By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
BELHAVEN — Jimmy Davis will remain as chief of the Belhaven Volunteer Fire Department for at least three more months.
Davis was hired as a independent contractor, charged with overseeing improvements to the fire department, by the Town Council at its Nov. 23, 2009 meeting. That contract came after the council relieved former Chief Derrick Myers of his duties.
Davis’ initial contract, which was set to expire March 22, the day of the council’s next meeting, pays him $5,000 a month for four months. With the extension, that monthly salary will be retained during the three-month contract extension.
The council’s decision to extend Davis’ contract came following a request to do so by Capt. Ricky Radcliffe with the fire department.
“We would really like to keep Jimmy a little longer. We would hate to lose him at this time,” Radcliffe, representing the fire department, told the council at its meeting Monday night.
Mayor Adam O’Neal said he is concerned about the cost of keeping Davis on for three more months.
“I understand, being a business man, the way things are,” Radcliffe said.
Councilman Steve Carawan said the fire department had shown marked improvement since Davis took over, making an extension worth considering.
“I’m a supporter of letting Jimmy stay longer,” Carawan told the council and Radcliffe, adding that since Davis was put in charge, communication between the department and council has improved.
Councilmen Nelson Guy and Robert Stanley said they would like to discuss the extension further. At the suggestion of Guy, the council went into closed session after the regular meeting was over. The council emerged after about 20 minutes with the decision.
“I make a motion to hire this rascal for another three months,” Guy said, addressing the council.
In other news, Davis reported on the department’s training sessions and its standard-operating-procedures booklet.
“(The department) didn’t have a lot of standard operating procedures,” Davis told the council.
He said the department is in the midst of 10 training classes for firefighters.
“We have about 100 hours of training to go,” he said.
Davis said firefighters have received more training in the past two months than they had all of last year.
“They have stepped up to the plate,” he said.
To recognize their hard work and commitment, Davis asked all of the department’s members participating in the training classes to stand up before the council.
“These people deserve a big round of applause for contributing to Belhaven,” he said.
Marty Overholt, the town’s code-enforcement officer, said renovations to the fire station are coming along.
“The amenities are where we’re at,” he said.
Guy asked Overholt how long it would be before renovations were completed.
“I believe it will be another month if we stop at the firewalls,” Overholt said.
Guy seemed surprised by Overholt’s estimate, and said, “I thought we were talking about updating the whole building.”
Overholt said that any renovation work beyond the firewalls would take at least two more months.
The council authorized the town to write an $8,000 check to the Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce. The motion was made following a funds request by chamber representative Gloria Rogers at the council’s last meeting. Rogers said the money will help the chamber hire a new executive director.
“I hope the chamber is fully aware there’s a magnifying glass on them,” Carawan said following council’s action.
O’Neal suggested that the chamber coordinate Belhaven’s annual Fourth of July celebration as a fundraiser for the chamber.
“The chamber needs to get into that business,” he said.