Follow the Rules and Stop Wasting Our Time and $$$$$$

On Monday 10/21/2013, we taxpayers of the Central Coventry Fire District will vote on a tax levy and tiered tax rate as presented by the CCFD Board of Directors.  This, of course, is a very important meeting and what happens at the meeting may very well impact on how long the District remains operational. We know the CCFD Board wants to liquidate the District and in effect cease fire and rescue service to the taxpayers.  What we don’t know is how they plan on making sure we are all safe as a result of their recommendation to the Judge and Special Master. We know they don’t think 1 million dollars matters because they left that on the table when they voted to not accept the concessions.

The purpose of this article is to bring to light yet another action by the Board that is inconsistent with the rules and laws they are required to follow as they execute their duties as a CCFD Board. Below are two excerpts from the Charter and By-laws of the CCFD. Those documents are what give the Board its powers and they are not suggestions, but mandatory rules Board members are expected to follow. They don’t get to make them up as they go along.

The By-laws state in part: 

SECTION 2. Duties of the President

2.A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the District in accordance with the District charter; shall enforce and observe the provisions of the charter and by-laws; shall enforce and maintain order and decorum; and when present, shall preside at each meeting of the Board of Directors.

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The Charter states in part:

(d) The President of said District shall preside at all annual and special meetings as moderator; in his/her absence the vice president shall serve as moderator; in the absence of both, a temporary moderator may be elected by a majority of voters present and voting.

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The sections presented clearly indicate that the President or Vice President is required to act as moderator at the annual and/or special meeting.  The plain language of the Charter indicates “shall serve as moderator”. (unless they don’t plan on showing up?)

 Several meetings ago, the Board voted and approved a non-Board member to be utilized as moderator in direct contradiction and violation of the Charter and By-laws. I pointed out that this was a violation, as outlined above, and was told by Mr. Gralinski/ Board Attorney that the appointment had been approved by the Judge in a previously submitted Order. I have made attempts to get this alleged Order but have been unsuccessful-it seems b/c the Order simply does not exist.

 Now there is another court hearing on Monday to deal with this issue. The failure of the Board to simply follow the rules is costing us all money in needless court hearings and the associated legal costs. This is not a case of something they could not control b/c of the receivership situation we are in, this is a self- manufactured issue that could have been easily avoided.

 This Board has chosen a course and they have set in motion, through their actions, a series of events that may lead to the loss of professional fire and rescue service in CCFD.  They are empowered to do that and while I feel it is the totally wrong way to address the pending issues within the District, it is in fact within their powers to take us down that ill-advised path.

 What they cannot and should not be allowed to do is then hide in the shadows of an annual/special meeting while someone else runs the meeting that they are responsible for.  The duties of President and Vice President are clear and one of them is to preside as moderator at the meeting.

 President Gralinksi and/or Vice President Baker, you are responsible to fulfill this duty and if you cannot fulfill your responsibilities then you should not remain in the position. The Board has taken a position and should take the associated heat that comes along with it.

 There is a saying “Principles only mean something if you stand by them when it is inconvenient”.  It seems that applies here-it is time for Gralinski or Baker to stand up and be accountable and fulfill their obligations, or stand down and stop putting their own spin and interpretation on matters as simple as who is the moderator.