The complaints date back to two meetings last summer in the rural district, east of Chiloquin.
A preliminary review by an OGEC investigator found four board members may have violated state law by holding a meeting outside the boundaries of their district and by not providing adequate notice of two meetings. One meeting notice also failed to specify where it would be held.
The review also says it appears the Board failed to properly convene executive sessions, among other things.
"Since no one from the public had attended a Board meeting in over 2 years, it was determined that the general public was not interested in attending meetings," District Counsel Michael Spencer wrote, according to the preliminary review.
However, the OGEC investigator wrote, “There is no provision in the Public Meetings Law that allows a governing body to skip providing notice to the public simply because they conclude the public is not interested in attending their meetings.”
Board Chair Dan Hudson did not respond to requests for comment. Board member Dennis Woorden also declined to comment. Board member Cameron Duncan declined to comment until OGEC completes its investigation. A voicemail left at a number listed for board member Allison Dob was not returned. A voicemail and email to her attorney Michael Spencer were also not returned.
"We are attempting to do our best as a [B]oard with some very tough decisions in a very short time," Worden wrote in response, according to the review. "I would be greatly surprised if we did not make errors on the way. I and the other [B]oard [M]embers are attempting to do the best we can and learning as we go. It seems a community that could care less about the operation of the fire [District] in the past are now all experts on fire management and [B]oard procedures.”
These complaints are currently being investigated, and the Commission hasn’t found that any violations occurred.
The complaints were brought by Christine Friend, the former chief of the district, who was fired last August due to budget shortfalls and what the board called inappropriate use of grant funds.
The review also says it appears the Board may have violated state law by engaging in "private serial electronic communications."
"In these emails it appears a quorum of the Board was deliberating or making a decision regarding Fire Chief Christine Friend. Because the electronic communication involved a quorum of the Board and concerned a decision or deliberation, that communication constituted a meeting subject to the Public Meetings Law," the review reads.
Some district residents had previously raised concerns about a lack of transparency from the board.
If the parties don’t settle, the case will be brought back before the Commission later this year. If the Commission finds that a violation occurred, civil penalties, like fines, could be imposed.
