I just wanted to provide a quick update on the Police Chief appointment process, since the last public event was the Meet and Greet interviewing last month; since then, the activity's been 'behind the scenes' so I wanted to keep you in the loop.
Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to conduct police chief interviews via Zoom videoconference along with the Mayor Pro Tem (Council Member Darrah), Admin Committee Chair (Council Member deBuhr), and City Administrator (Ron Gaines). Each of those interviews lasted about an hour, and allowed for some excellent dialogue.
The next step in the process, as stated in City Code Section 2-948, is for Public Safety Director Olson to provide a recommendation to the City Administrator. The City Administrator will then provide a recommendation to me. Finally, taking into account these recommendations, I will forward my own recommendation to the City Council as part of the regular Council Agenda. While I'm waiting to receive the recommendations, I'm using the time to call references and get a better sense of the candidates, so that I can give a detailed recommendation to the City Council. As for timing -- I will send my recommendation to the City Council as soon the Special Election is concluded, which may be as soon as July 20th, or as late as August (if a Special Election run-off is needed).
Given that the selection started in February, this is a very unusually lengthy process; had the special election not been postponed by almost four months, the process would certainly be concluded by now. But I'm waiting because this Police Chief appointment is so vital to our community, that a full slate of elected council members should be in place to weigh my recommendation, ask questions, and render a decision. When the City Council made the decision in January to seat an appointed member, the understanding was that we'd have a special election, but the appointed member would vote on time-required annual items like the budget. Other major decisions would wait, and I'm following through on that understanding.
That said, I will also not make known my recommendation until after the Special Election, because I don't want the election to become a question of whether the candidate tells you they'll vote for or against my recommendation. There will be 30+ regular council meetings remaining until that person is up for re-election in November 2021, and the police chief appointment is just one of many considerations. I'll look forward to the new At-Large Council Member being part of this decision with an open mind, and the same information as the rest of the council.
I know my decision to wait until the special election concludes will be contentious for some, but my goal is to ensure that the public's will is represented fully in this important action for our city. Thank you for your patience, and for doing the work to be an informed and engaged resident.