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Garfield installs 2026 volunteer fire chief; council honors outgoing chief and confirms routine appointments
Summary
At a Jan. 2 reorganization ceremony, the Garfield mayor and council swore in the new volunteer fire chief, commended outgoing Chief Michael Colon, reappointed a volunteer chaplain and approved several routine municipal appointments and consent-agenda items, including a procurement-threshold correction and a reduced contract amount.
Garfield swore in its 2026 volunteer fire chief and held its annual firemen's reorganization on Jan. 2, where Mayor Everett E. Garntel Jr. and council members praised outgoing Chief Michael Colon and confirmed several personnel appointments and routine resolutions.
The ceremony, presided over by Fire Official James Kovacs, included the reading of Resolution R-01-26, which formally commended Michael Colon for his service as fire chief in 2025. A motion to adopt the resolution was made and approved by roll call; the mayor and council voted in the affirmative and the motion carried. "You're one of a kind, Mike," Councilman Delaney said during remarks thanking the outgoing chief.
Also on the ceremonial agenda, the council adopted Resolution R-02-26 to reappoint Pastor John Chupkowski (Praise Church, 145 Main St.) as the volunteer fire department chaplain, for a term ending Dec. 31, 2026. Pastor Chupkowski led the invocation and the Fireman's Prayer during the event.
City Manager Aaron Delaney announced the city's 2026 assistant…
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