BFPD chief decision on hold until Monday

February 9, 2012

After a discussion during Tuesday evening's Bonners Ferry City Council meeting on hiring a new Bonners Ferry Police Chief after a committee unanimously approved offering the job to a Twin Falls police sergeant, concerns raised prompted tabling a decision until a special council meeting on Monday, February 13. The committee, comprised of Mayor Dave Anderson, Council President Mike Klaus, and City Clerk Kris Larson, interviewed four candidates, including acting police chief Joel Minor, a 13 year BFPD veteran and assistant chief since Dave Kramer retired and Rick Alonzo was promoted, and Randy Tremble, formerly a reserve police officer and now a member of the Bonners Ferry Fire Department, before unanimously agreeing to offer the job to Steve Benkula, a staff sergeant with the Twin Falls, Idaho, Police Department. At Tuesday's meeting, councilman Rick Alonzo, who retired as Bonners Ferry Chief of Police December 31 to assume his seat on the council, pointed out that the selected candidate did not meet the requirements posted in the vacancy announcement for the job, which required at least three years' experience as a police lieutenant. City attorney Tim Wilson advised that the announcement could be re-worded to fit Benkula's rank, however, in most cases where such a change is made, the vacancy must be reposted and the process start again from the beginning to allow potential candidates who would now be qualified under the new criteria to make application so as to be compliant with municipal personnel policy. While city leadership arrived at the decision, approval from the city council is required to fill the vacancy. Monday's special meeting takes place at 5 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.