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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06Lakeville Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Steven C. Mielke, City Administrator Copy: Cindi Joosten, HR Manager Date: July 11, 2013 Subject: Police Chief Recruitment and Selection Process City of Lakeville Administration Chief Tom Vonhof has announced that he intends to retire from the City at the end of September. A specific date has not been submitted to the City. With his announcement comes the need to consider the process for recruiting and retaining a replacement. I am seeking direction from the City Council on the process and roles associated with the replacement process. Authori The City of Lakeville is a Plan A Statutory City. As such the City Council has the authority to hire and fire employees and to establish the policies governing employment. The City Council also has the authority to delegate such responsibilities as they deem appropriate. Background The City Council has delegated to the City Administrator the responsibility of hiring and firing employees according to the policies contained in the City's personnel policies. The City Administrator has carried out this duty for all positions below Department Director with no involvement by the City Council. For department director positions, at least during my tenure, the City Council has had some level of participation but has ultimately delegated the responsibility for hiring and firing to the City Administrator. Council's participation has generally involved assisting in the candidate review and interview processes. This practice was followed for the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, and Parks and Recreation Director. The establishment of the processes involved has been done in consultation with the Personnel Committee and Council when appropriate. Tom Vonhof was hired in 2006 following an extensive search and interview process. The process was delineated to the City Council at a work session and carried out by the City Administrator and HR Manager. The process included a variety of testing and examinations but Police Chief Recruitment and Selection Processes July 11, 2013 Page -2- also included City Council interviewing candidates and providing comments individually to the City Administrator on the pros and cons of each candidate. The City Council did not provide a recommendation on the person to hire. In addition, a review panel of department employees and outside police resources also interviewed the candidates and they provided similar input. This level of review provided a good cross section of perspectives and observations upon which the City Administrator selected Chief Vonhof. This same process has been employed in the hiring of the other department head positions. In some cases Council Members have chosen to participate, in others Council Members have not. Moving Forward The City Administrator recommends that the City Council consider a similar model for the selection of the next Chief of Police. This position is highly visible and accessible to the public. The process needs to identify the best candidate that fits the needs of the department, has a good rapport with the public, and is responsive to administration and Council directives. The candidate must possess both good managerial skills but also good public relations skills. Given the nature of the job, I recommend the Council conduct a recruitment of both internal and external candidates to assure the City and the Department that the selected candidate is the best person available. I also recommend that the City enlist the services of a professional executive search firm to assist and conduct the recruitment and initial evaluation of the candidates, as well as assist in the process of interviews and background investigations on the final candidates. Generally speaking, it is my recommendation that the Council consider a process that follows this set of steps: 1. Retain a search firm. 2. Conduct a position analysis intended to understand the department and City needs for the next Chief. This will help identify issues, and qualities needed in the next chief. A survey of department employees and the City Council can be helpful in obtaining a broad input from those with whom the Chief will interact. 3. Develop a position profile that provides information about the community, the department, and the requirements of the position. This will assist candidates in understanding the expectations of the City. 4. Identify and recruit qualified candidates for the position. This is accomplished through a variety of formal and informal methods. S. Screen all of the initial candidates and identify the best qualified candidates for further examination. Police Chief Recruitment and Selection Processes July 11, 2013 Page -3- 6. Seek additional information where necessary to reduce the initial list of qualified candidates to a list of final candidates for formal interviews. 7. Perform reference checks on those to be considered for interviews. 8. Conduct the initial candidate interviews. I suggest several interview panels; Department staff, Administrative staff, peers (other directors), and outside public safety personnel. 9. Reduce the number of candidates to a set of finalists. 10. Conduct psychological assessments on the final candidates to obtain knowledge of the mannerisms and methods candidates are prone to employ in various situations. 11. Perform a detailed background check. 12. Make a decision on the successful candidate accompanied by an employment offer. Recommendation The process identified has been successful in the past selection of candidates. Identifying the roles of the City Council and City Administrator is important and I believe critical to establishing the relationship between the employee, the administrator and the City Council. I look forward to the City Council's direction on the process and roles.