As 2020 looms on the horizon, a request to extend the fire chief’s tenure has surfaced.
Fire Chief Ed Bradley turns 64 on April 12, and figured he would be shown the door a year later, per state law that mandates police and fire chiefs’ retirement at age 65.
He said Town Manager Melissa Arrighi asked him to stay on for another two years to help facilitate a seamless transition to a new fire chief.
The Select Board has sponsored a Special Town Meeting article that asks representatives to approve seeking a home rule petition to allow Bradley to serve the town through his 67th birthday. If approved, the move would need approval from the state Legislature as well as the governor.
“His fire expertise, overall municipal skill set, knowledge of the town, operational experience and overall excellent administration, continues to be an asset in one of the largest departments on the town side of government,” Arrighi wrote in a memo to the Select Board and the Advisory and Finance Committee.