Members of the Mancos Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Jason Spruell as town marshal at their meeting Wednesday.

Spruell had been acting marshal since the December resignation of former Marshal John Cox. He was one of 15 applicants for the position, most of which were from Colorado.

Born and raised in Montezuma County, Spruell rose through the ranks of the county Sheriff’s Department for 16 years before retiring from that department last year.

“I’m excited to get my feet on the ground,” Spruell said Wednesday. “I want to continue with lots of training. I’m big on that.”

Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Baskin and Trustee Ed Hallam were not in attendance at the meeting.

Mayor Queenie Barz assisted as Spruell took the oath of office for the position, with a handful of his friends and family members watching. Marshal’s deputies Yvonne McClellan and Michael Barnes also were sworn in.

Among his first orders of business as town marshal will be updating the department’s vehicle fleet and hiring a third deputy, as well as continuing to train the members of the department, he said. McClellan recently was certified as a field training officer, the first such certification in the department’s history, she said. A field training officer is a member of a law enforcement department who is responsible for training and evaluating junior members of the department.

Spruell also said he wants to emphasize that town residents should make sure to keep their cars, bikes and homes locked up. A number of bike thefts and vehicle break-ins have occurred recently, he said.

In the search for a new marshal, town staff ramped up the hiring process to be more thorough, Town Administrator Andrea Phillips said. Spruell and two other finalists for the position were subjected to an in-depth background check, two panel interviews conducted by members of area law enforcement agencies and the community, a drug test, a psychological evaluation, a polygraph test and a skills and integrity test, she said.

Phillips recommended that the Board of Trustees appoint Spruell with a rave review. She said there had been a handful of calls to town hall asking that the town hire Spruell.

“Jason was far and away our best candidate,” Phillips said. “He has 17 years of law enforcement experience, and he has roots in the community. I think he will do a fabulous job.”

Phillips added that she was proud of the town’s law enforcement officers and was excited to see what they do in the next few years. Barz also expressed excitement for Spruell’s appointment.

Spruell said he looks forward to continuing to develop community relations with the marshal’s department.

“It’s a great community,” he said. “Everyone sticks together.”

Also at the meeting, trustees appointed Terry Jennings as town parks manager. The town’s previous parks head, Leslie Hopkins, resigned last month after nine years in charge in order to move to Arizona to be closer to family.

Jennings was one of 24 applicants for the position and previously worked in the town’s public works department. He said Wednesday he was still learning the job’s responsibilities but was excited to get started.

Prior to the trustees meeting Wednesday evening, town officials and the steering committee of the Mancos Creative District hosted members of Colorado Creative Industries, the Department of Local Affairs, ArtSpace, the El Pomar Foundation and Boettcher Foundation. Mancos, along with Ridgway, is a finalist to receive grant money for the Colorado Space To Create program.

If selected, Mancos would receive money from those organizations to revitalize a downtown property and convert it into affordable housing units for artists and creatives in the Mancos Valley. The visitors heard presentations from town officials, Mancos Creative District steering committee members and citizens. They toured the properties proposed as potential locations for artist housing, which includes the old hardware store, the former Mancos Common Press building, the Mancos Opera House and several vacant lots downtown.

Visitors also were served lunch from the Rockin’ W Chuckwagon. The visit ended with a happy hour horse and buggy tour of Mancos, which included stops at Olio Wine Bark, The Columbine and the Mancos Brewery.

Phillips said the day went well and she hopes to hear if Mancos is selected by the end of the month. Trustee Fred Brooks, who represented the board during the site visit, said it was an education and enjoyable experience.