Judge tells Sunrise Beach Fire Board to Work it out

An ongoing inability of the two sitting board members of Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District, to reach a compromise, landed them in court. The board has been deadlocked on filling a vacant seat and a time to meet for several months, and without both board members in attendance, no official business can be conducted. On Thursday, Judge Hayden dismissed the court case, saying that because the Fire Chief signed the petition, there was no order from the board as a quorum authorizing such action and that the board should work it out. According to the Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District, after the ruling by the judge, Board Member Hemen insisted the Board meeting times be changed to 7:00 pm, but Board Member Dill refused. Regional Radio News spoke with Chief LaPlant about how the lack of action by the board has impacted the 2021 budget. He said for now he has to go by the 2020 budget….

Chief LaPlant stated that the Board Meetings could continue at 5:30 pm until April when the new members were sworn in and then the new Board could decide on a meeting time change.