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In an effort to draw in some more applicants, the City of Powell is extending its search for a new police chief.
The application period was set to close Wednesday. However, with only about a …
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In an effort to draw in some more applicants, the City of Powell is extending its search for a new police chief.
The application period was set to close Wednesday. However, with only about a dozen applications in hand on Monday, the deadline has now been pushed to the end of the month.
“I don’t want to hurry the process,” City Administrator Zack Thorington said at Monday’s council meeting, adding that, “we want to do it right.”
The city has hired a private consultant, KRW Associates, to help find a replacement for former Chief Roy Eckerdt, who retired at the end of December. The Colorado Springs, Colorado-based firm assisted with drafting a job description and posting it in various publications in early January. Thorington said the firm recommended allowing more time in an effort to get at least 20 candidates.
“It gives you a little bit bigger base to start with, because you really do cut it [the field] down,” Thorington explained at Monday’s council meeting, “and if you only have a dozen, you may only end up with a couple [potential finalists].”
KRW will sort all of the applicants into different tiers, and hopes to have enough for the city to pick 10 to 12 semifinalists to be vetted in greater detail.
Under the original timeline, city leaders were slated to interview their top few contenders late this month, but applications are now being accepted through 5 p.m. on Feb. 29.
In the meantime, Thorington said he told KRW that “we’re doing fine with Lt. [Matt McCaslin] in charge” of the police department.
Councilman Floyd Young welcomed the deliberate approach to the hiring process, calling it “a good thing.”
KRW is being paid $19,500 for its assistance. That cost wasn’t in the city’s original budget for this year, but Thorington indicated it will be offset by the money that’s being saved while the chief’s position remains vacant.
Among other attributes, the city says it’s seeking a police chief who “understands and appreciates the significance of a small-town, rural lifestyle” and has at least eight years of experience in law enforcement and five years of service as a supervisor. The listed salary range is $79,331 to $117,395.
