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Residents press Selectmen over full‑time fire chief hire; board defends appointment
Summary
At the July 2 Selectmen’s meeting, residents questioned why Mr. Shane was not chosen as the town’s full‑time fire chief; the board said some hiring details are not public, agreed Mr. Shane has served the town, and reaffirmed its decision to appoint Zachary Cronkhite.
The Selectmen defended their choice to appoint Zachary Cronkhite as the town’s full‑time fire chief after residents raised questions about the hiring process at the July 2 meeting.
Three residents attended to ask for more detail about how the board moved from a part‑time to a full‑time chief and why Mr. Shane was not selected. They said prior discussions and minutes had not clearly reflected the basis for the board’s decision. The board acknowledged residents’ concerns and agreed Mr. Shane has “done a lot of good things for our community,” but said detailed interview material and some application information are not public and therefore not appropriate to discuss in the meeting record.
The board told residents it had discussed long‑term planning for the fire department over the past few months and in earlier years; residents said the minutes did not reflect those conversations in sufficient detail. In response, the board agreed to work with one of the residents on an acknowledgement of Mr. Shane’s years of service. The board also reiterated that it believes it made the correct decision in appointing Zachary Cronkhite to the full‑time post.
No formal vote or new personnel action was taken during the exchange; the matter remains a subject of public comment and internal board discussion. The board had scheduled a workshop with fire department personnel for July 9 to discuss the department’s growth and future, and the ambulance contract discussion was held for that workshop.
