Lack of Transparency Among Issues Cited by Board Against Loveland, CO, Fire Rescue Chief

The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board laid out its reasons for pursuing termination of Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach in a notice of intent to terminate his employment agreement, which was obtained by the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

In the notice sent to the fire chief, the authority board stated that it believes Sendelbach failed to be transparent with the board, created division between the board and related councils or groups, and provided information that was “at best inaccurate and at worst intentionally misleading.”

Sendelbach was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 28 after a regularly scheduled board meeting where Chairman Jeff Swanty and Loveland City Manager Jim Thompson were appointed to a committee to handle a personnel issue. The board has not publicly stated its reasons for pursuing termination and refused to answer questions about what it refers to as confidential personnel matter.

Those reasons, however, were laid out in a letter sent to the chief, which is part of the process laid out in his contract. The Reporter-Herald received the notice from the board’s attorney through an open records request.

The board’s “just cause” reasons in the notice of intent to terminate included unsatisfactory work performance, violation of authority policy, insubordination or refusal to perform assignments, and a few others. For the full list of “just cause” reasons, view the notice, https://www.scribd.com/document/1002770835/LFRA-Chief-Tim-Sendelbach-Notice-of-Intent-to-Terminate-from-LFRA-Board.

Sendelbach said he didn’t want to provide the Reporter-Herald with any comment on “just cause” reasons prior to his meeting with the board, where he will be given the opportunity to discuss the board’s reasons, per his contract. The meeting initially scheduled for Tuesday was postponed and has not been rescheduled.

“In due time, I’m obviously willing to give my side of the story,” Sendelbach said. “Do I agree with the assertions made? No. Where there are areas I have responsibility, I will take full ownership … ”

Sendelbach said he is still hoping to be reinstated. Following the closed executive session between the board and Sendelbach, the board will have five days to issue its written decision, also according to his contract.

Claims of insubordination or refusal to perform work assignments

In the notice, the board claimed that Sendelbach failed to provide requested information regarding LFRA’s finances or was evasive, which it considered “insubordination or refusal to perform work assignments.”

The board further claimed that Sendelbach has not provided directors with a repeatedly requested line-item budget, and instead provided a budget with additional details but not a line-item as requested.

“ … Leaving the board to wonder where and how certain money is being spent,” the notice stated.

The board noted an instance where Sendelbach requested additional funding in 2024 to hire 13 positions, but the board claimed Sendelbach hired only seven and diverted the rest of the funds, according to the notice.

In a July 9 Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board meeting, Sendelbach provided an update on the funding, stating that although not all positions had been filled, the funding was being used on those positions in different ways.

“I’m going to tell you, I’m using some of this money to fill the seats that these positions would basically fill,” Sendelbach said during the meeting, explaining that overtime and other staff members were utilized to deal with vacancies.

In the notice, the board stated that Sendelbach diverting the funds meant to hire new staff was unacceptable and demonstrated a lack of respect for the board.

“Equally unacceptable was your failure to be forthcoming about spending the money elsewhere,” the notice stated. “Instead, the board had to raise concerns about the diversion of these finds before you addressed the matter…”

Another example the board mentioned in the notice was the Health and Wellness Center, which Sendelbach initially represented as a $650,000 cost, but the board claims it has now reached over $1 million. The board stated that Sendelbach failed to provide a good explanation for the additional costs, according to the notice, adding that its concern is that the additional expenses created by contracting an out-of-state provider, Front Line Mobile Health, negates the benefits.

LFRA celebrates new wellness center, burn building

Similar services provided by the Health and Wellness center used to be provided by Colorado State University for cheaper, the notice stated, adding that the board questioned why Front Line was chosen. The letter stated that the board later discovered that Front Line sponsored the media outlet Sendelbach was previously an editor of, Firehouse, and that Front Line also sponsored an event where Sendelbach was the keynote speaker on “How to have your own Wellness Center.”

