BY ANDY TAYLOR

INDEPENDENCE — Attempts to reappointment Wilbur Schwatken, Jr., as rural fire coordinator failed to garner majority support by Montgomery County commissioners on two different occasions at Monday’s meeting of the Montgomery County Commission.

Commissioners met with members of the Montgomery County Rural Fire District #1 board of directors on Monday — just two weeks after commissioners Fred Brown and Tony Fowler chose not to reappoint Schwatken to his rural fire coordinator position for 2009. Commissioner Larry McManus presented the initial motion to reappoint Schwatken at the April 20 meeting,  and he offered the same motion (on two occasions) at Monday’s meeting. However, Fowler and Brown chose not to second McManus’ motions, thereby killing the issue.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

INDEPENDENCE — Montgomery County commissioners learned Monday that a formal grievance had been filed against them by the Montgomery County Rural Fire District #1 board of directors. The grievance stems from the recent dismissal of Wilbur Schwatken, Jr., fire district coordinator.

In speaking to the commission at its weekly meeting, Randy Haymaker, who is chief of the Dearing division of the Montgomery County Rural Fire Department, said the grievance was being filed to get answers from the commission regarding Schwatken’s dismissal. At the commission’s April 20 meeting, commissioner Larry McManus offered a motion to reappoint Schwatken as fire district coordinator. The motion failed for lack of a second by commissioners Tony Fowler or Fred Brown, thereby automatically ending Schwatken’s tenure as fire district coordinator.

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BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

The chairman of the Montgomery County Rural Fire District’s board of directors says the Montgomery County Commission ignored a recommendation from the fire board calling for the reappointment of department coordinator Wilbur Schwatken.

County commissioners on Monday chose to not reappoint Schwatken to his role of rural fire department coordinator. Commissioner Larry McManus presented a motion to reappoint Schwatken, however his motion failed to garner any further support from commissioners Tony Fowler or Fred Brown, thereby resulting in a dead motion. Therefore, Schwatken’s reappointment automatically failed.

All other department chief reappointments were approved by the commission.

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