Despite no money to pay its 14 firefighters later this week, the volunteer board of directors for the Coventry Fire District voted 3-to-2 Monday not to discuss layoffs.
The meeting, however, contained other contentious debates and several outbursts about who is making decisions, and why, for the cash-strapped district — which provides fire and emergency services to about 9,000 town residents.
The majority in the audience at Club Jogues were firefighters and their supporters. They filed in well before the meeting's start, and almost immediately there was back and forth about the firetrucks in the parking lot. Chairman Frank Palin wanted them returned to the station because they were "intimidating."
"What are you afraid of?" member John D'Onofrio asked Palin.
Said Palin, "Are you going to drive the trucks back after they are laid off?"
Answered D'Onofrio, "Are you going to resign if they aren't laid off?"
D'Onofrio voted with members John Cook and Sam Rachiele shortly thereafter to take the discussion of layoffs off that night's agenda. Palin and Brenda Raposo voted against it.
The district has $24,000 in cash available, and the payroll on Friday will cost about $50,000. In June, residents denied a supplemental tax increase of $600,000 to keep the district afloat temporarily.
"We're not dead in the water," said D'Onofrio, noting options such as collective bargaining concessions with the local fire union. Union President David Gorman said he would not negotiate in public, but accused Palin of "grandstanding" and not wanting to talk.