Fire commissioners hire coach to help with ‘group dynamics’

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 13, 2017

EVERETT — The elected commissioners at south Snohomish County’s largest and most political fire district have hired an executive coach to help them get along.

They say the coach will prepare them as Fire District 1 pitches a merger to voters in the primary election this summer. Meeting records show they also thought the move would alleviate public relations problems from a race-related controversy in March. That’s when two commissioners were taped making insensitive comments about immigrants.

The controversy apparently has hurt the district’s efforts to find a new fire chief, records show.

That was a secondary factor in hiring a coach, board Chairman Jim McGaughey said.

Hiring is competitive for fire departments across Washington, he said. The coach will work with the commissioners on how they communicate with one another.

“We’re making an effort to show that we want to demonstrate that we can do better,” McGaughey said.

The contract with coach David Mercier of Oregon-based Kenbrio was signed May 16. He sought $4,800 in compensation, plus mileage, meals and lodging.

The contract also calls for “monitoring of group dynamics” and “illustrating gaps in logic.” It requires the district to provide Mercier note-taking and transcription.

The board’s first meeting with the coach is set for 6 p.m. Thursday and open to the public. The suggestions for next steps are expected in a couple of weeks.

The district has been working with a recruitment firm to find qualified candidates for chief. That’s common for hiring public safety executives.

The firm suggested the coaching for commissioners on April 14. The firm said it could help the board “become more functional,” records show. It cited the vacancies from retirements, the hiring competition and “negative press.” That recommendation came within weeks of the racial controversy.

“We needed some good insight as to how we could posture ourselves to look better in light of knowing there were other fire departments trying to find a chief,” McGaughey said.

The posting for the chief’s job closes June 25.

The board last hired a coach in 2013. The intent then was to learn about “proper governing” and how to work with local cities, McGaughey said. Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace all contract with District 1 for service. Over the years, the district also has courted Everett, Lynnwood and Mukilteo.

Now it needs a new leader.

Longtime chief Ed Widdis retired last year. After that, Fire District 1 and the Lynnwood Fire Department started sharing management under a contract. That included Lynnwood’s chief, Scott Cockrum. He announced his resignation in December. Since then, Brad Reading, an assistant chief with the district, has been serving as interim chief. Reading is planning to retire next year.

The candidates must be open to some uncertainty. The district is asking voters in August to approve a new government agency called a regional fire authority. The authority would merge the district and the Lynnwood Fire Department. It would levy its own taxes for fire protection and emergency medical services. The governing board would include elected leaders from District 1 and Lynnwood.

Supporters say it’s a more effective way to deploy resources across a larger area. Opponents worry about local control.

Meanwhile, fallout lingers from the racial comments. On March 7, commissioners Bob Meador and David Chan were taped during a break in a meeting talking about hiring paramedics from Mexico. The union shared a transcript with reporters on March 17. Firefighters and many others in the community interpreted the remarks as insensitive jokes about the value of immigrant labor.

Both commissioners issued public apologies, though Chan maintains his comments were misinterpreted. They also received formal reprimands on March 21.

Months later, the commissioners still are arguing about how the reprimands were handled, according to minutes. Some question the decision to hold a special meeting to discuss the reprimands instead of waiting for the next regular meeting. That would have been a few days later, long after news media from throughout Western Washington started reporting on the transcript.

As recently as May 9, Meador and Chan still say the board’s reaction to the comments should have been decided in executive session — out of view of the public. Meador and Commissioner Richard Schrock said the district should have declined comment on the matter for several days.

Others say the public agency needed to act quickly and with transparency.

Chan is up for reelection in the primary. Four people have filed to run against him. That is unusual for a fire board.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.