Polson Rural Fire District Forum grills candidates

POLSON — Though only three of the five Polson Rural Fire District trustee candidates turned out for Monday’s forum, there was still a variety of positions and experience on display for audience members.

There have been two candidate forums for the coming mail-in ballot elections. Candidates Fred Nelson, Paul Laisy and Jack Clapp have attended both forums, while candidates Mike Hutchin and Ed Holland have been absent from all.

At the Monday night forum, candidates answered questions heavy on the minds of the firemen and women of the Polson and Big Arm Fire companies. Each candidate had a stance, albeit a side on nearly every issue. The man seated in the middle, Laisey, a retired firefighter and fire chief from Missoula, spoke from experience and was neutral on local issues that often elicit disagreements.

Trustee candidate Clapp, a Polson firefighter and area rancher, said billing issues can become problematic within the fire department.

“It’d be nice to cover revenue,” he said, adding that no one should hesitate to call the fire department out of a fear of being billed on an individual basis.

A question from Pete Bishop, a local volunteer firefighter, about funding for the fire boat that Big Arm and Polson share was met with dismissal by candidate Nelson, incumbent trustee and board chairman.

“I don’t know where you’re going with that Pete,” Nelson said, going on to state that he would not support paying for anything that is not within the district.

“Even though it has been used to fight fires in our district?” Bishop asked.

Clapp urged that funding for the boat be put in the budget “to carry some of that.”

“I would hate to see someone die because we couldn’t get to them,” Clapp said.

Laisey said he hadn’t “put a lot of thought into that.”

“Maybe you should get a retired boat out of Seattle,” Laisey suggested, in an effort to reduce costs of fuel and upkeep of the boat.

When Nelson was asked if he would have problems serving with Clapp, he said he wouldn’t “as long as” Clapp has an open mind.

“Some would say I don’t have an open mind,” Nelson said, going on to answer a question from volunteer firefighter Tony Porrazzo regarding a future station’s location.

Nelson told Porrazzo that there is no “free land,” to put a proposed new firestation as Porrazzo suggested putting feelers out and asking for property donation. Nelson said that one proposed location of a future fire station does not have water lines and that it would take more than 10 years for the station’s construction partly because of this.

“I just think you need to further explore which direction you’re going,” Porrazzo said.

Laisey, removed from the local debate on this issue, suggested a simple solution to the argument of a station’s location.

“I can tell you from experience,” Laisey began, “if you build a fire station you have to have people there for it to work.”

There has been heated discussion lately on whether or not funding should be put up this year for a new station at the Polson Fairgrounds.

There are two open positions on the board, and due to a recent resignation a third vacant seat will bill filled by an appointment from the commissioners.

Polson Rural Fire District Trustee ballots were mailed to those residing within the boundaries of the district Friday. Ballots must be returned to the election office by May 5 to be counted.