The district’s board fired its chief last year over allegations of the improper use of grant funds and budget shortfalls.
The district then faced staff resignations, concerns about the board’s transparency and an investigation into board members by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, which recently concluded with letters of education to the four members involved.
Now, the new board says it’s moving forward.
Carrie Giroux was recently sworn in with other members.
"We're making progress, whereas before, there were some issues that were happening that were not good for the department," Giroux said. "Since then, we've just been cleaning up a lot of messes,” including maintenance on vehicles and helmets.
Giroux was first appointed to the board last fall after another member resigned. She said her goals as a board member are "to help the community and be a concerned citizen."
Two of the people recently sworn in are new to the board, while two others previously served.
Board member Mike DuBois declined to comment for this story. Members Cindy Ballard and Sarah Herbert did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Board Chair Dan Hudson said he's planning a workshop on operating procedures.
"It's just us talking amongst ourselves about things we don't do because those are the things we did before, and you can't do that, and then how we go about running meetings and things like that," he said. "It's just to get the newest people up to date, so they feel more comfortable coming in and jumping in [with] both feet."
Of the four people investigated by the ethics commission, Hudson is the only one still serving on the board.
He said that this term, he plans to apply for grant funding to build a new fire station.
"We're moving forward and hopefully a lot more successful," he said.
The board’s next meeting is on Aug. 21.
