June 3, 2021 at 11:08 a.m.
PFC selects new police captain, interim fire chief, assistant chief
PFC selects new police captain, interim fire chief, assistant chief
Pending Common Council approval of their respective wage and benefit packages, Det. Sgt. Josh Chiamulera will fill the Rhinelander Police Department captain position that has been vacant since Ron Lueneberg retired last year while Josh Schmitz and Dan Bauer will serve as interim fire chief and interim assistant chief respectively.
The announcements came following a closed session of the commission May 21, according to chairman Todd McEldowney.
The PFC could not immediately fill the vacant captain position because Lueneberg accumulated benefits, that were paid out after he retired, that counted against the 2020 budget until December.
McEldowney said that there were 16 applicants for the position.
"At one point we had four (finalists), and then we had two that were promoted within their departments," he said. "Then, at the last minute, the second candidate decided he had a training course that was more important than coming to our interviews."
He said the members of the PFC were happy with Chiamulera's qualifications as a finalist.
"So we interviewed him, just to confirm that he was, in fact, a viable candidate, and then made our decision accordingly," McEldowney said.
Chiamulera's move up the ranks leaves a critical vacancy in the investigations branch of the department, one that hopefully won't be empty for long, McEldowney noted.
"We want to get it filled as quick as possible. So as soon as Josh is in (as captain), we're going to take the next step to fill his (detective) position," he said. "Promote from within and then hire another candidate from without as a patrol officer."
Over on the fire side of the public safety department, interim fire chief Tom Waydick's last day is June 4, and as with the captain's vacancy in the RPD, the lingering effects of former chief Terry William's salary on the 2021 fire department budget has delayed naming a permanent replacement.
Williams' last day was in February while Waydick announced his own retirement near the conclusion of the April 6 plan commission meeting.
Because the city is still paying out Williams' vacation, sick leave and other benefits via the fire department budget, the police and fire commission has been unable to immediately hire a new chief.
Due to expenditure restraints, the city cannot pay out those benefits and pay a new person to serve as fire chief at the same time, city officials have repeatedly stressed.
Expenditure restraints is a state program overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue that is designed to provide an incentive to municipalities that limit growth in spending, and thus keep tax rates low. It does this by establishing an allowable percentage a municipality's budget can increase next year, and provides a payment each year to those who keep their budget increases below that percentage.
By the end of April, the PFC appointed Schmitz to the position of interim fire chief and Bauer to interim assistant chief. These moves were based on their seniority with the department.
Like in the police department, McEldowney said it is hoped that promotion from within would eventually leave the commission with having to fill one or two entry level firefighter positions.
The salary and benefits packages for the three men must be approved by the common council before the promotions become official. The council's next scheduled meeting is June 14.
McEldowney said the process to permanently fill the positions will begin immediately, with Schmitz and Bauer eligible to apply.
As for where the budget stands on filling the top two leadership spots in the fire department, "I do believe that has been taken care of," McEldowney said.
Jamie Taylor may be reached via email at [email protected].
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