Council considers six‑month interim contract for acting police chief; legal counsel recommends structured evaluation

St. Helens city attorneys and councilors debated how best to move from an interim arrangement toward a permanent police chief appointment during a March 5 work session, and council members introduced a motion to formalize Acting Chief Joe Hogue’s role under a time‑limited employment agreement.

Peter, an attorney advising the council, recommended formalizing the interim arrangement with a written interim employment agreement that would set expectations and include a defined evaluation period — he suggested roughly a six‑month timeframe. "Put together kind of a 6 month period within which Chief Hogue can kind of assume the position ... and at the end of that period, the council can revisit whether it wants to move forward with Chief Hogue in the position or to post a brand new opening," Peter said. He told council that an interim agreement preserves the city’s ability to keep at‑will employment while granting time for evaluation and for any necessary process changes.

Councilors discussed prior concerns about department oversight, background policies and performance‑evaluation processes that arose after the previous chief left. Several council members said the city must revise governing policies and adopt consistent evaluation procedures (including broad‑based, so‑called "360" reviews) before making a final permanent appointment. Others said Hogue has demonstrated capability during his interim period and urged a prompt path to a final appointment.

Legal counsel and council members also discussed whether a full public posting would be required if the council moved directly to a permanent appointment; attorneys said that an interim appointment framed as a time‑limited employment agreement could avoid an immediate external posting but advised the council to seek specific legal drafting guidance from its counsel (Aiken Blitt was named as the attorney expected to draft the contract). Councilors asked counsel to confirm posting requirements before finalizing any agreement.

By the meeting’s close a council member introduced a motion to appoint Joe Hogue as interim chief of police "subject to the terms and conditions of a mutually agreeable employment agreement." The council did not record a vote on that motion during the work session; the motion remained pending while staff and counsel were asked to draft the proposed contract and confirm whether an external posting is required. Councilors also directed staff to accelerate work on governing policies and employee evaluation protocols so that any permanent appointment would follow a consistent process.

No final hiring vote or permanent appointment was recorded at the session. Councilors said they expect the interim agreement drafting, legal advice on posting rules and the governance revisions to proceed in the coming weeks before any final decision.