At its meeting on September 8, the Selectboard heard a presentation from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) on how it plans to conduct the search for a new Town Manager. Not yet publicly discussed by the Selectboard is the role the community will play in the process. That may occur at the Board meeting on September 22.
The Selectboard should proactively involve the public. The Town Manager is often the sole point of contact between members of the community and Town government. My email to the Selectboard, which is in the September 22 packet, suggested two approaches to involve the public. There may also be others.
First, form a committee, which includes members of the public, to screen and interview applicants for the position. In its presentation to the Selectboard, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) suggested this as a doable option. There may be other stakeholders or expertise to include on such a committee as well.
Second, VLCT recommends creating a “position profile” of “the desired characteristics for the position along with other important factors that should be considered.” My suggestion is to actively solicit public input in creating that profile. The Town is embarking on a similar exercise for its next Police Chief. Getting the “profile” right for the Town Manager seems as important. This suggestion may delay the selection process some. However, as currently envisioned, the first and final rounds of interviews seemingly occur during the middle of budget season, as well as during the Thanksgiving and Winter holidays. I do not know whether that is a good time to attract candidates or for the Selectboard to consider them.
Selection process
However, one constraint to public input may be time. Rick McGuire, who will lead the search on behalf on VLCT, outlined a four month process to select a candidate. See below. He indicated there was room to shorten the process by a week or two. The four-month process does not include the successful candidate giving notice to her or his current employer. That notice might add a month or more. In light of that timeline, Norwich won’t see a new Town Manager until early 2022, after the budget is finalized.
The materials in the September 8, Selectboard packet indicate a cost estimate of the search at $8000 – $12,750. According to that packet, Mr. McGuire “served as Town Manager for the Town of Williston for twenty-two years until his retirement from that position in August, 2020.” He recently assisted the Town of Jericho in finding a new Town Administrator.
If there is a new Town Manager by the 4th of July 2022 that will exceed the expectations of many. What is disheartening is that the SB apparently made the decision not to renew the previous TM contract in the winter of 2021. They spent 6 months after that point drawing out the process when they could have run a search effort and on-boarding a new TM with the old. But, that is too professional and organized and our municipal policy makers take a more protracted approach to most tasks.
I agree with public input and while a loathe to see yet another sub-committee (affordable housing hasn’t created one affordable home for example) I do see the value in this one. However, previous members of a TM search committee should be excluded and so should residents that do business with the Town (e.g. solar or engineering companies as examples). A TM that permanently resides in Town and drives a vehicle without vanity plates would be ideal as well as one who circulates and leaves the office, meets with residents, hangs out at the transfer station to chat with people, walks the farmers market etc…. You get the point. Visible, involved, active and not connected to those with personal agendas.
What is the role of the Town Manager in Norwich? Is it enough that she or he competently manage the budget and Department Heads? Or should the TM be an active participant in the community, as well? Is the Town Manager expected to lead or administer, or both?
It is time to abolish the position of Town Manager and institute a town administrator. As I have written before, the town manager form of government allows a town manager to be unaccountable to the town’s selectboard and residents unless the town drafts a contract with the town manager that specifically includes terms and conditions that the town manager must adhere to in order to avoid being terminated for cause. Such terms and conditions are likely to be distasteful to a potential town manager, making finding a town manager difficult or giving a potential town manager a reason to reject a contract incorporating such terms and conditions. On the other hand, if the Selectboard caves and offers a contract without terms and conditions describing cause for which the Selectboard can terminate a town manager, we will once again have an insubordinate town manager who cannot be held accountable to the towns people or Selectboard.
A town administrator form of government allows the town custom tailor the duties of the administrator and is not subject to the terribly badly drafted town manager statute. An administrator is inherently answerable and accountable to the Selectboard and towns people.
I understand Ernie’s position and respect that he’s framed it a free times. That said. The critical component in the Administrator – Selectboard format is a Selectboard that is capable and can be trusted. Sadly, that’s not the case today. So an Administrator structure or format is not possible without a qualified SB. What we have is an SB that doesn’t plan and doesn’t disclose.
We need an independent voice. A fresh TM that is welcomed in this Town that has sadly evolved to carry the moniker of entitled wealthy residents. A TM that pushes back on residents who want $80,000 bridges to keep their $200 trail shoes dry or residents who want a flashing light when they have not one but two sidewalks. A TM that doesn’t cave to special interest groups and one that supports the Town as a whole and not a few. The Administrator role only succeeds when there’s a capable SB
Doug:
Your comment about the $200 trail shoes in relation to the
$80,000 foot bridge is spot on. Only in “spendwich” could this happen.