Liberty's Blog

Kemah's Mayor King on WCID 12 and KVFD Battle

Kemah may be close to resolving its its differences between the water board, and its volunteer fire department. Perhaps this letter posted on the Jabo Bayou Times from Mayor William King, has something to do with it.

A number of residents have called or e-mailed and asked me to comment on the on-going feud between WCID No. 12 and the KVFD. I have been reluctant to enter this fray because our citizens voted several years ago to transfer responsibility for fire protection from the cities to WCID No. 12. I have been attempting to respect the WCID No. 12’s jurisdiction in this regard. However, the level of this dispute has reached such an absurd level and I feel compelled to speak out on these issues.

First, let me say that I am deeply appreciative of the men and women who give their time and risk their personal safety to protect my family and home from a fire. These individuals donate untolled hours in training, maintaining the equipment and conducting the business of our fire department. They roll out of bed in the middle of the night, regardless of the weather, and rush to help our fellow citizens in danger. I cannot imagine a more selfless or meaningful contribution to the welfare of our community than what these men and women are making on a regular basis.

Second, I am no expert on firefighting; however, I have had the occasion to observe the conduct of our volunteer firefighters on numerous “tone-outs” since I have been mayor. On each occasion that I have observed I found their conduct to be competent, professional and effective. In fact, I had a hard time believing that they were volunteers and not professional firefighters. Any dispersion on the KVFD’s competence or professionalism for political purposes is abhorrent and should be condemned by this entire community. I find such dispersions particularly offensive when they come from individuals who sleep soundly under the protection afforded by our volunteers as they brave the perils and hardships of firefighting.

Notwithstanding my admiration for and appreciation of the KVFD, I will say that I believe the fire protection fee charged on our water bills is a tax. In my opinion, the expenditure of tax money should be the responsibility of elected officials, in this case, the directors of WCID No. 12. Whether we like or dislike the individuals who currently occupy those offices, they have been, nonetheless, duly elected and charged with the responsibility of overseeing funds collected by WCID No. 12. Similarly, I believe that assets purchased with tax money should be owned by a public entity and not a private corporation, albeit a non-profit one. Therefore, I agree with WCID No. 12 that the directors should have the final say on the KVFD budget and that all equipment purchased with the mandatory fire protection fee should be in the name of the WCID No.

However, I will hasten to add that it is beyond my comprehension to understand why either side in this dispute would care so passionately about either of these issues. Yes, I think the title to the equipment should be in WCID No. 12’s name. But what difference does it really make one way or the other? A more disciplined review of KVFD’s expenditures might lead to some reductions. But the fee is only $4. What are we going to do; cut it to $3.50? To tear this community apart over these issues is something of which both sides should be ashamed.

On the issue of a full-time paid chief, I have mixed emotions. Clearly, at some point as the community grows, we need to start having some full-time paid staff. And I think we are either at that point or very close to it. However, I do not think that the first staff person should be chief. So long as most of the men and women risking their lives to fight our fires are volunteers, I think they should have the right to select their own leaders. If we are going to ask them to charge into a burning building, they should be selecting whom they are going to follow into that building.

I will not in this space attempt to enumerate my thoughts on all of the other issues, but rather conclude with this:

It is not acceptable to me, nor do I believe to the vast majority of this community, that WCID No. 12 “fire” the KVFD and start over with a “new” department. To do so, would a slap in the face of the men and women who have sacrificed so much for this community and would, in all likelihood, seriously compromise our fire protection for a protracted period of time. It is a proposition which I do not believe this community will tolerate.

On the other hand, I want to say to the members of the KVFD, that you should not abuse our loyalty to you and our gratitude and respect for your service by taking reasonable or arbitrary positions in the manner in which our fire protection effort is structured. I would encourage you to focus on the issues that really matter in the determining your ability to provide fire protection and not get hung up on legal details that, at the end of the day, will not keep one house from burning down.

This community has too many recent wounds from the elections, the annexation battle, anonymous mailers, etc. to now have another be self-inflicted over our fire protection. Both sides need set aside the hurt feelings and their pride, and concentrate on what is best of their constituents and fellow citizens.

William E. King
Mayor, City of Kemah
1411 SH 146
Kemah, Texas 77565
281-334-1611
weking@weking.net

Nearest I can tell the Fire Department lost it all.

The standoff between the Kemah Volunteer Fire Department and Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 may be coming to an end, fire department sources said.

Kemah Fire Chief John O’Neil said the department approved a contract Thursday that they believe the water board will support.

The one-year contract establishes a nine-member emergency services board that will serve as the board of directors for the fire department. The board will consist of two members from the fire department, one of which will be O’Neil, as well as two water board members and five residents from Kemah, Clear Lake Shores and Lazy Bend.

O’Neil said the emergency services board would be given the task of hiring a full-time paid fire chief, which the water district wanted and the volunteer fire department has agreed to in the new proposed contract.

The new board and the transfer of ownership might just be a positive thing. The paid Chief that is responsible to the board, is not such a great thing. The fire department is a group of volunteers, to expect them to respect and obey orders from an appointed chief that is not one of them is just too much. The Kemah Fire Department got an infusion of much apreciated money by their association with the water district.

Two axioms have been proven here.

1. No goverment money comes without strings attached
2. All goverments at all levels will attempt to seek as much power they grab.

The Fire Department and the Kemah citizens would have been better served if this could have been resolved without an appointed Chief. Accountabilty is fair enough, complete control is more than the Water District 12 deserves. The district will be well advised to remember that their Fire Department represents a very large voting block., not only themselves, but they can easily influence others.

posted by Liberty @ 9:33 AM