Select Board exploring options for town manager

Date: 12/14/2011

Dec. 12, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW — The Select Board agreed at its Dec. 5 meeting to begin exploring outside resources to facilitate the town’s search for a new town manager.

Current Town Manager Robin Crosbie announced in October that she would not be seeking to renew her contract, which expires in June 2012, spurring discussions of a search for her replacement.

Select Board Chair Mark Gold suggested contacting the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston as a starting point in learning how the board should proceed.

“I believe there are a couple of things we need to do and one is we need to get assistance,” he said. “I don’t believe that as a Select Board we are fully qualified, nor do we have the time to do this entirely on our own.”

The Collins Center for Public Management is the organization utilized by the town of Wilbraham to fill its Police chief position, which needs to be filled by the end of the year when current Chief Allen Stratton retires. Wilbraham is paying the center $12,500 for its services.

Vice-chair Paul Santaniello agreed with those sentiments and stated that he took it upon himself to contact Geoffrey Beckwith at the Massachusetts Municipal Association, who forwarded him a guide that had been created by the Town Managers’ Association.

“It’s a very thorough guide on what to look for and what to ask and that type of thing,” he said.

Santaniello also suggested the Select Board engage in discussions regarding exactly what they are looking to accomplish in their search.

“We must define what we are looking for,” he said. “Are we looking for an interim town manager or are we searching for something more permanent?”