The Southern Marin Fire Protection District's seven-member board will vote Wednesday, July 22, to authorize negotiations with a candidate for the permanent Fire Chief position, advancing a search that began publicly in March.

Board President Clifford Waldeck of Mill Valley and Director Ashley Raveche would serve as the district's labor negotiators if the motion passes, according to the meeting agenda. The board will then enter closed session to formally consider the appointment under state law. The candidate's name has not been made public.

The decision affects the agency that protects about 39,900 residents across Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tamalpais Valley, Strawberry, and roughly a quarter of Tiburon.

A search months in the making

The recruitment kicked off at the board's March 25 meeting, when consultant Jean Bonander of Finesse the Future presented a draft job description and facilitated public comment on the qualifications the next chief should hold. By the May 27 meeting, the board's agenda included an interim employment agreement with Tom Welch, suggesting the district has operated under temporary leadership during the permanent search.

The district has been without a permanent chief since Christian Tubbs' departure earlier this year. The board approved a salary increase and merit bonus for Tubbs at its January 28 meeting; the circumstances of his exit have not been publicly announced.

Closed session and litigation

Beyond the chief appointment, the board plans to address two litigation matters in closed session: a compensation dispute and a separate personnel matter, each representing potential cases under state law.

How to attend

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at 28 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 2800, Sausalito. Members of the public may address the board on any agenda item, limited to three minutes per speaker. Residents with disabilities may request accommodations by calling 415-388-8182 at least five working days in advance.

The meeting opens with a moment of silence for Deputy Chief Jeffrey V. Powers, a Mill Valley native and 23-year veteran who died of cardiac arrest on duty at the district's Sausalito station on June 26, 2008.

At Powers' funeral in July 2008, Southern Marin fire Chaplain Doug Huneke of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tiburon told mourners: "Jeff would probably have little tolerance for such somberness. He would tell us — live your lives out loud and proud."

Coming up: The board's next regular meeting is Wednesday, August 26, at 6 p.m. at the same location.