The Pinole City Council has turned down a federal grant that would have re-opened a shuttered fire station, the Contra Costa Times reported.
The action occurred at the council's Tuesday night meeting amid a war of words between the mayor and the head of the firefighters union, the Times reported.
The council voted 4-1 to reject the grant, with Councilman Phil Green dissenting.
The $1.24 million grant would have re-opened Station 74 in Pinole Valley for two years.
Council members expressed concerns over associated costs to the city if the fire station re-opened. They also mentioned a pending unfair labor practices complaint filed by the firefighters union, the Times reported.
During the discussion. Mayor Debbie Long criticized union President Vince Wells for a post on the Times website where he was critical of the council's leadership.
Wells and Pinole Fire Capt. Rich Voisey later walked out of the meeting.
The grant rejection comes as the city is scrambling to hire four firefighters to replace a quartet of firefighters who are leaving Pinole for jobs in departments in nearby cities.
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