FIRE DISTRICT Lawyers for city of Salem, firefighters have meeting

Council meets Tuesday to find out what's going on.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The possible end of the Salem Fire Department is going on behind closed doors for the time being.
Lawyers for the city and the firefighters met in a closed-door meeting Wednesday at city hall.
Mayor Larry DeJane said that he sat in on the session but that he could not reveal what happened.
Michael Burns, the head of the firefighters union, could not be reached.
Council members had asked for the session last week.
DeJane said the plan is now for council to meet in executive session to hear a report on the Wednesday meeting. Council meets Tuesday.
The fire department contract expires in June 2005.
Council is preparing an agreement to create a fire district with Perry Township. Eliminating the fire department could save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Cost of court challenge
Firefighters, however, have pointed out that a court challenge to that move could cost the city the money it is trying to save.
The Vindicator recently quoted two experts on Ohio's open meeting law who said the meeting may be open to a court challenge because negotiators may not have followed state law.
Past and current firefighters were successful in getting enough people to sign petitions to have two issues on the November ballot concerning the fire department.
If voters approve the issues Nov. 2, the public could block any city plan to eliminate the fire department or create the fire district.
If council approves the pact as an emergency measure before the Nov. 2 election, however, the issues would be moot.
wilkinson@vindy.com