WILTON – Officials appointed a nine-member committee last week to help with the process of finding a new police chief.

Longtime Chief James Parker retired last month, and Officer Ed Leahy has been serving as interim chief.

Three members of the Board of Selectmen will serve on that committee: Rodney Hall, Russ Black and Chairman Jeff Rowe. Town Manger Peter Nielsen will serve as an ex-officio member.

Other members include Cushing School Principal Paul Gooch; former Livermore Falls Town Manager Ruth Marden, who is a resident of Wilton; Orlando Jordan, who has served on several town boards and committees; Wilton residents Barbara McKeen and Pam Henderson; and Jay Police Chief Larry White.

The committee will be charged with coming up with qualifications and a job description, advertising and screening applicants. Selectmen will review the committee’s work and have the final say on the hiring and pay of the new chief.

Nielsen said the town received a total of 17 timely replies after appealing for individuals interested in serving on the committee. Officials also asked Nielsen to contact former police officers Barry Hathaway and Charles Tappan.

Selectmen Keith Swett and Norm Gould reviewed the applicants and chose six to recommend to selectmen. Parker did not apply to be on the committee, but he agreed to give any needed input.

Hall said he does not agree with putting such decisions in the hands of community members. “I don’t think we want to start handing out that responsibility to people that haven’t been elected by the town,” he said.

He said he was also concerned that no guidelines had been set for the committee.

Black said he preferred that all five selectmen serve on the committee with only four community members.

But Swett said there will be three selectmen serving on the committee, and the board will make any final decisions. He said the committee will “get the process started” and serve to take some of the initial burden off the board.

Gould agreed, saying the committee will eliminate a lot of the applicants for the position who “just don’t make the cut.”

Resident Shannon Smith said that while she had no problem with asking for suggestions from an out-of-town police chief, she opposed having an outsider serve on the committee, particularly since two former police officers were willing to serve.

Rowe agreed.

Rowe and Hall voted against the committee.

Black said he did not vote against it because he did not feel he had enough support for his opposition during discussion.

The committee will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the town office. Nielsen said the meetings must be public by law because three selectmen serve on it. However, they can hold discussions in executive session because it involves personnel matters.