The Danville Board of Fire and Police Commissioners have approved the appointment of a new interim Director of Public Safety. But questions have arisen about the appointment of Commander Chris Yates to temporarily replace retiring Director Larry Thomason.
Commission chairwoman Linda Bolton says her panel was following local ordinances and acting at the direction of Mayor Rickey Williams to fill the post. But some Danville City Council members claim they are the ones who should be concurring in the Mayor’s recommendation. Alderman Mike Puhr is one of those speaking out on the appointment…
In addition, the vote by the Fire and Police Commissioners was taken in what was scheduled as a public meeting…but the public was unintentionally locked out of the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building where the meeting occurred. It is because the meeting took place over the noon hour, and every day the doors at the building are locked while employees go to lunch.
Thomason retires from the Public Safety Director’s position on Friday after serving on the Danville Police Department for forty-nine years.
The appointment of Yates as the new interim director is limited to 60 days.
