SPRINGDALE -- City officials discussed on Monday the Civil Service Commission's authority for hiring and firing police and fire chiefs.
Alderman Rick Culver asked at the City Council Committee meeting why the mayor doesn't hire those positions. Mayor Doug Sprouse wasn't at the meeting.
Committee Action
Springdale aldermen forwarded to City Council on Monday:
• Allowing privately owned airport hangars to have short-term living quarters.
• Reimbursing the Park Bond Construction Fund with $363,760 from money set aside for parks in Capital Improvements Program. The money was used for engineering and design for the future park in the northwest part of the city.
• A change to the contract with Waste Management allowing small businesses to use one- to three-wheeled trash cans that can hold about 96 gallons.
Source: Staff report
This comes after Police Chief Kathy O'Kelley gave Sprouse a letter May 6 stating she plans to retire June 30. She wrote she believes she's left the department with a well-trained staff that includes the right person to replace her as chief. She has been chief in Springdale for 9½ years.
The commission was given the authority to hire and fire police and fire chiefs Oct. 14, 1997, according to meeting documents. Thecouncil has the authority to change that, said Ernest Cate, city attorney.
Culver said before the meeting he thinks of the chiefs as department heads, which are normally hired by the mayor. If the mayor has that authority and hires a chief, the City Council can override that decision, Cate said.
Eric Harris, commission chairman, said during the meeting the question insinuates the commissioners don't know what they are doing.
Culver said that's not why he asked the question. He said he just wanted some reasoning and background.
"This was nothing against y'all," he said.
Alderman Jeff Watson also mentioned Culver is new to the council, and there's nothing wrong asking how something works.
"It's our job to know what's going on," he said.
Culver began his position on the council in January, Cate said. The commission has five members appointed by the council, Harris said before the meeting.
This subject also came up three years ago when the commission was hiring a fire chief, Harris said before the meeting. The mayor was involved in the process at the time by interviewing the candidates separately from the commission.
Harris said they want the mayor involved in the process because he supervises the positions. He said during the meeting the commission's role takes politics out of the process.
Alderman Jim Reed said he thinks it's good for the process to be handled by the commission, because that protects the residents. He said otherwise a future mayor could hire anyone he wanted.
The commission met May 8 to discuss hiring a new chief. They approved setting a meeting at 10 a.m. May 27 for a public hearing to make their job descriptions for police and fire chiefs align with the city's descriptions.
Harris explained on May 8 after the meeting when the city updates a job description, the commission's description isn't automatically updated.
Sprouse announced near the end of the May 12 council meeting Capt. Mike Peters will be the acting police chief starting on July 1.
NW News on 05/19/2015