HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07-2009 Regular MeetingCommittee:
Date & Time:
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Public Meeting Notice
Chief of Police Search Committee
Tuesday , April 7 , 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
James P. Nix Center
One Bayou Drive
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Notice must be stamped, dated and initialed before posted on
bulletin board.
The Chief of Police Search Committee met on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in
the Conference Room at the Nix Center located at 1 Bay ou Drive, Fairhope, AL
36532.
Members Present: Mayor Tim Kant, Dan Stankoski, Rhonda White, Bob Callahan,
Valerie Chaney, Vann Saltz, Pam Caudill & Rick Wilson.
Members Absent: None
Others Present: 1 Citizen
At 6:06 p .m. Vann Saltz opened the meeting by asking how the ranking went and had
everyone scored the applications. All agreed that it went fine. Rhonda White gave
everyone a listing of the tabu lated scores showing the Top 25 candidates. Vann Saltz
then entered a motion requesting that these 25 names be offered as the Top 25 candidates
to be considered for position of Chief of Police.
Mayor Kant did not agree with the numbers. He stated that the committee should not
move forward since these numbers and this ranking did not reflect his scores accurately.
All other committee members questioned how he had scored the candidate applications.
He replied that he had directed his staff to bring him the top 25 candidates' applications.
The committee members asked for further explanation. Mayor Kant explained that he
sometimes delegates work to staff as he did with this particular task. He went on to say
that he had given the Human Resources Director, Rhonda White some changes to his
scores yesterday. Howe ver, those changes were not reflected in the score sheet that was
presented to the committee members.
Rhonda White assured Mayor Kant that his requested changes had been made. The
committee members asked for further exp lanat ion. Rhonda White explained that Mayor
Kant had requested that she and Gregg Mims, the General Superintendent, review each of
the 116 applications and bring him their list of the top 25 candidates, which they had
done. However, the previous week Mayor Kant had requested Ms . White bring him
copies of just the local applicants who had applied . She did . Ms White went on to say
that the previous day (April 6, 2009) the Mayor told her that he wanted her to make some
changes to the scores that she'd previou s ly given him . He reque s ted that she change five
of the candidates' scores to a "1 0".
Mayor Kant then commented that this was correct, however his requested changes had
not been made because if they had been , then the Top 25 candidates would be different
than what appeared before him now. Rhonda White told the Mayor that she did change
those five candidates ' scores to a "1 0" but that by doing so it didn't necessarily change all
who ended up in the Top 25. He replied that she didn't change a ll of the other scores to a
Zero as he'd requested and had she done that then the Top 25 wou ld indeed be different.
Rhonda White stated that she only understood his request to be to change five candidates'
scores to 10 and did not realize that he wanted her to also change everyone else's scores
to zero.
.,.
Bob Callahan requested that minutes be pulled from the previous meeting to show how
the grading or scoring process was supposed to have been done . Everyone agreed &
questioned why Mayor Kant would have two people who aren't even on the committee
score the applications. Everyone else on the committee reviewed 116 applications and
that he shou ld have done the same.
Valerie Chaney stated that , upon returning from out of state, she went to Rhonda White's
office to view the scores. She noted that all scores appeared to be consistent within the
group and trusts the scores that Rhonda White submitted to the Mayor and that they were
consistent with the rest of the committee members ' scores.
Bob Callahan stated that he thought the committee members had all come to the meeting
with the understanding that they wou ld be looking at the top twenty-five. He did not
want to start the process over.
Rick Wilson made a motion that the committee move forward and let the Top 25
candidates stand as they were currently ranked. Bob Callahan seconded the motion. The
committee voted: six members voted "Yes" and one voted "No" (Mayor).
Vann Saltz advised the committee members to strike candidate 24 because that candidate
had recently withdrawn his application.
There was little discussion on ho w the committee wou ld decide to narrow 25 candidates
to down to 10 semi-finalist candidates. Vann Saltz asked everyone how they would like
to proceed. Pam Caudill suggested that they look at each candidate individu ally and ha ve
discussion on each.
