ORDER-2018-156 : Appointment of Fire Capt. Ed Collina to Chief of the Melrose Fire Department, effective April 27, 2018

Transcript (~7 min @ 46:53)

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▶ 46:54 Speaker 2: we'll move to the calendar order 2018 dash 156 appointment of fire captain ed kalina to chief of the Melrose fire department effective April 27th 2018

▶ 47:06 Michael P. Zwirko: this came from the Appropriations Committee with a motion for passage second motion for passage is made by alderman lemmerman it's been seconded by alderman Mortimer on discussion alderman Forbes Thank You mr. president

▶ 47:23 Scott M. Forbes: it has been a lot of turnover in this city over the past several months as new members of our school committee and members of our board of aldermen went through their election cycles we've seen a resignation and an appointment for the office of the mayor we've hired a new veteran service officer hired a new alderman for Ward five it's sitting right here to my right and we're also tonight discussing the appointment of a new fire chief transparency and accountability are the two things we need to remind ourselves as we go through these transitions this administration and this board needs to make every effort to ensure that we get things right in terms of the process paramount we have to measure twice before we cut which brings us to the order before us I will not be supporting the appointment of Captain Kalina as fire chief for the Melrose Fire Department I'm not voting against the person I'm voting against the process I feel this administration did not make every effort to ensure we got things right during the selection process I have concerns that none of the candidates were asked a single question by anybody with firefighting experience why didn't we do that whether we talk

▶ 48:34 Scott M. Forbes: about an internal hire or an external hire if it's an internal promotion the process needs to be the same it needs to be uniform and in our last search for a fire chief six years ago there was a selection committee we brought in former chiefs people that have lived the job people that know the job asking those tough questions that only they know how to ask I can't answer those I can't ask those questions on a firefighting experience the Human Resources Department cannot ask those questions they don't have firefighting experience so for me it makes perfect sense to bring in the people that do have those years of training to ask those critical questions operational questions tactical questions putting people in scenarios and see how they respond now we did that the last last time but we didn't do it this time around and I don't understand why I have concerns that the firefighters union requested to be a part of the interview process in an observation capacity only not to ask questions not to make comments just to observe and that request was denied why deny such a

▶ 49:45 Scott M. Forbes: request you must have union representation during the interview process because it's the only way to ensure that each interview was done in the same fashion again accountability and transparency making sure that the length of each interview was consistent that the line of questioning was con was the same there was equal amount of time given to each candidate to respond and so on and so on a union presence allows everyone to know that each candidate was given the same chance as their peers that's what it's all about and again we did this six years ago with chief leary who was an internal hire but we chose not to do so this time around

▶ 50:24 Scott M. Forbes: why am i saying all this look the fire chief for the city of melrose is a top five position in the city it's a critical hire it's a generational hire and this administration has a responsibility to perform all of its due diligence during the selection process to be accountable and to be transparent and you know what if we simply followed the standard and in the model that was put forth in 2012, I wouldn't be having this conversation tonight. So again, I'm not voting against the person, I'm voting against the process. I think we need to be better than this. And if any of these candidates were being considered tonight, I would be voting the same way. So thank you, Mr. President.

▶ 51:08 Speaker 1: Thank you, Alderman Forbes. Any other aldermen on discussion? Alderman Wright.

▶ 51:15 Francis X. Wright Jr.: Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate Alderman Forbes comments. However, I intend to support this appointment for a couple of reasons.

▶ 51:28 Francis X. Wright Jr.: One, the appointment of department heads is an executive function under our charter. It is a mayoral responsibility, just as confirmation of those appointments belongs to this board. um i have talked to the mayor she came before us she explained to us that she consulted with chief larry and chief o'brien um she's not the mayor who was upstairs in the mayoral seat in 2012 she has a right to establish her own process like it or not all that said I know Ed Kalina I've known him for many many years I've known him through his

▶ 52:15 Francis X. Wright Jr.: position on the fire department that's the only way I know and I've always known him to be a very good firefighter a leader in that department and I respect them so going forward today tonight I should say, I intend to support Ed Kalina for firefighter. That is our choice, up or down on Ed Kalina. We don't have a say in whether it should have been Ed Kalina or anyone else. As Alderman Forbes noted, he wouldn't support anyone tonight. But what we are called to do under our charter is to vote up or down on Captain Kalina,

▶ 53:00 Francis X. Wright Jr.: Not to consider who else was part of the process, but strictly whether or not we believe that Captain Kaliner is an appropriate candidate for chief, as selected by the mayor, the executive of this city.

▶ 53:16 Speaker 8: Thank you.

▶ 53:18 Speaker 1: Thank you, Alderman Wright. Any other aldermen wishing to speak on this?

▶ 53:23 Michael P. Zwirko: motion on the floor made by alderman lemmerman to motion for passage of this order at this time