By james art 
The City of Carbondale announced Friday that Police Chief and Acting City Manager Stan Reno has accepted a conditional offer of a permanent, full-time city manager position, pending final approval of the employment agreement by the Carbondale City Council.
“Serving the city of Carbondale as police chief has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Reno said in a Friday press release. “I look forward to continuing to serve our community in this new capacity as city manager.”
Reno has been the city’s police chief since 2021. and assumed the role of interim city manager in March 2024. following the resignation of former City Manager Gary Williams.
Outside of Reno, other candidates being considered for the role include Thomas Thomas and Sean Metcalf.
When asked what made Reno stand out from the other candidates, Carbondale Mayor Carolyn Harvey said simply “he was the most qualified.”
Reno will now lead the way on numerous projects in Carbondale – some of which are currently underway and many more to come.
“I look forward to working with him to complete ongoing projects and introduce new ones that will help the city grow and thrive,” Harvey said.
One city project that appears to be nearing completion is the Illinois Southern Multimodal Station (SIMMS) downtown on the east side of South Illinois Boulevard.
A project update posted on the city’s website earlier this month said the interior and exterior of the SIMMS building are nearly complete and that concrete work and landscaping will continue, weather permitting.
As Rino takes on his new role, Carbondale residents can expect him to play a major role in upcoming projects such as the Downtown Entertainment and Events Plaza on Washington Street, updates to the Superblock Sports Complex, the multi-use Saluki Greenway from Old Highway 13 to Wood Road and the resurfacing of numerous Carbondale roads.
Carbondale city officials said in Friday’s release that the city expresses its gratitude to Reno for his “unwavering commitment to public safety” and “looks forward to his leadership in this new role.”
In preparation for this transition, Reno will appoint an acting police chief when he assumes his permanent role as city manager.
Details surrounding the selection of an interim police chief and the statewide search for a new police chief are expected to be announced soon.
The Daily Egyptian has reached out to the mayor’s and city manager’s offices and will update this story as more information becomes available.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add a comment from Mayor Carolyn Harvey