The Select Board on Tuesday took steps toward replacing current Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett by selecting a search committee for his successor and appointing Deputy Chief Scott van Raalten interim chief.

Bennett will be retiring June 30, capping a 35-year career in law enforcement, nearly all of which has been spent in Hopkinton.

“We are very excited and also cautious as to how we go about selecting our next chief of police,” said chair Shahidul Mannan.

To ensure public involvement in the hiring process, the Select Board on May 5 discussed having a screening committee comprised of six residents and six Town Hall staff members, as well as Kizner and a School Committee member. Former chair Joe Clark championed this idea. He proposed using a municipal consulting firm in conjunction with a community process similar to what the School Committee used during last year’s superintendent search.

The town also sought community input on the characteristics Bennett’s successor should exemplify. A survey was posted on the town’s website on June 5 inviting residents and business owners to share their views; it closed on June 17 at noon.

Committee members appointed unanimously

Vice chair Matthew Kizner, who is serving as the board’s screening committee liaison, described the process that determined the final candidates. Twenty-eight people submitted applications. Town Manager Elaine Lazarus and Jessica Lewerenz, the town’s human resources director, posed questions to them.

Lazarus and Lewerenz submitted their recommendations to Kizner, who chose 10 candidates and asked his Select Board colleagues to do the same. After compiling the results, Kizner said one candidate was on each member’s list, while two were on the lists of four board members.

The “top three,” Mannan said, were Mike Whalen, John Graziano and Bill Flannery. He suggested that they be automatically chosen.

Kizner said that a “big block” of potential members appeared on three members’ lists. The board whittled them down after discussion. The goal, Kizner said, was to select a group of people who will provide “some differing views respectfully brought forward.”

The next three members chosen were Beth Malloy, Dana Babbin and Sabine St. Pierre. The slate of six citizens was approved unanimously.

In addition, Lazarus and Lewerenz submitted the names of six recommended town employees to the board. They were chosen within their respective departments. Lewerenz explained that they were picked from “different departments that had more key stakeholders” and who interacted with the HPD on a more frequent basis.

The board unanimously appointed Josh Grossetti, Holly Morand, Assistant Town Manager Lance DelPriore, Tom Poirier, Evan Brooks and Amy Beck as the town employee contingent.

In a separate vote, the board voted unanimously to appoint School Committee chair Kyla McSweeney.

Van Raalten to serve as interim chief

After discussion, the board voted 4-0-1 for van Raalten to serve as the HPD’s interim chief effective July 1, pending negotiations. Members cited the short time frame before Bennett’s departure, the benefit of selecting an experienced leader internally and the cost savings if an external search were avoided at this juncture.

Kizner veered slightly from his colleagues and eventually abstained from voting. He noted that van Raalten has served as acting chief in Bennett’s absence. But he also wanted to better understand the difference between an acting chief and an interim chief as well as to ensure a fair process.

Lewerenz explained that an acting chief fills in for someone who is still employed. An interim chief fills the role until a successor to the chief is determined.

“The motion on the table is for interim police chief, period,” stressed member Brian Herr. “It’s not a foregone conclusion that he then becomes the police chief for Hopkinton.”

Kizner added that he spent time with HPD personnel over the past week. The staff members and officers he spoke with expressed “strong internal support” for van Raalten.

Annual appointments approved

The board approved 4-0 the candidates who applied for uncontested seats on the town’s numerous boards and committees. Many of them were reappointed to their current positions.

New candidates also emerged. Brian Colella was appointed as an at-large member of the Community Preservation Committee. Maureen Welzel and Elizabeth Guerra were appointed to the Council on Aging. Stan Pulnik and Darlene Hayes were new appointees to the Cultural Council.

New Sustainable Green Committee members included Sahana Chaubal and Michael Miller. Judith Weinthaler joined the Tax Relief Committee. Kristen Turpin became a member of the Trails Committee. Bethany Swinton-Murray joined the Woodville Historic District Commission. Avery Burton, Evan Mathur and Eva Bennet will join the Youth Commission, while Arav Soni will serve as its new middle school representative.

Historical Commission appointments present unique situations

Mannan explained that the Historical Commission had six applicants for four seats. In an unexpected move, commission chair Michael Roughan advocated for Scott Knous, Anne Mattina, James Burton and Eric Sonnett to retain their seats. He cited their experience, commitment and exemplary attendance records, calling them the commission’s “core.”

Roughan added that he was “delighted” by the increased interest in serving on the committee. He suggested that the two other applicants, former School Committee member Susan Stephenson and Nicholas Ceddia, be considered for the one associate member vacancy.

Ceddia told the board that he is a recent graduate of The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He earned bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in architecture and urban planning. The resident is a Hopkinton High School graduate.

Upon hearing Ceddia’s qualifications, Stephenson withdrew her application. Lazarus suggested that Stephenson apply for an open seat on the Historic District Commission.

Water, sewer rate increases approved

The board voted 4-0 to increase water bills by 15% and sewer bills by 30% for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. These rates were recommended by the Water & Sewer Advisory Board and discussed at the June 2 meeting.

State approves MBTA Communities zoning

Lazarus announced that Hopkinton’s zoning plan to conform to the MBTA Communities zoning law was approved by the state via a letter dated June 8. This confirmation concluded years of effort and three contentious Town Meeting votes on different proposed plans for compliance.