Coulee Dam’s Civil Service Commission is up and running.

Mayor Greg Wilder named the third member of the commission a week ago and the first task of the three-member group is to hire a third police officer.

“In order to remove nepotistic hiring practices, inappropriate selection of friends or other practices that may not serve us well, I have adopted a new policy relating to the selection process,” Wilder stated.

Then the mayor went on to detail his hands-off policy.

“All applications for openings for sworn officers in our police department will be filed directly with the town clerk. I will not see them and the police chief will not see them. Upon closing, all of these applications will be forwarded to the Civil Service Commission for consideration … following the ‘rule of three’ protocol, the three most qualified (as determined by testing, background reviews and interviews by the commission) will be submitted for a determination/selection by the mayor, working with the police chief. There will be no attempt by either the police chief or the mayor to interfere with the Commission’s selections -- none!”

The three members of the CSC are: Shawn Derrick, town councilmember who was named to a 2-year term; Herb Sherburne, who was appointed to an initial term of 6 years; and Joe Tynan, who was appointed to an initial term of 4 years. Kandee Merriman was named CSC secretary.

The commission members will select their own chair and have been required by the mayor to attend a training in September. That includes the secretary.

In addition to the new patrol officer, the mayor is considering another officer to serve as a school resource officer. The selection of that officer will depend on a successful application for a grant.