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Two Joint Powers Authority board members say an out-of-town conference later this month conflicts with planned interviews for a new executive for the group overseeing redevelopment of McClellan.

The JPA’s personnel committee decided Friday to bring three candidates to McClellan for interviews May 19 and 20.

But when JPA Vice Chairman and Anniston Mayor Chip Howell, who also serves as personnel committee chairman, presented those dates to the board this morning, two members balked.

Anniston City Councilmen Herbert Palmore and Stan Bennett said they disapproved of the dates as they conflict with the Alabama League of Municipalities conference in Birmingham.

Howell had acknowledged the conflict when setting the date, but said further scheduling conflicts among committee members dictated that the interviews be conducted those days. Otherwise, interviews would be pushed back a month or more, he said.

“The committee should have consulted with the board and given us dates to choose from before setting it up,” Palmore said. “What’s so immediate about it that they have to decide all this within a week and we couldn’t have done that?”

Current Executive Director Dan Cleckler resigned in January 2007. He has remained at the JPA for a year and five months pending a new hire.

One candidate for the job has already removed his name from consideration as he is considering a position elsewhere. JPA member Pete Conroy said that would continue to happen if the interviews were postponed.

Howell said the committee would try to find another date, but that he knew there was not one in May. He said the May 19 and 20 dates may still stand.

The JPA contracted with Texas-based Angelou Economics in December to search for candidates for its open CEO position. The company interviewed prospects and last week presented the board a list of four candidates to interview. One dropped out Friday.

For more information, see Wednesday’s edition of The Star.