News

Vote to fund Weathersfield fire departments after special town meeting

By BILL CHAISSON
[email protected]
WEATHERSFIELD, Vt. — The Weathersfield selectboard met on May 6 to discuss what needed to be done before the special town meeting planned for May 20, the day before the May 21 vote that would give them permission to allocate funds for the fire departments. At the March town meeting, the funding for the fire department was taken out of the general fund and put into a separate article with a proposal to form a municipal department, which was defeated.

When selectboard chair Kelly Murphy asked the other selectors what they thought needed to be made clear on May 20, selector David Fuller immediately said, “That there was no fire money in the budget that we voted on in March because it was pulled from the general fund by a petition.” Fuller also suggested that there be a discussion about what should be set up after the fire commission is gone. The first article on the warrant of the May 20 meeting is to disband the fire commission, a move that is supported by both fire companies.

Murphy said the selectboard had had meetings when they had spoken about the proposed merger of the fire departments when their were no representatives of either department present. At the May 6 meeting there were several representatives of the West Weathersfield department and Ernie and Cookie Shand spoke to the Ascutney Fire Department’s position.

In response to remarks by Ernie Shand, Murphy asked that executive board of the Ascutney department come to the selectboard so that the whole board heard their position. She evidently did not want to send a lone selector to the executive board meeting of the fire department.

Selector Mike Todd suggested that at the May 20 meeting a general discussion be reopened. He proposed using the same device used at a regular town meeting, including an agenda item that allowed discussion of topics not on the warrant. He disagrees with Town Manager Ed Morris, who has said there was disformation and misinformation going around town. “I think there are only different opinions out there,” Todd said. “We have to figure out where that all sits. The people have to figure it out. What is the problem we are trying to solve? Everything [about the existing fire departments] seems to work.” He hastened to add that this was his understanding of what the public believed, not what he believed.

Murphy objected to a general discussion. “As soon as you have that greater conversation,” she said, “you take away from providing services right now.” She emphasized the importance of passing the articles that funded the department over a broader exchange. “We’d be opening up a can of worms”

“The can of worms already exists,” Todd said. “People don’t understand what side of the fence to sit on with this can of worms.”

One of the West Weathersfield firefighters told the board that the same questions they have heard at previous meetings are going to come up again at the May 20 meeting. He also objected to a previous statement by a selector that the article to fund the departments does not take a side. “It does take a side,” he said. “It continues the status quo.”

Morris suggested using the regular selectboard meeting that is scheduled to follow the special town meeting as a time to have the more general discussion that Todd desired. “People will already be there for the vote,” he said. Todd readily agreed to Morris’ suggestion.

Todd then suggested asking people at the regular town meeting in March 2020 if they wanted a municipal fire department. Then the town could schedule another special meeting in May 2020 to vote on the issue.

Josh Dauphin, the chief of the West Weathersfield department objected. “This isn’t something you need to start all over again,” he said. “All the information is already out there.” He emphatically disagreed that the public should be asked whether there should be a municipal department.

What if the May 20 article to fund the departments fails? one of West Weathersfield firefighters asked.

“Then we will have no funds going to firefighting as of July 1,” Murphy said. “There is no money in the general fund for fire.”

“So, if I dial 911,” asked an audience member, “and there’s no money in the budget for fire, does that mean no one’s showing up at my house?”

“There is no way,” said Fuller. “We have a legal responsibility to see that doesn’t happen. We’ll find some money in the general fund to move around.”

Murphy, however, insisted that there were procedures to go through.

Fuller was adamant that funding would be made available. “Article 2 [to fund the departments] is the least we can do,” he said, “and the only thing we can do, considering all that has happened.”

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