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Richmond commissioners approve personnel moves, surplus property disposition and appointments
Summary
On March 11 the board accepted two fire department resignations, approved promotions and hires, declared surplus property, and appointed members to boards. Most items passed unanimously; one hire vote included the mayor's abstention.
The City of Richmond Board of Commissioners on March 11, 2025 approved a slate of administrative orders including acceptance of two fire-department resignations, promotions, personnel hires, surplus property disposition and appointments to boards.
The board accepted the resignations of firefighters Zachary Warmoth (effective March 8, 2025) and Bradley Althouser (effective April 11, 2025). The board also approved promotion and pay-grade changes within the fire department effective the payroll date March 21, 2025, listing promotions to Captain 2 and Firefighter 3 for specified personnel.
The board declared a list of city personal property surplus for March 2025 and authorized disposal via GovDeals.com, and directed the Richmond Fire Department to transfer a 2006 Coachman RV to Garrett County Emergency Management Agency. The surplus-property order cited the city's disposition ordinance and said items no longer met city needs.
The board approved hires for two full-time equipment operator 1 positions in public works, contingent on pre-employment checks, and appointed Mike Edwards to the Human Rights Commission and Virgil Gardner to the Section 8 housing authority board. The board also accepted a personnel report noting that three recruits were in the training academy and expected to graduate in May.
Most orders passed on unanimous roll-call votes. One vote on hires for the public works department recorded an abstention by Mayor Robert Blythe to avoid the appearance of impropriety because of a shared last name with an appointee; commissioners otherwise voted in favor.
City Manager updates at the meeting included a timetable for delivery of a new street sweeper (expected in 30–60 days) and an RPD mobile command unit expected in the second quarter of 2025. The manager also said the city is pursuing liens and beginning foreclosure processes on multiple properties with unpaid fines related to encampment/cleanup work; staff said cleanup work was underway and that fines had been issued to multiple landowners.
Votes at a glance (orders approved): Order 25-42 (accept resignations): approved, unanimous. Order 25-43 (surplus property disposition): approved, unanimous. Order 25-44 (fire department promotions): approved, unanimous. Order 25-45 (appointment to Human Rights Commission): approved, unanimous. Order 25-46 (hires in public works): approved; recorded mayoral abstention (Mayor Blythe abstained). Order 25-47 (appointment to Section 8 housing board): approved, unanimous.
The meeting record includes effective dates and hire/promotional pay grades in each order; the city said hires are at-will with a one-year probationary period.