Rick Wilson suggested that everyone use their notes that they took when sc oring the
applications and offer discussion of each candidate that way.
Bob Callahan stated he would like to hear everyone's thoughts about each candidate.
Discussion of Candidates began.
When discussion came to the current Interim Chief (Terry Sanders), Mayor Kant advised
the committee that Terry Sanders had been relieved by the Bay Minette City Council in
November (2004) and that the Bay Minette City Counci l only let him stay on lon ger so
that he could retire in June (2005). Mayor Kant went on to say that he has heard nothing
but complaints come out of the Police Department since Chief Sanders was appointed.
Rhonda White stated that she beli eves these complaints are surfacing now because the
employees see that there is strong leadership at the police department now & that
employees are now trustin g that these matters will be treated fairly and with appropriate
action .
Mayor Kant said that Chief Sanders had placed an employee, who had cussed out his
supervisor, on paid leave for two months and asked what kind of leadership was that?
Rhonda White told the Mayor that his statement was inaccurate. The Mayor said he told
Joe Petties to terminate that employee but Chief Sanders did not do it and instead put him
on paid leave for two months and "that was a fact".
Rhonda White stated again that his statement was inaccurate, that the employee was
indeed placed on administrative paid leave but that it occurred on December 10 th
' 2008
and Chief Sanders was not even appointed until January 261
\ 2009 . She went on to say
that Chief Sanders attended that employee 's disciplinary review hearing during his first
week here with the City. The Mayor said that all he knew was he requested for that
employee to be fired yet Chief Sanders kept him on . Rhonda advised the Mayor that he
didn 't know all of the facts , only what he had been told by one person. She told the
Mayor that he didn't sit in on the disciplinary hearing . Had he , he would have seen that
there were no grounds for termination.
The Mayor then said , "All I know is that we 've got complaints coming from the police
department and I believe they 're because of Chief Sanders". Rhonda White again stated
that his information was inaccurate. Mayor Kant responded to Rhonda White by stating,
"Rhonda, you can't be impartial! You have a sister and a boyfriend or live-in or
whatever he is working at the police department!"
Rhonda White stated her family relationships have nothing to do with the committee
meeting. Mayor Kant stated, "Well it's perception and unfortunately perception is
9/IO th 's of it." He went on to say, "I don't understand why we're even doing this . He is
going to make it in the Top 10 & ya'll are going to interview and hire him anyway."
Dan Stankoski asked the Mayor, "If you 're having all of these problems with him, then
why don't you get rid of him and fire him for just cause?" The Mayor responded, "Oh ,
I'm working on that. Believe me, that 's what I want to do ."
After a brief moment of silence, discussion continued to the next candidate.
At 7 :55 p.m. discussion of candidates ended .
Dan Stankoski asked Mayor Kant if he was going to consider the selection process
flawed or not. Mayor Kant responded that he would not oppose the outcome, whatever it
maybe.
Vann Saltz stated, "Now that we have finished reviewing the Top 24 , Rhonda will total
the scores. Then , the next step will be to schedule an interview for the top ten semi-
finalists."
Bob Callahan made a motion to hand Rhonda White all committee members scores so
that she could total them.
' .
Rick Wilson stated he didn't think the committee should conduct any interviews, just
give council the names of the top five candidates.
Bob Callahan reminds the committee that he has a motion -to have sheets marked &
tallied for the top ten and states that he would like for the committee to interview the
candidates by phone to see how much , if any, are fluff.
The motion was seconded by the Mayor. Vann Saltz asked if there was any discussion.
No one commented. The committee voted. All were in favor with no opposition.
There were brief comments about putting the finalist's names in the paper and that the
next meeting will be to determine what questions to ask.
Bob Callahan suggested that instead of a meeting that the committee members e-mail any
questions they want considered to Vann Saltz, Rhonda White, and Pam Caudill and it was
agreed to have them e-mailed by next Friday February 2009
Dan Stankoski asked for everyone to please keep everything confidential.
Meeting Adjourned @ 8:21pm