Chief Not Healthy Enough?

SPRING HILL - When Fire Chief J.J. Morrison returned to work a year ago, he thought his health issues were a thing of the past.

But Morrison has reportedly continued to miss time due to illness, and two Spring Hill fire commissioners cited the chief's unpredictable health as a major reason why they would not renew his contract.

In a shocking development, the board voted 4-1 Wednesday night to let Morrison's employment expire rather than sign him for another six years.

"I'm a little surprised right now," the chief said over the phone Thursday morning. "I would ask that you give me a little bit of time to absorb this."

Morrison's current contract runs out Thursday, Jan. 31, but he could still remain fire chief on an indefinite basis. Better yet for him, the board may still approve an amended contract at a later date.

"I want him to be here," Chairman Charles Raborn said Thursday. "It's just a matter of how long we want him to be (here)."

Ordinarily, contacts among the district's highest employees last for six years. The chairman thought that was too much, but he still would like to see Morrison remain at the helm if he is willing to agree to a shorter term.

"I still hope he stays on," Raborn continued. "We just didn't offer him a contract. Whether that changes or not, I don't know. It could."

Not everyone on the board feels that way, namely the fire commissioner who made the motion to reject Morrison's contract - George Biro.

"To me, it's time for a change," he said. "It's nothing personal against J.J. When he's on his game, there's nobody better. It's just time for some new blood."

Biro, who retired from the district 10 years ago, was Morrison's district captain while the latter was a lieutenant.

"This is not pleasant for me to say ... but the last couple of years, things just have not gotten done," Biro told the board. "I think it's time for the department to go in another direction.

"I know because I've had to do it," he continued. "There's a time you just have to (move) on ... I have nothing against the chief, but 109 (employees) depend on what we do here. The time has come for a change of the guard as they say."

Fire Commissioner Leo Jacobs also voted not to renew Morrison's contract, but was reluctant to do so. Twice he asked whether he could abstain. His reasoning behind the vote mostly centered on the chief's well-being.

"(You're) one of the best chiefs I've ever come across," he told Morrison. "One of the best budgeters. One thing we have to take into account is your health."

It is a matter the chief has long kept private. He refused to talk about it Wednesday during the meeting. The district's attorney, Andrew Salzman, also warned the board against discussing the issue at any length.

Salzman did not return a call seeking comment.

Over the phone Thursday, Biro admitted a major reason for his motion was his concern about Morrison's fitness for the job.

He also complained the chief has failed to go before local civic and social groups to discuss the district's status with the county and to lobby on its behalf.

Spring Hill Fire Rescue is a municipal services benefit unit (MSBU) that is dependent to the county. Many in the district, including the majority of the board, want the department to become independent.

That issue will be presented to voters on a referendum in November. Biro said the board asked the chief months ago to schedule speaking engagements with local residents to discuss the matter, but he has refused to comply, he said.

Morrison told the board he is unable to speak intelligently about the issue because the wording on the upcoming referendum has not been determined.

Raborn understands that point of view. Biro does not.

"I don't believe that," Biro said. "You can still get some information out there."

The commissioner who seconded Biro's motion, fire commissioner Robert Giammarco, believes the district has at least a few employees who could step up and fill Morrison's role.

He referred to the chief's long absence in 2006 as proof the district would be in good hands if a change were to be made. Top-ranking officers filled in for their ailing boss and the district "never missed a beat," Giammarco said.

"We have quality people here who can step in," he told the board.

The fire bosses made the decision not to renew Morrison's contract merely weeks after the release of a third-party fire study that suggested the district and county merge their fire departments - an idea the independent-minded district has rejected for years.

But Morrison spoke before the county commission last week and told them he agreed with many of the suggestions and volunteered to work with the county's chief to implement some of the study's recommendations.

That was not an accurate representation of Raborn's statements about the study, which he has publicly said was a "waste of money." He also asked the chief to ask a question on his behalf, one that attacked the credibility of Oregon-based Emergency Services Consulting Inc. (ESCI), the company that undertook the study.

When asked if Morrison's perceived noncompliance had anything to do with the board's decision to reject the chief's next contract, the chairman said it did not.

"The chief and I have talked about that," Raborn said before dropping the subject.

Biro was among those who wanted Morrison to remain part of the district as a consultant, especially during such a critical year.

The fire boss who gave the lone dissenting vote, Gene Panozzo, suggested Morrison refuse the offer.

He told his fellow commissioners if he was the chief, "I'd tell you to pound sand. I wouldn't speak for you at all."