San Carlos Open to Fire Mediation With Wary Belmont

San Carlos Mayor Omar Ahmad agreed to open a dialogue with Belmont regarding fire services on Wednesday night, a mediation effort that would be facilitated by Supervisor Adrienne Tissier should Belmont agree.

The talks may never get off the ground, however, as Belmont Mayor Coralin Feierbach has been steadfast in her disinterest in mending the two cities' contentious relationships counseling.

“As far as I’m concerned we don’t need mediation,” said Feierbach. “They’re the ones that asked to be separated, and then because they couldn’t get the bids from different cities, now they started crying. They’re up against a corner.”

She continued, “I will not negotiate with Omar or any of the other three people who have destroyed this really great fire department. Their mediation needs to be among themselves."

Both Ahmad and San Carlos Vice Mayor Andy Klein, who sit on the fire board, have said they would be open to renegotiating the JPA between the two cities -- the same JPA they voted to dissolve back in October.

“Let's be clear,” said Ahmad, “the JPA that existed is dead and bankrupt. If mediation does occur the terms of the JPA will be reconstructed in such a way that suits San Carlos.”

Ahmad said the city needs to maintain control over its level of service while saving money.

“The JPA, as it was, makes sense for Belmont, which is why they like it,” said Klein. “But it didn’t make sense for us.”

Attempts at compromise between the two cities have failed in the past, and little evidence points to this round of negotiations, should they happen, being any different.

In November 2009, the Belmont City Council voted unanimously against San
Carlos' suggestion to tweak the JPA with what they called “The Grassilli Compromise.” The compromise would have saved San Carlos around $100,000.

Unable to find a solution, San Carlos opted instead to pull out of the JPA, a decision that left Belmont resentful.

San Carlos officials were careful to reiterate repeatedly their dislike for the current JPA and the need for it to be changed for any progress to be made.

Discussion regarding the reconstruction of the JPA may be moot, however, as Belmont officials have yet to agree to mediation. Should they formally decline, San Carlos officials said they will look at Redwood City’s proposal and even look into a stand-alone department, an option for some time.

“I’d like to see more options but we will be talking with Redwood City,” said Ahmad.

On the Belmont side, Council member Warren Lieberman stands alone in his support for mediation. "If San Carlos is interested in discussing ways to keep the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department in operation, I’m ready and willing to enter into those discussions as a member of the fire board," he said.

But other members of the Belmont City Council feel the county should stay out the escalating feud.

“It’s kind of weird to me to jump to mediation when they’ve never even asked us to mediate,” said Council member Christine Wozniak. “We have a big philosophical difference with San Carlos. They seem very interested in getting the lowest price services and cutting back services and changing the model, we are more interested in giving our community the best fire service possible.”

Vice Mayor Dave Warden echoed that sentiment.

"I think the county doesn’t really have a lot of business in this.  I would like to know exactly what their objective is before I would agree to mediate. They have done and said so many things in the last year that lead me to believe they have no sincerity. And so I would need to see exactly why I would be able to trust them to sit down to be able to mediate."

Council member David Braunstein couldn't immediately be reached for comment.