Boyceville fire board appoints interim fire chief
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Community Fire District Board has appointed Josh Pittman as interim fire chief.
Karl Hackbarth, representative for the Town of Stanton and chair of the Boyceville fire board, reported at the November 7 special meeting that he had asked Dan Knops, assistant fire chief, if Knops would be interested in serving as the interim fire chief until the fire board has appointed a new chief.
Hackbarth said he had called Knops immediately after the fire board’s last special meeting.
The fire district’s by-laws state that if the fire chief is unable to fulfill his duties as the fire chief then the assistant fire chief takes over.
Knops said he was not willing to accept the position as interim chief, Hackbarth told the fire board members.
Brad Mounce also had been suggested as a possibility to serve as interim fire chief, but Mounce also said he was not interested, Hackbarth said.
At the last firefighters’ meeting, Tim Fasbender said that he was interested in serving as interim, or as the fire chief, or that he would support a new fire chief, Hackbarth said.
When Hackbarth asked the dozen or so Boyceville firefighters who were attending the fire board meeting if any of them were interested in serving as the interim fire chief, Josh Pittman indicated that he would be interested.
Hackbarth asked the fire board members to vote for their preference for interim chief, either Fasbender or Pittman, by using paper ballots.
When the ballots had been collected, Hackbarth asked the Tribune Press Reporter to serve as a witness to his opening of the ballots.
Hackbarth said he wanted to assure the fire board members and members of the public that he had accurately and fairly read the names off the ballots.
By the time Hackbarth finished checking the ballots, there were five votes for Pittman as interim chief and two votes for Fasbender.
Current fire chief Matt Lunderville has submitted his resignation to the fire board, which is effective December 1.
“I will try my best,” Pittman told the fire board.
Renderman
Brad Stevens, representative for the Village of Boyceville, said he had talked with Mark Renderman, who is the fire chief for the City of Altoona and who also serves on the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association Board of Directors.
Renderman said he is willing to act as a consultant for the Boyceville fire department but that he does not want any money for the position — and that the City of Altoona also will not allow him to accept any money, Stevens said.
The City of Altoona has approved allowing Renderman to act as a consultant for the Boyceville fire department, he said.
Stevens said he had a meeting set up with Renderman for the next day so that Renderman could see the equipment in Boyceville and to take a tour of the fire station.
New assistant chief
Since Knops was not willing to serve as the interim fire chief, several fire board members wondered if he would then continue as assistant fire chief or whether Pittman or the fire board would appoint another assistant chief.
Stevens said he would ask Renderman for his opinion on how to handle the situation.
If Knops is not interested in being the assistant chief, what about the captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant? Are they still interested? asked Lisa Pederson, representative for the Town of New Haven.
Someone should be in place to help Josh Pittman, she said.
Firefighters present at the meeting told the fire board that there was no set length of term for the captain and lieutenants although each position is reviewed annually.
Hackbarth said he would contact Knops again to see if he was still interested in continuing as the assistant fire chief.
Lee Kegan, representative for the Town of Tiffany, said Pittman should ask Knops about the assistant chief position.
Pittman said he was willing to do that.
The fire department will be okay in the interim with an assistant chief, but when the new fire chief is hired, that person can appoint a second and third assistant chief, Hackbarth said.
Hackbarth noted that the interview team for the fire chief would include two board members and two firefighters.
The Boyceville firefighters should start thinking about the interview team and who they would want to serve on the interview team, he said.
The interview team also must have one independent person, Hackbarth said.
Apology
At the beginning of the meeting, Hackbarth also apologized to the other fire board members regarding a complaint he had received October 23.
Hackbarth had previously told the fire board that the complaint could be dealt with later and that he did not know how to print the complaint from his phone.
Hackbarth had just been elected as chair of the fire board, and Hackbarth said the chair should not be deciding what the other board members could see.
Hackbarth asked the other board members to either accept his apology or take action for his misconduct.
“I didn’t realize it was that bad,” Stevens said.
Hackbarth was thrown into the situation quickly, and “it does not reflect poorly on you,” Pederson said.
“We’re all still learning,” Stevens said.
Hackbarth handed out copies of the complaint, but because the complaint was not an agenda item, the fire board could not discuss it.
The complaint was forwarded to the fire board but not to the firefighters, not to friends and not to the press, Hackbarth said.
The complaint should not go any father than the fire board, he said.
Vice-chair
In other business, the Boyceville fire board approved Lee Kegan, Town of Tiffany, as the vice-chair of the fire board.
Steve Nielsen, chair of the Town of Stanton, had previously served as the vice-chair, but because Nielsen and Hackbarth both represent the Town of Stanton, Nielsen said he could not continue as vice-chair.
Next meeting
The Boyceville fire board meets next on November 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boyceville fire station.
Applications for the fire chief position are due on November 22.
At the special meeting November 21, the fire board plans to review and possibly to amend the by-laws.
The fire board also will set dates for meetings to open the sealed applications for fire chief, to select the interview committee and to schedule interview meetings.
