The Whitney City Council voted to extend an offer to a police chief candidate during a special meeting held Thursday, December 5.
The city has been accepting applications to replace Police Chief Kyle Nevil, who will assume the Precinct 1 constable position in January. After an executive session, the council voted to extend a conditional offer of employment to a candidate, who was not yet publicly identified.
Mayor Janice Sanders, Chief Nevil and Operations Director Billy Pribble presented information about the process the city used to advertise for the position and screen candidates.
The mayor said that the city has dedicated a lot of time to finding the right candidate, and a review board diligently evaluated applicants and conducted interviews.
Nevil said that the position was open for over a month and the hiring process was conducted according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) policy manual regarding hiring procedures.
Pribble added that since he and the mayor have been in their positions, they have made it a point to advertise positions longer and in more locations, resulting in candidates from all over the state applying for director-level positions.
“That says great things about what’s happening here, because we’re sparking interest from candidates outside of our city limits,” said Pribble. “I think that we can confidently say to you that over the past few times we’ve done this, we are bringing to you the best and most qualified candidates.”
In other action, the council also appointed new members to the Whitney Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corporation. Council members Vicki Wilson and Valery Peacock were appointed to serve along with City Secretary Kristi Woellert.
Attorney Robin Cross, the city’s legal counsel, presented information about the corporation, which was formed by the city in 2017.
The program was approved by the Texas Legislature and went into effect in 2017, allowing cities and counties to form corporations that act as a conduit to allow a private entity to get tax-exempt government bonds for projects.
The attorney explained that there is no city liability in the arrangement, but the city benefits by receiving payment for authorizing the issuance of bonds.
The city has approved projects in the past, none of which have been in Whitney’s immediate area, through the program.
“This is the first time we’ve done anything like this since I came on and I was unfamiliar with it,” Pribble said. “I asked Robin to thoroughly vet this and make sure it’s not putting the city into a position of liability, to which she assured me that it is not.”
The current project before the corporation is financing for Lake Country Christian School. Cross said that she initially had some questions about how the program can support faith-based organizations, but it is clearly allowable by statute.
Cross said that the city should receive approximately $12,500 for authorizing the funding. A public hearing was held, with no comments. The final documents will be presented to the corporation and council for approval at an upcoming meeting.
Council members also agreed to begin posting recordings of council meetings to the city’s Facebook page.
The council’s next regular meeting date is Thursday, December 19.
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