ATHABASCA – Despite an attempt to have it removed from the agenda beforehand, Athabasca County made the appointment of Maureen Kirby to fire chief of the Wandering River Fire Department official at its March 31 council meeting.
Before the agenda for the meeting was approved, Coun. Tracy Holland requested the removal of that particular item but was defeated in a 4-5 vote, after it was called to question. Later in the meeting when that item came up Holland expressed concerns about the process and length of the appointment, wondering where it is specified that it is a temporary appointment.
“I'm pretty confused about this and wondering, is this not something that normally the crew, the volunteers, would choose who their chief should be, and did that take place?” she said.
Interim CAO Dawn Phillips, who is also director of agriculture and community services which oversees the county’s fire services, clarified the deputy chief had been asked to fill in when Gary Cromwell, who is now a county councillor stepped away from the position, but he declined. At that point a vote among the members of the fire hall took place, and Kirby was selected to fill in.
“Administration does recommend that we have a chief in place,” she said. “The deputy chief may be away and we'd like to have a chief or deputy chief on scene, just for liability and accountability and to have somebody in charge … It was stated that it could be for several months, we feel that we need to have a chief in place, so as the director of ag and community services, my recommendation is that council ratify this and appoint her and if it needs to change, if it needs further discussion down the road, we would bring it back.”
Reeve Brian Hall noted the appointment of the new fire chief was the ratification of a request from the fire hall, as per their election, not a selection by council.
“I guess I would like to see that in writing from the hall,” Holland replied.
“I could print out the e-mail if you're doubting whether or not I followed through as director of my department,” Phillips said. “I find it a little insulting honestly.”
“I think we have to trust administration when they tell us they’ve received instruction from the fire hall,” said Hall.
Holland replied she didn’t mean to be insulting but intends to do her due diligence as a councillor.
“We're asked to do something that is supposed to have been a temporary situation, we're given limited information, and it’s our due diligence to ensure that everything is in place. It shouldn't be taken as an insult. It should be commended that we're actually meeting to make sure that we're doing everything according to what they want in their writing,” Holland said.
Philips reiterated she had reached out to the hall as their supervisor and said she would find the e-mail.
A motion to appoint Kirby to the position of Wandering River fire chief was carried with a similar 5-4 vote.
