VARNELL, Ga. — Members of the Varnell City Council say they are eager to resume the process of choosing the city’s next police chief, a search that was interrupted by Gov. Brian Kemp’s state of emergency order and shelter-in-place order in March.

“The plan at this point is to get back into the office and try to set up a time that we can get some members of the council there and start to do some interviews,” said Mayor Tom Dickson.

Police Chief Lyle Grant said in June 2019 he would retire from the department at the end of that year. The announcement came after the City Council voted unanimously to reinstate Grant, who had been on paid administrative leave since April 30. A Whitfield County grand jury declined to indict Grant for providing a county-owned, encrypted radio to a Dalton wrecker service.

In December, Dickson said he had asked Grant to remain on as interim police chief until a search for his successor could be completed.

The city began advertising the position in January, and received about 14 applications.

“There were several from Florida,” said Dickson. “We had one who was currently overseas. He was originally from Georgia, if I recall correctly, but he’s training officers overseas. There may have been one or two from Tennessee. But the majority of them were from Georgia, and a number of them were from within a 50-mile radius from here.”

The department has four full-time officers and also utilizes several part-time officers.

“There is no set number for the part-time officers,” Dickson said.

The council did not advertise a salary. Grant is paid $51,000 a year.

Council members had narrowed down the list to four they wanted to bring in for interviews in March when Kemp issued his orders. Dickson said council members wanted to meet in person for the interviews. Asked if they had considered a conference call or Zoom meeting, Dickson said they had tried Zoom with one of the council meetings and had technological difficulties.

“The meeting went well, but there were problems with the live-stream,” he said.

Dickson said he expects to begin interviews shortly and to have a new chief in place within two months.

Council member Richard Lowe said he thinks that is a reasonable timeline.

Dickson said he is “looking for somebody who has a background in training and officer development. Somebody who has some leadership skills.”

Lowe said he is also looking for someone with strong leadership skills, as did council member Bill Caylor.