CHIEF SOUGHT: CHAFFEE OFFICIALS LOOK TO FILL POLICE VACANCY

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee City Council is expected to meet by the middle of next week to consider a candidate for the city's vacant police chief slot.

On a separate note, filing opens this morning for four council seats that are up for election this April.

The city's Police Commission will recommend a police chief candidate to the council, which will approve or reject the recommendation, Chaffee Mayor Ron Moyers said Monday night following the council's meeting. The meeting lasted less than 30 minutes.

The council is seeking to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former Police Chief Ivan McLain. McLain resigned in December after nearly nine years as police chief.

City officials have remained silent about the selection process. Moyers refused on Monday to say how many candidates existed, where they were from, or even whether he expected a good candidate to be recommended.

"The commissioners have really been tightlipped about it," said Moyers. The commissioners haven't been "dragging their feet" in selecting a new chief, but are just being thorough, he added.

Ward 1 Councilman Jerry Wolsey, who is the council's liaison to the commission, declined to talk about details of the search Monday night when questioned about it by Ward 3 Councilman Danny Finley. Because the issue involves a personnel matter, Wolsey said, it would be discussed at the "proper time."

Finley also asked the man who is temporarily in charge of overseeing the police department, Scott County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Chambers, how the department was doing.

"The department's running the same as always; a few changes, a few complaints, but everything's being taken care of," said Chambers.

Up for election are the seats held by Wolsey; Irmgard Chronister of Ward 2; Ron Eskew of Ward 3; and Brad Bader of Ward 4. All have said they plan to file for re-election. The election will be held April 7.

Chronister did not attend Monday's meeting.

Eskew was sworn in at the council's last meeting to replace Randy Dooley, who moved from the ward and had to give up the seat. When asked Monday if he planned to file for the council seat, Eskew said he did and jokingly added: "I'm so new I don't know ... any better yet."

Bader, chairman of the city's Solid Waste Committee, said he planned to get a firsthand look next week at Cape Girardeau's composting operation with a view toward setting up a composting operation at Chaffee.

"I'll present it to the city council and see what options the city has," he said. He said he believes there is a critical need for a composting operation or something similar.

City officials noted that by state law landfills were prohibited from taking yard waste as of Jan. 1.

Council members approved the purchase of a computer package for $500. Ward 2 Councilman Ed Gauthier said the package would be used in connection with all city checks with the exception of payroll checks.

Also Monday, Public Works Director Jack Martin said discarded Christmas trees would be picked up today. Martin said some of the trees have been discarded at various locations around town.