Fire District 12 seeks commissioner and direction

The two remaining Fire District 12 commissioners put themselves on a limb at their meeting Monday. They were only freed when an attending citizen threw them a lifeline, and talked them down.

Commissioners Dennis O’Hearn and Norm Jenkins could not agree to proceed. Jenkins questioned if the meeting was “legal,” based on a letter from the Skagit County Auditor’s office. In June, Commissioner Greg John resigned, but then voted to have his son fill his seat. Those actions violated Washington’s Revised Code.

Doug Peterson broke the impasse when the commissioners followed his suggestion to rescind the June vote. Commissioner O’Hearn made a motion to “rescind the vote of last month appointing a commissioner.” Jenkins seconded, and a unanimous vote followed.

Commissioner O’Hearn told the gathering: “I was in error, my apologies. We were mistaken. We can start over.”

Uncertainty was the meeting’s constant theme. Commissioner Jenkins was asked if he had a candidate to nominate. He did, but declined to do so. Discussion, which included the audience, turned to proper procedures and outlets for announcing and publicizing the vacancy.

Concern was expressed for effectively notifying the public, the possibility of no one applying, and the length of time until a new commissioner would be named if that responsibility was taken over by the Skagit County Commissioners.

The commissioners finally voted to place ads in two newspapers and on social media.

They also agreed to pay July and August’s bills.

Taking up the issue of the board secretary’s notice to resign, an audience member remarked that “that was the more important position to fill.” Nancy Nelson, secretary for 17 years, desires to resign before the end of 2017.

During Fire Chief Travis Ashby’s report, the effectiveness of volunteers responding to pagers for calls was discussed, as was changing the policy for using the District’s siren all hours, 24/7, from the current 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. time frame.

Applications for the vacant commissioner position can be made to Skagit Fire District 12, 12587 C Street, Mt Vernon 98273 and (360) 429-2343. Fire District 12’s fire station is in Bay View.