CLEARVIEW — Commissioners at Snohomish County Fire District 7 in Clearview haven’t decided who will be the district’s next chief.
Former assistant fire chief Gary Meek has been serving as interim chief since longtime former fire chief Rick Eastman retired in April.
Eastman agreed to retire early as part of a $325,000 settlement after he and the fire commissioners came to an impasse over the district’s future.
It is unclear if Eastman also is receiving his state pension on top of the settlement.
Eastman is eligible for his state pension, but the district doesn’t play a role in pension supervision, district spokeswoman Autumn Waite said.
The district has been waiting to decide how it will pay Eastman for cashed-out leave time, according to the commissioners’ meeting minutes from May. Meek is expected to remain interim chief at least until the end of June. He and at least one other person are being considered for the post on a full-time basis, the minutes show.
The district also has been considering hiring an outside consultant to help the commissioners with their communication problems. A decision on whether to hire a consultant hasn’t been made yet, Waite said. A report on the idea is expected out Thursday.
Meanwhile, the fire district is negotiating with the city of Mill Creek over staffing at Fire Station 76 on 153rd Street SE. The city contracts with the district for fire protection service.
Officials with the city and the fire district have declined to comment while negotiations are under way. Those talks are expected to take several more weeks.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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