Why is the TC against the Fire Co

[anon-p0q2]

[anon-q291]

[quote="anon-p0q2"][quote="anon-243q"][quote="anon-p0q2"]Lol. You posters crack me up. You do realize that the Chief most likely can’t spend money without a vote just like any other organization. It is just the TC and their supporters posting knowing that the residents are upset. The town FAQ doesn’t even match the ordinance.[/quote]

Then how did the Chief order two new SUVs without approval?[/quote]

What are you talking about? The Fire co has one new car as anyone can see.

Like any organization. The Chief goes to the Fire Co members or board and says can we buy a car? The board then looks at endowments and donations and votes.

The state already weighed in that the Fire Co did so legally and that the administrator was incorrect when saying it had to go to bid. Which is why the TC said nothing further about it.[/quote]

Absolutely , wrong! This is exactly why the ordinance is being put in place. Chief half wit did not follow procedure.

[Name calling-s047]

That's great, you don't like the answer so you resort to name calling and spewing misinformation. Why don't you stop down at the firehouse and ask them what their process for purchasing is? You can ask someone other than the Chief as you seem to have some personal issues with him. I'm sure you won't as your just happy to post here anonymously without actually doing anything about it. I'm surprised anyone would want to volunteer in this town if you go by the bashing they are receiving on this board. Way to go!

[anon-q291]

[quote="Name calling-s047"]That's great, you don't like the answer so you resort to name calling and spewing misinformation. Why don't you stop down at the firehouse and ask them what their process for purchasing is? You can ask someone other than the Chief as you seem to have some personal issues with him. I'm sure you won't as your just happy to post here anonymously without actually doing anything about it. I'm surprised anyone would want to volunteer in this town if you go by the bashing they are receiving on this board. Way to go![/quote]

Ok Jay!

[Anytime-s047]

Anytime Matt

[anon-2qn2]

Wow, what dysfunction. No one is coming out of this thing looking good so far. Shame on you both for name-calling, and slamming opinion posed as a resident on this echo chamber without answering questions that sincere residents have posed. (Did the Chief & FC miss financial reporting obligations to us/ the town or not? Does the Chief use the firehouse for servicing his personal/ commercial vehicles or not?). If the chief is the bully I am thinking of, it is rich that this echo chamber tries to make him the victim... and funny how this site is used by some.. It seems that if the FC doesn't have a TC seat they don't feel the need to be accountable to the TC, yet they get "only" ~70% of their funding from them/us! Remarkable. Good members of the FC- please wake up and appoint new adult leadership! and TC- please stay off this board! We had many years of that trash and it's not the proper way to persuade residents.

[anon-opr0]

The link posted a couple pages back just goes to a site that summarizes public 990 data. Even the full 990 doesn't come close to transparently showing the budget of the Fire Company. It also only goes through 2019, so it's almost 3 years old, way before the new car incident.

But what is does show is the fire company routinely collects contributions in excess of its costs. It says that the Township "only" provides 70% of its funding, but since it operated with a 24% excess revenue margin that means the township contributed more than 100% of the costs needed for it to operate, on top of typically paying for its equipment. Seems like this $1 million they claim the Township Committee wants to get its hands on has been built by hoarding tax dollars and donations and interest on them over time. It's nice to have a fund for rainy days, so no problem. But let's not pretend tax dollars aren't want make it possible to keep the lights or or what helped build the assets in the first place.

If the Fire Company says they are open book and transparent, why not prove it by releasing their full line item budgets?

[You judge-1qq3]

https://youtu.be/4CaZbgst2A8

[anon-49n0]

[anon-np94]

[anon-635n]

[anon-2qn2]

It's been said that "it's not always what you do, but how you do it."

It's clear from all of the FC members and other residents who spoke that there were missteps in how this was done. It's also clear that the TC is willing and going to change that "how" and have the dialogue that's needed. They didn't vote on or indicate that they will vote on the ordinance as it stands, correct? My biggest take-away (assuming this is correct) was that the Tc's willingness to fix the "how" still seemed not good enough for the most upset FC members there as indicated by their volume which got even got louder after it was humbly established that the how would be changed. Understanding the respect issue and honestly completely respecting the service that these boys put in, the "how" issue started to feel like a smokescreen for the fact that the FC simply want no oversight.

Also, I really don't understand the numerous FC suggestions that the TC or we as residents have to "go down to the FC and ask" about how they manage their finances. Wasn't it the FC (I really am not sure) that didn't complete some kind of financial obligation to the TC? Is this the reference to "punitive" by the FC guys? Is so, then, yes, it's punitive, but what do you expect? This is how the world works.. if you don't provide requested financial information to your financer, they can force you to. .. that seems like a fundamental unwillingness to proactively share or put in the work that you financer requires... or maybe a misunderstanding of that obligation?


The most important take away for me last night was this- if you listen to the non- FC residents who spoke (Mike Dulin for example), none said that no oversight is the answer- they just commented on the "how" that the FC rightfully was offended by. Please know that, of course, there will be residents like me who want this oversight, but didn't feel comfortable speaking for fear of potentially exposing themselves to some potential retaliation based on the emotions and honestly the scare tactics that the FC used.

So, I've learned that the TC isn't "against" the FC and that the emotional issue of the "how" is just a smoke screen for the real intolerance of oversight, unless both parties move forward in good faith to get this done and start using a much higher percentage of their time and energy dialoguing on the real issues and needs of the town.

[anon-n110]

I'm just looking forward to 60 minutes or some TV media to show what tgus town is turning into. The TC does not understand what they got themselves into. They will be exposed.

[Michael]

[anon-q291]

Childish behavior is understatement. To blare sirens during the vote? Very mature! Every time those firetrucks move it cost the taxpayers money. No need for firetrucks to be out unless they are on official or approved business. This ordinance changes nothing for FC operations! Does it provide for accountability? Absolutely. They clearly want no oversight. What are they hiding? Why the dug in response that causes near violent outburst from 2 FC Officers?
Mr. "60 mins" better be careful what he exposes. The FC may be digging their own grave. May be if they all grew up and played by the rules none of this would be an issue.

[anon-q291]

[quote="anon-n110"]I'm just looking forward to 60 minutes or some TV media to show what tgus town is turning into. The TC does not understand what they got themselves into. They will be exposed.[/quote]

Exposed for what? Being responsible? Having roles defined? Being fiscally responsible? The only thing that could be exposed is crowdedness in not putting their foot down. It's like dealing with children!