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Date: 4/6/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Town Council voted to move forward with a self-run town manager search at its March 28 meeting.
The council reviewed the Town Charter’s requirements for the town manager position, as well as the criteria from the last town manager search, performed by the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management. Council President Ralph Page told the other counselors that there were three choices in choosing a new town manager — hire an existing town employee for the position, hire a professional search firm or use the Massachusetts Municipal Association to advertise of the position while managing the search themselves.
Page suggested entering negotiations for the position with deputy Town Manager Tom Christiansen. After seeing Christiansen carry out the duties of his position, Page said he is “more than qualified,” and is responsive and accurate.
Council member Michael Kane said that he would like the input of Town Manager Mary McNally, who was in attendance, as Christiansen’s direct supervisor. Councilor Marilyn Richards agreed. “The town is running incredibly well right now,” she said. “I don’t want to fall short of what is in our own backyard.”
Councilor Connor O’Shea said, “I completely disagree.” He emphasized that it was not a reflection on Christiansen but said “it would be a terrible misstep for the town to only look at one internal candidate.” Instead, O’Shea wanted to advertise the position through the MMA to internal and external candidates and vet the group at the same time, “instead of picking and choosing.”
Councilor Matthew Boucher said that while Christiansen is “probably the best person for the job,” it was not “fair to Tom,” to not have a “competitive search process,” which would provide “legitimacy” to any appointment.
Councilor Anna Jones mentioned opening the search to all town staff, but McNally said there were no other people working for the town with the required qualifications.
Kane asked McNally if there would be any issues from former candidates such as Ron San Angelo, a former choice for the position with whom the town had ceased negotiations. McNally said the town must take the steps needed to fill the vacancy. Of San Angelo, Richard’s commented, “He could apply.”
Page suggested a 30-day search, which would allow the council to review applicants throughout May and negotiate before McNally’s June 30 departure. This will be the third town manager search since McNally originally indicated her intention to leave the post in October 2021.
70 Maple St.
Page reminded his fellow counselors that the town had entered into a purchase and sale agreement for 70 Maple St. at the cost of $50,000 and the waiver of nearly $68,000 in outstanding taxes. Because it had been “multiple months” since the offer had been made, McNally had revoked the offer. She told the other party that the town was no longer willing to pay $50,000, and instead, was willing to negotiate the sale of the property for the value of the back taxes alone. She asked to enter into a new purchase and the sale agreement under those terms.
Page noted that if the town were to take the property through a “tax title taking,” it would lose the tax revenue anyway.
O’Shea noted that he was not in favor of the agreement. When the original agreement was debated in September 2022, O’Shea expressed concern that the site may be contaminated from its industrial past and that the town could be “writing a blank check” regarding expensive remediation. He did, however, acknowledge that there was no known contamination on the site.
“By the town purchasing the property, we are taking it off the tax rolls,” O’Shea told Reminder Publishing. “It’s not a huge, but also not insignificant, amount of taxes that the residents would have to make up the difference for.” Given its location in the center of town, he said he would rather a private entity purchase and revitalize it.
Further, O’Shea said there is no plan for the property’s use. While it may be included in the Center Town District envisioned for the area, he said it might also essentially remain a blighted property under the town’s ownership.
Kane said the town wanted to take control of the building to prevent it becoming an industrial business again citing traffic issues and the usage being at odds with the town’s Master Plan.
McNally noted “whoever succeeds us in title,” if that were to happen, would assume the debt and the town would eventually receive its tax revenue.
The council approved the new purchase and sale agreement will the vote of 5-1, with O’Shea dissenting. Councilor Kathleen Hill was not present.