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Beaumont City Manager Kenneth Williams convened a work session during the Feb. 6 city council meeting to address perceived confusion between himself and the council regarding the selection process for the new chief of police.
“Seems to be some ambiguity of the process between the council and the manager and the roles of who is to what and … my thing was let’s just put it in a work session,” Williams detailed as he initiated the discussion.
Chief of Police Jimmy Singletary announced his retirement last month, effective March 31.
According to Williams, the recruitment process “can take 150 to 180 days from the time the job is announced,” and the objective is to have a new chief in place by June 30.
In the meantime, Williams expressed openness to the city council appointing an interim police chief if necessary.
“Somewhere between March 1-15, I anticipate an interim appointment,” Williams said.
While Williams acknowledged that the city charter designates him as the one to select the new police chief, he noted a reference to the state government code that governs the local process, which stipulates that the city manager recommends his choice for the police chief before city council confirmation.
“It just says we have roles; I have a role, the city council has a role, and I plan to involve the entire city,” said Williams.
Regarding the hiring process, Williams mentioned his authority to make purchases up to $50,000 and declared his intent to engage a search firm for the position.
“We have put out some RFPs as we move through the process, we have a firm that’s not been signed or selected,” said Williams.
Williams outlined that the recruiting specialist would screen candidates and identify five to eight candidates for submission to a committee of 11 to 15 people for interviews. Initial interviews would be conducted by the community panel and then by executive staff. Following this, Williams would recommend a candidate to the city council for approval. He emphasized that the panel would be comprised of individuals representing diverse interests throughout each ward.
Following Williams’ presentation, several council members posed questions.
“What do we do if the council comes to a place of no confirmation?” asked Council Member At-large Randy Feldschau, to which Williams responded that another recommendation would be made. Feldschau also inquired about access to interview contents, to which Williams assured that the candidates’ resume packet and qualifications would be provided.
“I know we have challenges when it comes to hiring in Beaumont and sometimes it’s a challenge to get that caliber of talent to Beaumont,” Council Member At-large A.J. Turner said, further suggesting considering the median age in Beaumont to ensure diverse representation on the selection committee. “We have some high-level positions that have been open for quite some time.”
“I think the struggle is the perception of Beaumont, and the articles etc. about crime etc.; it’s a competitive environment so that’s why we have to get some help to find a candidate for this position,” said Williams.