Executive search firm Bob Murray & Associates, from Roseville, has a listing for the search on the company's website, advertising the position vacated when former Chief Ernie Bakin retired Aug. 8 after a prolonged absence due to injury.

According to the search brochure, pay level is negotiable depending on the applicant's experience, up to a maximum of $156,520.

City Councilman Dean Chu said Murray & Associates met with the council members at the suggestion of Interim City Manager Amy Chan to discuss what they're looking for in a new chief.

The firm also met with public safety officers and other city staff over the past three weeks, both to learn about the history of the department and better assess the needs of the government here.

John Pilger, the city's communication officer, said the search has begun to find a new candidate, and while the city would like to find someone who has worked in California before—so the person would come with an understanding of California's issues—there is no geographic limit set.

Pilger said Sunnyvale stands out from other similar cities because the Interim Chief Pat Dwyer came to Sunnyvale after stints in San Jose and Palo Alto.

The applicant is applying for public safety director, who oversees fire, police and rescue operations for the city. Most cities, on the other hand, have separate fire chief and police chief positions.

Sunnyvale currently has three positions in transition within the upper echelons of the city government. The city has been without a permanent city manager for most of the year, and City Attorney Valerie Armento resigned from her position on Sept. 28, effective in October. In addition, Chan has agreed to stay on until the end of 2005 to give the city time to find a suitable replacement for the city manager position.

In the interim, Mayor John Howe said, Dwyer is more than capable of handling the needs of the department, because of his extensive experience in Palo Alto and San Jose. Howe said Dwyer's personality and style of leadership blends well with what the department has been trying to do recently.