1 day Ago By Alex Husting [email protected]
Around one year since an anonymous document detailing various allegations against the Smiths Station Fire Protection District was published online, the SSFPD Board of Directors has effectively closed the accountability committee that was formed in response. On Sept. 9, the SSFPD Board of Directors voted 3-0 to close the resolution that created the accountability committee as the district continues to move forward and implement changes.
SSFPD Board of Directors Vice Chairman Shane Blankenship was not present at the meeting. SSFPD Fire Chief Blake Green said in his latest meeting with the committee that they were mostly satisfied with the changes the district has enacted and their biggest concern was the fire fees. "Everything else to to their opinion was, it was resolved through the audit.
It's been resolved through the resolutions. It's been resolved through the open meetings, the unlocking the door," Green said. "The changes that the department has made—the district has made—since September of last year.
They've seen enough of a change that they didn't feel like it warranted them going back over the financials that the accountant just went over, recommending changes to the board, that kind of thing." The accountability committee was started after the publishing of a 22-page document that levied several accusations against the SSFPD, particularly regarding the use of public funds. The document was posted online anonymously on Sept.
2, 2023, and it cited several complaints and allegations against SSFPD leadership and government officials and said the allegations came from "Smiths Station Fire Protection District (SSFPD) coverage area taxpayers, homeowners, residents, current and past SSFPD firefighters, and SSFPD Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel." On Sept. 5, 2023, former SSFPD Fire Chief Joe Walden resigned from his position with the district.
His wife Susan Walden, who was the board's secretary, resigned as well. The accusations in the document were spread across 15 issues, and they include allegations of improper financial accountability standards, an intent to commit fraud, financial misconduct, ethical misconduct, unauthorized use of government property, disregarding the Alabama Open Meetings Act, toxic leadership, favoritism, nepotism and using positions for personal gain. Following that, the SSFPD Board of Directors saw significant changes with Walter Cox taking over as chairman and Blankenship, Scott Flowers and Aric Andrade all being appointed to the board.
The board also established the accountability committee, which is made up of Randy Mauldin, Jacob Geiger and Joe Crawford. The board also brought in CPA abd business advisory firm Machen McChesney to perform an audit of the SSFPD, which was presented with nine recommendations in June. None of the members of the accountability committee were present during the Sept.
9 meeting and Green summarized the committee's most recent meeting, which was on Aug. 8. Green said in that, the main thing that came up was the fire fee rates.
Green said the SSFPD's rates are the lowest among the fire protection districts in this area, and he said they're not going to raise the rates for the next two years. When the rates are raised, he said they plan to over communicate it to people that will be affected. He also said the members of the accountability committee expressed interest in remaining involved with the SSFPD, through something like an advisory board.
Green said while he could not officially create that, he would support it. "I do believe that they have some good insight and could help us communicate changes in the future," Green said. "So there could be some benefits to having some type of working committee like that in the future.
" No action was taken by the SSFPD Board of Directors on that, though there was an indication that they would discuss it more in the future. On closing the resolution that formally created the committee, Cox said it felt like the right move. "I don't think it requires an official closing, but it was such a big deal a year ago," Cox said.
"I think that we should...
my opinion would be that we should have a resolution that actually closes that out." During the meeting, the board also approved the 2025 fiscal year budget. The board also approved entering an agreement for Dr.
Samantha Lawson to serve as the SSFPD's new medical director. They also tabled further action on repairs to Station 5. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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