Alpena Township creates advisory committee for fire chief search
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ALPENA - The Alpena Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to establish a temporary advisory committee to guide the search for a new fire chief as current Chief Tim Baker prepares to leave the position at the end of the month.
The resolution to create the Temporary Fire Chief Search Advisory Committee was adopted at the board's special meeting, held Wednesday afternoon at the township hall. Clerk Michele Palevich made the motion, seconded by Trustee Steve Lappan. All board members voted yes, and Supervisor Abbi Kaszubowski declared the resolution adopted.
Baker, hired from the Lansing area and sworn in Dec. 1, 2024, in his first role as fire chief, notified trustees he would not renew his contract. His last day is Nov. 30. The resolution states he is leaving due to personal and family obligations. In September, the board accepted his non-renewal letter and approved advertising for a successor. He replaced former Chief Mark Hansen, who also declined to extend his contract in 2024.
According to Trustee Steve Lappan, attorneys advised the board that forming a dedicated advisory committee is the best way to navigate the state statutes.
"The committee's sole purpose would be to receive and review applicants, interview candidates chosen, and score the applicants," Lappan said. "Once that process is completed, the committee will submit their results to the board for final consideration."
The committee's purpose is to receive and review applications and supporting materials, evaluate candidates' qualifications, experience, certifications, leadership abilities and other factors, conduct interviews of selected candidates, and prepare findings and recommendations for the township board. The resolution describes the goal as an orderly and professional search to identify qualified candidates.
Membership will include the township supervisor, the township clerk, one township trustee appointed by the board, and the current fire chief serving in an advisory capacity. Baker will therefore take part in the process to find his replacement.
The committee is advisory only. It cannot hire or appoint a fire chief, enter into any employment agreement, commit township funds, establish township policy, or make any final decision for the board. It must submit a written report and recommendation, but that recommendation is not binding. The board may accept, reject, modify, or take no action on it.
"The committee will advise the board, and the board will make the final decision," Lappan said. "It is a temporary committee for the sole purpose of advising the board as it relates to the hiring of a new fire chief. Once a new chief is hired the committee dissolves."
The resolution states the committee will automatically dissolve upon the appointment of a new fire chief or upon further board action, whichever comes first. Final appointment authority belongs solely to the Board of Trustees, which must act at a duly noticed public meeting. All work must follow applicable Michigan law and township policies.
Baker, an Air Force veteran and former training chief at Lansing Community College's regional fire training center, previously worked as a structural firefighter and fought wildfires with the U.S. Forest Service. During his nearly two-year tenure, the Alpena Township Fire Department dealt with staffing shortages, slow hiring, funding pressures, and a planned partial brownout at the northside station that was later canceled. He pushed for more full-time and paid-on-call personnel, shift-coverage improvements, a medical license upgrade from Medical First Responder to Basic Life Support approved in June, and longer-term planning.
With Baker's departure less than three weeks away, the temporary committee advances the search the board authorized in September. It keeps final authority with the elected board while a focused group, including the outgoing chief, reviews candidates and offers recommendations ahead of any public appointment vote. The structure is intended to maintain continuity for fire department operations as Alpena Township fills the position.
Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.