Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik has decided not to conduct a candidate search to replace longtime Fire Chief Fred Friedl. On Monday, Kovarik will appoint John Kavanagh to the top job, according to the published board meeting agenda.
Kovarik initially said the village would conduct a search to fill the job. In June, Kavanagh was asked to lead the department during a search for a full-time chief.
Whether Kavanagh’s promotion happens Monday depends on the consent of the village board. In June, the board unanimously approved his appointment to be acting chief. If the appointment is approved by the village board, Kavanagh will be the seventh fire chief in the department’s history, which dates to 1930.
In June, the Daily Herald obtained hundreds of pages of village documents and emails, through a Freedom of Information Act request for material possibly related to Friedl’s departure. The documents included Friedl’s resignation letter, which he sent on June 1, two days after he met with Kovarik, Village Administrator Pat Muetz, and Human Resources Director Christine Palmieri.
“Given the choices presented before me ‘Forced Retirement or Termination’, I dutifully submit to ‘Forced Retirement,'” Friedl wrote.
Kovarik disputes Friedl’s description of the May 30 meeting. She said she and the administrators went to his office about 7:30 a.m. that day and she informed him he was released from duty immediately.
Six days later, Kovarik recommended to the village board that Kavanagh, who was deputy chief at the time, be named acting fire chief.
The documents received by the Daily Herald contained no indication Friedl had been recently disciplined, nor were there outstanding complaints against him.
thanks Dan
