NEWS

PFD18 & ORTING FD - CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?

By: Barbara Hansen August 13, 2009

After an executive session that went past 11 p.m., the Orting City Council voted unanimously to begin formal mediation with Fire District 18.

The move comes after nearly a month of failed attempts by the two governing bodies to come together and discuss the fire commission’s recent firing of Chief Randy Shelton.

The City of Orting contracts with District 18 to provide emergency services – fire protection and emergency medical aid – for the city.

Councilmember Joe Pestinger said, though he supported regionalization of fire services in general, much of his support for the current contract between Orting and Fire District 18 sprang from his confidence in Shelton as the fire chief.

“Regionalization does not preclude localization,” said councilmember Scott Drennen. “I feel we have lost that in Orting. This is the first time in 20 years I would not recognize the fire chief if I passed him on the street. That’s a sad day in Orting.”

Councilmember Nicola McDonald said she was concerned that clauses in the contract were not followed by the fire commission.

Councilmembers were unanimous in their support of the front-line fire fighters and made clear they were critical of the fire commissioners and not the fire fighters.

“The clock is ticking on this,” said city administrator Mark Bethune, who explained that the contract involves a schedule of the city selling its equipment and vehicles to the fire district as in-kind payment for services. “At the end of 2010, what we have left is the building and one fire engine.”

The Orting City Council members did vote earlier in the meeting to attend the August 18 District 18 commissioners meeting (7 p.m., Tuesday in the Orting Public Safety Building) and follow the method prescribed by the commission by submitting questions in advance that could be screened by the commission’s legal counsel.

In response to a question by city councilmember David Inge referring to the fire commission’s August 4 vote to begin annexing with East Pierce Fire District, Bethune said the contract gives the commission authority to merge with another district but implies that it will involve the city in its decision.

“We talked about (merging with) East Pierce while Randy (Shelton) was chief,” Bethune said, “but we also talked about looking at other districts, as well, including Central (Pierce Fire District) and Graham (Fire District),” Bethune said.

During the meeting, councilmember George Wilson, appointed to represent the city on the fire commission, expressed disappointment the fire commissioners chose not to attend the televised city council and face the public. “We (city council members) make our decisions with input from the public who elect us,” Wilson said.

In a no-holds-barred statement, Wilson especially criticized the commission for the manner in which it chose to bring charges against Shelton and fire him through a series of poorly advertised special meetings. Wilson said the process not only kept the public uninformed but also kept him in the dark.

“I was put in the awkward position of not having a clue as to what was going on,” Wilson said.

The fire commission first placed Shelton on administrative leave pending a private investigation on May 27, the Tuesday following the three-day Memorial Day weekend. Wilson said he had been out of town with his family and did not know about the meeting or any of the circumstances surrounding the commission’s action.

Wilson also complained that the commission did not acknowledge his right to fully participate in commission proceedings and even ignored him when he was present.

“They have their own little group over there,” Wilson said.

Pestinger said the city council now must decide whether it wants to be a part of it.

Describing the current contract as a “sick marriage” between the city and the fire district, councilmember Dick Ford said the city now must decide whether it is going to get marriage counseling or get a divorce. He viewed the vote to go into mediation as an attempt to save the marriage.

(Please post your comments and thoughts on this in the related Orting News Opinions Blog.)