Chief selection panel to meet; councilman frustrated by lack of updates

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016, 11:55 p.m. — Now that the deadline for applications has passed, the search committee for the next chief of the Bardstown Police Department will hold its first meeting Thursday.

Bardstown Mayor John Royalty talks with City Clerk Barbie Bryant prior to the start of Tuesday’s Bardstown City Council meeting.

Councilman Francis Lydian expressed his frustration over the lack of information coming to the council members — and particularly members of the safety committee — in regard to the updates in the search for a new police chief.

Lydian said he’s fielded questions from members of the community about the search for a police chief, and he has been unable to give a response. He’s heard there’s been 30 or more applications and that the mayor was interviewed about it on a radio program.

“City council members should have that information before it gets out on the street,” he said.

Mayor John Royalty told Lydian City Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and he needed to stop by his office. Lydian bristled at the suggestion.

“I’m not going behind closed doors and discuss city business, we’re going to discuss it in the open,” he said. “This has been going on for two years, I’m getting questions from the community and I’m the city council member and I don’t know what the hell is going on.”

Councilman Roland Williams told Lydian that the selection committee will hold its first meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday. Williams said he was not at liberty to disclose how many applications were received.

Williams said the committee will review the process it will use in its selection on Thursday.

Royalty said the committee will eventually narrow their choices down to three applicants. He said he can accept one of the three, reject all three, do something else, or start the process over.

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