The Rogue River Professional Firefighters union publicly criticized members of the Jackson County Fire District 1 Board of Directors during the board’s May 20 meeting, citing concerns about professionalism and conduct displayed during an earlier meeting.
Speaking on behalf of the union, firefighter Lane Augustson, dressed in uniform, read a prepared statement from International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3513.
“The behavior exhibited by members of the Board — both toward one another and toward members of the public — was unprofessional, discourteous and inconsistent with the standards expected of public servants,” Augustson said.
“As representatives of this District, your actions set the tone for the organization as a whole. The example demonstrated in that setting fell short of what we expect from our leadership.”
The statement referred to the board’s April 8 meeting, during which a discussion about changing the district’s monthly meeting time escalated into a tense exchange between board members.
Debate Over Meeting Times
The April meeting was held with Board Chair John Ellis and Vice Chair Jim Stearns attending remotely. Longtime board member Randy Cort, who has served on the board for more than 30 years, asked to preside over the meeting.
Before the disagreement over meeting times began, the board discussed a $603,630 grant from the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Resilience Energy Program. Board member Craig Berry wrote and submitted the grant application, which would fund the installation of approximately 180 solar panels on district property near the fire station.
The conversation then shifted to Berry’s proposal to consider moving board meetings from their longstanding 7:30 a.m. start time on the second Wednesday of each month to an afternoon or evening schedule.
Berry said the change could improve public participation.
“I am one of those working-class people. It is difficult for me to be here,” Berry said. “I think we need more participation. We’re a community service organization. I’d like to see meetings at a time when people who are concerned about fire operations and how they affect their lives can come and have their voices heard.”
Exchange Becomes Heated
Cort questioned Berry’s reasoning and suggested the current schedule had worked for decades.
“Craig, do you think I have a job?” Cort asked. “Do you think I work evenings out at RCC until 8 o’clock? There’s a lot of people who have evening conflicts as well as morning conflicts.”
He also questioned why Berry, who is self-employed, could not adjust his work schedule around the meetings.
Berry responded that his goal was simply to make meetings more accessible to the public.
“I’m trying to open up this meeting to the public,” Berry said.
“It’s been open to the public for 40 years,” Cort replied. “It’s advertised. It’s open to the public. These people made it to the meeting just fine.”
Cort also noted that a recent special meeting held at 4 p.m. drew no public attendance.
Other Board Members Weigh In
Ellis asked John Holmes what time his district holds board meetings.
Holmes responded that Illinois Valley’s board typically meets from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Most fire districts in Jackson and Josephine counties hold board meetings in the late afternoon or evening, while only a few schedule meetings in the morning.
Cort remained opposed to changing the schedule.
“We’ve really been running smoothly for a lot of years,” he said. “Why do we need to change it because Craig can’t get up early in the morning? This is his agenda.”
Berry pushed back.
“You went to school and studied debate and drama,” Berry said. “I want to make this accessible to the public. I don’t want the drama. I want the public down here to engage with us.”
Board member John Foster also voiced opposition to changing the schedule, saying he did not support altering the system to accommodate one individual and expressing concern about potential overtime costs for district staff.
“We’ve been doing this for years,” Foster said. “The majority of the time we’ve had nobody here. Now we’re on this solar project, Craig brings in his army.”
Stearns urged the board to focus on what would best serve the community rather than turning the discussion into a personal dispute.
“Let’s not make this about Craig,” Stearns said. “It’s a matter of what time we want to have our meeting to best serve the community.”
Looking to the Public
Ellis agreed, saying the board should seek public input before making a decision.
“We all have constituents that we work for,” Ellis said. “I think we need to reach out and ask the constituents what works best for them.”
Foster responded that he could not recall receiving complaints about the current meeting time and maintained that changing the schedule would likely increase costs.
Near the end of the discussion, Cort suggested revisiting the topic at a future meeting and possibly seeking public feedback through a ballot measure or newspaper advertisement.
During the exchange, Cort also commented on the role of elected officials.
“We’re not ruled as a democracy; we’re ruled as a republic,” Cort said. “We have laws and guides that we follow.”
Ultimately, Ellis proposed polling residents through the district’s Facebook page to gauge community interest in changing meeting times.
“The response may be that we don’t need further discussion,” Ellis said. “The response may be we need further discussion, so instead of creating a situation, just take a test and see what’s out there.”
Notably, Cort did not attend the board’s May 20 meeting, where the firefighters union formally expressed its concerns about board conduct.
Reach reporter Brian Mortensen at [email protected] or 541-582-1707.