Town Enters Negotiations with New Fire Chief

Summerville Town Council voted 5-2 on Thursday during a special meeting to start negotiations with Charleston Battalion Chief Richard Waring of Summerville as the town's new fire chief. 

Current Fire Chief Marc Melfi announced his retirement earlier this year. Melfi will step down in November.

A committee recommended the single individual after interviewing candidates on Tuesday. The council came under fire today from its members and a citizen for its selection process. Most wanted the committee to offer more than one recommendation.

Councilmembers Kima Garten-Schmidt and Bob Jackson voted against the recommendation.

"I had a problem with the process. If I would have known we were going to do one candidate I would have been at (Tuesday's) meeting," Jackson said. "At least give council time to look at the last three or five."

Garten-Schmidt asked to see the committee members' scoring sheet. A member of the committee along with Mayor Bill Collins and Police Chief Bruce Owens, Councilman Walter Bailey said he didn't use his scoring sheet so it wouldn't be of use to council.

"I don't have my score sheet with me. I didn't actually use that to reach the opinion I reached," Bailey said. "In fact I didn't even use a score sheet."

Councilman Aaron Brown, who voted for the recommendation and also sat on the committee, said it may be time for the town to review its hiring process. 

At the Oct. 5 public safety committee meeting, Bailey said and a special committee would interview finalists on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Town staff and Owens had narrowed down the candidates for the committee to interview that day. 

"We spent an entire day Tuesday interviewing finalists," Collins said. "We had devoted a day to listening to every candidate. We had a full understanding."

The committee vote was 4-1 for Waring.

Eugene Lemieux interrupted the council from wrapping up its special meeting by requesting to speak.

Lemieux also expressed concern over the hiring process and that the public did not know the selection criteria. Bailey said that the public was not hiring the candidate, the town was.