New Fire Chief, Veterans Director Named, Key Committees Filled

At a long and busy meeting on Monday night, the Board of Selectmen filled vacancies in a number of town offices and committees. Besides , the board voted to make Mark Sullivan Chief of the Fire Rescue Department, appointed Don Lincoln the director of Veteran Services, and filled the rosters of the Water Quality Management Committee and Charter Review Committee.

Sullivan has been with the Falmouth department for 28 years, serving as firefighter, EMT, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief before taking over as acting chief on the retirement of Paul Brodeur.

Acting Town Manager Heather Harper said Sullivan's skills and professionalism were “evident in his daily work, as well as his approach to problem solving.”

Sullivan spoke briefly, thanking the board for the appointment and promising to continue the momentum he said the department established under Brodeur. Sullivan also had high praise for the emergency services personnel who make up the department.

“It's pretty easy to lead this group,” he said.

The board also appointed Lincoln, who had previously served as veterans agent in Plymouth, and worked for the Rhode Island Veterans Association.

The board later finished interviewing for the Water Quality Management and Charter Review committees, and voted to appoint each body's seven members.

The WQMC, which will advise the board on the progress of Falmouth's ongoing Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, will be comprised of George Heufelder, Steven Leighton, Winthrop Munro, Matt Patrick, Stephen Rafferty, Eric Turkington, and Virginia Valiela.

Heufelder, Rafferty, Turkington, and Valiela served on the WQMC's predecessor, the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Review Committee, the body responsible for assembling the plan.

Leighton is active in local environmental issues. Munro worked as an economist before retiring to Falmouth, and has experience in modeling costs and benefits of various alternative systems. Patrick is an advocate of alternate toilets, which will be tested as part of a demonstration project called for in the CWMP.

The CRC, which will be responsible for reviewing the town charter and recommending changes, will be made up of John Boyer, Katherine O'Brien Bumpus, Paul Dwyer, Judy Fenwick, Ralph Herbst, Michael Palmer, and Brad Stumcke.