By Patrick Adrian EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — The approaching new year will bring a flurry of change in leadership and administrative experience for the city of Claremont from the addition of three new city councilors, a new mayor and assistant mayor, the search for a new city manager, and the replacement of the city manager’s executive assistant, who is retiring after 17 years.
The Claremont City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the transitional plan to hire a new city manager to succeed City Manager Ed Morris, who officially announced his resignation last week. Morris, who was hired as Claremont’s city manager in 2019, has signed a contract to take over as the city manager in Enfield. Morris’s last day in Claremont will be Friday, Jan. 7.
Following a non-public meeting last Wednesday, the city council voted to authorize Councilors Dale Girard and Deborah Matteau to contact Municipal Resources Inc., a municipal services contractor based in Meredith, to assist in the hiring of an interim city manager.
Last week also marked the last regular city council meeting for Mayor Charlene Lovett and Assistant Mayor Allen Damren, who both decided to retire from the council after this term.
Lovett has served on the city council since 2013, including the past six years as mayor. Lovett is currently the second-longest serving member of the council following Councilor Nicholas Koloski, who was elected last month to his seventh consecutive term.
“It has been one of my greatest privileges to serve as your mayor,” a tearful Lovett said on Wednesday. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life . . . but I have to say that the experiences I have had serving as your mayor have really been wonderful, and I cannot thank you enough for that opportunity.”
Damren, a retired finance manager for the Claremont School District, joined the city council in 2015 and was elected to the position of assistant mayor in 2017.
In an interview with the Eagle Times, Damren said he is happy with the accomplishments of the council as a whole during his service, particularly the recent collaborative effort by the council, the city administration, and Department of Public Works to prioritize the city’s road repairs, including the passage of a 2021 city budget that includes a paving budget of $745,950.
Damren said he believes the city is moving in a positive direction, as seen by the recent building acquisitions by Chinburg Properties, a prominent development firm based in Newmarket. In 2020, Chinburg acquired the Peterson building, a restored historic mill building, and plans to add 87 market-rate apartments in the downtown next spring. Chinburg also acquired the Moody Building, a historic building in Opera House Square that leases commercial spaces for offices and businesses.
“We have done some good things as a council and we are really starting to see the city move in an exciting direction,” Damren said.
City voters in November elected Girard as the next mayor and Matteau as assistant mayor.
In January the council will also swear-in three new councilors: William Limoges, Lucas “Rocky” Beliveau and Matt Mooshian.
In addition to a new city manager, the city will need to replace the city manager’s executive assistant Doree Russell, who is retiring from the position after 17 years.
Russell, who had a wealth of institution knowledge about municipal operations, is the second longtime city employee to retire this year. Mary Walter, who served 20 years as Claremont’s finance director, retired in July.
Russell’s last day of employment will be Friday, Jan. 28.
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