Kings council to hear from public on Greenwich fire closure
COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance at March 1 meeting
Kings County council will wait until it hears from the public before debating motions to reconsider the closure of the Greenwich Fire Department.
Mayor Peter Muttart said the March 1 council agenda had been “substantially altered,” removing everything except for essential business.
“The purpose for that was we felt that we had a large number of people in the gallery who wanted to speak to an issue and we wanted to make room to hear everyone,” Muttart said.
Muttart said Coun. Dick Killam had given notice of a motion of reconsideration and Coun. Jim Winsor had indicated he was prepared to second it.
“The problem with taking the motion at this time would be that, if it were defeated, it would foreclose the opportunity to hear from any of the public,” Muttart said. “I would prefer if we could hear from members of the public.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, seating in the council chambers was limited and not all residents who wished to speak had an opportunity to attend. Because of this, the municipality has scheduled a special meeting for March 8
so that everyone wishing to speak would have an opportunity to do so.
Muttart said, after that, the motion could come forward. The mover and seconder, Killam and Winsor, agreed.
Killam said that he has the motions of reconsideration that he plans to make prepared. He said he had intended to make the motions at the March 1 council session but would wait until communication and collaboration with the community and fire department could happen.
Killam said he had stated publicly that he was going to make the motions, so he wanted to share them with the public, whether or not it's the decision of council to agree with the motions. Muttart said he sees no harm in Killam reading what he intends to move but pointed out that it could be “at your peril” if Killam later decides to
change the nature of the motions. Killam said it's possible that there could be amendments made but he probably wouldn't be changing them.
Killam's motions will include recommending that council rescind the agreement among the Town of Wolfville, the Greenwich Fire Commission and the County of Kings regarding the merger of the Greenwich and Wolfville fire districts.
Further, before any future potential agreement is made among the County of Kings, Town of Wolfville and the Greenwich Fire Commission, that wholesome discussions and communication and advice begin with all stakeholders from the community of Greenwich and the Greenwich Fire Department.
Killam will also move that the Greenwich Fire Department remains open with regular annual operating budgets.
“That's what I intend to bring forward later. I'm not looking for a seconder today,” Killam said on March 1.
As things currently stand, an agreement reached by the County of Kings, the Town of Wolfville and the Greenwich Fire Commission will see the closure of the Greenwich Fire Department. The agreement was formalized following a Feb. 22 in-camera meeting.
The area currently served by Greenwich will be absorbed by the Wolfville Fire Department as of April 1. A study completed by fire services consulting firm Emergency Management & Training Inc. (EM&T) recommended that the two fire districts be combined to address service duplications relating to overlaps in coverage. The Greenwich Fire Department's chief announced plans to fight the pending closure.