In an odd turn of events, Sandisfield residents voted overwhelmingly at a Special Town Meeting November 21 to buy their own firehouse.

Sandisfield Town Clerk Douglas Miner counts votes.
Photo: Jane Kaufman, The Berkshire Eagle.

A New Chapter for Town Fire Department

SANDISFIELD - Voters in Sandisfield endorsed plans to buy one of the town's two fire stations and backed a plan launched by the new fire chief to staff that station.

The meeting held last week was seen as a referendum for Fire Chief Michael Grillo, a lightning rod who has been both vilified and praised, depending on the speaker. He called it a new chapter.

"I think that it's overwhelming support for the Fire Department," Grillo said. "I think tonight is really a defining moment. The people in town trust the fire department and they finally want to be done with this." . . . .

A record number of voters and onlookers packed the town's Department of Public Works garage for the town meeting with just eight articles that lasted close to two hours.

Holding the meeting in the DPW garage rather than at the larger of the town's fire stations was emblematic of the friction between the town and the Sandisfield Fire Department Inc. (SFDI), the nonprofit that was established to support the functions of the town's fire department.

The town severed ties with the nonprofit in the summer after Grillo accused SFDI of attempting to undermine him and the town's fire department. His release and dissemination of an audio recording obtained from a "butt dial" have led to lawsuits.

The biggest ticket item on Friday's warrant was a transfer of $560,000 from free cash to acquire Sandisfield Fire Station 2 at 207 Sandisfield Road by gift, purchase, eminent domain, "or otherwise."

Under the current lease, the town doesn't have full access to the building and negotiations have not gone favorably for the town.

Town Clerk Douglas Miner spoke as an individual in favor of the funds requested to staff the station 200 hours a week. He is the only unpaid volunteer on the fire department and is pursuing firefighter 1 certification. Miner said he was shocked that other volunteers left the department after Grillo was named chief. . . . . He praised the work of the firefighters. "I just want everybody to know, in case you're doubting it, the people you have right now protecting the town are incredible, and regardless of what happens, most of them are not going anywhere," he said.

While the article to staff the station for 200 hours passed by majority, two others, which would have bolstered staffing with additional hours, were rejected or tabled.

Melissa Bye spoke in favor of spending money to purchase the fire station even though she said she and her husband, Jeff, voted in May to oppose an article that would have allowed the town to spend up to $750,000 for both fire stations. At that meeting, voters approved acquisition by gift only. . . . . Things have changed, she said, praising Grillo's work and knowledge. . . . .

The vote to purchase the fire station required a two-thirds majority and passed 116-36 by hand count.

Daniel Andrus, who served as interim fire chief prior to the hiring of Grillo and is president of Sandisfield Fire Department Inc., said he felt the town meeting went poorly. "It's not like we're looking for money," Andrus said. "We want to correct the problems. We don't feel comfortable giving over the firehouse to the madness they have going on."

Select Board member John Field said the vote means the town will be "outside the grip" of the nonprofit "who is undermining public safety." "I think it's a good day for Sandisfield," he said.

Heard at the Next Select Board Meeting

Following a working session with DPW Superintendent Derek Boomsma on November 24, the Select Boar held its first regular meeting after the Special Town Meeting. It was the first time the Selectmen had an opportunity to discuss the outcome of the STM.

Chairman Steve Seddon said that the STM "was a true residential meeting. Everybody seemed to speak their mind. There was overwhelming support for buying the fire station under eminent domain."

He added that the sum voted on was an "outside limit" and that other estimates will be made before the Town settles on the value of the property. The board expects the other estimates to be somewhat lower due to building code issues..

Board Member John Field, who serves as the board's representative in negotiations with SFDI, reported on a meeting he had held with SFDI president Dan Andruss. Field said, "I'd get better results banging my head on the door." It was pointed out that SFDI was asked at the Special Town Meeting what it would do with the proceeds should the property be transferred by eminent domain and that no one from SFDI had stood up to give any answers. Field said, "I asked Dan that question and he told me they didn't want the money. That was about the end of the meeting."

Chairman Sedden pointed out that eminent domain is a taking of property for the greater good of the community. "It can't be used to take someone's property, for example, without good reason and without a vote by the community."

He added, "We must never allow another charity to gain that much control over a Town entity. The volunteers act like Chief Grillo is the problem, and that we've imposed chiefs on them. They forget that they previously elected Henry Fristik as chief, and he resigned with the belief that SFDI members were working to undermine him."

One of the half dozen residents at the Select Board meeting, Barbara Cormier, summed up the feelings of most people in the room. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about the fire department. We have to get past this."

Before the meeting moved on to other Town business, Fire Chief Mike Grillo told the Select Board, "On behalf of the fire department, thank you. You guys have taken it on the chin since before I've been here. You never gave up. A lot of people are proud of you."