Tempers boiled over last week in Frelinghuysen as a current township committeeman and a former township committeeman traded barbs over the fire department, leading the Wednesday meeting to be temporarily suspended and the police to be summoned.
Committeeman Brian James, during his report to the governing body, stated that although he was appointed committee liaison to the Frelinghuysen Volunteer Fire Co. in January, he has yet to be invited to a meeting of the department.
“It slightly troubles me,” James said. “I asked a couple of times, and I just want the public to know that we have ordinances that control this. You can all find it on the website, and it’s the reason I think that I’m entitled to come to the meetings.”
Keith Ramos, a former committee member, interrupted James from the standing-room crowd at the meeting.
“Why don’t you read the letter that was sent to you, so you can explain it to the public?” he said.
It should be noted that during the committee member reports portion of the meeting, each member of the governing body reviews activities within the areas of the township with which they interact, such as Department of Public Works, finances, or in this case, the fire department. Most of the time, each committee member can expect to deliver their reports without debate or interruption. Most of the time.
Mayor Kirk Perez told Ramos the meeting at that point was not open to the public and that he was out of order.
“It’s not open public discussion,” Perez said.
Ignoring Perez, Ramos said to James that he should read the letter.
The letter in question, according to Ramos, was the fire department’s response to what the department interpreted as James’ request to attend membership meetings, which Ramos—a member of the fire department who, in the company’s view, is the liaison to the township committee—said were considered in-house matters.
“Why don’t you read the letter?” Ramos repeated.
Then things got loud.
“You know, so, as Mr. Ramos has stated,” James said, “he has taken upon himself to be the liaison from the fire department.”
“I didn’t take it upon myself,” Ramos responded. “But since you referenced my name.”
Perez, meanwhile, attempted to gavel the meeting back to order to no avail, as additional arguments broke out among the public.
James again referred to the ordinance that established the fire department claiming that only the deputy chief or the secretary of the company can be spokespersons, an ordinance he asserted Ramos wrote while he was mayor.
“There is nothing in the ordinance nor the bylaws that addresses a self-appointed liaison,” James said.
Ramos said he was elected to the role by the fire department, and that those decisions are in-house matters for the membership.
James reiterated his interpretation that while the fire department can establish its own bylaws, business of the department must be submitted to the committee for review.
“So, I expect and hope that in the future, we can work together with our fire department and not have this relationship,” James said.
“Not if you’re misleading the public, like you’re doing,” Ramos retorted.
All the while pandemonium continued to reign in the hallowed halls of the municipal building as Perez shouted and slammed his gavel in an attempt to restore order.
“You’re out of order again,” he shouted at Ramos over the din.
“Keep banging your gavel,” Ramos responded to Perez. “I don’t care. Keep banging it.”
After a brief back-and-forth between political factions in the room over who hurled incivility first—featuring accusations of F-bombs and middle fingers—Perez called for a 10-minute recess for everyone to return to their corners.
State Police were summoned to the meeting, but by the time they arrived the meeting had already resumed and there was no further acrimony. At least out loud.
The issue that started the dustup—committee members at fire department meetings—was left unresolved.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
