“It's a real privilege to have worked for great people in a great community,” Waldron said Monday in a phone interview. “It's tough to leave a job you worked so hard at.”
Waldron has been away from the office using vacation and compensatory leave since July 23 pending resolution of a disagreement with several members of the Frenchtown Fire Board of Trustees. At that same time Waldron took leave, his attorney Stacey Weldele-Wade, of Antonioli and Wade P.C., sent the board a letter claiming hostile work environment and breach of contract.
At the fire board's monthly meeting on Monday in Frenchtown, everyone talked circles around the figurative pink elephant in the room. That is until Harry Kenck, an outspoken opponent of the board's actions to date, asked an hour and a half into the rowdy meeting whether Waldron had been terminated.
“No, he has not,” replied Board Chairman Mitchell Hicks before the fire board's attorney, Carey Schmidt of the Philips Law Firm in Missoula stepped in, essentially shutting down further conversation about the conflict between the board and Waldron.
Although the board recognizes “its actions and deliberations should be conducted openly,” the trustees do not want to violate Waldron's right to privacy by commenting on personnel issues, according to a statement Schmidt released Monday on the board's behalf.
“Mr. Waldron has the power to waive his expectation of privacy. But at this time, the Board of Trustees will not comment on Mr. Waldron's employment status without an express waiver of his right to privacy,” according to the statement.
If Waldron should do so, the board will call a special public meeting and then address Waldron's employment status.
Whether it's an attorney hired in secret or the sudden resignation of a longtime trustee, residents of the fire district can read the writing on the wall. Things are not well at the Frenchtown Rural Fire District.
About half of the folks in the audience Monday praised the work of the fire board. The other half scorned them.
Shirley Tucker, a longtime Frenchtown resident said it took the last decade for unsatisfied residents to vocalize their disappointment in the fire district.
“Nobody wanted to stand up and do that because they felt they were alone,” she said, addressing the board. “It was very outstanding the number of people who voted for you people. I hope you have the guts to stick to your guns.”
Others were not so complimentary, taking the majority of the board members to task for hiring an attorney during a secret executive session with no public comment.
Shad Ockler, son of board trustee Harlan Ockler, said the newly elected board members turned “one of the highest-quality districts in the state” on “the path for ruin.”
Waldron's termination may prove costly to the district. Though, the district is covered by insurance for these sorts of disputes.
According to Weldele-Wade, the board must pay Waldron through the remainder of his three-year contract. Waldron renewed his contract July 1. Two years and 10 months remain. Waldron's base salary is $70,000 a year.
So far, no lawsuit has been filed with the courts. However, the two parties are in negotiations.
Weldele-Wade hopes that it doesn't come to legal action. It will depend on whether the board upholds the language in Waldron's contract, she said.
“At this juncture, we don't know,” she said.
A number of issues remain unresolved between the two parties.
In a letter Weldele-Wade sent to Schmidt late last week, she rebuts that Waldron abandoned his duties at the fire district. In fact, he's been available to the staff, responded to calls as necessary and continued to work on the fire district's budget while on vacation, she said.
As for the investigation, Weldele-Wade maintains that the board performed none.
Neither Waldron nor any of the staff have been interviewed. “How do you conduct an investigation when you don't talk to anyone involved?” Weldele-Wade said.
Plus, there's dispute as to when the board hired the Philips Law Firm. That matters because Waldron's personnel file was removed from the district. Unless the board voted to retain counsel to conduct an investigation, removing Waldron's file may have breached his right to privacy, she said.
The board's ultimatum is another example of “continued harassment” against Waldron, she said.
Meanwhile, the Missoula Board of County Commissioners is in the process of interviewing candidates to fill a vacancy on the fire board. The vacancy was left open by longtime board member Tom Mahlum's recent resignation, which was partly due to his philosophical differences with other members of the board.
Eight applicants applied for the open seat.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)