Firefighter skin cancer settlement discussion
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Jun 21, 2022
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Jun 21, 2022
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 6m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 96% of 47 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Madam Chairman real quick? Chair. Folks before you leave. Firefighters, hang on for a minute.
So that's
You know, Commissioner Fitzpatrick brought up the last meeting that we're going to look at this issue, and we scheduled a meeting for it. Since that time I've got more information and I'm gonna say That I think this board
Hiring our attorney to come back in together. Let's settle this thing, let's pay the man and get on with business.
Um
go ahead, County Attorney.
It's up to the board whether or not they they wish to s to direct me to to direct outside council to settle. I
I think
you've got I mean I you the problem that with this case is it is that you you're
The law really is unconstitutionally vague in terms of vi what this really is was designed to mean. Um I But if you wish to uh I mean if you wish to settle this case you can. Um I you know. When I can't when a when a lawsuit comes in, my office is bound to defend you. Um and in this case we referred it to outside counsel because it because it was a personnel labor issue.
So we normally, Commissioner Fitzpatrick, when we have a lawsuit, we go into um what's it called?
A litigation assessment meeting. A little
uh litigation assessment meeting. And I know you haven't been in one yet. But um That's normally Where we discuss lawsuits. So we have we have it coming up.
I would urge the board to listen to to what your outside can be.
So we just
we
just need to follow the process. And um
But you have a motion with a
motion and a second, but We do discuss litigation in a litigation assessment meeting and I'm not sure we want to throw that procedure out.
Madam Chair, before we answer any of this, we should um listen to outside counsel before we make a
decision. I don't have I don't have enough information. Um so
Still done.
Yes.
Would the county attorney please explain
But Commissioner Starkey, look, if if I could. This is an issue that it was explained to me in a certain way. The more information I've got with it. very clearly say That the intent of the legislative was to take care of these guys, especially One for sir for twenty years. The list that was on there was very specific. Wasn't a broad based thing where you we where you can capture it. Um I think for the will of a fireman the liability that we face, we're gonna pay all the medical bills
We are going to give them twenty five grand in addition. Is there anything more to that, Mr. County Attorney? You're already he's already an insured bills. He's insured, he's getting paid. So what are we looking at? Twenty five grand?
Uh
Commissioner
Oakley? I don't think we can discuss this now. I think we have to do it with that outside attorney before we make decisions like you're asking us to. Um it it's a very important issue and I care about every every firefighter we got and every citizen we have. And but we need to do the right thing. We need to listen to outside counsel and and be able to discuss those issues with him. So
I'm here. Yeah, I also have in base to skin cancer, I got it right there on my notes. So I un I understand. Um but we really shouldn't start breaking the precedence of discussing this. Here and not in our litigation assessment meeting. So for only for that purpose I'm gonna be voting no on that motion. But we will be discussing it.
I don't want to put anyone in the position to You are. But I want to have the discussion on it though.
But if I get an outside counsel that is is delayed because they can't get here. And just to d to to clear the matter, I just want to say what the statute says is we pay the medical bills, which we've done anyway. Is that right, Mr. County Attorney? Attorney?
That's my understanding.
I'm gonna direct the County Attorney to not discuss any litigation matters here. Nothing. Because that is not what we do.
The different scenario.
I it's a very important discussion, but we don't discuss it here for reasons. Commissioner Moore.
Well okay. Be the Mediator for a second here.
Why don't we bring this back right after the break? Each one of you take five minutes or ten minutes if you need to talk to the county attorney, make sure you understand everything what's going on. Let's bring it back to a vote at one thirty. All
right, I'm gonna
vote for that.
We'll give it that.
Okay.
That's happy media. Instead of waiting two weeks or three weeks or four weeks to talk to outside council, have a discussion with the county attorney during break. We have an hour and a half. We can all find the time to do it. One thirty, we bring it back, we vote on it then. Excellent. Thank you. Okay. Thank you.
Yeah.
So I need you to
Take back your motion. I'll withdraw the motion for now. We'll bring it back after the break.
All right. Thank you. Um