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Sunday, June 22, 2014

County Attorney Refuses To Check Fire District Policy and Procedures Manual


Chris S. Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  June 18, 2014. The Garden City Fire District governing board held its monthly meeting on June 18, 2014 at 6 p.m.  Present were Perry Wakefield, Brian House, Howard Pope, and Randall Knight.  Absent:  Christina Gracey.

The first item of business was a discussion of the policy and procedures manual under construction and the need to have a legal check of the language.  The board had asked the county attorney if he would provide that service but the board reported that the county attorney had said, no, that it would be a conflict of interest.   He did not provide to the board the state statute that he claimed would back up his position with respect to a conflict of interest.  

The county attorney is Gary Seward, who was appointed to the position by the county commission.  Seward was appointed, rather than elected (which is the normal method) because the elected county attorney resigned and there is apparently no qualified person in Rich County to run for that office.  Seward himself is not eligible to run for the position this year.  The county attorney salary, paid by the taxpayers, is $32,845.  Retirement benefits but not health benefits are included.  Chief  Mike Wahlberg checked with the Cache County Attorney’s office and learned that they routinely provide legal advice to Special Service Districts in that county (including fire).

The fire department will hold a community barbecue on June 25 at 6 p.m. at the city park.  Hot dogs and hamburgers are free.  Much of the department’s equipment will be on hand for inspection and perhaps demonstration.

Two portable water pumps, each weighing 20 lbs, have been purchased and can be carried by firefighters.  They can deliver 30 gallons a minute through a one and a half inch pipe.

In the past month there was a successful  5 county multi day joint fire department training session.

As of this writing, there is still no inter local agreement for delivery of fire, ambulance, or law enforcement service across the border with Idaho.  It is as though there is a “Do not cross” administrative wall that prohibits these services from travelling across state lines, which is a purely politically created truth that negatively affects both populations. 

Instead of an audit of the Fire District this year there will be a check by the state auditor’s office to see if the district is following “Agreed Upon Procedures”.   The report will be delivered in the next month and will be reported upon in this paper when it becomes public.

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