By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
WALDPORT – Paid staff and volunteers in the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District told three members of the district’s board Thursday night they had lost confidence in their ability to lead the district and asked them to resign.
Eight volunteers and the district’s six firefighters “unanimously voted no confidence in your ability to direct this organization,” Carrie Gorman, a volunteer emergency medical technician, said during the board’s monthly meeting. She then requested board chair Buster Pankey and members Kathryn Menefee and Todd Holt to resign.
They declined.
Gorman’s comments on behalf of the district’s staff and volunteer association, criticism by two firefighters and a Waldport city councilor — and two citizens who defended the board — came during a one-hour meeting that grew contentious during citizen comment periods at the beginning and end.
Holt and Menefee are already subject of a recall campaign and will find out next Thursday whether a group collected enough valid signatures to first ask them to resign or force an election estimated to cost the district $6,000. The Save Our Fire Services group needed 292 signatures of registered voters and has turned in more than 400 to the Lincoln County clerk.
Pankey, Holt and Menefee were elected last May, took office in July and quickly formed a majority to take an aggressive and often behind-the-scenes role in addressing what they saw were issues in the fire district. Those included progress on rebuilding the substation in Tidewater, the status of its main station in downtown Waldport, maintenance issues with a station in Five Rivers, the mixing of district and outside work by two employees and challenging the leadership of newly appointed Fire Chief Jamie Mason.
After many of those issues were addressed – along with verbal pushback at meetings from firefighters, volunteers and community – board relations seemed to have settled down until disputes broke out over an intergovernmental agreement with the Seal Rock Fire District. Talks broke off and tensions heightened after Seal Rock board members said the three COCF&R members intended to fire Mason during an executive session in March, but then backed off.
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is looking into citizen complaints that Pankey called that March session improperly and the entire COCF&R board met under one reason for an executive session but talked about issues not related to that.
Unaware of board policy
Gorman’s statement on behalf of paid staff and volunteers said Pankey, Holt and Menefee do not behave “in an appropriate, respectful manner” to staff and volunteers, and accused them of colluding with Seal Rock board members to fire Mason.
“You have lost our trust and respect,” the statement said. “Your actions and behavior are beyond reproach. If there is any shred of integrity left to your character you will resign from your positions …”
“As district volunteers, we hereby declare no confidence with regard to your positions as member of the board of directors,” it said.
Firefighter Shi Bucher followed Gorman’s statement by also asking Holt and Menefee to resign.
They declined.
Bucher accused Pankey, Holt and Menefee of lying to him and inappropriately taking credit for the nearly complete overhaul of the district’s equipment spearheaded by Mason. He accused them of ignoring state law by colluding outside of public meetings and their “blatant, narcissistic and aggressive ignorance” in dealing with the chief and district staff.
“I have absolutely no confidence in you as board members to carry out the duties you assumed when elected by the now empty promise of integrity, positivity and transparency,” Bucher said.
The question of following board policy came up immediately after Bucher spoke when Waldport city councilor Greg Dunn asked whether Pankey and Menefee had received board permission to consult repeatedly this year with the district’s attorney. According to an invoice from the Local Government Law Group of Eugene, Pankey and Menefee called or emailed attorney Lori Cooper five times just in March to talk about board issues, executive sessions, and Mason.
Dunn asked if board policy allowed individual members to call their attorney – who charges $245 an hour – without the approval of the entire board.
Pankey replied it was within his right to consult their attorney and that Cooper told him it was OK. Menefee said she had permission from Pankey, as board chair, to call.
But Mason countered that Cooper was not familiar with district policy. Board member Reda Eckerman then read the from the board manual that says a majority is needed to approve an individual member consulting with an attorney.
That led Pankey to say “Alright, then I’m in error.”
Both Pankey and Menefee said they had not seen a district policy manual. Office administrator Wendy Knudson said they were given one last July when they joined the board.
Two defend board members
Two district residents, Bernice Barnett and Kay McElroy, spoke up to defend Holt and Menefee.
Voters elected Pankey, Holt and Menefee a year ago “to do better than the previous board,” said Barnett, who said that board had poor oversight of the former chief and then paid him three months salary to resign.
She criticized recall leader Peter Carlich as having no credible evidence for his accusations and said she had no problem with the $6,000 it might cost to hold a special election.
“That’s OK. We want to vote,” Barnett said. “Please do not resign. Let’s get out there and campaign.”
McElroy said also she had no problem spending money on the election “when it’s nothing” compared to what’s being spent on the inadequate main station in downtown Waldport.
Charlie Lesiecki, a COCF&R volunteer, was the last person to speak Thursday night. He said he won’t be able to vote in the recall election because he lives in Yachats, but prefers to volunteer in Waldport because of the district’s staff and chief.
“This needs to stop,” he said. “I hope you can figure this out and work together.”
- Quinton Smith, a longtime Oregon journalist, is the founder and editor of YachatsNews.com and can be reached at YachatsNews@gmail.com
Resign to save your community from the cost of removing you.