COUNCIL MEETING

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday

Where: Pinckneyville City Hall

What: The council will vote on a new interim police chief and a search committee for a permanent replacement.

BY ADAM TESTA

THE SOUTHERN

PINCKNEYVILLE -Pinckneyville City Council members will vote on Mayor Joseph Holder's recommendation for an interim police chief Monday.

Kenny Kelly, an officer with the Pinckneyville Police Department, has been nominated to fill the post beginning Feb. 1. The police chief position will be left empty after the forced retirement of Chief Paul "Buddy" Day, who was asked to retire after Holder and Police Commissioner Martin Beltz completed an internal investigation.

Many citizens, including Tim Simpson who has been placed on the agenda, plan to attend the meeting and present the council with three petitions. One petition calls for Day to retain his post as police chief and the others call for the resignation of Holder and Beltz from their positions, Simpson said.

Though Beltz maintains residency in Pinckneyville, he spends most of his time and works in Galesburg in Knox County, which has been a concern for residents, Simpson said. The petitions bear about 500 signa-tures between them, he said.

"I think when they see a majority of the people signing these petitions they will see how much we care," said Simpson, who says he voted for both men in the past election.

Holder said he's "mystified by this whole thing" and questions the motives of many of those disagreeing with his opinions. He said that within a month of taking office earlier this year a group of citizens were complaining about the enforcement of city codes and ordinances. Now, the same individuals are protesting his decision to make changes in the department failing to take this action, he said.

"I have no credibility until I can get codes enforced in this town or else I look like an idiot," Holder said.

Other opponents of his decision seem to individuals who lost races in the past election, and these people "for whatever reason can't seem to put it behind them."

In regards to the resignation petitions, Holder said people would see a different view of things if they were granted their wish.

"If they don't want the present council to run this city, the state will run the city because it will be insol-vent and the bondholders will run the utilities because they'll foreclose," he said.

Holder has also recommended the creation of a search committee for a new chief consisting of himself, Beltz, Perry County State's Attorney David Stanton, Mary Roe and Samuel Fulk.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com

351-5031