The DeKalb City Council will discuss forming a search committee at its meeting at 8 p.m. tonight to help the city manager select a replacement for Police Chief Joe Maciejewski, who will retire Feb. 18.

Maciejewski discussed his retirement plans with DeKalb City Manager Mark Stevens, who seeks council approval at the meeting at the Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St., to fill the position. Maciejewski was unavailable for comment Friday.

Stevens said he will bypass internal promotions and recruit applicants from local, state and national levels by placing advertisements for the job in newspaper and professional publications. Dec. 30 is the closing date for the position, Stevens said.

To select applicants, Stevens said he will appoint a citizens’ advisory committee, comprised of 12 to 18 aldermen, police and community members. The committee will add its input to the job description for police chief that Stevens has prepared.

Stevens has appointed 5th Ward Alderman Bessie Chronopoulos and 1st Ward Alderman Christine Hoagland to this committee.

Also, Stevens will select a police professional panel of three to five police officers to assist him in interviewing finalists. Finalists for the position of police chief will undergo a background check, a psychological examination and interviews with the citizens’ advisory committee, the police professional panel and the city manager.

Stevens said he will submit his recommendation for police chief to the council by Feb. 13.