Applications due today for New Bloomfield police chief

The deadline to apply for the position of police chief of New Bloomfield is 5 p.m. today, Mayor Mike Lowe said Thursday.

New Bloomfield City Attorney Mark Warren said members of the Board of Aldermen will review the applications, interview finalists, and then vote on hiring the new police chief.

"My guess is this will take at least a month to find and fill the position of police chief," Warren said.

City Clerk Terra Guittar said so far six people have applied for the position and one more application is anticipated before the deadline.

During a meeting Thursday night, the Board of Aldermen affirmed the mayor's earlier appointment of Sgt. Justin Davison as interim police chief.

Davison told the mayor he would be glad to serve as interim police chief but he did not want to apply for the position as police chief on a permanent basis because of conflicts with his full-time job. Davison said he would not be able to devote as much time to the job as he feels is necessary.

During Thursday's board meeting, Lowe issued a proclamation praising former police Chief John Hatfield, who resigned on Feb. 28.

The mayor's proclamation lauded Hatfield for his 7 and a half years of service with the city as police chief.

Hatfield came to the meeting and told the aldermen it was a privilege to serve the city and he will miss the opportunity to serve.

In his report to the board, interim Davison said as a way to cut the budget, the number of part-time police officers has been reduced from 11 to 6.

The police chief is paid for 30 hours a week and four of the six police officers are paid for 20 hours a week.

Nearly all of the officers also donate additional time to the city.

Davison told the board the Police Department has received a federal grant administered by the state to pay police officers for extra enforcement efforts to crack down on impaired drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Davison said the extra enforcement effort in New Bloomfield began Thursday and ends this Saturday.

Guittar announced the annual citywide Easter Eggstravangza will be at the City Park on Saturday, March 30. She said several local churches are participating in the event.

In other action, the board voted to spend $700 to hire a firm to apply dust control agents to two unpaved roadways in the city at a total cost of $700. The two areas are Maple Alley and Poplar Alley.