Station 41 captain Anthony Perry, on behalf of the nearly two dozen firefighters standing behind him, sent the board a message regarding the labor negotiations at the March 19 meeting of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District.
"We're not here to impede your meeting," said Perry, one of the district's Local 1230 representatives. "We've had some positive things occur and it's clear evidence that both sides are working hard on a solution. We hope that an agreement can be reached soon." The district declared an impasse in the negotiations in January, but one month later accepted the union's request to enter into mediation. Vince Wells, the union president, had publicly expressed his gratitude and the presence of the rank and file seemed to endorse his position. The firefighters stayed until the end of the meeting and contributed during public discussion of the main agenda item.
Real estate developer City Ventures, Inc., has proposed a 36-unit townhome project to the Town of Moraga, to be constructed on a site adjacent to MOFD station 41. Fire chief Stephen Healy presented the latest update on the project: that the developer agreed to construct a sound wall along the property line shared with the district in an attempt to minimize noise for the residents.
The first to object was director Fred Weil. He lambasted the idea that the sound wall will provide noise protection. He predicted that the development's proposed hiking trail will impede the ability of the district to reconstruct station 41. And he demanded that residents be warned of the fact that fire service training will be going on at all hours on MOFD property. "The fire district was there first," he said. "I will not agree to further degrade that site. It's the wrong place to put (the development), and I would like the board to tell the council that it's the wrong place to put it."
Director Kathleen Famulener offered that constructing a children's playground adjacent to the district's training facility was a terrible idea. "We need to fight now to have it built on the other end of the development," she said. "The first 3-year-old who cries because he's afraid of the chain saw noise, we're going to lose."
"We could no longer flow water during our training," added Perry. "Since water can shoot several hundred feet, we would no longer be able to use our hoses by the playground."
All of these objections can be stated in the covenants, conditions and restrictions of the homeowners' association, said director Steve Anderson: "There's a fire station next to you, and there's going to be a lot of smoke and a lot of noise." Board president John Wyro agreed that the compatibility issues need to be addressed, and the board authorized Healy to present the district's concerns to the Moraga Planning Commission in late April.
"We're not here to impede your meeting," said Perry, one of the district's Local 1230 representatives. "We've had some positive things occur and it's clear evidence that both sides are working hard on a solution. We hope that an agreement can be reached soon." The district declared an impasse in the negotiations in January, but one month later accepted the union's request to enter into mediation. Vince Wells, the union president, had publicly expressed his gratitude and the presence of the rank and file seemed to endorse his position. The firefighters stayed until the end of the meeting and contributed during public discussion of the main agenda item.
Real estate developer City Ventures, Inc., has proposed a 36-unit townhome project to the Town of Moraga, to be constructed on a site adjacent to MOFD station 41. Fire chief Stephen Healy presented the latest update on the project: that the developer agreed to construct a sound wall along the property line shared with the district in an attempt to minimize noise for the residents.
The first to object was director Fred Weil. He lambasted the idea that the sound wall will provide noise protection. He predicted that the development's proposed hiking trail will impede the ability of the district to reconstruct station 41. And he demanded that residents be warned of the fact that fire service training will be going on at all hours on MOFD property. "The fire district was there first," he said. "I will not agree to further degrade that site. It's the wrong place to put (the development), and I would like the board to tell the council that it's the wrong place to put it."
Director Kathleen Famulener offered that constructing a children's playground adjacent to the district's training facility was a terrible idea. "We need to fight now to have it built on the other end of the development," she said. "The first 3-year-old who cries because he's afraid of the chain saw noise, we're going to lose."
"We could no longer flow water during our training," added Perry. "Since water can shoot several hundred feet, we would no longer be able to use our hoses by the playground."
All of these objections can be stated in the covenants, conditions and restrictions of the homeowners' association, said director Steve Anderson: "There's a fire station next to you, and there's going to be a lot of smoke and a lot of noise." Board president John Wyro agreed that the compatibility issues need to be addressed, and the board authorized Healy to present the district's concerns to the Moraga Planning Commission in late April.
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA