During this week’s executive committee meeting, the Milton City Council is beginning the process of filling a void left by retiring Police Chief Greg Brand. The council voted to approve entering a program to help find a new police chief while establishing who would oversee the law enforcement department in a interim basis.
During Monday’s meeting, Administration Committee Chair Grady Hester sought the executive committee’s authorization to proceed in a program with the Florida Police Chiefs Association, which would assist the city in hiring a new police chief.
In addition to questioning whether the city should spend an estimated $11,000 on the program, Council Member Alan Lowery was the lone council member to vote against the motion.
“I just don’t believe we should be spending $11,000 when we could do this in house,” said Lowery. “I’m the only vote against it and I think we should look within. We have the experience needed for the job.”
While Lowery was against spending the amount, City Manager Brian Watkins suggested the program is worthwhile.
“The program will help us establish the criteria, make sure the position description criteria and job duties are all as they should be. They will advertise and conduct a search, review any resumes that come back and help us to work them down to a workable number,” Watkins said. “I think that this is a good valid program and I like the layout that they have. I have talked to them about it and I think it would be the best thing for the city.”
The FPCA has a Selection, Training, Assessment Recruitment and Support program (STARS), which assist municipalities in selecting a chief of police through an extensive search process managed through law enforcement experts. According to the FPCA website, the STARS program also remains engaged through the process following the hiring of a new police chief by making sure the transition process is consistent through support and training.
The STARS program would also include current Milton Police staff in the search process.
Under the suggestion of Watkins, the council voted unanimously in favor of having both police captains individually serve in an interim basis while a search for a permanent replacement takes place. While Captain Tony Tindell will serve as interim chief for the first half, Captain David Cox will serve the second half.
When asked by Mayor Wesley Meiss, Watkins estimated the FPCA program would take a couple of months to complete. The process would start pending approval from council and reaching a contract agreement for the program.
With the nay note on the FPCA program, the motion will be brought before next week’s regular council meeting as a separate item from the consent agenda.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton: Process of replacing retiring Police Chief may soon take place