CONWAY — With the impending June retirement of longtime Police Chief Ken Ouimette, the screening committee for his successor is preparing to begin its work.

Ouimette, who has served for 33 years as chief and 42 total on the force, submitted his letter of retirement at Dec. 21’s Selectboard meeting, stating “it’s time” for him to step down from the role he’s held for decades. Ouimette’s employment will end June 30, the end of the fiscal year, much to the feigned chagrin of Selectboard Chair Philip Kantor.

“Unfortunately, I can’t hold you to employment against your will,” Kantor joked. “You’ve earned the right to retire and you’ve earned everybody’s appreciation.”

With Ouimette’s retirement looming, Town Administrator Veronique Blanchard said the screening committee will be “getting underway immediately” to review the chief’s job description and post it. The screening committee is comprised of Blanchard, Kantor, Treasurer/Collector Jan Warner, and residents Howard Boyden and Mary Irwin.

Blanchard said she only has a rough idea of what the screening committee’s plans are because it has yet to meet, but the first step will be to review the job description. Following that, the committee will review any applications it receives and may conduct some initial interviews of candidates. She noted, though, there will not be a cap to how many candidates they recommend to the Selectboard.

“It’s good not to limit yourself ahead of time, so we have not made a determination,” Blanchard said.

While there is no timeline set, Blanchard said town officials may aim to have Ouimette’s replacement in place before the end of the fiscal year so that his successor can learn from him.

“It’s not a bad idea to have a little overlap, but it depends on the process,” she said.

Learning from your predecessor on the job is something Blanchard has some experience with, as she was hired as town administrator and worked with the previous interim administrator for a few weeks to learn the ropes.

“It’s just helpful to have someone walk you through,” Blanchard said.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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