by Ralph Nichols

With the future of fire protection service in North Highline possibly in the balance, two major personnel actions by Fire District 11 commissioners, expected to be announced at a special meeting on Monday (Dec. 21), could even the scales.

The commissioners are believed to be negotiating a buyout of North Highline Fire Chief Scott Lavielle’s contract, and a layoff package for Sharon Alishokis, a long-time department secretary.

Fire District 11 commissioners are not at liberty to discuss the anticipated moves publicly because they involve personnel decisions.

But following a lengthy executive session at their Dec. 10 board meeting, called just after it was convened, commission Chairman Ron Malaspino announced that “two personnel actions are pending … that’s where we’re going to leave it for now.”

North Highline Fire Chief Scott Lavielle

Because of the Christmas holiday, the meeting, which normally would be held Tuesday, has been moved forward one day – it will be held Monday, Dec. 21 at 8 a.m. at the North Highline Fire Department headquarters station at 1234 SW 112th St.

Both Dave Malo, president of IAFF (International Association of Firefighters) Local 3780, representing North Highline fire chiefs, and Jeff Miller, vice president of IAFF Local 1810, representing the firefighters, said at the time it was likely that commission deliberations related to a union proposal to improve the fire district’s shaky financial posture.

“We’ll know more at the Dec. 21 meeting,” Miller said.

Malo and Miller said Fire District 11’s budget crisis is a result of the recession, which has caused assessed property values to decline, coupled with the loss of about $350,000 in 2010 after Burien annexes the southern part of the North Highline unincorporated area.

Combined, these factors are expected to result in a drop of about $1.15 million in fire district revenue, which comes only from property taxes.

Earlier this year, negotiators for the two locals presented a balanced budget proposal, including concessions in their wage and benefit package, “that would prevent any cuts in public service” in 2010, Malo said.

“They ignored our proposed budget,” which included the layoffs of LaVielle and Alishokis, Miller said, and also didn’t respond to a second proposal. The commissioners now have before them a third union proposal.

“They have no plan. They have no budget. And now we’re closing in on the end of December and they still have none.” State law requires that local government and special service district budgets for the following year be adopted by Dec. 31.

Commission Chairman Ron Malaspino

Talks between Fire District 2 (Burien/Normandy Park) and Fire District 11 also are underway, and could result in administrative and fire chief services for both departments being assumed by Burien/Normandy Park.

This, said Malo and Miller, would result in significant financial savings – perhaps as much as $1.5 million a year – for the North Highline Fire Department. That would allow the department to continue providing its current level of service, including responding to calls in north Burien.

“If not, it will be impossible to continue to do business as usual,” Miller added. “We see no option [in that event] but to cut public services.”

Dave Lawson, a former North Highline fire commissioner, told The B-Town Blog, “I’ve looked at the financial situation [in Fire District 11] and if they don’t cut the fire chief immediately and the secretary for training … they won’t survive 2010.”

The current board of commissioners has provided “no financial leadership,” said Lawson, who is chief financial officer of South King Fire & Rescue in Des Moines and Federal Way.

An unsuccessful applicant to replace the late Barb Peters on the board following her death last month, he estimated that without these layoffs, Fire District 11 won’t have in the bank the $1 million it will need to pay bills in the first quarter of 2011.

Should Fire District 11 go into next year without having improved its financial situation, there is speculation that Fire District 2 might withdraw from the current negotiations to assume some services for both departments.

Since 2007, The B-Town Blog is Burien’s multiple award-winning hyperlocal news/events website dedicated to independent journalism.

4 replies on “Major Personnel Changes Could Alter North Highline Fire Department”

  1. Nice article, however why on EARTH didn’t you mention the fact that the commissioners of North Highline approved an outrageously high salary for Chief Scott LaVielle???

    Folks, this guy is making close to $200,000 a year w/benefits!!!!

    Yes, decreased property valuation is partly to blame, but so is the extreme financial mismanagement on the part of the commissioners and their bone-headed decision to give Scott LaVielle a salary in which he is one of the highest paid public officials in the entire state! And he’s only managing a two station fire district! He makes more money that most executive level department heads in all of the state!

    C’mon B-Town blog, take the soft gloves off!!!

  2. An answer to Concerned Firefighter’s question is in order:

    I have heard 3 or 4 specific figures represented as Chief Scott Lavielle’s salary. And, yes, all are in the $180,000 to $200,000+ range. But when writing this story on Friday evening for posting in advance of Monday’s meeting, I discovered that I lacked the actual figure.

    Rather than stating as fact a figure that proved to be even marginally in error, and thus make it possible for some to cast doubt on the credibility of the overall reporting, I hope readers will infer that his salary is definitely well above what most district taxpayers consider to be competitive or otherwise reasonable – that inference made possible by my observation that eliminating his salary will go a long way toward helping the district make up its revenue deficit.

    There will be a follow-up, that story based on Monday’s NHFD commission meeting, and my plan since Friday evening has been and is to include Chief LaVielle’s salary in it.

    Thank you, in the meantime, for your comments.

  3. I think the chiefs 180,000.00 is rediculous. The fire commissioners should be called to task for their buddy buddy relationship with the chief. When Barb Peters was fire commissioner she fought against this outragious salary but was voted down by the other commissioners.

  4. This has been a long time coming; the fire chief and commissioners have stolen the public funds from white center and now the citizens will suffer from lack of fire and life safety protection. Don’t forget the $300,000 wage the commissioners gave to ex chief Pritchard on his way out the door. The citizens have been in the dark for some time. I’m glad this is getting taken care of finally.

    Don’t expect Burien fire to take over this mess. It would make no sense for the problems caused by a moron chief and commissioners to become Burien’s problem. It’s unfortunate the citizens of North Highline will suffer from decreased staffing caused by layoffs. Let’s be real, this financial mess has been coming for many years.

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