Comments on: Burns pays Guindon for comp time

By: call it like I see it

call it like I see it — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:46:33 +0000

Now he needs a flak jacket…Bill, I KNOW you know about this blog. Why don’t you just get some boxes, pack your belongings, and leave town? If you need protection, I think you are in the wrong community. Leave that kind of stuff in the cities where it belongs. At what point are you going to realize that you and your pompus ways are not welcome here anymore? It’s not a threat to ask you to please leave our community…it is a matter of respect for you to take the initiative and do it yourself.

By: Yvonne Warden

Yvonne Warden — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:17:50 +0000

I find it odd that with the BVFD being made up of volunteers, the fire chief doesn’t volunteer some of his time. I also find it to be unacceptable that we can find the money in the budget to pay him for comp time (which he could easily take time off while Dauna minds the store)but we don’t have money to repaint the Fire truck.

Hines told him prior to the truck being painted that they didn’t want that phrase on it and he did it anyway. He should have to pay to fix it, not the citizens of Burns.

When is the city council going to get a clue that this man is trouble?

By: Terri

Terri — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:52:30 +0000

OMG!! HELLO! Big red flag here! What is Guindon hiding that he is so afraid of the pubic hearing about??? The only reason he would put a gag order in place is if he’s afraid of the good citizens of our community finding out the truth about something or another. Seems to me that there is something illegal about this. This is just another example of MR. HIGH AND MIGHTY’s power grabs. He wants to run everyone and everything in the City of Burns according to him and him alone. And anyone that dares to say one word against him is going to suffer the consequences. Just like he did to all the firefighters that he fired. Money and Power is all that he seems to care about. And it appears that he really doesn’t care who he steps on or hurts to get what he wants. I would really like to see all the city employees get together and stand up against this form of tyrany. After all he can’t fire EVERYONE can he? If he did he wouldn’t have a city to run then would he.

By: concerned resident says

concerned resident says — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:51:22 +0000

reply to enough is enough:
As for Mr. Guindon and his roll at our city, it is very shameful. Our city council needs to step up to the plate and get this guy out of town. He has no right to threaten any employee, and should be repermanded for his own actions. The council has agreed to compensate him for dollars that he didn’t have to prove, just convinced the council by his word, and just because the mayor hears the sirens going off she is convinced that he has put all those hours in. Who does he answer to? Why is it that when he became the interim city manager he was able to table this comp time? If it were so important he be paid, then why didn’t he ask for it while he was fire cheif?
Yes, Terri I do agree with your remark about something is terribly wrong and crooked about this whole deal.
The city of burns has become the talk of the county, and is terrible to see this type of activity going on when the economy is in the shape it is. The public seems to be worried about employees driving around doing their jobs, and don’t hesitate to complain about that, but this Mr. Guindon has not set any good example as management in our eyes.

By: enough is enough

enough is enough — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:29:17 +0000

Mr. Guindon is now threating City employee’s with their jobs if they talk to the city council, the new media or the public without first going through him.

By: Kevin Taylor

Kevin Taylor — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:41:36 +0000

One can only hope the City of Burns wises up ~and soon~ before Burns finds itself in even more of a debacle. Maybe more concerned citizens should be attending council meetings and contacting the current Mayor Van Cleave and Mayor-Elect Vohs as well as other council members to express their dissatisfaction.

Though, based on past experience, I’d wager Burns will welcome him into the slot permanently just to get the whole business done and over with and take the easy way out.

AS for Mr. Guindon getting into the City of Hines’s pockets…I am sure there are vigilant people who are wary of dealing with this fellow at all based on previous experience.

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:19:50 +0000

Mr. Guindon is goanna get in the City of Hines pockets next, after all that truck he drives everywhere says he is serving Burns and Hines. Sounds to me like the boy has got is chubby hands in all of our pockets and is pretty proud of himself. Anybody who gets “visibly upset” when an even tempered family man of upstanding character (Darwin Johnson) makes a rational suggestion needs to become a volunteer patient at Harney County Behavioral Heath. Instead of crude statements about ones education of the fire department perhaps Guindon should admit he has not been a member of our community long enough to know what is best.

