Sanbornton will hold off on hiring fire chief for awhile

Because a petitioned warrant article voters will consider in May could change the town’s fire chief position from a full-time job to a part-time one, the Board of Selectmen has decided to hold off on hiring a new chief.

At last night’s Select-board meeting in the town office, Selectmen Steve Ober, who is on a committee that’s been looking for a new chief, reported that the group was recommending the selectmen holding off on hiring the new chief until after the fate of the petitioned article is determined.

“And I have to tell you I met with the membership of the Sanbornton Fire Department and the fire department is not happy with that approach. And I can feel with them,” said Ober, who is a professional firefighter with the Laconia Fire Department. He did not elaborate on the Sanbornton staff response.

The five-man search committee consists of Sanbornton Deputy Chief Stephen Surowiec, Sanbornton Firefighter Gary Courtney, Tilton/Northfield Fire Chief Steve Carrier, Franklin Fire Chief Scott Clarenback and Ober, who is serving as the selectmen’s representative on the group.

Ober said the committee members met Monday night and decided that hiring a new chief under the uncertain employment circumstances the petition presented would be unfair to the person and to the town, he said.

Sanbornton was served by a part-time fire chief for many years. Then several years ago, voters decided to go with a full-time chief. The position became controversial last year when former chief Jerry Busby was openly criticized at a public meeting for his management style. Not long afterwards, Busby resigned.

Since that time, Deputy Chiefs Scott Taylor and Surowiec have been leading the department.

Not long after Busby left, several citizens submitted the article that would take the town back to the old way of doing things. The change would take effect immediately.

Select-board Chairman Pasty Wells said that the change in the selection process would mean that the job would have to re-posted after the election. Some time ago, town officials indicated that they had received more than 15 applicants for the originally posted (full-time) position with most of them coming from New Hampshire. Deputy Chief Surowiec is one of the applicants.

Chairman Wells said the board had narrowed the applicants down to three candidates before learning of the search committee’s recommendation to hold off on the hiring recently.