Opinion: Will Greenfield Name Police, Fire Chiefs Tonight?

If you were going to venture out to tonight's – and based on public attendance at those and most government meetings, you weren’t – don’t expect another ho-hum, business-as-usual session.

It's my opinion the commission is going to appoint Jon Cohn and Brad Wentlandt as permanent chiefs of the city’s fire and police department. I don’t know that for a fact, but instead I’ll call it a strong hunch. And here’s why.

Last month, per the suggestion of Mayor Michael Neitzke, the PFC agenda excluded the item “discussion/decision regarding appointments of Permanent Police and Fire Chiefs” because it kept people wondering if and when a decision would be made. On the agenda released yesterday in advance of tonight’s meeting, the item reappeared. Coincidence? Maybe.

At the same time of Neitzke’s suggestion to remove that particular item from the agenda, he as a measure of assessment for both Cohn and Wentlandt. That process is nearly complete. Both interim chiefs have submitted budget proposals – Wentlandt went so far as to through restructuring – and the city’s final budget is expected to be finalized later next month.

Another telling indicator that tonight is the night, or at the very least a significant step toward the interim chiefs’ permanent hiring, is that the commission has not interviewed any other candidates and barely entertained the idea of doing so. And they’ve had plenty of time to do it. Cohn and Wentlandt were . Cohn took over June 1 when Russ Spahn retired, and Wentlandt took the reigns of the police department June 30, former .

In six months, Cohn and Wentlandt are the only candidates to be interviewed by the commission.

And that’s not all. Over the last several months, Neitzke has commended a job well done by both interim chiefs that has included several speed bumps over the last half year and appears very comfortable with both as department heads. In addition, both former chiefs in favor of their replacements.

I could be dead wrong. Trust me, it wouldn’t be the first time. The commission could still be deliberating a move I believe is the and one I’ve come to believe is a foregone conclusion. But if I’m right, it could be a historic night for the city.