Council discusses police commission composition and requests guidance on officer representation at meetings

Council members on Aug. 27 discussed the composition of the town’s police commission and expressed concern about limited communication between the council and police department in recent months.

Councilmember Leanna Kaye Hughes said she has tried to contact the police chief multiple times without response and questioned whether having three council members on the police commission reduced the council’s direct engagement. Council members noted that state statute requires three commission members but that one of the three may be a resident rather than a councilmember.

Town Attorney Michael Lomberg and staff said they would review the ordinance and state statute to clarify which police-commission decisions must return to council and which do not. Council asked staff and legal counsel to gather guidelines about what actions the police commission can take independently and what must be forwarded to council. Several council members also requested that a representative from the police department attend future meetings, even if not the chief.

Why it matters: the discussion concerns the balance between independent board/commission authority and council oversight, and it could lead to ordinance changes or revised operating procedures for the police commission.

Next steps: Town Attorney and staff will review statutes and the town ordinance, provide guidance on police commission composition and scope of authority, and recommend whether council representation on the commission should change.