FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. - Talks between Fort Oglethorpe and the Post Fire Department continued to smolder without action Monday after the City Council couldn't reach a quorum at a special called meeting.
The city was set to discuss the future of Post, a nonprofit organization that operates as the city's fire protection service on a paid-per-call basis. Last week, the Post issued the city a 10-day notice, saying that, since it had not been paid in several weeks, it would have to stop serving the city.
After being unable to accomplish anything Monday, the council set a second called meeting for Wednesday at 11 a.m.
City officials want a city-run fire department and have said they will try to hire many of the Post crews if the department will sign over its equipment to Fort Oglethorpe.
Post members balked at the city's proposal because it did not specify how the department would operate after the change.
Council members, who have been in heated negotiations with the group for more than a year, hoped to meet Monday to hash out 11th-hour measures to keep the city covered.
Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb said some of the information about what's going on during the negotiations has been misconstrued.
"Anybody that tells you Station One is going to close or that your granny's going to burn up in her house because of what we're doing - that's wrong," Mr. Cobb said.
Mr. Cobb blasted council members and firefighters for an unruly meeting last week that he said was loaded with "name-calling" and accusations as the Post funding issue boiled over.
On Monday, he threatened to have police officers escort any speaker who singled out anyone specifically by name.
"The vice mayor wouldn't do it, but I will," Mr. Cobb said.
At last week's meeting, talks also stalled because of absences. Mr. Cobb and council member Eddie Stinnett missed the meeting, forcing Vice Mayor Louis Hamm to serve in the mayor's role.
With only three members able to vote, any actions had to be unanimous in order to get the three votes. A motion to reimburse Post for about $9,000 it was owed did not pass on a 2-1 vote.
At Monday's meeting, Mr. Stinnett apologized for missing the last meeting and explained he was working with his son in Tennessee.
"I see how difficult (the absence) made it for other people," he said.
The delay Monday was just another frustration for the Post, which still is seeking the $9,000.
"We do want to get it done," said Capt. Larry Honeycutt, who attended Monday's meeting but did not address the council.
He said the proposal from the city still needs more details.
"That contract was set up to fail," he said. "We wanted to see the (staffing) numbers."
After the meeting, City Manager Ron Goulart said including such details in the document was not necessary because it was only an inventory of the equipment the Post would transfer to the city.
"They're trying to tell me how to run a fire department," he said.
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