Access to fire chief’s records denied Presque Isle, County officials cite ongoing proceedings in Krysiak suspension

PRESQUE ISLE – As the Attorney General’s Office continues its criminal investigation into a matter involving the city’s fire chief, both city and county officials have denied public access to documents pertaining to the chief’s expenses and reimbursements.

City officials placed Presque Isle Fire Chief Jim Krysiak on paid temporary relief from duty on March 2, but they have not released any information explaining why the action was taken. Krysiak has served as the city’s fire chief since 1990. City Manager Tom Stevens stated earlier this week that state statutes prohibit any further release of information until a final disposition has been made on the matter.

The Bangor Daily News filed a freedom of access request with the city on Monday, asking for public records that pertain to Krysiak’s travel logs, expenses and reimbursements. The BDN received the city’s reply Thursday in a letter denying access of “records pertaining to James Krysiak” under Title 16, Section 614.

The law bars the release of reports that would interfere with police or legal investigations.

City budget records that the BDN had previously obtained listed Krysiak as receiving a personal vehicle allowance of $300 per month for 2005. In addition, $11,250 was set aside in the Fire Department’s 2005 budget for travel and training, though there was no breakdown in the record of how much could be used specifically for the fire chief’s expenses.

A subsequent request to the county commissioners’ office for similar financial records netted the same results. Krysiak recently resigned as fire marshal for Aroostook County.

“On Tuesday, March 9, 2006, I was instructed by Brian MacMaster, chief investigator at the Office of the Attorney General, that I should not release any records pursuant to Title 16, section 614, M.R.S.A.,” County Administrator Doug Beaulieu said Friday in a response to the request. “At that time, I was further instructed to direct all inquiries from the press or public to the Office of the Attorney General.”

Records previously obtained by the BDN said Krysiak was allotted about $2,000 per year in expenses as the county fire marshal.

The Maine Fire Chiefs’ Association, where Krysiak is a board director, also denied access to public records.

Association Treasurer Norman Cyr said Friday he had not received official instruction from the Attorney General’s Office to deny access to Krysiak’s expense and reimbursement records. He said, however, that he would not release the information because he did not feel comfortable doing so while an investigation is in progress.

Cyr did say he received a call from the city asking for the same MFCA records that the BDN was requesting.

“They wanted to go back 10 years on those records,” Cyr said.

The treasurer said Aroostook County officials made a similar request.

“September 2004 was the first time we paid him [Krysiak] anything. Whether he charged those expenses to other organizations, too, I’m not sure,” Cyr said.

Cyr would not comment further about the financial records, but he did say the whole situation was bad for fire departments throughout the state.

“It’s hard when something like this happens, because it gives all the fire chiefs in the state of Maine a black eye,” he said.