Pa. City Council Questions Fire Dept. Finances

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Nov. 10--Carnegie's council challenged members of the Carnegie Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday night over missing financial records and missed bill payments but agreed to offer the cash-strapped department more help and oversight.

Solicitor Joe Lucas outlined reasons the borough was concerned about the department, such as being told that minutes from board meetings had been destroyed in a flood seven years ago, and getting calls about phone service to the fire hall being shut off and the department missing loan payments.

"You guys do a very important job, and that's respected," Lucas said. "But council also has an obligation to the taxpayers to make sure the fire department is there, and stable."

Chief John Kandracs appeared before council to ask for help in following the mandates of a letter council sent last month demanding the fire department elect officers, hold monthly meetings where minutes are taken and hire a bookkeeper. But the discussion kept returning to the previously contentious relationship between the borough and firefighters.

"We had officers who stepped down, who walked away because of the conflicts between us and council," Kandracs said. "These guys don't feel like they're part of the borough, and that's bad for morale."

Kandracs said that past councils and studies of the department had provided separate, sometimes unclear plans for reform.

Lucas proposed that council detail in an updated ordinance the financial and administrative help the borough would provide to the fire department.

Kandracs said the department would elect officers at its December meeting and requested that council's budget for fire protection be more detailed.

"If you bring us concerns, or needs, this council hasn't said no," said council President Patrick Catena. "It seems to me we're both in agreement that we're going to step up."