In a four-to-one vote the Estes Valley Fire Protection District Board agreed to accept a separation agreement with Chief David Wolf effective June 2. The board met in a special session Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Prior to going into executive session, Brian Tseng read a letter addressed to the board into the public record by Mark Igel, a member of the fire district and a former member of the fire district board expressing concerns about how several personnel and public information issues have been handled by the fire chief. “A couple of weeks ago I sat in the fire station with 20+ other members and was addressed by the fire chief who told us that he used to enjoy being in the fire service, but he didn’t anymore because of members in this District,” Igel wrote in his letter.
In interviews with several volunteer firefighters speaking on background, there have been concerns raised to the Trail-Gazette about how over the last several years the fire district has dealt with issues of transparency with information and with supporting the volunteer fire district members.
The board then went into executive session for nearly two hours. When the public session was reconvened shortly after 5 p.m. board president Jonathan Hodde made a motion to accept the separation agreement with the chief. The members of the board who voted yes were Hodde, Ryan Bross, Larry Leaming, and Dave Hamrick. Tseng voted no.
Following the vote, Hodde said “It is a very unfortunate place to be today. It has been a tough, tough road.” Leaming told the chief that the board would provide him with a reference should he need one. Bross told the chief that the fire district was better for his tenure of service.
The meeting was quickly adjourned. The Estes Valley Fire Protection District is holding a board election on May 2. Three candidates are running for two seats. Hodde and Leaming are incumbents running for reelection. Marybeth Bruchwalski is seeking a first term. Voters are also being asked if they want to increase the mill levy by 2.9 mills which would bring the total mill levy to 4.9. Voters can drop off their ballots at the Dannels Fire Station, 901 N St Vrain Ave, before 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
