Genesee Fire Protection District

Board of Directors’ Special Meeting

May 1, 2025

Call to Order 10:07

Scott Mefford 

Attendance

S Mefford, P Harris, S Eagle (by Zoom), N Frame, Max Herte, Grant Chayet (by Zoom), Attorney representative No Absences

Approval of the April 16, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes

• Motion made, seconded and unanimously approved
• Motion to move into Pension Board meeting 10:15
• February 19,2025 Minutes- Motion to approve, seconded and unanimously approved
• Motion to leave Pension Board meeting and return to GFPD Board Meeting 10:20

Resume GFPD Board Meeting

*NOTE*- As the terminal meeting for this sitting GFPD Board, this is to close pending business and approve outstanding minutes prior to a new Board. Minutes of this meeting will be approved by email vote of the current Board after this meeting closes.

Old Business

• Chief Contract - S Mefford
  • Upon the recommendation of our attorney, the Board moved to executive session to discuss this personnel matter
• Motion to move into Executive Session 10:25
  • Executive session discussion addressed the contract our legal counsel had prepared regarding an employment agreement between the Board and Chief Boyles. 
• Motion to return to General Board Meeting 10:36
  • Upon returning to open session, the Board was presented with the employment agreement with Chief Boyles. A motion was made and seconded, and the board voted unanimously to approve the contract. The board agreed counsel would prepare a copy of the document for signatures, and Chairman Mefford would sign on behalf of the Board when received.

New Business

• Contacts from Genesee Foundation Counsel Scott Albertson
  • The Genesee Foundation engaged their attorney to contact the GFPD attorney directly to inquire into the source of an election flyer being circulated in the District. The GF demanded various assurances that the document was not prepared or funded by GFPD in conflict with the prohibition preventing GFPD from taking any position in the upcoming election. GFPD was contacted by our counsel after receiving the document from the Foundations attorney. The GFPD Board has been very careful to comply with all election regulations, and did not in any way fund or take a position in regard to the brochure. The brochure appears to have been independently prepared, funded, and circulated by firefighters acting within their rights as independent electors within the fire District, and not on behalf of the District. Our counsel advised us this was perfectly allowable and we were not in violation of any of the election regulations. Our attorney subsequently prepared a response for the Foundation attorney and no more has been heard on the matter.
  • It was unfortunate the Foundation chose to have their attorney approach our attorney directly and not approach our board. In doing so, GFPD is incurring legal expenses, we did not anticipate. As such, the incoming Board for GFPD should expect a bill for attorney services with this engagement. It was not planned or budgeted and no amount has been discussed. The bill will have to be handled by the incoming GFPD Board, once seated.

Meeting Adjournment

• Motion made, seconded and approved to adjourn. 10:47 AM