MENDON FIRE DISTRICT MEETING
May 2022
ROLL CALL ( meeting called to order 19:00 hrs. on 05/05/2022 by A. Morrell )
| PRESENCE | NAME | CAPACITY | NOTES |
| No | Baumer, Heidi | Treasurer | Report/Vouchers supplied |
| Yes | Considine, Dan | Commissioner | |
| Yes | Fletcher, William | General Counsel | |
| No | McGinnis, John | Secretary | Medical Absence (previous meeting minutes MIA) |
| Yes | Morrell, Art | Commissioner (Chair) | |
| Yes | Shipe, John | Commissioner | |
| Yes* | Shuler, Steve | Commissioner | *Arrival at 7:05pm |
| Yes | Wilsey, Ryan | Commissioner |
OTHER ATTENDEES NOTED
| NAME | CAPACITY | NOTES |
| Arman, Mike | MFD President – MFD Board of Directors | |
| Francesco, Greg | Public Gallery /MFD Member | |
| Parker, Marc | Public Gallery /MFD Member | |
| Friedlander, David | 2ndAsst. Chief MFD | Reporting for Chief Kester |
| Sellman, Tom | MFD Member | Fill-in for Secretary McGinnis |
| Pierce, Dan | MFD Member Applicant | Was present only for their review. |
| Battle ,Chris | MFD Member Applicant | Was present only for their review |
PUBLIC COMMENT * —————————————————————————————————–
Marc Parker (3536 Rush Mendon Rd., Honeoye Falls, NY 14472) :
Mr. Parker brought forth that an observation had been brought to him (at his work location) of what he felt was an ‘unprofessional’ Facebook posting by an MFD District Commissioner. He questioned if the commission was aware of and/or had seen the posting (as it has already been taken down). He felt the matter needs to be addressed and offered to share a screen-shot of the posting. The additional ask was ‘what the commission’s intentions are if it moves forward with the issue’.
A. Morrell responded that it will come up in the evening’s session.
R. Wilsey requested Marc forward him a copy of the screenshot, to which Counsel Fletcher indicated he was in possession of same.
NEW MFD MEMBER REVIEW —————————————————————————————-
[editor’s note: both applicants were in attendance at two different times during the course of the meeting, but discussed here as a combined subject context]
Both applicants were welcomed by A. Morrell (and several others) and thanked for their return to the department (both being previous members). J. Shipe provided the information / phone number of HealthWorks (585-924-1550) that the applicant should call to make an appointment for a firefighter’s physical. He further that once an applicant calls, HealthWorks will ask for the applicant’s email so HealthWorks can send the applicant a link to an on-line version of the physical form(s).
Applicant Dan Pierce: Had no questions for the commissioners.
Applicant Chris Battle: He was reminded that when making the physical appointment, he needs to specify that it’s in the context of being an interior firefighter. Chris had questions regarding getting his EMR certification (which lapsed from Connecticut in March) refreshed. D. Friedlander pointed Chris to Greg Francesco (as EMS Captain) for assistance. Chris had some questions with respect to our policy for bringing personal gear in. There was generalized discussion with the ultimate decision resting with Chief Kester. Responding to D. Considine, Chris noted that Connecticut did not have any LOSAP program. Chris asked about the disposition of his certifications that are part of a Google Drive at the Connecticut department(s). He was directed to speak with S. Tschiderer in order to transfer relevant information into our system.
CALENDAR & REQUESTS FOR MEETING ROOM —————————————————————–
J. Shipe confirmed the cancellation of the room rental previously requested for the Irini Karpidis wedding reception (May 7) and can be taken off the calendar.
A. Morrell noted that the June 3rd Commissioner’s Meeting will be moved to June 9th (due to conflict with MFD Carnival). A. Morrell will get the public-notice change to the paper with the new date.
M. Arman brought a request from Jim Coler (Ionia Fire Dept.) to borrow eight of the ultra-light District round-tables for a graduation. J. Shipe noted that the district policy is to not rent out the District tables, however the same stipulation does not apply to the Fire Department’s round tables (of which two were noted as being in the closet off the kitchen with the remaining [of unknown quantity] in the out-building).
CORRESPONDENCE —————————————————————————————————–
No Action.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT ————————————————————————————
M. Arman presented a check for $ 490 from the Department to the District to help offset the cost of the mirrors in the fitness center (being installed 5/6/2022) – acknowledged with thanks by A. Morrell.
M. Arman inquired as what the process was for background checks of the department. Per D. Considine and J. Shipe, the Chief submits the name [ed. note – and birthday as detailed by application] to the MCS and they return a yea or nay answer: i.e. are they suitable. D. Friedlander indicated it’s not a full (e.g. like a NF15 evaluation) check, but focuses on: arson, sex offender and driving record. To do something more would incur a cost to the department (an example given was $25-$50 fee for an analysis required by the local baseball leagues for coaching). Fee’s ranging from $200-400 was noted by J. Shipe. D. Friedlander commented that the more intensive checks of this nature also require approval by the applicant to submit to the check.
