South Connellsville ‘resolves’ dispute with fire company
After a tense week, South Connellsville Borough has come to an agreement with South Connellsville Volunteer Fire Company, releasing a joint statement announcing the resolution on Friday afternoon.
The South Connellsville Borough Council had voted unanimously to change the borough’s official first responder designation to Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Company after a communication breakdown and allegations of mismanagement at the local fire company.
According to Mayor Chris Wiltrout, relations grew increasingly strained over recent years as fire company attendance at council meetings declined, leading to a lack of effective communication with company leadership.
This, in combination with local rumors of alleged financial impropriety, led the council to request a range of documents from the company earlier this year in an effort to increase transparency.
When the fire company did not produce the documents quickly enough, the council voted to remove their official designation during a Monday night meeting.
Wiltrout formally vetoed the designation revocation on Tuesday, saying that the council should take more time to cooperate with the fire company to come to an understanding.
Wiltrout said he felt it was wrong to withdraw the designation for a fire company that has a 100-plus year track record of service to the borough.
According to Wiltrout, fire Chief Jeremy Grubbs worked proactively to produce the required information and comply with the council, even personally delivering the documents to Wiltrout’s home.
Following a productive meeting on Thursday night, the two entities released a joint statement the following day saying that “the issues between our organizations have been resolved. Through open communication and cooperation, we have reached a mutual understanding that allows us to move forward in a positive direction.”
According to the statement, both the borough and the fire company share the same goal of serving and protecting our community.
“With that in mind, we are committed to working together collaboratively, maintaining clear communication, and supporting one another to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents,” read the statement. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of the community during this time and look forward to a renewed partnership focused on providing the best possible service to those we serve.”
Grubbs thanked the community for its continued support after the Thursday night meeting, saying that “we pretty much cleared the air with the bad rumors and answered every question the council had for us.”
“As chief of South Connellsville fire (company), I am glad we are working together on this issue and hopefully moving forward from here on,” he said in the statement.