Big Arm citizen group following Polson Rural Fire Board closely
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POLSON — Fiscal oversight and board procedure emerged as a theme at the March 9 Polson Rural Fire Board meeting, among other quietly contentious issues. Concerned Big Arm citizens continue to question the board, as months of dissent between the entities remains present.
The evening began with the review of the prior month’s meeting notes, and immediately Alison Meslin, a member of the citizen group, questioned the appropriateness of boardmember Drew Hoel making purchases on behalf of the fire department. Hoel is also a volunteer firefighter. The board said all purchases Hoel made were approved by Chief Paul Laisy.
Meslin, who served on the PRFB when the rural and city departments were combined, stated after the meeting by phone that someone who is on the board should not be making purchases for the fire department because it would not lead to a good audit trail.
“It might not be appropriate,” she said.
New business at the meeting included the issue of a complaint that was made to the Montana Commission of Political Practice. At this time the Commission was not investigating the complaint, but an opportunity was offered for the PRFB to look into the matter.
It was agreed that the board would ask for a copy of the letter to address any issues raised.
“We should get it and see if we can work through it,” Hoel said.
As the board prepared to move into executive session, Meslin read the current code for a Montana board practice in regard to the amount of executive sessions deemed proper. Meslin had already brought up her concern about how often the board met in executive session at a prior February meeting.
Commissioner Bill Barron replied that the sessions must be properly accounted for through notes in a file.
Reached by phone after the meeting, Meslin said that she and the Big Arm citizen group were concerned with getting proper fire coverage for the Big Arm area. Some members and citizens of the Big Arm Fire District, which is a part of the PRFD, felt as if their needs had not been met since the split with the city and the new the leadership that had taken control, citing prior mismanagement as the reason for resignation of four out of six Big Arm firefighters. This left the area with only one active and one support firefighter.
The group circulated a petition in December 2015 stating various demands. The petition was signed by 235 Big Arm citizens, although some signers may not have been clear on the intent of the petition, according to Chief Paul Laisy in the January 13 meeting minutes. According to the meeting notes, Laisy had received calls from a few Big Arm residents stating they had signed the petition because they thought the Big Arm fire station in town was at risk of being closed.
Meslin says the reason that the group is closely watching the board’s conduct and felt the petition was warranted is because complaints were made by the Big Arm firefighters who resigned. She said the group has been researching whether or not the complaints were legitimate.
“Are these firefighters’ complaints legitimate? What really are the problems? Meslin asked.
The board is set to address the Big Arm citizen’s petition at the April board meeting, which will be held at the Big Arm Fire Department.
