WEATHER
It has only been a couple months since the Key Peninsula Fire Department implemented its new five-member board of commissioners, but the switch from a three-member board is moving in a positive direction, union president Robert Bosch said.
“It makes things smoother because it dilutes the votes,” he said. “Instead of a 2-1 vote, it might be a 4-1 vote. You have more of a majority. It’s a more proactive environment.”
Bosch said he sensed that with Commissioner Allen Yanity’s assault trial coming to a close, the board members want to put the past behind them.
Yanity was found guilty earlier this month of fourth-degree assault, a gross misdemeanor, for striking fellow commissioner Jim Bosch in the head with a coffee cup during a recess at a public board meeting. The finding will allow Yanity to continue to serve on the board. He was found not guilty of second-degree felony assault, which would have resulted in his removal from the board.
“If there’s a ‘No’ vote on the board, it’s usually his,” Robert Bosch said of Yanity. “It’s been controversial with Yanity and (Jim) Bosch having valid but opposing viewpoints. But most board members are trying to keep things under control. They’re all trying to work together without being baited into arguments.”
Robert Bosch, Jim Bosch’s son, praised the two new board members, Sheila Hunt and Ruth Bramhall, for being positive forces on the board.
“Hunt has fire department experience and worked in an emergency room,” he said. “We’ve known her for many years. She’s not only a good community person, but a good advocate for the fire department.”
Bramhall is a former fire commissioner and member of the Pierce County fire commissioners.
“If there’s anything positive in the community, she’s behind it, from salmon bakes to the fire department,” Robert Bosch said. “It’s crazy how involved she is. She brings years of experience, so we don’t have someone coming in cold turkey.”
Bramhall said the commissioners have only had one meeting with all five members, so it’s hard to tell at this point how it will work out.
“I have been going to the commissioners’ meetings for the last six years as an observer, so it’s nothing really new to me,” she said. “I was in favor of having a five-member board. We didn’t have any major issues on the agenda yet, but we were able to get through without any major conflicts.
“Right now we’re in the process of going through the policies and procedures, which can be kind of tedious, but it’s something that has to get done,” she added.
The department has had to change policy by going from a three- to a five-member board, Robert Bosch said.
“I’ve dedicated my adult life to this fire department,” he said. “I understand the economics of the big picture. Nobody cares about public services until they need them, but when we need levies passed, we need them passed for a reason.”
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