After seven years as the city’s police chief, Chief Jeff Miller
is retiring but may not be leaving just yet. Miller has announced
Dec. 29 as his last day as the police chief. But the next day, he
could add interim to his title.
After seven years as the city’s police chief, Chief Jeff Miller is retiring but may not be leaving just yet.
Miller has announced Dec. 29 as his last day as the police chief. But the next day, he could add interim to his title.
The Hollister City Council was set to vote Monday night on possibly hiring Miller as the interim chief to create a ” smooth transition” between Miller and his eventual replacement, according to the council’s staff report. The contract would run to the end of the fiscal year June 30 and would be voided once the city finds his replacement.
The contract will allow the city to look for a replacement, while still having Miller under contract.
City officials expect the move to save significant funds during treacherous budget times for Hollister. It opens the door for a police captain to take over the role, while at least one business owner also believes the change might increase chances for a return to the downtown biker rally.
“This will help with the transition,” Gomez said. “If we hired an outside interim police chief it would have added another change to what’s already going on.”
The contract will give the city the flexibility to see if current police captains could take over when the six-month contract expires on June 30, City Manager Clint Quilter said. The city has one captain under contract, Capt. Carlos Reynoso, and is searching for a second.
Miller will work fewer hours as the months pass under the contract, and the captains will take on a larger role, Quilter said.
“They will start taking on more and more of a role,” Quilter said. “It’s an opportunity for us to evaluate what it looks like if we hire in-house.”
But most of all, the contract allows the city to keep Miller involved with the police department.
“He brings such a high level of professionalism,” Quilter said.
Gomez called Miller’s loss substantial.
“Police Chief Miller has been a very respectful department head,” Gomez said. “He brought a high level of ethics to the department.”
Miller, if the contract was passed by the city council Monday, would work on his current salary but only up to 960 hours, and he will receive no health benefits, Quilter said. Last year, Miller earned $128,600 in wages.
The contract will provide the city with nearly $40,000 in savings for the rest of the fiscal year. The contract could be extended if necessary.
“The savings are substantial,” Gomez said.
If the council members don’t approve the contract, the city would need to hire outside help and pay for lodging and other services, Quilter said. The costs would be much higher.
“If we weren’t going this route with Chief Miller, we would have to hire someone from the outside that wouldn’t know the department or the city,” Quilter said.
Finding his replacement won’t be easy, Gomez said.
“We want the public to give their input on what they want for the future,” Gomez said.
It’s important that the public has a “voice” in what happens next, he said.
For Charisse Tyson, the owner of Johnny’s Bar and Grill, the departure of Miller could re-open doors for a return of the downtown biker rally that was cancelled in 2008, she said.
She and others have publicly criticized the chief for increasing security costs for the rally that ultimately led to its downfall. The most recent downtown rally in 2008 included about $360,000 in safety costs.
“I’m hoping this is good for the rally – the city needs this event,” Tyson said. “He (Miller) single-handedly banned the rally. I believe that with every fiber of my body.”
For Gomez, if the city’s research into consolidation with the county’s sheriff’s office presents money savings – Miller’s departure could be the best time to implement the change, he said.
“It just depends on what we get back,” he said. “If it supports the change, this would be helpful.”
