ROYALSTON – The Selectboard is considering next steps following the resignation of Police Chief Steven Flis, just a week after he was sworn in.
At the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, April 7, it was announced that Flis had unexpectedly tendered his resignation that same day, effective immediately. He was sworn in on March 31 as Royalston’s first full-time police chief.
“We’re moving on and deliberating our course of action from here,” said Selectboard Chair Bill Chapman, who noted that Flis had resigned via email.
Chapman said he was unsure of Flis’s reasons for leaving.
“I don’t want to pry,” he said. “We’re just looking to forge ahead and do what is best for the town.”
Reached via phone, Flis said that, “Ultimately, it was a family decision. We didn’t feel it was going to work for our family.”
Chapman said the board may discuss the next steps for replacing Flis at its meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Chief Curtis Deveneau, who was set to retire, will continue overseeing the department as part-time chief, a position he has held for the past 30 years.
“We’re checking with town counsel on how best to proceed,” Chapman said.
Flis took the oath of office on March 31 in front of a crowd of well-wishers, including town officials, family members, and officers from Royalston and surrounding departments.
Last September, Royalston voters approved a Proposition 2 ½ override of $173,000 to hire a full-time police chief and one full-time officer. Flis was chosen from 12 applicants for the position. He has been with the Templeton Police Department for the last 23 years.