Council finalizes fire chief selection process; selection panel to meet Monday
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
Councilman Tommy Reed examines the ordinances prior to final approval that deal with the hiring of the fire chief. The council unanimously approved second reading on the ordinances. Click to enlarge.
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, 12:30 a.m. — The Bardstown City Council finalized changes to how the city hires its fire chief – and establishes that the city’s chief will also serve as chief of its incorporated volunteer fire department.
The council unanimously approved second and final reading of two ordinances at its Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 meeting: one ordinance that changes the fire chief selection process, and a second to revise nonelected city official job titles so they match with existing titles now in use.
The changes eliminates the established process of firefighters electing their fire chief, and hands the section process to the mayor, who will appoint the fire chief with approval by the city council.
The changes also require the Bardstown-Nelson County Volunteer Fire Department Inc. – an incorporated department that serves the areas outside the city limits – to accept the mayor’s selection of chief to serve also as chief of their department. The departments are housed together in the fire station on North Fifth Street and operate as one department.
The ordinance states the incorporated fire department “may be housed and operate out of the facilities owned by the City of Bardstown as long as its chief and officers are the same as those of the City of Bardstown Fire Department.”
Councilman Bobby Simpson, left, and Tommy Reed talk prior to the beginning of Tuesday's city council meeting.
The ordinance changes are part of Sheckles’ solution to a split in leadership in the city fire and the incorporated fire departments in January. Marlin Howard was selected chief of the incorporated fire department, while Anthony Mattingly remained chief of the city-funded Bardstown Fire Department. After meeting twice with the council in executive session, Sheckles appointed Howard as interim chief and presented the council with the ordinances that received the final approval Tuesday. Howard will serve as interim chief until a new chief is selected.
TWELVE APPLY FOR FIRE CHIEF. Sheckles said the city’s advertisements for the fire chief position attracted 12 applications. A search committee, consisting of the council’s Safety Committee members – chairman Bobby Simpson, Roland Williams and Francis Lydian – , two members of the fire department and assistant city administrator Larry Green – will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, to start discussing the applications.
“I would like to get this situation done and put to bed so we can go on about business as usual,” Sheckles said.
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