Edgewater Public Safety Head Resigns During Investigation

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Edgewater, FL - A city already reeling from the surprise firing of its longtime manager during a public meeting now sees the man in charge of its police and fire departments hand in his resignation.

Dave Arcieri - Edgewater's Public Safety Director - was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this week as part of an internal investigation, according to a memorandum sent to City Council members and department leaders by Interim City Manager Brenda Dewees.

Edgewater Police Department Captain Joe Mahoney has been named the Interim Police Chief in the meantime, while Edgewater Fire Department Division Chief Jeff Lariscy will fill in as Interim Fire Chief.

Arcieri - who was initially hired at EPD in 1994 and became its Chief in 2011 - added EFD to his supervisory duties last fall after former EFD Chief Steve Cousins resigned in the wake of the firing and rehiring of a firefighter.

Click here for more details regarding the complaint made against Arcieri.

All this comes nearly three weeks after Edgewater City Manager Tracey Barlow was unexpectedly terminated during an Edgewater City Council meeting, a topic which was not on the meeting agenda and which led to protests and calls for investigation from some of the hundreds of people who packed the chambers during the most recent ECC meeting earlier this week.

Barlow's surprise dismissal came October 26th while the ECC was at a special meeting to discuss the benefits for a terminated police officer. ECC District 4 member Gary Conroy called for Barlow's termination and no public discussion was allowed after Conroy's motion was seconded by District 3's Megan O'Keefe.

Conroy, O'Keefe and District 2's Amy Vogt voted to remove Barlow, while Mayor Mike Ignasiak and District 1's Christine Power voted to keep him.

Ignasiak - who said afterward that he would refuse to stay as mayor and then walked it back - has since lost his position to Mike Thomas in last week's midterm election, while Power's race against Rocky Dorcy is one of three Volusia County races currently under recount.

Because he was terminated without an official cause, Barlow - who had worked for the city in various roles for over 30 years, including fire chief - is now owed around $169,000 in an agreement which was approved 4-1 by the ECC earlier this week, with Conroy the lone vote against.

Dewees - the city's Environmental Services Director - was named as the interim city manager while the city searches for Barlow's permanent replacement.

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