Wanted: Chief, Firefighters for New Calif. Fire Department

 Recruitment for a chief and nine firefighters to staff a new city-run Marysville fire department can begin following City Council approval of job descriptions for the positions.

Council members voted Tuesday to approve the descriptions for staff of the new department that will replace CalFire no later than June 2015. It was the third vote in recent months on the job specifications, the council having twice before opposed them.

Tuesday's approval came with no discussion. The job specifications were included on the council's consent agenda, which consists of items considered to be routine and approved en masse.

Mayor Ricky Samayoa was joined by Jim Kitchen, Chris Pedigo and Dale Whitmore in approving the consent agenda. Councilman Michael Selvidge, who has opposed dropping CalFire, voted in opposition.

The vote came after the council last month decided to follow through on its initial move to end its contract with CalFire, rejecting a proposal by Selvidge to reconsider the matter.

Two previous 3-2 council votes against the job descriptions effectively blocked recruitment for positions in the new department. Pedigo and Whitmore switched earlier "no" votes.

City Manager Walter Munchheimer earlier said the first order of business would be to find a chief to take over the department and to be the point-person in setting it up. Since the city already owns equipment at the station, it only has to deal with hiring new staff.

Munchheimer earlier presented a report showing it would cost the city $1.7 million a year for fire service in 2016-17 if it stayed with CalFire. Munchheimer has estimated it would cost $1.4 million a year to run a new city department.

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©2014 the Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, Calif.)

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