Panel to help pick chief
Staff writers
A four-member panel will help select a new fire chief for Marion.
Former chief Chris Killough resigned Sept. 5 and was replaced Sept. 8 on an interim basis by former Florence fire chief Mark Slater.
Mayor Mike Powers said Monday that when Killough resigned Sept. 5, he asked him to delay leaving until Sept. 8 so the city was not left without a chief over the weekend of Sept. 6 and 7.
Powers contacted City Administrator Brian Wells and asked him to contact Slater to see if he would serve as interim chief.
Powers apparently was reluctant to rely on any assistant chiefs or other offices to temporarily fill in.
“He was the only one I know of in the department with fire chief experience,” Powers said.
Preston Williams briefly was chief in 2021, but then-mayor David Mayfield demanded that he resign for unspecified reasons. Killough replaced Williams after retired chief Mike Regnier briefly returned as interim chief.
The panel will include Regnier, council member Kevin Burkholder, and Wells. County emergency manager Marcy Hostetler also will be asked to serve.
“In any event, we hope to have a plan in the next month or so,” Powers said.
Wells later said meetings would be held with the department’s 16 firefighters to “dive into” the basis of discontent in the department, assess the situation and seek feedback.
The opening will be posted on the city website and social media.
Wells told council members a candidate for economic development director was interviewed last week and another is scheduled to be interviewed this week.
Police chief Aaron Slater said he was advertising on two law enforcement sites to fill a vacancy and that he had appointed officer Dustin Woodford assistant chief.
Brad Bartel, chairman of Marion Economic Development Inc., asked council members for $4,150 from transient guest tax funds to support downtown merchants’ Holly Jolly Christmas event.
The money, which was granted by the council, includes $2,500 for marketing, $1,100 for a petting farm and camels, and $550 for downtown music and parade prizes.
Specific spending plans include $925 for a billboard in Walton, $25 to create a web address, $500 for 1,000 flyers, $50 for 50 posters, $200 for three big schedule posters, $150 for 700 pocket schedules, $200 for social media postings, $300 to hire elves to hand out schedules, $500 to hire a petting zoo, $600 to hire camels, and $550 for a local “volunteer” to play music and provide prizes for a parade.
“It’s all outlined really well,” council member Tim Baxa said.
Council members also approved closing the 100 block of S. 4th St. for events and vendors during the day and the 300 block of Main St. for a dance for Falloween Oct. 25.
Bartel told the council MEDI had approved an additional $1,000 from the transient guest tax to promote Falloween.
Council members also were briefed on progress with demolition of buildings previously condemned, and they debated how residents of N. Coble St. might be able to get to their homes during street repairs the council signed off on.
“I think we ought to have a plan as opposed to ‘we’ll figure it out as we go’” Powers said.
EBH engineer Darrin Neufeld attempted to reassure Powers that disruption would be minimized.