McCleary citizens raised their voices in another contentious city council meeting Wednesday evening as the city works to move through its IT issues and to settle the issue of the fire chief position.

Former Fire Chief Paul Nott retired recently after decades with the McCleary Fire Department, with interim Fire Chief Andrew Pittman filling in the position.

Members of the public expressed concerns over Nott, who, along with several other long-term members of the department who recently retired, represented a core of volunteer firefighters who worked city jobs, increasing the odds they were close at hand in an emergency.

Pittman is currently serving as interim chief, pending confirmation by Mayor Chris Miller. Residents said Miller’s failure to confirm Pittman is driving a wedge between the mayor and the fire department.

“I think it’s an exercise of power. I think it’s holding on to the last things you have power over,” said Monica Reeves during the public comment period. “It’s just flexing muscle I frankly don’t think we have the capacity to do that now.”

City council members also expressed their desire to sort the issue out and move on, saying that Pittman had the support of the council, the department and the community.

“I’ll say it till I’m blue in the face,” said Councilor Brycen Huff. “We need to move forward on the new fire chief.”

Residents also expressed concerns about the proposed IT fix, which would have a city employee work both for the city and as a subcontractor for an outside IT vendor when working on IT issues.

“I recognize the situation is not ideal. The goal is to make this as affordable as possible,” said Public Works Director Chad Bedlington. “But we’re rapidly running out of options.”

Reeves expressed concerns about how having an employee that both worked as a city employee and a subcontractor for an outside entity would work, saying that she wished it had been a little better thought out.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.