Fire chief to focus on administrative duties

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

The City of Burlington will not rush its hiring of a new fire chief, according to City Administrator Carina Walters, who said last week the city would weigh all of its options.

“We want to make sure what the position entails,” said Walters in a sit-down interview. “Does that mean it’s a full-time fire chief? A part-time fire chief?

“We need to look at it. We need to see what’s appropriate for the City of Burlington,” she added.

Walters also refuted a number of the rumors floating around regarding Perry Howard – the current chief whose final day of work is scheduled for June.

Rumors around the city have been wide-ranging and varied. City of Burlington fire department members contacted by the Standard Press did not want to go on the record with any comments. Instead, they have sent requests to City Hall for clarification.

Walters did state she was at the fire department meeting on Dec. 22 when Howard’s resignation was announced – and said the press release given to local newspapers was read verbatim.

Walters said Howard came in and did what he was hired to do – to implement the changes recommended by the McGrath study done in 2013. That study outlined a number of changes the department should make, as well as suggesting a number of ways the City and Town of Burlington fire departments – as well as the Burlington Area Rescue Squad – could work better together.

“He had a very tough job to do,” Walters said. “Everything that Perry did to bring to the community was what was needed.”

Howard was at the center of a disagreement between some members of the City Fire Department and Burlington Area Rescue Squad in the summer of 2014. That situation, while publicly resolved, had seemed to lead to lingering hard feelings.

When asked if any complaints had resulted in Howard’s resignation, Walters said the city would not force a resignation due to complaints. When asked if the city had investigated Howard’s performance further based on complaints, however, Walters answered “no comment.”

Walters stressed the city knew Howard had been looking for another job, and said the city had been and would continue being supportive of that effort.

“An administrator will support you,” Walters said. “He is still fire chief.”

She said Howard would work perhaps out of City Hall – and out of the firehouse as needed. Whatever administrative functions need to be done will remain under his purview.

Walters also stressed Howard has been on vacation, using time that he had accrued as a city employee.

However, when asked if his original vacation had been planned for this long (more than a month, currently), she said “the majority of it,” and offered a “no comment” when asked if Howard had extended his vacation after his resignation was announced.

Walters said Howard had reached a point in his career that he wanted to find “another professional development.”

“I respect the fact he’s looking for new challenges,” she said.