Boxborough Select Board unanimously appoints Chelmsford captain as next fire chief

BOXBOROUGH — June 10, 2024 — Boxborough Select Board taps Chelmsford fire captain as next fire chief and clears path to Green Community funds. The board voted unanimously Monday night to appoint John Kivlin, a 26-year Chelmsford Fire Department veteran and hazmat team leader, as the town's next fire chief, contingent on contract negotiations and background checks. The choice followed back-to-back 30-minute interviews with three finalists drawn from a 16-applicant field that included a nine-hour assessment center run by retired chief Jack Paro and four colleagues. In a separate unanimous vote, the board adopted a fuel-efficient vehicle policy and energy reduction plan that will qualify Boxborough for an estimated $130,000 in immediate state designation grants and up to $225,000 annually thereafter through the Department of Energy Resources Green Communities program. The board also accepted a $4,700 student fire education grant and a $2,200 senior fire education grant from the state Department of Fire Services, introduced volunteer police chaplain Father Theodore Barbas, and voted 4-0-1 to require a Finance Committee voting seat on the new fire station building committee, for which a public application process will launch this week.