Residents and trustees urge delay after surprise submission for Shabnam fire district trustee

Members of the public, including current volunteer firefighters and elected trustees, urged the DeKalb County Board to postpone consideration of a proposed trustee appointment for the Shabnam Community Fire Protection District, saying the nomination departed from past practice and lacked notice to the fire district.

Those concerns came during public comments, where speakers said the executive committee advanced a candidate based on a written self‑nomination rather than following the longstanding custom of accepting a chief’s recommendation. “This came as much surprise because none of the 3 current trustees were stepping down,” said Joe Herman, who identified himself as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic with more than 30 years’ experience. “When there was a vacancy that occurred, the fire chief and remaining trustees would submit an ... person for replacement and then the board would discuss and approve that person.”

The request to delay matters because speakers said the district’s usual appointment process had been altered without consultation. Steve Props, who said he is a current trustee with the Shetland Community Fire District, said, “In my 16 years of the district trustees, every appointment ... was recommended by the chief.” Several commenters said a second submission—a short self‑nomination they said lacked meeting attendance history or engagement with the department—had been presented to the executive committee without more complete packet materials.

Speakers also pointed to local village records when questioning the fitness of one candidate. Allison Hinprops, who said she has served on the Village of Shabnam board since 2021, read attendance figures and cited an ordinance (Ordinance 2023‑01‑23C, Section 2‑19(e)) that she said penalized trustees who repeatedly missed meetings. “Mister Lockwood was fined twice under this ordinance in the 4 months that he remained on the board,” she said, adding that Lockwood later resigned before certification of a re‑election. Other trustees and department members who spoke said they had only learned of the self‑nomination the day before and asked the county board to allow more time for investigation and discussion.

Board members and legal counsel discussed procedural concerns on the record, including whether a three‑person fire district board with two serving firefighters would create conflicts on financial votes. County legal counsel recommended sending the matter back to the executive committee for additional review. The board then voted to table consideration of the appointment; the agenda item will return at the next month’s meeting. A specific mover and seconder for the table motion were not stated on the record.

Why it matters: Trustees and volunteer firefighters said the appointment affects oversight of staffing and finances for a rural fire district that recently passed a tax referendum. Callers asked the county to preserve the department’s governance norms and to ensure transparency and legal compliance before appointing an external candidate.

The board’s action: The county board tabled consideration of the appointment to the Shabnam Community Fire Protection District until the next meeting; the executive committee’s recommendation remains on file and the item will be revisited. The transcript records public concern about possible Open Meetings Act (OMA) issues and a request that packet materials be shared with the executive committee before action.

What comes next: The board and legal counsel indicated the executive committee will revisit the nomination; members of the fire district and other trustees said they expect further review and an opportunity for additional recommendations or applications next month.