Sonoma County officials are asking the public to weigh in on its recruitment process for a new director for the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach.

IOLERO was formed in 2015 by the county Board of Supervisors to monitor the Sheriff’s Office by reviewing complaints and making policy recommendations.

Officials plan to begin a nationwide recruitment process for the position in March with a goal of an appointment by August.

The county and the IOLERO Community Advisory Council have created a survey to solicit feedback from the community about its general impressions of the office and what knowledge, skills, abilities and expertise they should be looking for in its next director. Information gathered will go into the recruitment brochure and any advertising for the position, the county said.

In January, attorney Garrick Byers was appointed to serve as interim director of IOLERO. Byers succeeded former IOLERO director Kathleen Navarro, who was appointed as Sonoma County Superior Court judge in September.

Members of the public are invited to provide responses to a short survey in English or Spanish that should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete, the county said. Responses are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27, and will be confidential.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.