Lawyers for the city and Neiswanger are negotiating contract terms, with the chief job set to pay a salary of $120,000 to $135,000 a year.
James M. Neiswanger, mayor's choice to be Holyoke police chiefHOLYOKE – The tentative date for Connecticut police captain James M. Neiswanger to begin as police chief here is July 18, Mayor Elaine A. Pluta said Tuesday.
“He wants to start as soon as possible....I’m looking at hopefully the 18th, July 18, if everything goes well,” Pluta said.
Pluta announced Neiswanger was her choice to be the chief June 23, but he has yet to begin as his lawyer and City Solicitor Lisa A. Ball negotiate salary and other contract terms.
Neiswanger, 48, a 25-year veteran of the Manchester, Conn. Police Department, said he was eager to begin as chief.
“I am, and I’m looking forward to coming to Holyoke,” Neiswanger said.
He reiterated he expected contract talks to be snag-free.
“It should be. I’m sure there’s going to be a little give and take on both sides,” he said.
Also delaying Neiswanger’s start is the need for the city to do what Pluta said will be “an intense” background check and for him to undergo physical and psychological tests, she said.
Background checks were already done on Neiswanger and other candidates who had made the final cut in the search process, but Pluta was unable to elaborate on what will make the check being done on Neiswanger more extensive than the earlier review.
The job was advertised with a salary range of $120,000 to $135,000.
Neiswanger would be replacing former Chief Anthony R. Scott, who retired April 30 after having been the chief since 2001. His annual salary was $133,164.
Capt. Frederick J. Seklecki had been acting police chief, but while he returned to his regular duties July 1, he also is still the acting chief until Neiswanger takes over, Pluta said.
The search for a new police chief began with Pluta’s appointment of a search committee in late November. A total of 39 candidates applied, with most from New England and New York.
Pluta said she chose Neiswanger because it was obvious that he out-peformed the other finalist for the job during an evaluation that involved role-playing, tests, questioning and other exercises June 18.
She also liked that while Neiswanger pledged to be tough on crime, he also outlined plans to reach out to young people and other parts of the community, she said.
The other finalist was Pedro J. Perez, 58, of Albany, N.Y., a retired, 29-year veteran official of the New York State Police.
The city charter requires that the police chief be a resident, and Pluta said Neiswanger will have up to six months from his start date to move here.
Neiswanger and his wife Carla, a paraprofessional in the South Windsor schools, have three daughters, two of whom are in college and one in high school.