Council approves Capstone LLC contract to review East Bethel fire operations; emergency plan review added to scope

The East Bethel City Council approved a contract with Capstone LLC to conduct an independent review of the city's fire operations and management, after residents raised questions during the public forum about the consultant's selection and potential conflicts of interest.

Tammy Gimple, a resident who spoke during public forum, asked why Capstone LLC had been selected, whether the city explored alternative consultants and whether the review duplicated duties of the fire chief. She questioned whether familiarity among local fire-service professionals could undermine independence.

City staff and council members responded that the item originated from council and firefighter conversations and that Fire Chief Rod Sano supported seeking an outside, third-party perspective. Council members said they had reviewed the consultant's qualifications and work products. Staff said the consultant provided an initial estimate of $5,000 to $10,000 and recommended setting a not-to-exceed amount of $10,000 for the primary scope.

During council discussion, the mayor proposed and the council approved an amendment to move an optional task''1 (review the city's emergency response plan) into the primary scope so the emergency plan review would be included in the $10,000 contract. Staff advised that if the contractor could not complete the expanded scope within $10,000, the matter would return to council for approval of additional funds.

The council approved the contract as amended by voice vote; council members said the review was to provide the city with an independent assessment of operations and recommendations for improvement, not to supplant the fire chief's role. Council also corrected a typographical error in the draft contract that misspelled "East Bethel."