Pierrette Guimond Responds to Orcas Issues Questions for Fire District Commissioner #3

Pierrette Guimond

Orcas Issues asked candidates for elective races to respond to questions. Pierrette Guimond’s and Barbara Bedell’s answers are featured today.

Candidates Duff Andrews and Clyde Duke, running for Fire District Commissioner #2, will respond to the same questions later this week.

Candidates for the Eastsound Sewer District Position #3 (Harvey Aldort and Greg Ayers) will respond to questions tomorrow.

For further information on each candidate, contained in the Official Voters Guide, go to the official San Juan County website:

https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/sanjuan/Pages/OnlineVotersGuide_20091103.aspx

Readers will be able to refer back to the candidates’ answers on previous days by typing their name in the “Search” window at the top of the website.

Questions for Fire District Commissioner #3 position:

1)      What in your experience and vision brings you to put yourself forth as a candidate for the three-member Orcas Fire District Commissioner’s position? (100 words or less)

Having served 4 years as a Library Trustee and six years as a Cemetery Commissioner has provided me with a good understanding of the Commissioners’ duties, especially in regard to a strict adherence to the rules of the public meeting act as well as one’s fiduciary responsibility to the people of Orcas Island.

2) What do you consider the most important responsibilities of the Commissioners? Please state your unique contributions in fulfilling those responsibilities, including the number of hours you envision working as a Commissioner, both in and outside of public meetings.

Reasonable and appropriate budgeting and the formulation of policies to govern the Fire District intelligently for our rural community are the most important responsibilities of the job. As a Library Trustee and Cemetery Commissioner I have spent hundred of hours researching records, looking at budgets, dealing with salary comparisons. I have also engaged in much research on the Fire District budget in addition to attending monthly meetings during the past year, especially after the public voiced concern over hiring policies. I am committed to spending the number of hours necessary to insure that all issues are appropriately addressed and successfully resolved should I be elected.

3) The Fire District levy expires in 2014 – please comment on the levy status, if you foresee a new levy happening before 2014, what needs to be accomplished before the current levy expires, and what a new levy should look like.

It is time for the District to revisit the levy mandate in order to
understand what the voters’ expectations were, whether they have been appropriately fulfilled and what the realistic needs are for the future of the department. Fiscal prudence should obviate the need for a levy prior to 2014. Any new levy must incorporate a consideration of the economic and topographic realities (and idiosyncrasies) of Orcas Island.

4)      According to current Fire Chief Mike Harris, the District’s Strategic Plan of 2005 focused on three areas: 1) updating Fire Dept. equipment and stations; 2) installing fulltime paramedics and cross-training volunteers in both EMS and firefighting roles; 3) improving communication within the Fire Department and with the public.
Please comment on the implementation of those plans, if you see the need for revisiting that strategic plan and/or forming a new strategic plan, and what you see as the essential considerations in a new strategic plan.

The strategic plan and its implementation need to be reconsidered at this time, especially in regard to the appropriateness of choices made in updating equipment and stations. Also, it is very important in a small community like Orcas to retain long time volunteers and attract new ones who may not want to fill both roles as firefighter and EMT. While I am not privy to the nature of communication within the department, I do know that the communication at public meetings most certainly could be improved.

5)      Other county taxing district boards have declined increases to their stipends. Do you see a need for this or other cost-cutting measures in your assessment of the financial situation of the district? (100 words or less)

We need to assess the community’s willingness and ability to continue to support increases such as we have seen in the past five years and, equally important, to determine the necessity of each and every expenditure in providing a realistic level of security desired by the public and of which the department is capable of putting forth.

6)      If you were to communicate one message to the voting public regarding your service as Fire District Commissioner, what would that be? (100 words or less)

As I have elsewhere I will make every effort to provide good stewardship of public funds while formulating realistic policies for the Fire Department to maintain the safety and security of the Orcas community.