NORTH COLLEGE HILL, Ohio — The promise of most North College Hill firefighters to walk off the job before suddenly reversing course over the weekend took center stage Monday during the public's first chance to address city council.
Speaker after speaker demanded more answers about what led to 75% of the department, including now former Chief Brian Fels, submitting their resignations, what was promised to announce Sunday that they would stay with the city and why the council, Mayor Tracie Nicols and city administrators offered little to no explanation of what was happening during the more than a week-long interim.
Former North College Hill firefighter and council member Shawna O'Shea came to the meeting because she is still friends with members of the department.
"They didn't do this lightly," she said.
O'Shea said she wasn't sure exactly led to the mass resignation beyond what had been described on the department's Facebook page in a post March 8, but she said the firefighters wouldn't walk off the job unless things had gotten critical.
"You do this job because you love it. It's not something that you take very lightly. You're on this job to help people," she said.
#NEW: North College Hill Council is conducting a full meeting for the first time since most of the fire department announced their resignations.They’ve since announced they’re coming back, but MANY questions linger.@WCPO pic.twitter.com/XXhZWZKOkP
— Sean DeLancey (@SeanDeLanceyTV) March 18, 2024
From the council table, council member Arious Dukes Dean mirrored the explanation many on the stage at North College Hill High gave.
"We can't speak on personnel issues," Dean said.
It was the same response Mayor Tracie Nicols gave when asked by WCPO crews and members of the public asked whether City Administrator Jennifer Ekey had been placed on administrative leave like former Chief Fels.
Ekey wasn't present at Monday's council meeting and didn't return a WCPO request for comment.
City Attorney William Deters II urged members of the public to be patient and wait a few days before an announcement could be made.
Ekey had explained at a previous meeting that a list of HR and finance policy fixes instituted in the wake of a biannual audit had been the main cause of strife with the fire department.
Nicols explained only one concession was made to fire officials to get them back on the job.
She said an EMS fund used to pay exclusively for fire equipment that had been folded into the general fund would be returned.
Nicols said the fund needed to be created by legislation under Ohio law and, according to the audit, hadn't been.
She said the legislation required to create it would be read for the first time in the city's next budget and finance meeting.
Other than that, council member Dean said there was little explanation they could give.
"The best thing I can say is we were able to come to a deal now," she said.
City Attorney William Deters II, whose comments previously caused a walk-out, asked for the public's patience when it comes to information about the town's negotiations.
He said the blame was to be found on both sides, and he was attempting to mediate.
Nicols announced Lt. Joe Placke will serve as interim fire chief.
A source close to the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity said former Chief Fels remains on administrative leave.
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