Steamboat Pilot & Today

Oak Creek — David LaRose won't be the next police chief in Oak Creek.

The Oak Creek Board of Trustees made a motion at its May 10 meeting that it would hire LaRose if a background check on him came up clean. If not, the board would call a special meeting to decide what to do. LaRose was contacted after that meeting and said he was excited about the position, according to a town official.

Interim Police Chief Eileen Rossi left for LaRose's hometown in Akron Friday to perform the background check.

On Monday night, the board held a special meeting in executive session and now LaRose will not move to Oak Creek for the job.

"We talked to David yesterday, met about it and decided that he will not be a fit for the community," Oak Creek Town Manager Ray Leibensperger said.

Police Commissioner and Trustee Sonja Norris wouldn't comment on the results of the background check. However, she said LaRose was concerned about the cost of living in Routt County.

LaRose was the final applicant out of 33 who applied and eight who were interviewed.

Now the town will consider the next top three applicants from the eight interviewed and will perform background checks on them.

The three applicants are, listed by ranking, Thomas W. Ling, of Lake Helen, Fla.; Mark F. Lowe, of Satellite Beach, Fla.; and Milton Bailey Bowling, of Smyrna, Tenn.

Ling just moved to Steamboat Springs after his wife, Janice, recently accepted a job as the communications director for Routt County. The county and Janice became aware of the opportunity through Leibensperger, who is a family friend. When Thomas Ling applied for the Oak Creek job, a red flag went up for Oak Creek town officials concerned of a possible conflict of interest.

Norris said Thomas Ling's position as a finalist for the job in Oak Creek has nothing to do with his acquaintance with Leibensperger.

"The reason he came out as No. 2 on the list was because the (interview committee) chose it that way," Norris said.