A Colorado man will replace Brent Argyle as chief of the South Davis Fire District.
John W. Speed, Aurora, Colo., will take over the 100-member department March 1, replacing Argyle, who was forced to resign in December.Argyle served as chief for 13 years and was paid about $39,000 a year. Speed will make $44,500 a year.
"That's what he wanted, and we decided to give it to him," said David Wright, district board member and Woods Cross mayor.
Speed, 57, was chief of the 300-member Aurora fire department for 12 years before retiring to open a consulting business. He also served as chief of a fire department in the L.A. area.
The announcement still leaves several questions unanswered about Argyle's sudden resignation and current status. The board says he remains an employee but has not specified at what salary or position.
"That's up in the air. The new chief will determine what Brent's situation will be," Wright said.
Meanwhile, Argyle is taking vacation and sick time. He has not been to a district fire station since early January, sources said.
Board members have released little information about why they asked Argyle to resign, saying only that they wanted the district to take "a new direction." A monthlong investigation preceding their action did not reveal any criminal or moral misconduct on Argyle's part.
The board also has refused to release a summary of the the investigation, arguing that Utah's Open Meeting law allows them to seal the document because it is a synopsis of an oral report given in a closed meeting.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Gil Garcia wrote the summary after investigating reports of sexual harassment at the district. The reports were not related to Argyle.
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