SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — With news of City Manager Frank Rush Jr.’s resignation last month, South Lake Tahoe City Council will host a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

The meeting will start with a closed session where council members will appoint an interim city manager.

Once the closed session is over, the council will discuss fire chief and city manager recruitment.

The city has been searching for a new fire chief since February 2019. They’ve come close twice to hiring a candidate, including once where the position was accepted, but both times it has fallen through.

The city’s recruiting firm, Ralph Anderson & Associates is recommending that the city put the fire chief position on hold while finding a permanent city manager.

Interim Fire Chief Bruce Martin is willing to serve in the role until March 2020, however at that time he will reach his maximum hours. If the City hasn’t found a new chief by that time, a battalion chief may be appointed to fill the interim fire chief role.

The council will then discuss city manager recruitment. The city used the recruitment services firm Prothman to recruit Rush in 2018. Prothman had a one-year guarantee that they’ve agreed to honor.

If the council decides to enter into a new agreement with Prothman, advertising would begin in early January, a selection would ideally be made by mid-March and the candidate would begin serving in May or June of 2020.

Rush recommends using Prothman again.

The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way.