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Kearney council confirms multiple police and fire promotions, accepts firefighter retirement
Summary
The Town of Kearney approved several personnel resolutions promoting six police officers, one firefighter to captain and accepted the retirement of a 20‑year firefighter. The council also approved several personnel and administrative resolutions as part of the consent agenda.
The Town of Kearney council on Monday approved a slate of personnel actions, promoting multiple members of the town’s police and fire departments and formalizing a retirement.
Among the actions the council moved and approved: the appointment of Jeremy Ho to permanent Fire Captain (effective April 1, 2025); acceptance of the retirement application for firefighter Christopher Shapiro, retirement effective April 1, 2025; and a series of police promotions effective April 1, 2025, including appointments to the positions of police captain, lieutenant and sergeant.
Resolutions moved and recorded during the meeting included: - Resolution 2-13: Accepting the retirement application of firefighter Christopher Shapiro (20 years of service). Moved by Councilwoman Linda Ekkel; outcome: approved. The resolution documents terminal leave and unused vacation pay totaling $42,605.36 (subject to final pension/retirement-system calculation and potential adjustment). - Resolution 2-14: Promotion of firefighter Jeremy Ho to permanent Fire Captain NJCSC, title code 1836, effective April 1, 2025; approved by the council earlier in the meeting at the time of the promotion ceremony. - Resolution 2-15: Appointing Lieutenant Kevin Arnzman to the provisional position of police captain NJCSC, title code 02718, effective April 1, 2025, current annual salary recorded in the resolution; approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2-16: Appointing Lieutenant Christopher Levcheck to provisional police captain NJCSC, title code 02718, effective April 1, 2025; approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2-17: Appointing Sergeant Michael Gonzalez to permanent police lieutenant NJCSC, title code 02727, effective April 1, 2025; approved. - Resolution 2-18: Appointing Officer Anthony Oliveira to permanent police sergeant NJCSC, title code 02739, effective April 1, 2025; approved. - Resolution 2-19: Appointing Officer Richard Poplowski Jr. to permanent police sergeant NJCSC, title code 02739, effective April 1, 2025; approved. - Resolution 2-20: Appointing Detective Thomas Zumowski to permanent police sergeant NJCSC, title code 02739, effective April 1, 2025; approved.
Most promotions were moved and adopted by unanimous voice vote or roll call as recorded during the meeting; the council also recorded certification numbers and the salary amounts for each appointment in the formal resolution text (those numeric details were included in the meeting record and are part of each resolution’s backup).
Council members and the mayor praised the promoted officers and firefighter during the meeting, noting years of service, specialized training and family attendance at the ceremony. The minutes note that eight personnel appointments were memorialized in separate resolutions and that the retiree will proceed through the normal retirement‑system certification process.
Other personnel and administrative resolutions were moved through the consent agenda (authorizing overtime for municipal staff, appointing George King as fund commissioner and appointing Jose Ralda as plumbing subcode official, among others). The consent agenda and individual promotions were recorded in the meeting minutes and approved by the council.
