[R]UTLAND — The search is on for a new city fire chief.
A search committee held its first meeting last week and set a goal of hiring a leader for the department by the start of the year, if not earlier.
The seven-member panel includes Mayor David Allaire; Sharon Davis, president of the Board of Aldermen; William Notte, chair of the Board of Aldermen’s Public Safety Committee; two members of the Fire Department chosen by department members; and two representatives of the public.
One of the members of the public, James Cruise, was selected by the panel at its recent meeting to serve as chair. Cruise is a retired fire investigator for the Vermont State Police who lives in Rutland.
Much of the first meeting dealt with scheduling future meetings. The board also agreed to seek the city attorney’s advice to ensure compliance with the open meeting law and public records law as the panel moves forward in its search.
The city’s former fire chief, Michael Jones, resigned June 30. He had a two-year contract expiring in November. The city and Jones reached a more than $35,000 agreement to end his contract four months early.
Deputy Fire Chief William Lovett is serving as interim chief.
