Subcontractors need to be paid

I am writing to express my disappointment in Snohomish County Fire District 1 and its commissioners in the way that they have handled Station 18 in Brier!

They know that in November water problems arose and the teams on the ground dealt with it. The contractors/subcontractors and truckers did what they were hired to do; we hauled off some of the wettest material of the season. The hired trucks loaded up this soup-like material and took it away.

Maybe the fire district’s irresponsible overpayment of this property ($1.07 million) has made them think of ways to cut costs. It is my belief that the contractors/subcontractors and the trucks are the collateral damage of the commissioners’ bad choice in purchasing the Brier site. It was Fire District 1’s decision to keep moving the trucks and machines to get the material out of there, which in turn makes it the district’s responsibility to pay the invoices accrued. They hired their design team to make decisions for them and they did: keep trucking! Nonpayment from a fire district for work done is unethical.

Fire District 1’s Web site says “It’s really no surprise we are passionate about what we do. Most organizations strive for performance to maximize profits. But we do it for a more compelling reason. You.” Yet, they do the opposite!

Interested in how your tax dollars are being used? Fire District 1 meetings are at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of every month at the administration office in Everett.

Amy Hammer

Marysville