April NCFPD meeting expected to include draft invocation policy

A proposed North County Fire Protection District policy on an invocation or a moment of silence at the beginning of NCFPD board meetings is expected to be discussed at the April 27 NCFPD board meeting.

The issue of whether or not to have an invocation or a moment of silence was discussed at the March 23 board meeting, but no vote was taken. Board president John van Doorn will write a proposed policy for potential revisions by other board members. "I'll try to draft something out," van Doorn said.

van Doorn's draft will be sent to Loren Stephen-Porter, who will forward copies to the other board members for potential changes. "I want to try to write some sort of a policy and present that to the board," van Doorn said. "I'll put the bones in these and you can put the meat on it."

Stephen-Porter is the board secretary, but she is a district staff member rather than a board member so utilizing her rather than working directly with other board members will avoid a potential Brown Act violation and allow various versions of a draft policy to be available for the April 27 meeting.

The Feb. 23 NCFPD meeting included a 5-0 board vote to replace the invocation with a moment of silence for the March 23 meeting and to discuss that day whether to discontinue the invocation.

Historically an invocation has followed the call to order and roll call at NCFPD board meetings. NCFPD board member Jeff Egkan noted that the fire district includes residents and property owners of multiple faiths and some constituents who have no religion, so a prayer might not address the spiritual needs or lack thereof of many residents and property owners.

Egkan was supportive of a moment of silence during his February comments. "I'd personally like to see that continue," he said.

Other board members' February remarks proposed that the invocation would be as ecumenical as possible and would be limited to the needs of the community including health and safety.

"I know it can be a divisive issue, and I appreciate all the input," Egkan said.

The delay on a policy will allow for input from the Fallbrook Firefighters Association. "I like to keep religion out of government and vice-versa, but I don't like any to hinder each other either, so the tiebreaker to me goes predominantly to our fire department family," van Doorn said. "I don't want them left out of the loop, and I feel it's important that we hear from our firefighters."

"I think it's a good call to get them involved in that and ask how we can best serve them," said NCFPD board member David Kennedy.

Kennedy added that an invocation or a moment of silence may depend on community, including firefighter community, needs. "I don't know if it's really going to be necessary to do it every single meeting," he said.

van Doorn offered the possibility that the policy be evaluated after a six-month trial period.