battalion chief at $90,000 a year salary plus benefits. Since then, many in the public and in the department have protested the procedures and policies of the Orcas Island Fire Department, as witnessed by two petitions circulated in the community in February and March.
Following the petition campaigns, and a request to the community from the Fire Commissioners for public input, a well-attended (and often contentious) March 17 meeting aired concerns about the budget, the assistant chief position, the cross-training requirement between firefighters and medical technicians, employment practices and public representation by the commissioners.
Following the meeting, Chief Mike Harris wrote in a letter to the Sounder, “We all make mistakes but what really matters is what we do about them. I ask you to bear with us while we work through this moment of pause and make it our opportunity to improve our performance, our image and our connection with both our members and our residents.”
The Board of Fire Commissioners wrote, “[The Commissioners] wish to thank you for caring enough to bring to our table, your concerns for the betterment of our Fire Department. We all have the same goal – to insure we have the best help in the moment of need. We heard you. We are listening and, we are going to make changes.”
Articles, editorials and letters have appeared in the Sounder explaining the Fire Department’s workings, praising the response of firefighters and EMTs and urging the Commissioners to better account for their responsibilities.
“It’s about the money,” the public has said throughout this year as they question the commissioners’ representation of taxpayers’ financial interests. Public comments at Fire Department meetings have often asked for more accountability from the Commissioners and the chief.
And they have responded. Chief Harris usually presents written reports at meetings describing his position and his process. Finance Officer Rick Anda prepares budget reports for each meeting. The Commissioners have made strides in conducting their public business according to standard procedure.
The Sept. 23 fire district meeting addressed proposed expenditures in the 2009 budget. Following the meeting Harris said, “This is a wish list; we have asked the staff for input and [it] is reflected in this draft document. No decisions have yet been made to cut things out.”
That draft indicates that the “Division Chief” proposal advanced by the fire/medics union is included in the 2009 budget. The assignment of an Assistant Chief has been one of the main points of discussion this year at the meetings. This is the department’s answer to requests for figures relating to that position.
So let’s not have déjà vu all over again.
Fire Commission meeting minutes from June through December of 2007 show that, with one or two exceptions, no one in the public attended the Commission meetings.
If the public doesn’t agree with the direction the Commissioners are headed with the budget, ask them to reconsider now. Make suggestions now (and if input is given with an attitude of reasonable concern rather than angry criticism, and received with respect rather than disdain, it is more likely to help the process.)
This is also the opportunity for the public to indicate what they do want to see in next year’s budget. Again, Harris has said, “All of the upcoming meetings could be considered public hearings,” although the final meeting on Nov. 11 is when action is expected to be taken on adopting a final budget. “There is room for changes up until that last meeting, and, in fact, after the last meeting if needed,” Harris said.
Commission meetings will be on Oct. 14 and 28 and Nov. 11 will be addressing the 2009 budget. As always, the meetings are open to all. Copies of the draft budget are available at the Fire Station for study before the meetings.
Now is the time to scrutinize and question and weigh in on the budget, rather than be surprised when a final decision is made that may not be to our liking.
