Council approves employment contract for new fire chief

The Grand Forks City Council approved an employment agreement for Fire Chief Chuck Marcotte on Sept. 2, after council members discussed sick leave and vacation payout provisions in department-head contracts. Marcotte, who said he has 26 years in the fire service including 20 years with the city, introduced himself to the council and said he plans to lead the department after Chief Lorenz departs. City staff clarified contract details for accrual and payout: employees may accrue up to 960 hours of sick leave, with an ability to cash out up to 112 hours at 50% for hours above that cap; vacation carryover rules differ for civil-service employees versus department heads, with department-head contracts allowing up to three years of vacation carryover. Tangie (city HR) said staff would provide the council with five years of payout data to illustrate typical liabilities. Councilmembers discussed the policy goals of encouraging sick leave use while limiting large accumulated payouts. "I think the city does it the right way," Councilmember Weigel said, describing the policy as an incentive to show up when not sick while protecting employees. A motion to approve the employment agreement was made, seconded and passed unanimously.