A feud over the ownership of the Alna firehouse escalated to explosive proportions this week with one selectman’s letter circulated among residents, followed by an opposing letter signed by six former and one incumbent selectmen.
The competing letters reached the populace this week fanning more flames of animosity between Second Selectman Tom Smith and members of the Alna Volunteer Fire Dept. The course of events could lead to a possible donnybrook at the July 15 special town meeting called to address the issue.
This week several roadside signs appeared in Alna asking for Smith’s impeachment and calling him a “liar.” The signs indicate the growing division in Alna that has seemingly intensified by the day.
Recent events follow several fiery selectmen’s meetings on the issue while construction has begun on the addition and refurbishing of the existing firehouse structure, for which voters approved a loan at the annual March town meeting.
Smith sent his letter with a letterhead that appears to be town stationery complete with the town seal. According to First Selectman Billie Willard, who supports town ownership of the firehouse property, Smith’s letter is not on authentic town stationary.
On Tuesday, Smith said he used his own template when writing to his constituents about other things as well and until Monday night there was no policy on the use of the town seal.
The board, however, voted at its regular meeting Monday to make it a policy not to use the town seal for personal purposes, although selectmen may use the town office address for correspondence.
Willard said it makes it look like Smith speaks for the whole board, which is not true. Even though Willard admitted she goes along with the town ownership of the property, she feels as if she is in the middle with selectman and fire department member David Seigars on the other end of the spectrum in the quarrel.
Smith said Tuesday he did not intend to make it look as if he were speaking for the whole board and purposely did not use the names of other selectmen on the letterhead.
“I don’t want to engage in a personal thing,” he said as his response to the signs. “The focus should be on what’s best for Alna.”
Willard said this week she intends to take a copy of a town ledger entry dated 1950 for a $300 payment made to the fire department for the land, which at that time had no structure on it.
In his letter, Smith urges voters to oppose the fire department’s petitioned articles favoring ownership of the property and if not, at least lease it on the department’s terms.
“The fire department leadership has articles on the town warrant that, if passed, leave Alna residents out in the cold with the bill,” he said.
Smith argues a ‘no’ vote on both articles would stop taxes from rising, retain town control of the property, fire protection, and expenses, and keep Alna from getting sued.
Amid rumors of fire department talk of quitting if the town follows Smith’s lead, six former selectmen, including Chris Cooper, who may be moderator of the July 15 meeting, and Seigars signed a joint statement refuting Smith and urging voters to support the fire department.
Other signers include David Abbott, Doug Baston, Butch Brown, Jim Bruce, and Les Fossel.
“During our times in office, we all assumed the Alna Volunteer Fire Department (AFVD) legally owned the fire station,” they said. “When the station was built 25 years ago, a search of the land records confirmed their ownership.”
The letter emphatically states, “The town citizens have not voted to legally accept the property and residents have not had a voice in the selectmen’s actions.”
The former selectmen and Seigars said they believe selectmen as elected officials must administer the will of the people and not act on their own.
“Selectmen are the agents of the citizens – not independent executives,” they said.
On the other side of the picture, in his letter, Smith stated that at the March 20 town meeting, the fire department assured selectmen the firehouse would be a combined-use facility for town cultural, administrative, and emergency needs.
“A few weeks later, they changed their tune, telling us the town may only use it for certain things and only with their permission,” Smith said.
Smith mentioned in the letter his father was a firefighter. “He taught me fire fighting is about serving the community, not taking from it,” he said. “It is improper for fire department leadership to mislead Alna residents, claim that Alna residents cannot be trusted, and attempt to take property and control away from those who pay their way.”
If the fire department wants a private facility, then it ought to raise money to pay fair market value and take over maintenance cost, he said.
Such comments obviously raised the ire of the signers of the rebuttal letter circulated throughout town causing them to present their side of the story.
Addressing the recent action of one or two selectmen to re-record a deed they found, the signers said, “Their actions have been undemocratic – and they have been costly. Their consultations with the town lawyer on this issue have cost us over $10,000.
The seven selectmen listed various things they referred to as facts, such as the meeting room in the firehouse having been built specifically for town use. The AVFD has said they would be willing to sign an agreement with the town for continued use for that purpose and “allow all Alna residents to use the facility forever.”
Contrary to Smith’s claims about taxes, they said, “The AVFD helps keep property taxes down by raising money through donations and grants to support emergency services.”
They said over the past 10 years, the department raised over $117,000 through such efforts.
“The AVFD is an incorporated, non-profit public organization whose purpose is limited to protecting Alna residents and their property. Legally it can do nothing else,” they said. “The selectmen appoint the fire chief. If the AFVD folds, all of its assets, including its land and buildings, go to the town.”
The AVFD urges a ‘yes’ vote at the special town meeting this Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Alna Meetinghouse to keep what it believes it owns anyway, and continue the same use practices as in the past.
Smith, on the other hand, recommended a ‘no’ vote on both fire department articles but a ‘yes’ vote on a third alternative he contended ends the controversy fairly.
The possibility exists all three articles could be turned down, leaving the town in a soup that could boil over without an immediate resolution in sight.
