City Manager Eric Williams asked the Henderson City Council to unfreeze a total of four public safety positions at Monday night’s meeting.
Williams recommended that Police Chief Glen Allen be allowed to convey to prospective police officers that Henderson is hiring and that he be allowed to make conditional offers of employment. The recommendation permits Allen to fill up to three police officer positions.
There was some urgency to the request because the next Basic Law Enforcement Training course at Vance-Granville Community College begins in January. The Police Department frequently sponsors candidates through the program in exchange for a minimum term of service from newly trained officers.
Williams also recommended that Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson be authorized to hire one entry-level firefighter. According to the city manager, a resignation occurred within the department since the council’s Nov. 14 meeting. Williams also informed the council that some applicants are in place.
All four positions were included in the budget for this fiscal year.
Williams also requested that the FAIR Committee review the yearly audit as soon as possible as well as discuss city positions on a department-by-department basis. According to Williams, the audit is complete but is in pre-review at the Local Government Commission. He did not know when it would be available.
Before a motion was made to accept Williams’ recommendations, Henderson Mayor Clem Seifert stated that the request of the city manager was exactly what the council had in mind when all positions were frozen at the Oct. 24 meeting.
Williams’ recommendations were accepted unanimously.