Ken
O’Brien
As the chairman of the last Town Manager Search Committee
that resulted in the selection of Christopher Clark, I must compliment the work
done by the newest such committee.
They have provided the town with three prospects, any one of whom would appear to be an appropriate choice.
In reviewing the candidates I have not found anything in
their backgrounds that would constitute a bar to their assuming the position of
our next chief executive officer.
The interviews to be conducted tonight will provide
the determining factor in deciding which one possesses the vision and skill set
best compatible with the present needs of our town as well as the ability to
plot a fruitful path in the future.
There are three factors that I would hope that Council
members would bear in mind in carrying out this process.
The first has to do with compensation. As best as I
could determine the candidates currently receive between $95,000 and $116,000
per year. I would hope that in the course of final negotiations councilors
strive to set a bar that does not just take the current maximum of $142,000 per
year as a final number. Such a consideration would not only have a bearing on
future pay levels for this position but would also impact future salary
negotiations for a new Police Chief and DPW head. Remember that we are entering
a period where we have to address the structural shortcomings in our community’s
income stream.
The second has to do with developing an annual
performance review for the Town Manager. We have been lacking this for far too
long. A special subcommittee of the Council should be appointed shortly after
the next election and charged with the development of an annual evaluation
tool. It should then be employed to evaluate the Town Manager on an annual
basis.
The third factor relates to the prior municipal management experience of two of the candidates. I have reservations as to whether someone who has gained the bulk of their experience as an elected mayor is an appropriate choice for a town manager. I hope that the Council will address this issue.
The third factor relates to the prior municipal management experience of two of the candidates. I have reservations as to whether someone who has gained the bulk of their experience as an elected mayor is an appropriate choice for a town manager. I hope that the Council will address this issue.
So you're the one who brought us the "Dark Clark!"
ReplyDeleteNot exactly. The committee provided the Council with, I believe, five candidates. By the time they got to a second round of interviews Clark was the only one left.
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