An update on topics that the Norwich Observer is following.
School Board vacancy filled
Lily Trajman was appointed by the Norwich School Board on November 3 to fill the vacancy on the Board due to the resignation of Kelley Hersey. She will serve until Town Meeting in March. The Board selected Dr. Trajman from a field of three candidates, each of whom made presentations to the Board. Dr. Trajman’s letter of interest to the School Board is available here. Her appointment also means she is a member of the SAU 70 and Dresden School Boards.
Town Manager Search
The Town Manager Screening Committee is conducting interviews of seven candidates on November 8 and 9. The Committee chose the seven from a pool of 29 applicants. The objective is to reduce the field to two or three finalists to go through the rigorous final interview process.
The Town Manager Screening Committee consists of Selectboard members Marcia Calloway and Mary Layton, residents Marisa Lorenzo and Richard Stucker, and staff member Miranda Bergmeier.
The Selectboard has not yet chosen the group of a residents and staff that will participate in the final interview process. In addition, that group will not include anyone on the Town Manager Screening Committee, according to the Selectboard-approved process.
Notably, the tight labor market has impacted the applicant pool. At the Selectboard meeting on November 3, Vice-chair Layton reported that 100 people applied for the position in 2016.
Support for Interim Town Manager Francis
The Selectboard is no longer searching for a full-time interim town manager, reports the Valley News. Instead, Director of Planning and Zoning Rod Francis will continue as Interim Town Manager, as well as handling his Director duties.
As Director, Mr. Francis is also the Town Zoning Administrator. The workload of the ZA is “approximately two to three days a week, in narrow terms (permit review, permit processing, posting and warning hearings, drafting decisions etc.),” according to a memorandum in the October 27 Selectboard packet at page 61. At that meeting, the Selectboard voted unanimously for Mr. Francis to seek a part-time Zoning Administrator “until the position of Town Manager is permanently filled,” according to the draft meeting minutes.
In addition, the Selectboard agreed to farm out the preparation of the annual Town Report to an outside firm. That firm will also have the task of posting agendas and minutes to the Town’s website. Farming out those tasks will free up time for Miranda Bergmeier, Assistant to the Town Manager. According to the draft meeting minutes from October 20, “Bergmeier’s role in the TM office is now larger than it has been in the past, largely because she is serving as the institutional knowledge in the office.” It is anticipated that the outside firm would spend two to three days a week on both projects.
The Town has not advertised the ZA position or the Town Report project, at least not on the home page of the Town’s website.