At its meeting Thursday, August 10 the Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District Board of Directors denied Chief Jon Jones his request to extend his contract for another two years. They then appointed Division Chief Todd Skrabak as interim chief until their next board meeting. After more than an hour in closed session, the board’s announcement of a unanimous decision to not honor the chief’s request was met by the crowd who had waited for the result with applause and cheers.
Jones’ position as chief for the past three years comes to an end amid criticism and a vote of no-confidence by both the firefighters’ and chief officers’ unions. At the Thursday meeting more than one hundred attended with no one speaking in support of chief Jones who was not there as he was on executive leave.
Jones had requested the board to extend his contract for two years in a performance review issued on July 13. The board had to respond to the request before the Aug. 13 deadline. The contract Jones and Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District entered into in October 2014 provided an annual salary and benefits package of nearly $215,000,
Retired fire fighters and residents alike spoke out against Jones’ leadership. The Aptos/ La Selva Chief Officers’ Association President, Todd Skrabak said the “organization needs to heal. Leadership, we have to have it,” as he spoke to the board. Firefighters’ union President Ryan Peters said the district needs new leadership and new ideas.
Fire Capt. Will Wingert said the firefighters have been through “a lot the last two years. I gain no joy and derive no joy in engaging in this process. (The union) is ready to put this behind us and move forward.”