||| FROM KAT BARNARD for ORCAS FIRE COMMISSION |||
The Board of Fire Commissioners invites you to the Regular Meeting, Monday, August 21st at 3pm at the Eastsound Firehall or on Zoom (link in the attachments).
Please see the attached agenda and board packet 2023-08-21 Agenda for the previous meeting minutes, financial report, and any other documents pertaining to the upcoming meeting for your review.
Public comment can always be submitted via email to bofc@orcasfire.org if you are unable to attend the meeting. Any email meant for public comment should state as such with a request to have it read aloud (up to 2 minute limit). Also, If you would like to be added to or removed from the meeting notification email list, please contact the District Secretary at bofc@orcasfire.org.
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Do Not Rush to Promote a Fire Chief
Don’t be surprised if you see “White Smoke” over the Eastsound Firehall tomorrow afternoon.
3PM is the regular monthly meeting of the Orcas Island Fire & Rescue Board of Fire Commissioners.
If you look at tomorrow’s Agenda, you will see, under Old Business:
1, Fire Chief selection/appointment
Then there will be an Executive Session.
Will there be, “White Smoke”; Meaning the “tribal elders” have arbitrary and capriciously chosen Holly vanSchieck as the latest OIFR Chief?
Let us please hope not! The selection of a Fire Chief is probably the most important thing a fire Commissioner will ever be tasked with during their tenure. Board Chair Tim Fuller is the only Commissioner elected by the people. Templin is already a Lame Duck, after being soundly defeated in the August Primary by Kate Hansen and Toni Knudsen.
Two of the remaining three will be facing strong, qualified, respected, super popular opponents in the November Election.
It would be shortsighted and spiteful to summarily appoint the Assistant Chief (currently Interim Fire Chief) tomorrow, with the likelihood of a completely new BOFC only a few months away. I am making no judgment on the interim Chief’s qualifications; or their ability to successfully transition from Line Firefighter Paramedic to Assistant
Chief to Fire Chief; with Zero Executive Fire Officer experience.
That decision should be made openly, with community involvement, and then with the wisdom and authority vested in the next Board of Fire Commissioners.
Please email BOFC@orcasfire.org and ask your Commissioners to let the choice of the next OIFR Chief be a decision made in the Sunshine, with community input, after the Election in November.
Patrick Shepler
I couldn’t have said this better, Patrick. I think you speak for many of us with this and I agree fully – it seems unwise, irresponsible, almost reckless – and spiteful to the voters. And then there’s Greg Ayers’ letter about the Union fiasco – and how no one is even fighting for the two Orcas union members to keep their jobs if this levy fails (again) when these two people are the only Orcas residents in the union, and the rest live off island and get to keep their jobs. It’s all so shocking and disappointing.
I want to know what happens and what is the cost – not only monetarily – if this board goes ahead and promotes Holly. Could that end up being more monies misspent that should be used for Capital expenses? Is she being used as a pawn in a game this commission doesn’t even realize it’s unwittingly playing, to make the next commission look bad if they disagree with these hasty decisions? It seems so petty to me when they could just keep Holly on as she is until a chief is vetted and found by the next commission that will be elected and more amenable to including the public in important decisions. If no one better-suited or qualified applies, then the job is meant for Holly and I think the Public would go along with that. This approach by this commission puts her in an unfair position, IMO.
The Port of Orcas did the manager vetting process so beautifully and transparently for the hire of two managers. They too have elections coming – one seat is unopposed with the unopposed candidate seeming to be too disinterested to even attend a Port meeting, and who knows where she stands? She doesn’t have to work for it – same as an appointee. That is never a good thing when someone is running for a full term in an election. Unopposed seats in an election bode ill, IMO. After all that work by the citizens and the commission, I hope the Port commission doesn’t slide backwards into this kind of stance we see with the fire commission. It wasn’t until people started showing up regularly at Port meetings that things started changing for the better with that commission, and we got some people who would work with us, and more to run for seats when 4 out of 5 came up for election.
It takes us all to make things work. Don’t blame the commissioners when no one shows up at meetings or shows interest. They need us to show interest in our government. This is democratic process in action. Th trouble here on Orcas is that people only show up in numbers in a crisis, short-term. They need us in the calm and ‘boring’ times too.
It is even more important that the fire commission take time and care in selecting a chief and in being transparent to their tax base, especially in light of the financial mess and failing equipment.
One thing that is important to impart to people; stay interested and involved in your Fire and Port commissions. The government works for us in a taxing district – not the other way around. Don’t go to sleep. Constant vigilence is needed, especially in vacancies and elections. We are the government. Local elections are for taking back that government when it goes rogue, and local races are where we can still effect changes we want – not possible in ‘big’ government anymore.
This Fire District board is making decisions that rightfully should be made by the elected board after November elections; this was the will of the people when we voted. We sent an unmistakably clear message. Making these decisions now by this outgoing commission will only galvanize us in how we vote in November. To ramrod as much as they can through now is a losing stance that no one will respect – no matter how well intentioned the current commissioners think they are. Too much damage was already done by the previous commissioners. It’s time for some healing.
Good analysis Patrick. This board has developed a really bad habit of not listening or even engaging us. (the voters and community members).
We can terminate this kind of behavior at the upcoming election by once again failing this ill conceived levy and turn out of office two more commissioners as the voters did at the primary with Commissioner Templin.
Community politics works in our small town, that seems pretty obvious. We need to demonstrate our resolve to fix our department and not just continue business as usual, that’s how we got here. We are almost there.
I’m not sure when or how it came to be believed that it is our island community union members who we are threatened with losing when this levy fails again. If that is the case then it is a continuation of the purging efforts of previous board members. And another demonstration of the fiscal irresponsibility of the administration; our local union responders are paid less than the new guys- because they have never been driven by greed.
Beyond the obfuscation and thousands of dollars spent on attorneys redacting documents for public records requests, what I have found the most frustrating is an administration that would allow or promote the notion that this community does not fully appreciate, respect and support our responders, both paid and volunteer. Fear mongering as a means to pass an ill-conceived Carte Blanche levy is insulting and irresponsible. I look forward to the true leadership that our new candidates are already demonstrating with their invitation for inclusion in the discussions.
We have a new fire chief.
Holly VanSchaik is our new Fire Chief
Who is surprised by this? Of course this happened. I only can hope that Holly Van Schaik succeeds and makes a fine chief, and that she can show why she is the right one for this position to the next board of elected commissioners who will be stuck with the fallout of bad decision after bad decision by the current and previous board of commissioners – especially the financial decisions.
I think it is an awkward position they put Holly Van Schaik into – stuck in the middle of an untenable situation – when this all could have been done so differently and been a win- win-win for everyone. Let us hope it ends up that way.
The actions of this board continue to be divisive and tyrannical, showing complete disrespect for the voters of their tax district base – who will pay for any levy, and I’m pretty sure this one will fail again in November. I wish Holly all the luck she is going to need… may she be a bridge-builder who will help create the win-win-win situation for everyone.
The most DISGUSTING and disingenuous part of all of this is how these commissioners painted those who asked questions and had legitimate concerns as some kind of villainous, hating obstructionists who didn’t and don’t care about our firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs. Shame!