2A • January 1, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Fire district minutes delivered after records request
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
Meeting minutes from the
Cannon Beach Rural Fire
Protection District Board
shed little light on the ¿ring
of MiNe Bal]er as ¿re chief
“This is strictly business,
not personal,” Director Gar-
ry Smith said at the board’s
2ctober meeting
After reasons for the
chief’s dismissal were not
immediately released and
the board minutes were
withheld, the ¿ring resulted
in outrage from those who
felt the announcement was
“in poor taste”
After the Cannon Beach
Gazette submitted a state
public records request, all
2015 meeting minutes were
deliYered last weeN
According to the 2ct
12 meeting minutes, in an-
nouncing the dismissal of
the chief, Smith said, “There
was an expectation that (Bal-
zer) would learn the job and
improve and follow through
in working with the board as
a partner, not a manager”
Members voted 4-1 to
terminate Balzer’s employ-
ment as of that night, based
on his “lack of improved
performance for his job over
the last three years”
President Sharon Clyde
said there “has been fric-
tion” between Balzer and
¿re¿ghters
Board members Linda
Beck-Sweeney, Mark Mek-
enas, Smith and Clyde voted
for the dismissal
In voting to maintain
Balzer, board member Bob
Cerelli said “he has not seen”
any problems with Balzer
and the other ¿re¿ghters
Board members asked
Balzer to return his keys and
the ¿re district’s phone once
he retrieved information he
needed from it
The next morning, Balzer
was locked out of his of¿ce
At the board’s November
meeting, members of the
public took the board to task
for Balzer’s ¿ring
Community
member
Erik Meyer said the board
should have placed Balzer
on administrative leave for
transparency and given him
a chance “to save face”
“He has been a respected
member of this ¿re depart-
ment for more years than
any of us can remember,”
community member Alaina
Giguiere said “And, truly,
for you guys to terminate
him in the manner that you
did is disgusting and disre-
spectful and reprehensible
And I think you owe him
and all of us a complete
apology”
Smith said Balzer was
given the chance to resign
or retire The board gave
Balzer multiple opportuni-
ties and presented him with
a time frame in June, “so he
wasn’t just suddenly ousted
out of the ¿re department,”
Smith said
Assistant Chief Frank
Swedenborg was initially
appointed interim chief, but
Swedenborg, who is ready
to retire, stepped aside for an
outside interim appointee,
Jim Stearns
Stearns, of Hermiston,
spent 31 years — 20 as chief
— with Hermiston Fire and
Emergency Services
The district board is
scheduled to meet Monday,
Jan 11, at pm, 1 :
2nd Second St in Cannon
Beach
sisted Cannon Beach Fire Rescue
with medical call at the Stephanie
Inn. Patient was transported to
Providence Seaside Hospital.
4:32 p.m. 200 Block North Hem-
lock: Property found. Found key
fob on beach turned in. Owner
located and item returned to
owner.VM
CANNON BEACH POLICE LOG
Dec. 13
12:31 a.m. Wayside Tolovana:
Camping within city limits. Sub-
jects warned for unlawful lodging.
1:40 a.m. Second Street Re-
strooms: Camping within city
limits. Subjects warned for un-
lawful lodging.
1:17 p.m. 700 Block North Hem-
lock: Domestic argument deter-
mined to be civil in nature.
1:42 p.m. 1300 Block Hemlock:
Assistance rendered. Cable cord
was disconnected from a power
polie. The cable company was
contacted and a cone was placed
by the cable.
Dec. 15
12:08 a.m. Block East Jackson
St.: Assist other agency. Officers
responded to a medic alert signal
with a request for police response.
Call ultimately determined to be
medical and EMS was dispatched.
Senior Services and CBH will be
notified due to officer’s concern.
1:07 a.m. Hills Lane: Welfare
check. Report of male lying in the
grass next to the roadway. Male
was gone before arrival. Unable
to locate.
12:56 p.m. Hemlock: Welfare
check. Report of an elderly lady
wandering on Hemlock, reporting
party was unsure if she was lost.
Officers unable to locate.
Dec. 16
2:58 p.m. 100 Block East Gower:
Property found.
3:26 p.m. Silver Point, Property
found: Found wallet turned in to
police department. Returned to
owner,
Dec. 18
4:45 p.m. 200 Block N Spruce:
Property found. Found prescrip-
tion glasses.
5:20 p.m. North entrance: Mo-
tor vehicle accident. Report of
a one-vehicle collision, vehicle
rolled off roadway and down in to
ravine. Found vehicle and directed
fire department and Medix per-
sonnel to vehicle then provided
traffic control.
5:35 p.m. Highway/viewpoint:
Suspicious circumstances.Re-
ceived a report of suspicious
activity, truck parked next to
spray paint on guard rail. De-
layed response due to priority
call. Checked area, spray paint
was not new.
9:31 p.m., Highway 101 N. En-
trance: Assist other agent.Backed
up Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office
with traffic stop. Unsure why case
was given.
Dec. 17
12:48 a.m. 5000 Block Underhill
Road: Suspicious circumstances.
EMS Call- Reported heavily intoxi-
cated male with erratic breathing.
Arrived and found Clatsop County
Sheriff’s Office already on scene,
home owner advised this was be-
coming a trespass issue. Deputy
advised.
8:25 a.m., Block Beach St. Missing
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person. Report of missing person,
later located by family.
1:55 p.m., 1400 Block South
Spruce St.: Assist other agent.
Officer checked the residence,
no answer.
2:32 p.m. East Sunset Blvd Exit:
Traffic complaint. Report of septic
truck in wrong lane of traffic on
the exit towards Elk Creek Road,
near encounter with a bus, no
accident, officer unable to locate
offending vehicle.
6:23 p.m. Pacific/Hemlock. Assis-
tance rendered. Report of water
coming up from under roadway.
Checked area and found that due
to heavy rain, excessive rain water
was bubbling up from man hole
cover.
8:51 p.m. Sunset /Hemlock: Sus-
picious circumstances.
10:08 p.m. 100 Block East Gow-
er:Property found. During patrol
returned to Cannon Beach Police
Department to find a key ring
hanging on door. Returned to
owner.
Dec. 18
an employee.
Dec. 19
12:25 a.m. 500 Block Lea Way: As-
sist other agent. Assisted Seaside
Police Department and Seaside
Fire and Rescue with house fire.
2:09 p.m. 1600 Block S Spruce
St.: Assistance rendered.
Assisted citizen with entry to
residence.
2:39 a.m. 2700 Block Pacific:
Emergency medical response. As-
5:51 p.m. Ecola State Park: As-
sist other agent. Officer located
and gave a courtesy ride to a lost
citizen.
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12:58 p.m. Highway 101: Assist
other agency. Assisted Clatsop
County Sheriff’s Office on traffic
stop with warrant arrest. K9
sniff. No alert.
1:48 p.m. 900 Block South Hem-
lock
Suspicious circumstances. Offi-
cer saw open door on a business
and checked premises. It was
C h ris C h ildress
Prin cipal Brok er
D u an e Joh n son Real Estate
1-800-453-3167
ch ris@ du an ejoh n son .com
D
U A N E J O H N SO N
R E A L E ST A T E
296 N . Spru ce St. •PO Box 924
C an n on Beach , O R
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EVOLUTION
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thomas@buckinghamresources.com
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