By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The village trustees voted on Tuesday to hire a full-time fire driver, but a trustee’s comments prior to the appointment drew the firefighters’ union chief’s ire.

The board voted 3-0 to hire Tyler C. Mulvenna.

Leading up to the vote, Trustee Francis Carvel asked the board to approve sending a letter to Mulvanna saying his job could be temporary, pending the outcome of ongoing negotiations between the town and fire department.

“I feel even though he may have been told this position may not be around after negotiations are done, ask the mayor to send a certified letter informing him this … may be a temporary job,” Carvel said.

The board then went into a brief executive session at Mayor Tim Currier’s request. Trustee Matt Lebire made a motion to enter closed doors, followed by a second from Trustee Tim Ahlfeld. Neither explicitly stated the reason. Due to the timing, it appeared to be to discuss Carvel’s notion.

The board returned to the room and voted 3-0 to hire Mulvenna without sending the letter. Trustee Albert Deshaies was excused from the meeting.

Firefighters’ union President Walter Bean told Carvel he took the letter proposal as a gesture of “bargaining in bad faith.”

“Why is the board taking a position now that the board has decided … if someone else that gets hired is going to be laid off?” Bean said. “You were ordered by the court to abide by this contract … I don’t think it’s right what Mr. Carvel said.”

Last month, Currier said the firefighters and the village went before an arbitrator to settle a dispute over full-time fire department staff levels. He said the arbitrator ruled that the village had to live up to a deal of keeping eight union members and a foreman hired at all times.

Prior to the vote, fire department Foreman Ken McGowan mentioned that the village won’t have to pay to train Mulvenna.

“He completed professional training on his own, there’s no need to send him to fire academy,” McGowan said. “I think he’s be a great add to our department.”

He said Mulvenna’s certifications include firefighter, code inspection and enforcement, emergency medical technician (EMT), hazardous materials and water rescue.

“He stood out above everybody else,” McGowan said.