“These unsettling facts and your lack of transparency have caused the board to question your motivation to build the Health & Wellness Center and your decision to hire Front Line, particularly without a business plan and repeated requests for funding,” the notice stated. “Your failure to disclose information and provide transparency … raises concern regarding your use of public funds.”

Claims of lying about a job-related matter and deliberate omission of information

In terms of “falsifying authority records, documents, schedules, and/or lying about a job-related matter; and deliberate omission of information that might affect you unfavorably, the board claimed that the chief provided information that was later contradicted by credible information the board received.

The notice stated that in July Sendelbach said there had been only one member departure from LFRA, but the board learned this was inaccurate (and did not state how many members did depart).

The board said Sendelbach misrepresented his relationship with city staff and created divisiveness and mistrust. The notice claims that Sendelbach said city staff is difficult to work with, which the board claimed left city staff “bewildered, as they had been meeting with (him).”

The board also claimed that Sendelbach failed to advise them of a missed payment on its debt service, which cost the agency an additional $7,000.

While developing the 2026 budget, Sendelbach falsely told firefighters the board was going to lay off employees and that there would be no raises, the board claimed in the notice.

“Such incidents have created an environment where the Board cannot trust the information you (Sendelbach) are providing is complete and accurate, or that you are not spinning the information in the light most favorable to you,” the notice stated.

Claims of conduct detrimental to customer service and operations

The notice also claims that monetary discussions with the chief almost always turn "ugly" and create division between Sendelbach and the authority board; the rural district and the authority; the city and the authority; and sometimes the rural district and the city. This fell under the board’s “conduct detrimental to customer service or authority operations” cause.

Another claim is that Sendelbach told citizens in areas included in the last election that they may receive a new fire station and dedicated personnel, which the board claims was never discussed with them and would exceed the authority’s financial capabilities.

Claims of threatening, insulting, or abusive language while on duty

The board also claims that Sendelbach created a toxic working environment with city peers and the board, to the point where board members feel discouraged from asking questions because of the chief’s "aggressive reactions and insubordinate comments,” according to the letter. The notice claimed that there was one instance where a board member left the room because of Sendelbach’s “aggressively defensive tenor.”

“The board has been advised that those members of city staff with whom you are required to work do not like working with you because of your intimidation tactics and treatment of them,” the notice stated.

Claims of behavior or actions that disrupt operations in the authority

The board’s final reason was “behavior or actions that disturb fellow authority members in the performance of (their) duties, or that disrupt the operations of the authority,” which the notice claimed was exemplified by unnecessary roadblocks Sendelbach created for the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board.

For background, LRFPD's administrative tasks were handled by LFRA for $30,000 a year until December, which is when the rural board cut ties with LFRA administratively and had its documents transferred to a new administrative service provider, according to the notice. The board claimed that it was difficult to get information from Sendelbach on the rural district's administrative matters.

While still handling the LRFPD's administrative duties, the board claims that LFRA failed to pay the rural board's insurance coverage.

“As a result of the conduct above, the Board has lost faith, trust, and confidence in your (Sendelbach's) ability to perform the duties required of you as a Fire Chief,” the notice stated.

Claims that authority board trust is broken

The board claimed that Sendelbach’s resistance to provide or omission of financial information has created a lack of transparency and has broken it’s ability to trust him to manage finances.

The board further claimed that Sendelbach created unnecessary dissension by spreading misinformation and mischaracterizing the authority board’s decisions to staff, the city, and the rural board, according to the notice.

At the end of the notice, the board also mentioned that members disagreed with a message Sendelbach shared in a podcast in October, where he said he agreed with the lesson that leadership is about “pissing people off at a rate they can absorb,” and stated it was a “powerful message and truly defines how to be successful.”

“While you (Sendelbach) can disagree and advocate for your position," the notice stated, at the end of the day your job is to carry out the duties established in your position description, and the directions given … ”

The board had initially scheduled the meeting to discuss its “just cause” reasons with Sendelbach for Tuesday, but the meeting was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled. The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board will hold its regularly scheduled February meeting at 1:30 Wednesday and its agenda includes a discussion on rescheduling the meeting, according to the agenda.

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