Firefighter resigns after testy council meeting

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



KIMBERLY — The Kimberly Volunteer Fire Department lost a long-time member Tuesday when he resigned during a heated town council meeting.

Fire department captain Brian Pharris stepped down after serving on the department for 15 years.

A vocal exchange, mostly between Mayor Ralph Lindsey and councilman Bob Ellerbrock, stemmed from the fire department asking for funds for a rescue boat. Lindsey opposed the funding, while Ellerbrock supported it.

Councilman Brad Stark, who chairs the fire department committee, requested that the town spend $10,000 for the boat, equipment and training.

He broke down the request as follows: $3,965 for a rescue boat, $2,390 for a boat motor, $2,400 for wet suits and other equipment, and $1,200 for swift-water training for three firefighters. The total is $9,955.

Mayor Ralph Lindsey said the funds would come out of the town’s ad valorem account, which has a balance of $134,000. He said the town owes more than $120,000 on a fire truck.

“It’s the only fund we’ve got to borrow from,” Lindsey said, saying he did not want to deplete the account.

He asked if the fire department has applied for grants to pay for a rescue boat. Fire Chief Clark McCombs said the department had applied last year, but not this year.

Lindsey said spending $10,000 on a rescue boat is “ridiculous and ludicrous.”

Pharris then stood and resigned his position with the fire department.

“I’m relieved of all of my duties here,” Pharris told the council before walking out.

Pharris said on Thursday that he did not quit because the mayor opposed the funding, but “because of his outburst.”

“It has nothing to do with material things,” said Pharris. “He lost it. He owes everybody an apology. If somebody didn’t stand up and make a point that they wouldn’t tolerate it, it would keep happening.”

Lindsey would not comment on Pharris’ motives for resigning from the fire department.

“Brian has been a real asset to this town,” Lindsey said Thursday. “It’s unfortunate he’s made the choice to walk out.”

McCombs declined to comment on Pharris’s resignation.

Firefighters who attended the meeting said the need for a rescue boat was highlighted on March 27 when Trafford resident Timothy Sigafoose died after his canoe overturned on the Locust Fork of the Warrior River. Sigafoose’s body was recovered on March 31.

Firefighters at the meeting said they could have been searching for the boater within 10 minutes if they’d had access to a rescue boat.

The council voted to table the purchase of a boat for two months in order to search for grants and other funding options. Stark had the only no vote.

On May 8, 2008, the town council had approved spending up to $3,000 to purchase a boat for the fire department.

McCombs said he was unable to find a used boat in that price range because all of them had been sold when he called the owners.

In other business, the council:

• approved spending $1,895 for equipment, T-shirts and training; and up to $1,000 for two computers for the fire department

• voted to allow Ernie Bray to take photographs as a fund-raiser for the fire department

• voted to transfer all police officers and dispatchers from temporary to permanent status

• voted to pay $225.68 to send building inspector Brent Earnest to a certification course

• voted to spend $199.95 to upgrade Quickbooks software

• voted to amend the town’s zoning ordinance to include a revisionary clause. A public hearing for the ordinance was held immediately prior to the council meeting.

Next month’s council meeting was changed to May 4, 6:30 p.m., at Kimberly Town Hall.

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