On Oct. 9, Wellington City conducted their first city council meeting under their newly appointed mayor, Jack Clark. Mayor Clark was voted in at the beginning of the council meeting.
As council made their way through the agenda before them, it was apparent that a situation was beginning to unfold outside city council doors. A member of the Wellington City Fire Department received an alert, to which he exited the room. Following his departure, the situation that had been unfolding outside, began to escalate audibly.
Wellington City’s newly-contracted Human Resources Director, Tim Johnson, who was also in attendance, left the council meeting several times throughout its entirety.
As the noise level and commotion outside the council doors began to become disruptive, the doors were subsequently closed. As council attempted to continue with the items on their agenda, the sounds of slamming doors and arguing continued to make its way into the room.
During such time, Wellington City Police Chief Tom Kosmack also made several exits and entrances from the room, alongside Johnson.
As the noise level outside council doors seemed to calm down, a Wellington City officer opened the doors enough to gain attention, to which he asked for Johnson to please step outside once again.
Comments were then made about tabling the remaining agenda items until the next meeting. At which time, comments from Johnson were made about stuff being cleared out and the fire house being locked, as Wellington City Recorder Rebecca Evans, was in the middle of providing council with an update on the migration of systems and servers.
Due to agenda items being discussed out of order, council was then asked if they should return to Johnson to discuss agenda items 11-13. To which Johnson replied “the most important issue that I would ask is that the council make a vote right now whether or not Matt Perea should be dismissed.”
Council member Larry McKinnon immediately stated that he had questions concerning this, to which several council members advised that they would need to go into an executive session.
The following morning, a Facebook post was made by Chief Perea discussing his decision to retire from the Wellington City Fire Department as Chief.
“After a lengthy discussion with my family and friends, and many tears shed, I have decided after 21 years of dedicated service to the Wellington Fire Department and two decades of saving lives and property, that it’s time to retire and focus on the next chapter of my life,” as posted by Chief Perea
When asked about the situation that had occurred the previous night, a Wellington City employee stated that from her knowledge, Perea had come in during the closed meeting and submitted his request to retire. No further information was provided to the events that had previously transpired.
On Oct. 11, the following statement was sent to ETV News, on behalf of Perea:
“On October 9th, 2024 Wellington City Fire Chief Matt Perea made the decision to retire after 21 years of service with his department, due to a difference of opinion on the vision of public safety, with newly appointed Mayor Jack Clark. Upon notification of his retirement five members (four firefighters and one crisis support dog) decided to support Chief Perea’s decision by resigning. Chief Perea would like to thank his department for 21 years of team-work and dedication to Wellington City and Carbon County. He wishes you the best and hopes you stay safe out there.”