Sable River public meeting about fire service considered by Shelburne Muni Council

photo: Facebook
At their monthly Committee of the Whole meeting Monday, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne (MODS) council discussed the prospect of a facilitated public meeting to ascertain the community attitudes regarding fire service in the Sable River area, as well as resident responses to the recent proposals by fire chief Todd Sisk to purchase two new fire trucks and build a new fire hall.

$2 million price tag
The costs for the new equipment and facility are estimated to be as high as $2 million, with Sable River residents funding the purchases with an imposed area tax rate. At previous meetings, there has been considerable community opposition to the proposal.

Back-handed methods
The proposals and resultant opposition gave rise to the formation of a Concerned Citizens of Sable River group, who have openly challenged what they believe have been back-handed methods used by Sisk and the current Fire department board to get approvals for the purchase and by Board refusals to provide financial and other documents to Sable River residents.

Mediation agreement ignored
Recognizing the divisiveness of the conflict in the community, MODS offered to pay a mediator to help resolve outstanding issues, which resulted in a day-long session and a signed mediation agreement, requiring that the Board provide the requested documents and setting out procedures by which a working group of members of the Board and Citizens would craft new by-laws for the Department.

No trust in Board
Months later, no documents have been forthcoming and, midway through the by-law process, the board suddenly refused to meet further on the matter. The Citizens prevailed upon MODS Council again in helping to resolve the conflict and the prospect of a facilitated meeting between the groups was proposed by MODS. In a letter to MODS Warden and CAO, the Citizens advised that they had "no trust that any results of such a meeting would be taken any more seriously by the department than was the signed mediation agreement and would be a waste of time." The Citizens agreed to participate in a facilitated community meeting.

Veto demand shows "utter contempt"
According to a staff report delivered to Council, a Department representative advised that they had reservations about attending a facilitated meeting "if certain members of Concerned Citizens" were also attending. In a letter to MODS, Concerned Citizens called this attempt at a veto of participants "outrageous on its face" and showed "the utter contempt the department has" for the admonition from MODS staff that a resolution of the conflict would require them to work with the Concerned Citizens Group.

Reasonable agreement wanted
Concerned Citizens member Ken Brown says he hopes that some resolution can eventually be found. "All we want is for the community to be able to get along and come to a reasonable agreement about what kind of fire service and equipment is needed and affordable and what oversight is required to keep things on track."

Previous stories:

             -   Fire chief argues with councilors,  threatens SCT editor

1. -   MODS Council hears of dysfunction and controversy in Sable River Fire Department

2. -   More strife, name-calling at Sable River Fire Dept meeting

3. -   Sable River fundraising online for new fire truck

Note: SCT publisher/editor Timothy Gillespie is a member of the Concerned Citizens of Sable River.