Basalt assembles committee to search for new police chief

BASALT – Basalt Town Manager Mike Scanlon said Wednesday that he hopes to name an interim police chief this week after interviewing five candidates Dec. 17.

Scanlon said he interviewed Greg Morrison, Greg Knott, Flint Chamber, Tom Dalessandri and Keith Ikeda for the job.

Ikeda is a former Basalt police chief. Dalessandri is a former Garfield County sheriff. Morrison is the former police chief of Silverthorne and assistant chief of police in Breckenridge. Morrison is also a Summit County-based head hunter who consulted with Basalt to recruit Scanlon to his position this fall.

Knott is a police officer in Carbondale. Chambers is in personnel placement.

Roderick O’Connor resigned as police chief on Nov. 23 for reasons that haven’t been disclosed.

Scanlon said he has a favorite candidate and is working on an agreement that he hopes to have ready for the Town Council for approval Thursday night. If the agreement isn’t ready for review by the council at that point, the appointment will have to wait until the board’s next meeting on Jan. 8, he said.

Meanwhile, Scanlon is putting together a Community Advisory Panel of Basalt residents to help with the search of a permanent chief. Five residents have agreed to serve on the panel. Two others have been asked but haven’t decided yet.

Those who are committed to serve on the panel are Kelley Burk, Matthew Hamilton, Leroy Duroux, Bernie Grauer and Tim Belinski. Hamilton has agreed to serve as chair of the panel, according to Scanlon.

In addition to the citizens’ panel, Scanlon has asked Avon Police Chief Robert Ticer to help him put together an experts’ panel of law enforcement officials to help in the selection process. Ticer was also asked to provide peer review of Basalt’s process, Scanlon said.

Ticer is first vice president of the Colorado Police Chiefs Association. He will pick three or four police chiefs or other law enforcement officials to serve on the expert panel, according to Scanlon.

Scanlon anticipates a police chief will be appointed in late April after extensive interviews with the residents’ panel, the expert panel and the Town Council.

scondon@aspentimes.com