Cottonwood Shores searching for police chief, raising water rates

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Cottonwood Shores administrators are in the process of combing through around 40 applications for police chief to replace Chief Harold Piatt, who has turned in his resignation, according to council discussions at a Thursday, Oct. 16, meeting.

The job posting closed Friday, said Cottonwood Shores city secretary and administrator Sheila Moore. “We’re in the application review process, and we’ve had a good response to our posting and good applicants,” she said.

The council will convene in executive session to discuss the final three candidates once other applications are eliminated.

“It’s a staff decision, between me and Sheila [Moore],” said Mayor Donald Orr, explaining that the city council will not choose the next chief but will have input.

Several council members expressed their hope that Piatt will be involved in the hiring process. “The chief has laid a foundation, and I know he has a continuing interest in Cottonwood Shores,” said Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Sherry.

Orr and Councilman Marley Porter reiterated Sherry’s statement.

In other action at the meeting, the council voted to raise citizens’ water rates to compensate for the rate hike passed by the Lower Colorado River Authority board of directors in July.

Around 500 water customers will see a $1.50 surcharge on their monthly water bills, which the council decided to label an “LCRA drought surcharge.”

“We can’t absorb the extra cost like cities like Burnet are doing,” Orr said. 

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.