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Terra Verde trustee alleges maintenance and safety issues; Fire Services director says no prior formal requests on record
Summary
An emailed complaint from Terra Verde Trustee Chair Anthony Roth cataloged maintenance problems and alleged very old tires on Terra Verde Volunteer Fire Department apparatus; Director of Fire Services Zach Osborne replied by email that he had no record of prior formal requests and said he would review the tire concern now that it was raised.
Anthony Roth, identified in the minutes as Trustee Chair of the Terra Verde Volunteer Fire Department, submitted a detailed emailed complaint that was forwarded to the Study Commission and included in the June 1 minutes.
Roth wrote that several maintenance issues at the Terra Verde fire hall had been raised over multiple years — deteriorating siding, failing roof shingles, plumbing issues and a failed hot water heater — and he said those concerns had not been addressed. He also asserted a safety concern about apparatus tires, stating the steer tires on the Terra Verde Tender are "currently 19 years old," and on the Terra Verde Engine "26 years old." Roth urged the Commission to reconsider or remove the fire services ballot language if it disadvantaged volunteer departments and recommended collaborative meetings among Chief Executive Gallagher, County Attorney Matt Enrooth, the paid department chief, and volunteer trustees.
Director of Fire Services Zach Osborne replied by email that he could not find records of prior formal maintenance requests regarding the Terra Verde hall and wrote, "I can state that I have never personally received any requests regarding deteriorating siding, roof shingles, plumbing problems, a failed hot water heater, or roof leaks at the Terra Verde fire hall." Osborne said he would review apparatus tires now that the concern had been raised and noted several recent maintenance projects that had been addressed when formally submitted (garage door replacement at Boulevard, new gutters at Centerville, hot water heater replacement at Floral Park, pump replacement in Rocker’s tender).
The minutes record Roth's allegations and Osborne's email response; they do not record an in-person inspection, an independent verification of the tire ages, or an identified follow-up timeline. The Commission did not take formal action on these emailed allegations during the June 1 meeting.
