MATTAWA - As a first order of business at the Mattawa City Council's meeting of Jan. 3, Mayor Judy Esser announced that Interim Police Chief John Turley would soon be on the job.

She was correct, Turley was sworn in to his office on Jan. 8 and is on the job. And he's happy to be back in Grant County, where he served for years in the sheriff's department.

"I spent a lot of years in this area," he said.

Turley was a sudden hire to fill the vacancy left by the resigning Steve Jensen. The city continued the on-going civil service hiring process into the future after Turley called and offered his services.

Turley was living in Las Vegas and didn't learn that Mattawa was looking for a chief until late in the game. When he called, the mayor realized he was probably the best candidate.

Esser hired Turley as "interim" chief to get around the civil service process. At the time, she said the city had been without a chief long enough and needed to fill the position.

Turley started his career as a reserve deputy undersheriff in San Bernardino County, Calif. in 1989. He became a Grant County Sheriff's patrol deputy in 1997, chief of detectives in 2003 and undersheriff in 2008.

Turley knows the Mattawa area, the people who populate it and speaks Spanish. He will be paid $68,000 per year for half a year. Esser hopes he will apply for permanent duty.

In other news, the city is looking at remodeling the area on the west side of the city hall building for use by Mattawa Public Works. It used to be car washing area and looks like a carport.

Privacy office partitioning will be installed in the current public works area inside city hall for the police records clerk-evidence and property custodian.

The council was informed there is still a vacant council position that needs to be filled. No one has applied. Meeting times for the council are the first and third Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

The council was informed that the cost to install GPS units in police cars will be $200, plus labor. Approved a few months ago, these devices help officers find locations they seek and record the places they've been.

The council learned the US Cellular lease is not yet final and should be finalized at the meeting this Thursday. The city attorney is working with US Cellular to make sure all is in order on the leasing of land for a new cell tower.

City Planner Darryl Piercy told the council he is working with the Grant County Housing Authority on the revision of the Esperanza Project on the southeast side of town. The GCHA wants to replace the converted shipping containers with stick-built housing.

The GCHA has learned that U.S. Government funding requires a platting process. The GCHA is awaiting the plat application.