MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 - 7:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDING
OFFICER
Mayor
Austin called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.
Present: Cr. Norm Ernst, Cr. Brent Dodrill, Cr. Kay
Nelson, Cr. Richard Hartwig, Cr. Michele Conditt, Mayor Bob Austin. Fire Board members Karen Hovda, John McAdoo;
John Bresko; and Board Chair Matthew Silva.
Fire Chief
WELCOME/INTRODUCTIONS
Mayor
Austin welcomed the Fire Board and audience members. He stated this was a great opportunity for
both groups to get together and share information.
FIRE BOARD UPDATES
Embezzlement
Report – Board Chair Silva reported
that the Fire Board is in the process of preparing for the April sentencing of
Pam Butcher and is doing everything they can to recover as much stolen money as
allowable under the law. Silva reported that
numerous internal controls have been put in place so that checks and balances
are there to assure that this never happens again.
Chief
Hull gave a brief report on adding that damages will be sought with the Board
of Accountancy as a result of the forensic audit, and that they could not report
too much more as the actual sentencing has not occurred as of yet. The Chief assured everyone that a complete
report will be forthcoming at a time that legal counsel allows- most likely
after the sentencing in April.
New
Station Bond Update – Chair Silva
and Board member McAdoo reported that the Board fully intends to proceed with
the Bond request for a new fire station at the November election. They commented that the staff and Board are
working at every meeting on the strategy and information campaign that will
ensue during the course of the upcoming year.
Chair Silva reported that meetings with the precincts where that last
Bond request failed have been going well and people are talking openly about
why they may have voted against the bond and what needs to be done in order for
them to vote yes. The Board wanted to
assure the group that they are working on a way to ensure that all recovered
embezzlement monies are earmarked for “buying down” the cost of the bond
request, but again, in advance of the sentencing it was too early to make that
promise to the public. That is the
intention of the Board however.
Karen
Hardman, citizen, encouraged the Board to consider going fully public with the
citizens as soon as they can to relay any and all information about what
happened, how it happened, what is in place to prevent this from occurring
again. Ms. Hardman reminded the audience
that this is not about the fantastic men and women that serve as volunteers for
our fire district. Ms. Hardman feels
that we are a society that wants our pound of flesh and hopes that the Board
will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
Urban
Renewal IGA – Chair Silva asked if
the City knows when they will be able to obtain the properties as agreed to
within the IGA that both the City and the Fire Board signed last year. Mayor Austin said that the Council wanted to
wait until after the sentencing and then meet as a group to consider all
alternatives. Chair Silva expressed the
Board’s sentiment that the purchase of the property is critical to the Bond
campaign as it will show the citizens progress, and also is likely to reduce
the ultimate cost of the Bond.
ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING
The workshop was adjourned at 8:15 pm.