Elk River headed to market for new police chief

Council decides 4-1 to look inside and out of ERPD to replace retiring Nierenhausen

by Jim Boyle

Editor

The city of Elk River will go to the market for its next police chief.

The Elk River City Council decided on a 4-1 vote May 6 to seek quotes from search firms to lead the effort to find a replacement. The Elk River City Council will have the final say on who gets hired.

At least two internal candidates have been encouraged to apply, and the administrative captain and patrol captain have been asked to continue in their roles and manage the department in the absence of the chief and take the necessary actions in the city’s interest in the interim.

The council agreed with City Administrator Cal Portner’s recommendation to do that. All five council members felt that was important to maintain continuity, and both police and department support staff supported that move.

Elk River Police Chief Ron Nierenhausen announced his retirement effective May 31 after a 35-year career, including the last nine as the chief. He has been taking vacation since announcing his plans to retire.

The city practice is to go to market for employee replacements in the case of supervisory positions such as city administrators, fire chiefs, finance directors and others. The Elk River City Council, however, kept the search internal under Portner’s leadership when hiring Nierenhausen in 2015. Then Chief Brad Rolfe announced his retirement late 2014 and made clear his top two picks for his successors were in the department — then Capt. Nierenhausen and then Capt. Robert Kluntz.

The council chose to stay in-house, despite a recommendation from Portner to go to market. After Kluntz announced he was not seeking the position, Portner asked again about going to market. The council decided then to keep moving forward with the internal process and ultimately hired Nierenhausen.

This time the council is going with Portner’s recommendation. Four council members expressed their reasoning for supporting that move. One council member expressed a desire to stay in-house.

Council Member Matt Westgaard led off with his remarks on the topic of the interim question. He started by saying the city has a good department.

“Knowing the climate, the market for hiring and retaining police officers and stuff like that, we’re fairly full, pretty much fully staffed, ... and my perception is we’ve got a good group of folks at all levels within the department,” he said. “I worry about retention, and we don’t need to have a mass exodus of law enforcement folks.”

Westgaard said having Capt. Darren McKernan and Capt. Joe Gacke fulfilling the chief’s requirements in the interim would help keep continuity, especially if it hasn’t put any additional undue pressure or stress on either one of them to pick up these extra duties.

He also said it is just good business practice going to market to look for a permanent replacement.

“Certainly want to see and entertain all internal candidates that are interested as well, “ Westgaard said. “We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t look both external and internal for the process of the permanent filling of that position.”

Westgaard did later in the meeting reiterate that his support for the interim plan was contingent upon not putting undue pressure on either of the two captains. Portner said he will monitor the situation, but has full confidence in both of them.

Council Member Jennifer Wagner agreed with Westgaard about tapping Gacke and McKernan for the interim duties, but she feels differently about whether to go to market.

“In regards to the recruitment or nationwide interviews or bringing on a company to help with that, I fully understand what you’re saying Matt, and I respect, Cal, that you’re bringing forth this recommendation,” she said. “I believe it’s what you should bring forth for us to consider. I think that’s the right thing for the city administrator to recommend, engaging in an outside recruitment agency. I also have a lot of respect for our current police department and those inside of it. I feel ... (we) have the best candidates within (our department).

“I understand what you’re saying, that they would rise to the top anyway, but just that respect I have for the current department, I just don’t think it’s necessary to go (to market.) But I just want to make it clear that I fully respect what you’re saying and feel that you’re asking for the right thing to do. I just disagree. I think we have the right people here that we can look internally and promote (from) within ourselves.”

Council Member Mike Beyer shared how he was recently promoted to a director position within his publicly held company, and the company had to go out for bid to appease the stockholders.

“Fortunately, it shook out (the way it did) and I was promoted,” he said. “I believe we’re in the same situation. I think we have a heck of a police department and a couple of really good candidates potentially if interest is there. They’ll rise up, as well, and it still has to go back to the council for final approval anyway, so we’re gonna choose the right candidate.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do for our taxpayers as long it’s not at a price that is crazy,” he said, noting there will be cost savings once Nierenhausen is retired between May 31 and the time his replacement is hired. “To me, the best person will rise.”

Council Member Corey Grupa supported the interim plan and going to market. He said he prays that the internal candidates will prove to be the best candidates. He also said that it’s fair to go out to market.

Elk River Mayor John Dietz said he agreed with the majority. He also said internal candidates will be welcome to apply, and “I am sure they will do well,” he said. “I think we need to see what’s out there and do a search.”

Dietz also noted that a search firm doesn’t recommend a person but rather brings forward the top candidates and information about them.

Portner said he feels strongly about going to the market for supervisory positions. He told the council it helps to prepare the internal candidates for this role, as they do a lot of self-evaluation and develop a lot of self-awareness of who they are, where they are and how they want to run the department.

“It kind of (helps them) step aside from an interim position, and makes them look at (from the perspective of if I had the position) how I would act in that situation,” Portner said. “The second thing is I think, throughout the organization, it also adds to credibility ... knowing that it wasn’t just a rubber stamp and we were going through (a) process to make an appointment. I think it has benefited those individuals in their new leadership roles.”

Portner is expected to bring back information on potential search firms to the May 20 meeting, including cost information. The entire council seconded Beyer’s comment about making sure the cost is not exorbitant.