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Board sets hiring schedule as chief reports 32 merit applicants and seven laterals; retirement announced
Summary
Franklin Police Chief reported 32 merit and seven lateral applicants and set PT and interview dates; the attorney outlined a schedule for selecting interview questions and recommended a standing executive-session slot to streamline personnel decisions.
The Franklin Police Merit Board spent the bulk of its March 3 meeting setting a schedule to move dozens of applicants through hiring steps after the police chief reported 32 complete merit application packets and seven lateral packets.
The chief said physical tests for lateral candidates will be March 11 and March 16, with a physical-test day for the regular merit list on March 27 likely starting at about 8 a.m. He said a written test for new hires is tentatively set for April 11. "We had packets returned with all the documents required for 32 merit hires on the regular merit list," the chief said.
Board members discussed logistics for interviewing lateral candidates and whether executive sessions would be needed for personnel-related vetting. The attorney urged the board to consider a default executive session before regular meetings so members could avoid scheduling separate special meetings. "The 48 hours," the attorney said when asked about notice; members discussed the 48-hour notice requirement as they weighed options for short post-test sessions to address personnel matters.
The board agreed in principle to keep flexibility in scheduling: an executive session the evening of March 16, after a Board of Works/City Council meeting, was discussed as an option (the board suggested meeting around 7:00 p.m. if needed). The board also left an early start on April 7 (5:30 a.m. was discussed in the transcript as an option for an executive session) as a fallback for interviewing remaining lateral applicants, with the public meeting immediately following so any personnel votes could occur in open session.
The attorney also said May 12, the board’s regular May meeting, will be used to select interview questions in coordination with IPSP, and that members may need one or more full days to interview the full set of merit applicants depending on attrition between now and the interviews.
The chief additionally announced that Officer Rich Whitaker has submitted retirement paperwork and is expected to leave later this month; the board noted that a lateral hire could fill the vacancy if candidates prove suitable.
Board members and staff asked the clerk (referred to in the transcript as Hailey) to circulate PT times and to send notices about any special meetings or executive sessions as required.
