The Lonsdale Fire board has reached a settlement with former employees of the district, breathing new life into the possibility that state legislation can move forward to allow Lonsdale to surrender its charter to Saylesville, pending voter approval.
Though paperwork was still being finalized as of press time, Michael Babbitt, (pictured), of the Lonsdale Fire committee confirmed a settlement was reached between the district and its firefighters. Babbitt could not provide agreement details, including how much each firefighter is to be paid under settlement terms.
Babbitt explained that the litigation involved the Federal Labor Standards Act, after former Lonsdale firefighters filed a lawsuit alleging they hadn’t been compensated properly for overtime pay, and that the Lonsdale Fire District willingly violated the act.