SUMMERDALE — The town of Summerdale is one step closer to acquiring a new police chief.

During Monday’s regular Summerdale Town Council meeting, Mayor David Wilson announced that the approximately 30 applicants had been narrowed down considerably when five were interviewed last week.

“We had some very good applicants,” he said, “some with outstanding qualifications.”

“Every one of them gave great, great interviews,” Place 5 Councilwoman Cheryl Wallace Stewart agreed.

Wilson told the council that the selection process should be made only when all council members agreed on the candidate.

“I had three favorites,” Stewart added.

The discussion continued when Wilson advised narrowing the search to two candidates. The council members wrote their two top picks on paper and submitted them to the mayor.

As previously reported, the police chief position opened when Eddie Ingram resigned on April 5 when Montgomery Circuit Judge Charles Price affirmed the revocation of his Alabama Police Certification, which had been imposed by the Alabama Police Officers Standards and Training Commission in May 2012 Upon Ingram’s resignation, Summerdale Police Maj. Trent Dennis was named interim chief and the town began taking applications for the vacancy.

The next step of the selection process is to contact two candidates the town leaders agree on for a second interview, which would include their spouses. Wilson reminded those present at Monday’s meeting that because those interviews would have enough council members present to make a quorum, those interviews are work sessions open to the public, per Alabama’s Sunshine Law.