Hunter
04/18/22
As the West Liberty Volunteer Fire Department and the City continue to work on a resolution to their ongoing issues, an official is asking the public not to take their frustrations out on city workers.
Last week, it was announced that the firefighters and EMS personnel gave the city until May 1 to address claims that include escalating hostility from the City through its City Manager, City Clerk, and three members of the City Council. They allege that the city has waged war on the volunteers, demanding complete control of its operation and finances, harassing volunteers, and delaying the hiring of EMS personnel.
The letter to the City also claimed, among other things, incorrect accounting, mixing Volunteer Fire Department funds with the City’s general account, and failure to account for donations made to the Department.
Members of the West Liberty Volunteer Fire Department have established an association as a Chapter 28E Agency to be governed by a Board in which the volunteer department will answer to members of the rural areas as well as the city. The city has yet to agree to become a part of the agency.
The firefighters say that if the situation is not resolved by May 1st, they will no longer provide service.
West Liberty Fire and Ambulance’s Facebook page featured a post from the EMS coordinator, thanking the public for rallying around them. However, they’re asking the public to be courteous to the day-to-day employees, who the coordinator says have nothing to do with the handling of their issues. The coordinator said, “Our issues are with the City itself along with specific members of the City Council, not the employees who answer the phones or work in the public, doing their jobs. The City couldn’t run without them.
Those employees, the coordinator said, are taking the brunt of the frustration over the standoff from the public. When expressing their views, the public is being asked to refrain from taking their anger out on those employees.
The city has said that they cannot publicly comment on the allegations, due to pending litigation. However, Mayor Katie McCullough told KCJJ last week during an interview with the firefighters that she would put a resolution on Tuesday’s City Council meeting agenda agreeing to negotiate in good faith with the volunteer department. That, the firefighters say, would be a step forward if it passes, and allow them to continue to provide service.
Tuesday’s amended agenda dated Monday morning indicates that the City Council will go into closed session with their counsel to discuss strategy in matters where litigation is pending or imminent, where those matters would likely put the City at a disadvantage. Once the meeting is re-opened, the agenda does list a discussion on the letter sent by West Liberty and Rural Township Fire and EMS sent to the city dated April 7th.