YACHATS – The Yachats Rural Fire Protection District board encountered something this week it hasn’t had to deal with before – a wealth of seemingly well-qualified candidates to fill a vacant board position.
The district has been advertising for candidates to replace longtime member Betty Johnston, who resigned in December. It usually struggles to get candidates to run for office – most board members run unopposed for election and re-election — and there was just one applicant four years ago when a board member resigned.
So far it has four applications in hand – and there could be others coming – although the district has not yet set a deadline for applications.
The four applicants so far include a retired Portland-area firefighter, a retired state and Port of Portland employee, a retired volunteer firefighter from Vermont, and a longtime volunteer with the Central Coast Fire & Rescue District in Waldport.
“This is new territory for us,” board member Ed Hallahan said as the four members Monday discussed how to handle the applications, interviews and decision. “It’s wonderful, but we’ve never had to do this before.”
There was some discussion about immediately interviewing three of the four applicants who attended Monday’s regular monthly board meeting. But assistant district administrator Shelby Knife was unable to reach a fourth applicant by phone.
In the end, the board scheduled a special meeting for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 26 to interview the four – and any other – applicants who submit the district’s form.
The applicants are:
- Paula D’Alfonso of Yachats, a former state of Oregon and Port of Portland employee who has experience in procurement and contracts;
- Doug Myers of Yachats, a former Washington County and Tualatin Valley Fire District firefighter and battalion chief who currently is a volunteer captain with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District;
- Peter Kimmel of Yachats, who was a volunteer firefighter in Hubbardton, Vt. for 20 years retiring in 2020 as assistant chief; and
- Charles Lesiecki, who lives in the unincorporated area between Yachats and Waldport and is a longtime COCF&R volunteer and president of its volunteer association.