HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
MAY 4, 2009
5PM Selectmen’s Room
Present: Chairman David White, Kimberly Ferguson, James Jumonville, Joseph Sullivan, Kenneth O’Brien (arrived 5:11PM)
Others Present: Brian Bullock, Town Manager, Police Chief Sherrill, Acting Lieutenant. Armstrong, Members of the Holden Police Department, Elizabeth Helder, Recording Secretary
Chairman White opened the meeting at 5PM.
Police/Civil Service Discussion
The Chairman announced that the purpose of the meeting was to engage in a dialogue with the employees from the Police Department regarding the Town’s placement on the Town Warrant to remove the position of Police Chief from the civil service roster. Removing the Chief’s position from the civil service roster will allow the Town to conduct a search for a new police chief from outside the Holden PD applicant pool. The Manager said that having the ability to seek candidates from outside Holden would ultimately be his administrative decision.
Acting Lieutenant Armstrong addressed the Board. He spoke about how a small department such as the Holden Police Department functions. There are few promotion opportunities for staff at the HPD. Promotions keep employees current on police information and laws. Without the opportunity for promotion from within, employees will not be motivated to study, stay current, and succeed. Promotions are also good for morale. When a new Police Chief is promoted from within, it also creates other opportunities for promotion within the department. Many of the employees have been with the town for 20+ years. The move by the Board and the Administration took the staff by surprise. He reminded the Board of the superior day-to-day performance of the officers as well as recent events like the ice storm. He said that there is not a better- educated department within the state than the HPD.
Sel. O’Brien joined the meeting at 5:11PM.
Sel. Jumonville said it was the Town’s goal to hire the best possible candidate to serve the citizen’s of Holden. Perhaps get someone who is experienced in anti-terrorism. What if during the next Chief’s exam, only one internal applicant passed the test? Then the town is stuck with one applicant for the job.
Sel. Jumonville said the decision to seek applicants from outside the Town was based on the accelerated growth of the Town, the possible need to seek someone with a police “specialty”, and the recent hire of the Fire Chief.
Chief Sherrill said to look outside the department would be a slap in the face to the current HPD employees and devastate the morale of the department. He said the Town’s best defense against terrorism is a hometown community police staff who knows the Town.
Chairman White said that looking outside the department for qualified candidates would not mean that the hiring authority would not choose an internal candidate from Holden. The goal is to hire the very best candidate possible. Seeking the very best qualified candidate is in the interest of public safety and would be great if it happens to be a current ranking officer. However, there are police officers from other towns that live in Holden and they would not be able to be considered for the position if only choosing candidates from civil service. An example of this would be the recent hire of the Fire Chief Chandler, who came from outside the Holden Fire Department family. Chief Chandler came from West Boylston.
Chairman White commented that applicants must be current on the Police Chief’s civil service test. If the test is only administered once a year, the Manager might have to wait 6 or 8 months before internal candidates can take the test. An interim Chief would need to be hired. Recently 3 officers from Holden took the Lt.’s exam and only 1 passed. What if the Town was waiting for test results and only ended up with one qualified candidate who passed the test?
Lt. Armstrong said that an assessment center could evaluate the best-qualified candidates. Test results are not the only way to test someone’s ability to lead a department. Currently, there are 6 candidates who are eligible to take the Chief’s test.
The Manager said that he would have to request an assessment center evaluation from the State.
Sel. O’Brien said he was the one Selectman to vote against placing the item on the Town Warrant. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The whole premise of civil service was to keep politics out if it.
Chief Sherrill said that the conducting Police business is different than running a Fire or Public Works Department. The Police are active in Town and are “doing” things to people (giving tickets etc.). There have been times where the position of Police Chief becomes highly political and influenced and the Police chief is let go after 3 years.
Sel. Sullivan asked the Manager if there was a good pool of candidates when he hired Police Chief Sherrill. The Manager responded that there was an applicant pool of three highly qualified internal candidates to choose from when he hired Chief Sherrill. The hiring of a new Chief affects the entire department across the board. It is a bigger issue than filling just one position.
Lt. Armstrong suggested that the Board look at the web site www.IACP.com to review job descriptions of police positions around the globe.
Chief Sherrill commented that it would take a Chief hired from outside the department one year to learn each member of the department and how it operates. Chairman White countered that hiring from out of the department would bring in a fresh pair of eyes. Each agreed that a new Police Chief brings his own changes to the department.
Sel. Ferguson inquired how many of the 351 communities in Mass hire from outside the civil service process? Chief Sherrill said he would find an answer to her question. Sel. Ferguson commented that if the Manager were to hire outside of civil service, she hoped it would be from within Massachusetts and not a nationwide search.
The Manager said that there was no downside to the civil service process when he hired Chief Sherrill from within. However, it would be nice to have an option and know that his hands are not tied. You are never sure until the process takes place. He added that HPD staff is a well-qualified pool of candidates.
Lt. Armstrong invited the Board members to join the staff at the Holden PD for a day to shadow them and get a better understanding of what they do on a day to day basis.
Officer Jon Santimore spoke to feeling slighted by the Board’s decision to look outside the Town. He said that the department has many officers who specialize in many different police expertise and questioned the need to look elsewhere.
Chairman White said there are many layers to holding the position of Police Chief. Is the next best administrator sitting in this room? Who is to say? Currently the Town is limited to search out the best candidate for that job. The goal should be to hire for the betterment of the Town.
Sel. Sullivan made a motion to not support Warrant Article 31. Chairman White said that he would not entertain the motion and that Sel. Sullivan was out of order. Sel. O’Brien seconded the motion for the purposes of discussion. He said that the timeline suggests that this is a good opportunity to address this issue.
Chairman White said that the Board would hold dialogue and make motions to support the warrant articles during the regular board meeting at 6:30PM. This meeting was meant as a dialogue and fact finding mission. It is important to make an informed decision.
Sel. O’Brien said that he would withdraw his second if the Board were prepared to discuss the Warrant Article at the Board meeting.
Sel. Ferguson said it was important to absorb all the information and make a decision later.
Sel. O’Brien withdrew his second to the motion.
Chairman White thanked all the officers for attending and participating in the dialogue.
Recess to Regular Meeting
Motion by Sel. Sullivan, seconded by Sel. O’Brien, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO RECESS THE MEETING AND RECONVENE AT 6:30PM FOR THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
Approved: June 1, 2009
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