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Board accepts retirement of fire chief John Camilleri, swears in Robert Roscoe and expands safety officer enforcement authority
Summary
The Grosse Ile Township Board accepted the retirement of Fire Chief John Camilleri, swore in Robert Roscoe as the new chief, and expanded the township safety officer’s authority to issue stop-work orders for unsafe construction in public rights-of-way.
The Grosse Ile Township Board of Trustees on April 14 accepted the retirement of Fire Chief John Camilleri, effective April 5, and held a ceremonial swearing-in of incoming Fire Chief Robert Roscoe. The board also approved an amendment to Chapter 2-58 (Utilities, Article 2, Public Right of Way) to allow the township safety officer to enforce provisions of the article, including authority to issue stop-work orders for unsafe construction.
Why it matters: The retirement and swearing-in formally change department leadership; the ordinance amendment expands enforcement authority tied to public-safety oversight and clarifies who may issue stop-work orders for unsafe work in public right-of-way.
Retirement and swearing-in The board accepted Chief John Camilleri’s retirement with a motion accepted by the trustees; staff noted Chief Camilleri will continue to serve as a firefighter and EMT with the department. Town officials administered an oath and swore in Robert Roscoe as the township’s new fire chief; the swearing-in was presented as a ceremonial action and did not require a formal vote.
Ordinance amendment to expand enforcement authority Separately, the board approved amendments that extend the stop-work authority, previously limited to the Department of Public Services director, to the township safety officer. Staff and trustees said the safety officer has historically been the fire chief. Trustees asked whether the fire chief has the specialized knowledge to assess excavations and shoring. Trustees suggested training or annual refresher courses (for example on shoring and excavations) to enhance awareness and ensure safe enforcement decisions. Staff said resources such as OSHA guidance, the township engineer and the DPS director would be available to support the safety officer when technical expertise is required.
Votes and next steps Both the retirement acceptance and the ordinance amendment were approved by the board in the meeting. Staff will update written policies and notify contractors of the revised enforcement authority.
