Lack of quorum leaves remaining board members unable to conduct business; concerns raised by union over alleged misconduct that was reportedly ignored
By Buffy Pollock, Rogue Valley Times
More than half of the Jackson County Fire District No. 5 Board of Directors abruptly resigned just minutes into a meeting Tuesday.
The resignations of three of five members came after months of turmoil and union-represented employees’ loss of confidence in Fire Chief Charles Hanley, who is alleged to have tolerated and participated in bullying and harassment of district employees.
The district’s three fire stations provide fire protection to 120 square miles of southern Jackson County, including the cities of Phoenix and Talent and unincorporated areas surrounding Ashland, down to the California border.
The meeting convened at 3:30 p.m. in the Phoenix fire station, and the board stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. Board Chair Vicki Purslow announced that an agenda item dealing with tax revenues for the district would be moved up, prior to a scheduled executive session.
A brief discussion ensued about a written grievance filed earlier in the day by board member Derek Volkart, who advised the board in a written statement Tuesday that he intended to call for an investigation into Purslow for conducting business outside of board meetings and speaking on the board’s behalf “without authority.”
Volkart also planned to call for a vote to have Chief Hanley placed on administrative leave amid a host of union concerns centering around an alleged culture of harassment and bullying at the district. A similar motion from Volkart failed at a Feb. 20 meeting.
Purslow told Volkart his grievance would be heard after the executive session.
Board member Sam Pare-Miller said he would like to bring a motion for board consideration. Purslow informed him the motion would have to be raised before a board meeting to get on the agenda.
Purslow then said the meeting would convene in executive session and that she was offering her resignation. She stood to leave, addressing board member Mike Winters: “Director Winters, you’ll be chair for the day.”
Winters responded, “I saw this coming, and I’m tendering my resignation, too.”
Board member Cary Halligan then said, “And I saw this coming … and I do the same. Sorry.”
The meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum.
Neither Purslow or Chief Hanley were immediately available for comment after the meeting. In a text message to the Rogue Valley Times, Winters declined to comment further.
According to state law, under ORS198.320, if the majority of a board membership is vacant, the vacancies will be referred to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners for appointment.
Volkart, in an email to the Times, said the resignations delay a needed investigation into allegations against Purslow and Hanley.
“Rather than work to address the Chair’s cover up and appoint the investigator for union allegations of misconduct by the Chief, a majority of the board colluded to throw this mess into the laps of the county commissioners, delaying the investigations of both Chief Hanley and Chair Vicki Purslow,” Volkart wrote. “They did this after refusing to place Chief Hanley on administrative leave, ignoring hostile work environment concerns and ongoing loss of personnel with total disregard for public safety.”
Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
