In an attempt to clear the air because of recent controversial board meetings, Falcon Fire Protection District board member Dena Bramhall held a town hall meeting Oct. 24 at the Falcon fire station. New board member Larry Robley joined her.Other board members were not invited because the presence of more than two board members constitutes a board meeting, which must be posted 72 hours prior to the meeting, Bramhall said.Bramhall made the following points:
- Her husband, John Scorsine, filed the Equal Opportunity age discrimination complaint that started the controversy.
- She disclosed her conflict of interest to the board and did not attend any executive sessions at which the EEO complaint was discussed, and she has not seen the report because she is not allowed to do so.
- She voted in favor of the disciplinary actions against Jeff Petersma and Cory Galicia because she felt other board members were moving toward a more severe disciplinary action.
- Legally, board members cannot discuss why Petersma and Galicia were disciplined.
- The wording of the amendment to the member handbook “may be way too extreme,” but the purpose truly was to reiterate provisions of the law that govern special districts. “Maybe it was a mistake for me to vote on it, but it can be corrected,” she said.
- She didn’t interview all the people who applied for the board vacancy that was ultimately filled by Larry Robley. “I interviewed people I felt were potentials based upon their background. I didn’t have to interview Larry because I know he has integrity,” she said. “There is no established procedure for us to appoint a board member.”
- The interim organizational chart passed around at the Oct. 22 meeting is one of six different versions she knows of. The purpose of having an interim organization chart was to “cover the intergovernmental agreement with Cimarron Hills and give them what they are paying for,” until the FFPD personnel issues are resolved.
- She has asked former board members and volunteers Dick Stewart and Bud Kucera and Chief Trent Harwig to form a committee to work on a new organizational chart to define roles and responsibilities. “The existing organizational chart is really confusing,” she said.
- She does not want to change the organization of the FFPD to an East Coast style organization, where all firefighters are volunteers and only administrative staff is paid.