Thank you Darwin for standing up for our tax dollars, it is a shame our city decided to reward arrogance, I am sick of hearing stories about the Guindon family and their tempers, agendas, and manipulation of circumstances. Heck they can’t even keep their kids in our schools and have decided to home school em. I am sure they are more “educated” in those matters than our local teachers. Who are these people?

By: Sandy J.

Sandy J. — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:40:20 +0000

BOARD FIRES CHIEF

Vic Vela, The Daily Record

Fire Chief BILL GUINDON ’s contract was terminated Thursday
during a Cañon City Fire District Board of Directors meeting, the
latest event in a series of problems within the district.

Meanwhile, the board also approved a vote of “no
confidence” in fellow board member, secretary treasurer Ben
Gowdy, who had been vocal in his public criticism of GUINDON .

Citing a “difference of philosophy,” the five-member
board voted unanimously to relieve GUINDON of his duties, effective
immediately.

“It was a mutual agreement between the fire district board
and the chief,” said board president Chuck McIntyre.

While the board would not comment on specifics, citing legalities
surrounding personnel matters, an anonymous source close to the board
said it was GUINDON ’s handling of “administrative matters in
the (fire) house” that led to his dismissal.

“The most important thing is running the fire house
right,” said the source. “That wasn’t happening.”

Still, there is very little explanation as to why GUINDON ’s
contract was terminated. GUINDON did not return a phone call
requesting comment by press time.

Criticism of GUINDON ’s performance as chief peaked in December
when David Goodwin, a 20-year fire house veteran, accused GUINDON
of “flagrant dishonesty” during a public board meeting.

Goodwin felt he was treated unfairly when attempting to bid on a
brush truck the department ultimately sold to the Cañon City
Recreation District. However, during a meeting the following week,
the board upheld the sale and decided against further action against
GUINDON regarding the matter.

GUINDON , who was hired as chief in May 2005, survived a call for
his dismissal in January as the board voted 3-2 to keep him as chief.
No reason was given by the board at that time as to what actions by
the chief led to the vote.

Gowdy had been candid in his public remarks in past board meetings,
having once called for GUINDON ’s suspension. It is not certain as to
whether Gowdy’s criticism of GUINDON stems from his son, Jason
Gowdy, once a volunteer firefighter, failing to get a full-time
position with the department because he did not pass required
testing.

However, a Gowdy family member said today Jason Gowdy was the
victim of an unfair and unplanned testing procedure by GUINDON .

The source said, until that point, Gowdy had been supportive of
GUINDON . The source also says the decision for the “no
confidence” for Gowdy was due in part to serve as a statement
the board was not influenced by any personal issues there may exist
between Gowdy and GUINDON .

The Gowdy “no confidence” vote was 3-1, with Gowdy
opposing and one member abstaining.

GUINDON will receive pay and family insurance for six months, as
part of the contract termination.

The acting chief is Dave Marshall, a 28-year fire district veteran
who is one of three battalion chiefs in the department.

The board will soon meet to determine a process to find a new
chief.

Vic Vela can be reached at vvela@ccdailyrecord.com.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:19:46 +0000

A salaried employee gets comp time??? The interim city manager needs to propose a modification to the comp-time policy that excludes salaried employees. Managers should never get overtime. Was the chief an hourly employee? Was he also a union member? This reeks of abuse of public funds. The position of Fire Chief is most certainly exempt from overtime/comp-time under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act). http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html
266 hours of comp-time? That’s about 3.5 extra hours per week over a period of one year, at time and a half, or an 8 hour and 40 minute day on average. Pretty normal or even low for most public managers I know and work with. What a racket. The 6 grand is an undeserved freebie handout. Too bad the chief is “upset” about objections to paying him. Nice example he sets.

By: Crimson

Crimson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:52:02 +0000

Terri I agree with you 100%! Why did this council agree to giving him the $6301.54 when there is BARELY enough there to get them thru the rest of the year?

I am also surprised, well not really, that he is allowed to become “visibly upset” in a council meeting. I’m appalled to read that in the paper. How embarrassing to the rest of the council, city employees and espcially to the citzens of Burns all of whom he represents. I guess nobody wants to stand up and stop him from getting “visibly upset” at his fellow workers.

As for not checking his credentials any genius can look him up on the internet so why hasn’t the council?