ERVING — Replacement of the departing Police Chief Chris Blair is expected to take several months, with the Selectboard planning to involve both a third-party recruitment firm and a public committee.
Administrative Coordinator Bryan Smith said he expects the position to be filled by January or February.
Blair left in the first week of August, for reasons the Selectboard and Smith said are private and cannot be discussed publicly. They said the reasons are not disciplinary.
Technically, Blair is on an indefinite leave of absence, but he is not expected to return to work. The reason for being on leave, rather than terminating his employment, cannot be discussed publicly yet, either, Smith said, but will be publicized after certain negotiations regarding the position have been settled.
In the meantime, Sgt. Robert Holst is the acting police chief.
The hiring process will mostly involve three groups — the recruitment firm, screening committee and Selectboard. The recruitment firm will provide information, find potential candidates and may make recommendations, but does not decide which candidates to refer to the Selectboard. Those decisions are made by the screening committee, which is mostly made up of Erving residents.
A cost for hiring a recruitment firm is not known yet, as price quotes have not been received, but Selectboard Chair Jacob Smith estimated it might cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
In a meeting on Monday, the board said that the cost would be justified by the expertise brought by the recruitment firm.
“There are a lot of folks in town who … really care about who their chief of police is, and whether he or she is qualified in all the important areas, and whether the chief of police is sensitive to community enforcement,” said Selectboard member Bill Bembury. “The position demands that we find, long-term, the best person available with the skills and qualities that are important for this community.”
A request for price quotes from recruitment firms is set to be sent out this week, Administrative Coordinator Bryan Smith said. The quotes will be reviewed by the Selectboard on Oct. 19.
The screening committee’s membership will depend on the amount of interest from the public. The Selectboard will ask for those interested to send letters describing their interest, but the content of the letter and procedure for applying have not been discussed.
The committee will likely have between five and nine members, Selectboard members said. Membership will likely include at least one Selectboard member and one Town Hall staff member. The board also discussed bringing in a police chief from a neighboring town.
Formation of the screening committee will likely be decided in early November, after the recruitment firm has collected an initial set of job applications for the committee to review, said Selectboard Chair Jacob Smith.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.