By Thomas Saccente
The Times Record
BARLING, Ark. — The Barling Board of Directors dismissed the city’s fire chief Tuesday.
The board held an executive session at the end of its regular meeting Tuesday to discuss a personnel matter. Afterward, the board publicly voted to terminate Fire Chief Lewis Haggard’s employment with Barling effective immediately. The motion stated Haggard was to be fired with just cause; however, Barling City Attorney Matt Ketcham said the city is unable to discuss the specifics behind the decision.
"(Haggard has) got a lawyer, he’s lawyered up; they have threatened litigation, so we’d rather not go into the reasons why he was terminated,” Ketcham said.
Barling City Administrator Mike Tanner said a replacement for Haggard has yet to be determined.
Prior to the executive session, the board discussed a recent bid to purchase the Barling Fire Department’s 2011 Ford F-350 regular cab chassis. Tanner said the bid came from Terry Brown in the amount of $18,000, but the city will have to wait before deciding whether or not to accept it.
“We have to have a certain time on this website, for it run out before I can sell (the vehicle) to an individual,” Tanner said. "... I’ve got just a few days left for it to run out.”
Tanner said it is important for the Fire Department to rid itself of the vehicle.
”... We’ve got a brush truck,” Tanner said. “That was the old brush truck. We’re trying to get rid of it.”
The board will next meet Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m.
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