Colfax Fire Chief files $500,000 claim

 

November 18, 2010



A claim of $501,494 for damages and attorney costs has been submitted to the City of Colfax by Ross White, Spokane attorney who represented Chief Ralph Walter in the appeal of his dismissal as Colfax Fire Chief. The claim, which has been forwarded to the city’s insurance carrier, included $425,000 in general damages and the balance of $76,494 in attorney fees, according to City Attorney Bruce Ensley.

Mayor Norma Becker reinstated Walter to the fire chief’s position before the second scheduled day of the civil service hearing Oct. 6. She said testimony from the first day of the hearing led her to believe Walter had taken measures to patch up his relations with fire department volunteers. She had concluded otherwise at the time she fired him at the start of July.

The mayor’s announcement came before the city had concluded its case. Walter’s side of the appeal was never presented. However, White did wrap up the hearing by reading one of the reports he had acquired which he said showed city officials should have been aware of Walter’s efforts before the chief was fired.

Walter was reinstated with all back pay and benefits.

Filing of a claim with a government entity is required before a civil suit can be filed in court. Whether or not a court filing follows depends on what a claimant decides after getting an entity’s response.

White appeared at an Oct. 18 city council session and suggested the council consider a mediation procedure to deal with potential claims which Walter could bring against the city.

At that time, White said the episode engendered potential claims involving Walter’s due process violations, civil rights, privacy violation, slander and defamantion.

White at that time also asked the council to appoint “somebody other than the mayor” to undertake an investigation into the Walter episode.

Also at Monday night’s city council session members again returned a split vote on payment of the city’s attorney fees from the civil service hearing.

 

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