Sylva town board puts hold on police chief hiring practices
Sylva might not have a new police chief by the time current Chief Jeff Jamison retires Oct. 1.
Town Manager Adrienne Isenhower was planning to hire the new chief with the help of an outside panel, but Sylva board members tabled the process during their Aug. 19 meeting so they can determine how much influence the town board should have on the decision. They’ll open discussion again in September.
Board members discussed the fact that Isenhower enlisted the help of a panel of “experts,” including Western Carolina University representatives, to help her make a decision, but she hadn’t consulted Sylva town board members.
“If you’re going to involve an outside panel then you just might as well involve the board,” said board member Harold Hensley.
He said he had nothing against Isenhower hiring the police chief but didn’t think it was right for outside officials to have such a big part in the police chief decision. Isenhower informed Hensely and other board members about the panel through a recent e-mail.
“I didn’t think that the citizens of the town of Sylva would agree with that and I knew I didn’t,” Hensley said.
Isenhower said the reason she assembled an outside panel is because the police chief is an important position.
“I wanted to make sure I did the best job I could in hiring the police chief,” Isenhower said. “I talked to several other managers and police chiefs around the state, and this is the way most of them have done it.”
Having an outside panel keeps politics out of the decision, Isenhower said.
“If that’s not the way the board wants to go with it, then I can do it a different way,” Isenhower said.
Board member Stacy Knotts said she thought an outside panel was a good idea.
“I think it does make a very objective process,” Knotts said. “I don’t think the board should be involved with hiring specific employees of the town except for the manager position.”
Other board members weren’t completely opposed to an outside panel, but they agreed that communication should have been better in this situation.
“Had you expressed it and explained it, had I asked, then I think it might have eased some of the questions and the concerns,” Matheson said.
She said she hadn’t understood Isenhower’s reasoning for an outside panel.
“A communication glitch probably caused this situation,” Matheson said. “I would just like to know more about what’s going on, what you’re doing and the reasons why.”
Board member Danny Allen agreed.
“I think it caught me off guard when I heard about the committee,” Allen said.
He added that he thought some of the members of the panel might not be completely objective because of influence from town board members.
“That’s my reservation as far as the process, just the outside conflict,” Allen said.
Board member Ray Lewis agreed that more communication was needed but said he didn’t think an outside panel should have a say in a Sylva decision.
Sylva Mayor Maurice Moody said they need to give Isenhower guidance on how to proceed – with or without the panel.
“I feel perfectly comfortable with her making the selection by herself,” said Moody.
Moody said that after Sylva went to the council manager form of government in 2001, the town charter was amended to give the town manager hiring powers.
“It was the intent of the Legislature and the (town board) at that time that the hiring of the staff belonged to the manager rather than the (town board),” Moody said.
If the board is involved, Matheson said, they need to make sure to comply with all open meeting laws. She also said she thought they should think about choosing one board town member to sit in on police chief interviews.
If the whole board conducted interviews, that would count as an open meeting, town attorney Eric Ridenour said. They’d have to announce the meeting but go into closed session for its duration, he said.
“To me it seems like we’re hearing different things from each board member,” Allen said. “Maybe this is something that we can all take a little time and think about.”
Board members might not make a decision by the next meeting, but they say they will likely discuss the hiring process at that time. Sylva’s next board meeting is slated for Thursday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
