Down to 5: Bluffton police chief candidates meet with town council, mayor

Bluffton moved a step closer to hiring a new police chief Thursday, holding a special closed session to meet with each of the five remaining candidates.

Town Manager Marc Orlando, Mayor Lisa Sulka and all four members of Town Council attended the approximately seven-hour meeting as the search for the town's next chief continued.

The names of the five weren't released. The town is not required by law to release those names until the field has been narrowed to the finalists.

As town manager, Orlando is responsible for recruiting and hiring the chief. He scheduled Thursday's meeting to gather input to help him make the final decision. The five candidates will next meet with a five-person citizen panel before Orlando selects and announces the final three by July 6.

The special work session began at 9 a.m. at the town's temporary offices on Fording Island Road and almost immediately went into executive session — closed to the media and public — so the group could conduct the interviews. The session finished around 3:30 p.m.

Sulka said all the candidates were qualified. In addition to basic administrative skills, she said it's important that the next chief be totally immersed in the community.

"They have to understand we're very diverse, we're young, and we're growing," she said. "We looked at what they can bring to the table to accommodate that and to enhance that. We're very big on community involvement with our officers, and we want them to be excited to come in and regroup a group of awesome men and women."

Council members spoke in nearly identical terms in describing the candidates.

Councilman Larry Toomer said Thursday's meeting was just a part of the process and it was good to spend time with each applicant. He said the group reviewed each candidate's resume and asked questions.

"I have my own personal beliefs and desires, but this decision is up to the town manager and it's in his hands," Toomer said.

Councilman Harry Lutz said it was smart of Orlando to include council and the citizen's panel in the process.

"They're extremely qualified and have similar credentials," Lutz said. "It's going to be a tough choice."

Councilman Dan Wood said the interviews went well.

"Marc has screened so many applicants, and there's not one of them that wasn't qualified," Wood said. "Each one of them would do a good job."

Councilman Fred Hamilton said the town manager and human resources did a good job with the selection pool.

"I found them all to be qualified," Hamilton said.

Orlando said Thursday's interviews went "phenomenally."

"I believe it has definitely helped me, even more so, frame the most important qualities and experiences of the next chief of police," he said. "In interviews, you learn about your candidates, but you also hear a lot of things during an interview that help you assess and reassess your own organization."

Orlando said he is looking for someone who can be a leader in the community, who has a strong background in law enforcement and can connect with staff.

He said all of the candidates are police officers who have moved up through the ranks to high executive levels in their departments.

"I definitely heard ... well-qualified candidates who can definitely add a tremendous and immediate value to the town of Bluffton," he said.

Orlando said he is still on track to make an offer to the top candidate by July 23, but would add extra interviews or steps to the search if he needed to.

"I'm in a hurry to hire the right person," Orlando said. "I'm not in a hurry to only hire somebody."

Currently, Lt. Donald "Scott" Chandler is acting as interim police chief for the department.

This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 5:23 PM.