Fri Nov 20 2009
By TODD HELBERG
Defiance's assistant fire chief will take over the top spot in his department -- at least for now -- following Chief Mark Marentette's resignation.
Marentette's decision was announced Thursday morning by city administrator Jeff Leonard, who offered no other comment.
Leonard said Marentette's duties will be taken over by assistant chief Pete Schlosser.
"Pete Schlosser is going to be in charge of the division, but I haven't had a chance to talk with him about the issues in the department," Leonard said Thursday afternoon.
The city's charter allows officials to promote a chief from within division ranks or seek one from outside. The latter provision was adopted in November 1994 through a charter amendment approved by city voters.
Although Leonard declined to comment further on Marentette's resignation, Mayor Bob Armstrong said city officials have had "disciplinary concerns with Chief Marentette that has led to his resignation."
He declined to elaborate, but said the matter was discussed during an executive session Tuesday night after city council's regular meeting. The purpose of the executive session was "employee discipline."
According to city records, officials held a "pre-disciplinary" meeting with Marentette on Oct. 27 in which several concerns were raised. City records showed that "immediate termination" of Marentette's employment would be the "only disciplinary sanction" considered if he were "found to have committed any one or more of the alleged acts of misconduct" which prompted the meeting.
Although eight allegations were made against Marentette -- who had entered into a "last chance agreement" with the city earlier this year -- he was found only to have not followed a "directive." A day later, he submitted his resignation to city officials.
Defiance County Sheriff David Westrick said Marentette had addressed concerns to the enhanced 911 center -- at the sheriff's office on Biede Avenue -- instead of Leonard. This reportedly contravened a city directive in which city safety service personnel were to make their concerns known to Leonard, who would pass them on to the sheriff.
The incident was not the first involving the city and Marentette.
He was fired by the city on Feb. 1, 2008 for insubordination due to his interaction with the media following a fire at American Ag Fuels on Jan. 3, 2008. However, the city's three-member civil service commission modified the decision on appeal, and Marentette was suspended for one month.
Contacted this morning, Marentette said, "despite the difficulties I have had in carrying out my duties as fire chief for the city, I still remain very proud of the service that the division has provided to the community during my tenure."
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