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Date: 8/4/2016
EAST LONGMEADOW – The town is continuing its search for a new library director and recently released an advertisement for the job on its website.
Acting Town Manager Robert Peirent told the Town Council at its July 26 meeting the top candidate for library director was no longer interested in taking the job and the second most qualified candidate had already taken another position elsewhere. The Board of Library Trustees vetted the two candidates.
The Town Council granted Peirent authority to offer the job to the candidates and negotiate a contract.
“At this point, we lack a strong candidate and we will have to go out for a search process,” Peirent explained.
He added he plans to reassure the Board of Library Trustees that it would continue to be an important part of the hiring process.
Board of Library Trustees Chair Arthur McGuire later told Reminder Publications the board would be willing to assist in the search process.
“We’re no longer in a position to hire,” he added. “We’re in a position to advise the town manager of our thoughts.”
McGuire said according to state law a qualified library director must be hired within three years. It’s been half a year since former Library Director Susan Peterson retired from the job.
The application deadline is Sept. 30 and the salary range for the position is $65,000 to $75,000.
In other business, Peirent said during the council’s July 26 meeting a screening committee has been formed to vet building commissioner candidates.
The committee consists of Director of Planning Robyn MacDonald, Peirent, and Longmeadow Building Commissioner Paul Healy, who has been assisting East Longmeadow for several weeks.
Building Inspector Daniel Hellyer retired from the position on July 5.
Peirent said there are two qualified candidates for the position and the screening committee has met with both at this point.
“I think we have some options available to us,” he added. “They both bring their own unique strengths to the process. We’re on that right now. I want to do a little more background checking, talk to a couple more references.”
Town Councilor Michael Kane said one of the candidates works for city of Springfield and the other applicant works for several communities similar to East Longmeadow.
“One of them has more experience, one has less,” he explained. “One of them is a full fledged building commissioner. The other one is not, he’s still engaged in the educational process, which does need to be completed within an 18-month period and we’re both confident that he would do that and there would be provisions in his contract.”