Mancos has a new marshal in town, as Town Administrator Heather Alvarez officially hired Montezuma County patrol deputy Justen Goodall for the job.
The decision came after Goodall and fellow finalist Boyd Neagle underwent several rounds of interviews and tests. His first day of work with the Mancos Marshal’s Office will be Feb. 1, according to Alvarez.
“I’m extremely thrilled about it,” Goodall told The Journal. “I’m looking forward to helping the community of Mancos.”
Goodall will be sworn in at the Jan. 23 Town Board meeting.
The town began searching for a marshal at the end of October after former Marshal Jason Spruell announced his resignation from the post, in order to operate Mesa Verde Motorsports in Cortez.
In December, the town settled on two finalist candidates: 30-year-old Goodall and Neagle, a 46-year-old Cortez Police Department patrol officer with 24 years of law enforcement experience.
Goodall has been with the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office since 2010, and he was initially assigned to the Montezuma County Detention Center, where he served for four years before transferring to the patrol division. Currently, he is a field training officer, working with recruits on basic duties such as traffic stops, and he has been the officer in charge several times.
The town’s offer was made and accepted Jan. 10.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Alvarez said. “Both candidates are extremely qualified. Ultimately, after the entire process was complete, we felt that Mr. Goodall was a better fit for the town and Marshal’s Office.”
In other law enforcement news, Michael Morris took an oath of office as a new deputy marshal at last week’s regular Town Board meeting on Jan. 9.
Previously, Morris worked for the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, Alvarez said. There are still two other deputy position openings, which she expects to post this week or next, time permitting.
Also at the Jan. 9 board meeting, trustees approved a boundary line adjustment between the Mancos School District RE-6A and the local fire department. The boundary will now align with an existing fence line between the two groups’ properties on a land parcel just east of Menefee Street.
And during a public comment period, citizens argued that the town of Mancos is not in compliance with the terms of a 1960 easement on their property. Trustees decided that town staff would meet with the citizens in order to work through their differences.
Others came forward to express concerns regarding the use of weed control chemicals in Boyle Park. Mayor Queenie Barz thanked the citizens for their comments, and suggested that they study the town’s long-term park management plan.
Freelance writer Bob Waggoner contributed to this story.