Special NCFPD board meeting to address resignation

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

David Kennedy announced his resignation from the North County Fire Protection District board, which has set a July 19 special meeting as part of the process to create his replacement.

In November 2020, Kennedy was elected as the NCFPD board member for Zone 1, which covers the Downtown Fallbrook area including Station 1 on Ivy Street. Kennedy is professionally with the Vista Fire Department but will be retiring from that department in July, and he is also in the process of undergoing an address change which will make him ineligible for his NCFPD board seat.

Kennedy was unable to attend the May 24 NCFPD board meeting but submitted an electronic mail correspondence noting his resignation from the board effective June 1, and after the four other members of the board agreed to add the special meeting agenda item as an emergency item not originally on the agenda, they voted 4-0 to set the July 19 special meeting date to ensure that a replacement for Kennedy is selected by the July 31 deadline.

The NCFPD regular board meetings are on the fourth Tuesday of the month unless holiday or other considerations merit a modification. Regular NCFPD board meetings are scheduled for June 28 and July 26, so the July 19 meeting will ensure that Kennedy’s seat is filled by the deadline. Elements of the vacancy, the process to fill the seat, and the special meeting may be discussed June 28.

In April 2019, the NCFPD board approved a change from elections at large to seats by election zones. Elections by zone require candidates to live in that zone, and the election for that seat is by voters within that zone. A vacancy may be filled by board appointment although, if the vacancy is not filled within 60 days, the district may call a special election and if a special election is not called within 60 days the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will make the decision to fill the vacant seat (the selection normally only goes to the Board of Supervisors in the event of a 2-2 board deadlock).

The July 19 meeting will start at 6 p.m. (regular board meetings usually have a 4 p.m. start). Public comment on the candidates will be allowed.