R. Wilsey noted that ADP provides this service for some add-on cost. D. Considine asked by A. Morrell to investigate the cost and report back. D. Considine commented that the district doesn’t have a policy for denying membership because of convictions.
When asked by Art as to why this topic has risen, Mike responded that ‘new membership is a big investment of time and resources’ and having more detailed information is a way to protect that investment.
CHIEFS REPORT ————————————————————————————————————
| CALLS (since Jan 1, 2022) | 103 |
| APPARATUS DAMAGE | None |
| INJURIES | None |
D. Friedlander presented the following statement:
“Chief Kester is angry and upset by today’s events involving Commissioner Shuler and his Facebook social media rant. He believes it’s in direct violation of the District’s Code of Conduct. Further, Chief Kester feels he’s not given the respect that his office deserves and is considering resigning his position. I can tell you this doesn’t bode well that both Chief’s cars are parked in the parking lot here and neither of them is here. He’s not happy… he’s angry and upset.”
D. Considine expressed his view that: ‘it’s definitely a violation of what we’re supposed to be doing as commissioners’. When asked by Dan what his intention was, S. Shuler expressed his understanding (somewhat gained from a leadership meeting) that an avenue of approach when encountering an impasse (similar to the ‘sign’ issue) is to ‘take it to the community for input’. S. Shuler felt that his disagreement with respect to a parade M.C. wasn’t taken seriously so he thought it would be good to get community input. He continued that he felt that it was OK to field his opinion from his personal Facebook page. He also felt that within the last 5 years there’s been a shift away from the carnival parade being under his purview. D. Friedlander brought forth the point that: ‘calls, parades & drills are operated at the Chiefs discretion.’ He added that: ‘people are entitled to their personal opinions, but when offered within the context as a District Commissioner in a public forum, then calling the Chief out for a decision in the Chief’s area of responsibility violates the Code of Conduct’s conflict-of-interest policy (personal interest vs. the interest of the public the district/department serves’. Dave made an additional observation that opinions may be expressed on a personal Facebook page, Steve’s position as a commissioner brings an additional level of responsibility/scrutiny because comments are taken as if he would be speaking for the district/department.
A. Morrell lent his observation that input given to him regarding last year’s M.C. was positive insofar as the M.C. supports first responders without regard to affiliation and commentary at the parade was apolitical. Art also expressed thoughts that as a District commissioner, a higher standard is to be expected with respect to public discourse.
Vigorous discussion continued drawing on examples from the corporate world regarding employee/employer social media conflicts.
W. Fletcher observed that there are a few existing social-media policy rules governing commentary/images taken from/at department call responses, and that this current issue warrants a deeper look into expanding the rules and regulations to guide what is allowed in the social-media sphere when there are disagreements/differences of opinions within the department/district.
J. Shipe expressed that going forward, it would be expected that S. Shuler tries to make amends with Chief Kester. John also asked if the meeting was being recorded with affirmative answers by A. Morrell and M. Parker.
A. Morrell summarized (with W. Fletcher’s agreement) that there’s no legal action with respect to this issue and got agreement from S. Shuler that he will speak to the Chief. Art requested that General Counsel Fletcher formulate some additional policy rules strengthening/clarifying what social-media interactions are permissible that would be applicable to all members (district and department). This would be due at the next district monthly meeting.
MINUTES ——————————————————————————————————————
There were no April minutes to approve. Due to a medical absence, A. Morrell asked T. Sellman to fill in for the current meeting. J. Shipe motioned that T. Sellman be appointed Mendon Fire District Deputy Secretary. After receiving acceptance by T. Sellman, A. Morrell seconded the motion offered by J. Shipe. The motion passed unanimously ( 5-0-0 ).
In response to R. Wilsey’s question if sick-time is expected to be paid to the current secretary, A. Morrell indicated there is no current policy but it will be addressed in upcoming employee handbook discussions. A. Morrell stressed the need to tighten-up the what’s-expected content for each employee in the handbook plus the rules and regulations. He also noted the need to collect some examples from other departments/districts as resources for those upcoming discussions.
After some investigation/discussions, T. Sellman agreed to attend all district meetings acting as a back-up to the current secretary. Responsibility for minutes falls to the T. Sellman only in the absence of the current secretary and will use this time to become more familiar with the responsibilities of the office, and be available to assist as required.
D. Considine made a motion that T. Sellman be brought in as Deputy Secretary with an annual salary of $3000. J. Shipe seconded the motion which passed unanimously ( 5-0-0 ).
Dan to follow up with Tom to get the requisite information to enter him into the ADP system.
TREASURER’S REPORT ————————————————————————————————–
H. Baumer out of town, with A. Morrell indicating all the bills are in the folder present and available for observation. D. Considine asked if anyone other than Heidi can sign District checks. S. Shuler indicated yes (as Dale is named as Assistant Treasurer). A follow-up question: does Dale have any checks if required. Dan is to call/text Heidi to confirm.
See Appendix C at the end of the minutes for a copy of the report.
CAPITAL PROJECTS / SPECIAL PROJECTS ———————————————————————–
New Sign Status:
Per S. Shuler – Sign should be installed (and designated operator trained) by end of next week. Concrete has been poured and physical installation possibly by Monday May 9th.
