— from Barbara G. Bedell, Chair, Board of Fire Commissioners —
The Board of Fire Commissioners, in reviewing the August 22 special meeting and the subsequent public discussions, admits that the procedures to accept the resignation of Commissioner Jim Coffin and the appointment of Tamara DiCaprio to fill his position were not followed properly. There was no ill intent in the Board’s actions. Ms. DiCaprio has withdrawn from her tentative appointment, and Jim Coffin’s resignation is effective September 4, 2016.
A special meeting of the Board will be called after September 4 at which time the Board will accept Jim Coffin’s resignation. The exact date is yet to be determined.
At this meeting, the Board will consider appointing a new commissioner who will serve until the end of December 2017 as that position will be on the November 2017 ballot..
Anyone interested in being this interim commissioner should contact Chair Barbara Bedell at bedellorcas@gmail.com and be present at the upcoming special meeting.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
See how easy that was? Nothing wrong with making a mistake and fixing it. This board should have started doing that long ago.
Thank you for your service.
That is a giant step in the right direction. I would suggest, however that a special meeting to replace Jim Coffin be about one week later, perhaps Sept. 13 in order to give interested candidates two weeks to step forward. At this point, it is best to be cautious and patient in filling this important position.
I see no problem with having the special meeting on September 13 in order to give interested candidates more time to step forward. Thus, September 13 at 5:30 at Eastbound Station will be the date of the new special meeting, followed by the regular meeting on September 19. Again, interested individuals for the open commissioner position should contact me at bedellorcas@gmail.com and be prepared to attend the special meeting on September 13.
Thank you for your interest.
Barbara G. Bedell, Chair
Board of Fire Commissioners
San Juan County Fire Protection District #2
Thank you Barbara for accepting my suggestion.
For those of you in the community who have been expressing dissatisfaction with the OIFR Board, NOW is the time to step forward, or as my father would say, “Fish or cut bait”.
Every board, commission, and committee in our community needs new blood, new ideas, fresh thinking!! As difficult as it can be for younger folks to participate while they raise the kids, work at their jobs, and tend to other responsibilities, it is important for you all to become involved. It is your future! You need to help make the difficult decisions that face us all in a growing community. You all need to decide how Eastsound grows, how we use our finite resources to meet those challenges.
Since the OIFR Board created a bit of a “firestorm” by not properly applying appropriate State Law, the members need to unwind what they have done and start over. A two week “filing”period should allow sufficient time for interested parties to “step up to the plate”. There are several people who I can readily support and I look forward to seeing their names on the list !!!
Yes, Ed is right. When we ran in to this issue in a County Appointed Committee which I chaired for 6 years, we concluded that in the Washington State Law governing all Non Profits, the safe procedure is to treat “Special” and “Executive” sessions the same. That is so the exchange between commissioners can be as candid as needed or wanted and without action or minutes. Any action, then, is only by motion, second and vote in a regular meeting.
Thank you to the OIFR Commissioners for taking a proactive stance in correcting the mistakes from the previous meeting. “Undoing” the activity of the previous meeting shows the community that the Commissioners are intent on getting the process right and willing to do so in a transparent manner.
I would only add that while I believe filling the position in a timely manner is critical, I do not believe that rushing to get it filled by the next meeting is a necessity. It is important that the process is allowed to unfold without a rush to decision making.
Thank you to everyone who serves in elected and quasi-political positions for giving your time, effort and consideration to this community.
Justin, well said. All our elected officials are true citizens for stepping up filling these important roles. I applaud all that serve!!