The Select Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to select Public Safety Consultants to assist the town in its search for a new police chief. Discussion centered around including residents as part of this process.

Jessica Lewerenz, the town’s human resources director, told the board she sent out a request for quotes (RFQ) to four municipal consulting firms through the procurement and grants manager. This action was prompted by the impending retirement of Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett on June 30. PSC was the only company to respond, she said.

“The proposal that was provided met all of the requirements we were looking for [and] fell under the $10,000 quote,” said Lewerenz.

She noted that this company assisted the town in its search for the current deputy police chief, Scott van Raalten.

This company will work with the town to design a search process consistent with its goals, she added. Its first step would be to post the job and perform the initial candidate screening. After applicants perform an assignment, the pool is narrowed. The next step is a review by an initial search committee.

Search committee framework discussed

“I really want to be thinking about how we get the community involved in this process,” said member Matthew Kizner. “Can they be partnering with town employees?”

He stressed that the final group of applicants should not appear to be “handpicked” by the Select Board but chosen by stakeholders of all types.

Added Kizner: “And I think that’s a big step in terms of how we build that community credibility.”

“Not only is it a public safety matter,” added vice chair Shahidul Mannan, “it’s about having the trust of the community and also building the culture of our town with community police engagement.”

Member Brian Herr stressed that there should be documentation noting that four firms were contacted for public transparency. Lewerenz said she would obtain that information from the procurement and grants manager. PSC’s bid came in just under $10,000. If it were more than $10,000, the town would need to ask for three bids under state law. It did this anticipating that more than one bid would be received, Lewerenz explained.

Chair Joe Clark proposed a framework for the search process. He wanted to use the consulting firm in conjunction with a community process similar to what the School Committee used during last year’s superintendent search.

The screening committee, he said, had about a dozen people. Half were residents, while the other half were town officials or employees. It interviewed the semifinalists and put forward finalists from whom the School Committee selected Evan Bishop.

“I thought it was a very fair process,” said Clark, a member of the screening committee. “It was thorough.”

He envisioned six residents and six town employees participating in the police chief screening committee to “get a good mix” of perspectives. There would be an application process that would go through Lewerenz.

After this committee review, Clark proposed a second committee made up of “town leaders” to interview the candidates. He proposed including the Town Manager’s Office, Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty and Bishop in this group.

Lewerenz added that a public poll like the one used in the town manager selection process could be used as a tool for community input on questions.

The Select Board will conduct final interviews before taking the vote to choose the new chief.

Kizner called Clark’s idea “wildly creative.”

Vice chair gets pushback on including town leaders, police

Mannan balked when his suggestion of adding three town leaders to the initial 12 members was not supported at first. He noted that previous searches historically included a Select Board member, as well as a member of the School Committee and the Appropriation Committee.

Clark said he didn’t envision a Select Board member as part of the screening committees.

“We’re going to get every opportunity to have our say about who comes out of it at the end,” noted Kizner.

“Why would we change our process to hire altogether?” Mannan asked.

Said Clark: “We’re all designing this together.”

Lewerenz suggested that a Select Board member act as a liaison. Kizner, who saw this as a “tiebreaker vote,” volunteered.

Kizner said the Appropriation Committee really didn’t need to be involved in this process.

Mannan also said an HPD member should be included, and it would boost department morale.

“It would depend on who’s applying,” said Lewerenz, noting that she would be in both rounds as HR director.

Member Amy Ritterbusch said she did not recall HPD being involved in the deputy chief selection process because “that’s kind of a conflict of interest.” Clark agreed.

Herr asked that the town’s labor counsel approve moving forward in each step of the process.