Hartshorne fire chief relieved of duty
Election records show that
Two items related to Mass are listed on the
Item F. on the Monday meeting agenda calls for the city council to "Consider and act upon removing and/or replacing
The next item, which is Item G., calls for "Council discussion and action to enter into executive session ... for due process hearing for
Mass noted that the agenda lists the item calling action for his removal prior to the entry regarding a due process hearing.
"They 'hang' me -- and then I get to try to talk to them," Mass said.
"I've been there for 27 years," said Mass, who like Cline, is a
Mass said he was paid
He said he was also recently dismissed as the city's civil defense or emergency management director. The city has now hired
While Mass served as the city's civil defense director as an unpaid volunteer, the city will now pay
Mass said he did not receive the letter dismissing him from the chief's position and as a fireman until
Cline, meanwhile, confirmed that she sent Mass the letter. Asked for her reasons, Cline said "It's been a series of events."
"I am authorized to perform the duties of mayor" when the mayor is away, she said.
Asked if she conferred with Mace, who was out of town before sending Mass the letter of dismissal from the fire chief's post, Cline said "Really and truly, I don't want to answer that question without talking to him (Mace)." She said she did not make the decision on her own. Asked who made the decision with her, Cline declined to answer.
Asked if she had any reservations about dismissing someone with 27 years of service to the city when she's only been on the city council for a little more than four months, Cline said "Absolutely not."
"I stand by my decision," she said. "What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong. People can take that any way they want."
Mass disputed any claims that he was uncooperative while serving the city of
While he stressed he was not taking the credit himself and he cited the contributions of the city's firefighters, he said the city of
"It's not just me, it's all our dedicated firemen," he said. "Our (ISO) rating was an eight. Now it's a five."
He noted the amount of effort it takes to get an ISO rating lowered.
"You don't do that by being uncooperative," he said.
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