Carver Select Board Plans February Vote to Appoint New Fire Chief

CARVER — January 20, 2026 — Carver Select Board moves toward fast-track appointment of Deputy Fire Chief Eric Germain to succeed retiring Chief William West. West, who has served nearly 38 years with the department and close to 21 as chief, told the board Tuesday that Germain — his deputy for 20 years and a 35-year department veteran — holds the Fire Service Commission of Massachusetts's official chief credentialing certification and is "fully prepared and more than ready." Chair John Cotter said the board will place a vote on the appointment on its February 3 agenda, bypassing the formal outside search used in the recent police chief hire. In a joint session with the Finance Committee, Finance Director Karen Preval flagged a projected $10,000 overrun in the firefighter LOSAP stipend line and warned that the North Carver Water District's roughly $150,000 remaining budget may prove insufficient once overdue water invoices from Middleborough arrive and a new $109,000 DEP-mandated engineering contract begins drawing down; town counsel has advised the town could be responsible for contracts the district signed before its legislative dissolution is complete. The board unanimously approved a $10-per-hour rate increase for town counsel KP Law, raising the standard rate to $265 per hour, while holding the legal budget level at approximately $140,000.