A. Morrell raised the question of ‘who will be designated and authorized to place content on the sign’. Art’s emphasis is from a desire to maintain positive messaging with this sign. After discussion, R. Wilsey motioned that a committee be formed for the sign content approval process with the following people approved to actually alter the content: R. Wilsey, M. Arman, D. Sweet, and Chief Kester. This was seconded by J. Shipe which passed unanimously ( 5-0-0 ).
Building & landscaping:
Per S. Shuler – One quote out to get building perimeter spruced-up/finalized, plus some new shrubs in front of transformer (nothing out for bid as yet).
New Overhead Doors:
Per S. Shuler – Delivery is 6 months out.
Electronic Door Closure Project:
Per J. Shipe – Discussions with West for door connections with low-voltage transformer ongoing.
Landscaping Contractor:
Per J. Shipe – general observation is that newly signed Moreland’s is performing well. A. Morrell expressed a need for the building committee members to address the walkway (perhaps going to a concrete radius) apex on the south-side entrance where walkway, mulch and grass-strip all meet.
APPARATUS —————————————————————————————————————
| Vehicle/Equip | Issues/Problems/Plans |
| 365 | New rear tires. Art to have alignment checked given $6K investment in tires. This will be done at Art’s convenience. |
| 364 | Meeting next week with company performing maintenance. Engine will not be let go before carnival or before a backup engine in-house. Anticipate it will be gone for a month. |
| Hose Testing | Dale signed contract today: $0.29/ft. Hard suction $20 / length. Goes to 2008 NFPA Standards. No date known. |
PERSONNEL —————————————————————————————————————
Dale’s Report:
Motion by D. Considine to accept and approve report submitted. This was seconded by R. Wilsey and passed with unanimous consent ( 5-0-0 ). See Appendix A & B at the end of these minutes.
Leadership:
D. Considine is looking to acquire a leadership consultant/facilitator to assist, as he feels we’re not operating at our potential. R. Wilsey asked if the meeting should be opened to the entire line officers. Benefit and drawbacks were discussed with a final position being: open it to the line (Dan to communicate to Chief). Next three scheduled meetings are: May 26 @ 6:30, July 28, September 22.
Recruiting and Retention:
M. Arman reviewed that (1) the carnival tent was ordered today, (2) confirmed invitations with 5 departments to participate and their need to supply one or two individuals during carnival to help staff the booth, (3) preliminary booth schedule identified (4) working to develop an incentive for booth visitation and a brief form for acquiring prospect info, (5) get some graphics for booth decoration.
J. Shipe reminded everyone that all people associated with the department and working the carnival need to be on the list kept for insurance purposes. Therefore the names of individuals coming from other departments for this recruitment effort need to be submitted prior to the Thursday of carnival.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY —————————————————————————————–
FirstNet 20K sq.ft. cell-phone booster arrived this week. R. Wilsey will be working on integration this weekend. Backup internet and truck communication functionality should be better.
Have not heard back from Xerox (through repeated attempts with multiple departments) regarding disposition of old copier machine.
OLD BUSINESS ————————————————————————————————————-
A. Morrell expressed thanks to all who worked on the banquet for provided a great venue (being in town) and decent food – advocating to have it there next year. J. Shipe got confirmation regarding having the banquet at the same timeframe (e.g. April) next year.
NEW BUSINESS ————————————————————————————————————-
R. Wilsey inquired whether district vehicles (the white Chief’s vehicle in particular) should be handed down the line instead of sitting idle in the parking lot. There were various discussion points made, ultimately landing on doing nothing — A. Morrell noted his understanding was that 3C26 was to be back in town this weekend. Additional and more encompassing discussions regarding vehicle allocation/management was deferred to the future.
ADJOURNMENT ————————————————————————————————————
Motion to adjourn (at 20:25 hrs.) made by S. Shuler. J. Shipe seconded the motion which passed unanimously ( 5-0-0 ).
PUBLIC COMMENT *—————————————————————————————————–
M. Parker was recognized. He again spoke to the issue of S. Shuler’s Facebook posting, indicating that in his view, it was “unprofessional and uncalled for”. He stressed that it should have been an internal matter and worked through one-on-one with the Chief. There were several point/counter-point exchanges between M. Parker and S. Shuler. Discussion ended when the 3 minute limit was reached.
Minutes (with corrections) Submitted by:
Tom Sellman
Deputy Secretary
Mendon Fire District
Corrections:
1. (received 05/07/22) Check from department for fitness center mirrors was $490 (not $500).
2. (received 05/07/22) Conflicting next-meeting date for leadership. Corrected to only state May 26th.
* The intent of public comment time is to allow a non-commission member to comment on any topic. The commenter may not receive an answer to their question or a response to their comment, as the board may need to research a subject or confer with counsel on the topic prior to giving a response. The time allowtted for each person commenting is limited to three (3) minutes.
APPENDIX A : Dale’s Report ( page 1 of 2 )
APPENDIX B : Dale’s Report ( page 2 of 2 )
APPENDIX C : Treasurer’s Report
